Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report – August 2007

Inshore: Good for redfish and trout, but quality fish have been a bit more difficult to catch lately. For trout, try float-cork rigs with live shrimp or artificial shrimp fished around piers and shell beds. For redfish, try soft jerkbaits. Capt. Judy Helmey reports an ususual inshore bite — large Spanish mackerel were being caught while float fishing for trout and redfish in the sounds and rivers using traditional floats and popping corks with live shrimp or mud minnows.

Nearshore: The shark bite has been excellent. Capt. David Newlin said this summer has been one of the best he’s seen for both numbers and for big sharks. The tarpon fishing should be excellent in August, which is typically the best month off the Georgia coast. Find the channels and rips, and if there are pogies, you should find tarpon.

Offshore: Bottom fishing has been good at the Savannah Snapper Banks, with lots of sea bass and the occasional big snapper or grouper. The king mackerel must be lost. According to Capt. Judy Helmey, normally this time of year the large kings are caught close to shore on beachfronts and nearshore rips. “This is not happening,” she said. The artificial reefs located
in 45 to 60 feet of water normally have scattered schools of teenage (13- to 18-lb.) king mackerel lurking about around the outskirts of these areas. “There have been some catches reported, but not like it has been. The kings, once again as they did this spring, have shown up in full force at the Savannah Snapper Banks. The most active method at least for me is to pull No. 3 planers, 30 feet of 80-lb. test leader, and then tie on a 3 1/2-inch Drone spoon,” she said.