Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report – January 2025

Saltwater: Inshore: Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “Spotted seatrout during this time are normally wintering in deep holes in the rivers or sounds. The best way to catch spotted seatrout when in hibernation mode is to use small saltwater or freshwater jigs with curly or paddletails on 4- to 6-lb. test main line. I like monofilament because of the extra stretch cushion it adds. For those who prefer braided main line, it will work. However, you need to make sure the drag set matches the main line used. Spotted seatrout have soft mouths, and a hook can easily be pulled free. The bottom line when targeting saltwater fish in cold-water conditions is to go with a lure that is smaller but still gets their attention when worked. The secret to getting more hits is that they must be small and worked slowly to do the job of imitating live bait. I like to use 1/16- and 1/24-oz. jig heads with assorted colors of curly and paddle tails. My favorite jig color combinations are a white jig head with a white tail and a red jig head with chartreuse flake. Another favorite is a white jig head, or a plain lead jig head rigged with your favorite yellow/white/chartreuse tail. The secret when using any kind of soft bait in cold water is that it should be smaller and worked slower than usual. The best method when fishing a deep hole is to cast into the deepest part, let your lure hit the bottom, wait, reel a few times, wait and repeat. Then I suggest casting the lure to the sides of the hole to work this area. The secret to getting solid hits during cold-water times is to work your lure as slow as you can while keeping it near or right on the bottom. The inshore redfish bite can be very good, but you got to know the rules. During cold-water times, the redfish senses are better tuned, meaning they can see and hear better. This fish stays in high-alert mode because of their two main predators, the dolphin and fishermen. Dolphin are very diligent in knowing where to wait and how long to get a quick meal. Where you have dolphins staging, you most likely have redfish schooling to the inshore. The best artificial baits are going to be flukes rigged weedless. I like Strike King Z-Too salt impregnated/slow sinking jerkbaits and 5-inch Zoom Flukes. Here are some proven colors: blue and gray glimmer, ice, Arkansas shiner, pearl and smoky shad. Don’t be afraid to lay a bead of some sort of fish sauce into the grove of this bait. Berkley Gulp! Alive! baits also offer up that favorite scent for getting a cold-water fish to eat. Fresh frozen pawn shrimp pieces and mullet steaks will also work. Adding, dipping, and soaking your bait is going to only entice the bite. When you do get a bite, give them time to eat this time of year.” Capt. David Newlin reports, “It is definitely winter here on the coast. Everything is in winter mode. Water temps are around 55 degrees. Fishing in January is real weather dependent. A week of warm weather will turn the trout and redfish on, but a week of really cold weather will turn them off. As long as the water temps stay above 50, a few fish will still bite. The stripers in the Ogeechee are the only fish that cold weather seems to turn on. Throw a Rapala or a big white jig around creek mouths. Dock lights can also hold some stripers. With a mild January, we should catch some fish. If it turns off cold weather, sit back and wait for spring. Happy New Year.”

Georgia Saltwater Fishing Page

Artificial Reefs: Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “The artificial reefs located in less than 50 feet of water are holding the winter migration of sheepshead. These fish are going to be staging on the wrecks that offer the most vertical feeding opportunity. Before heading out, make sure you know the coordinates for the wreck that you are going to fish.

The best bait for this fish is going to be anything wrapped in a shell, such as purple back fiddlers, black back fiddlers, barnacles, green mussels, oysters and shrimp. It is best to anchor up or hover over the wreck with your trolling motor. I suggest using Carolina-style rig dropped to the bottom, and then reel up about 1 foot off bottom. Once you have either had a bite or caught a sheepshead, stay where you are. Sheepshead bites can come in flurries and then stop completely. When the bite stops, don’t relocate, but instead re-situate your bait. Wait until the school makes its way back around to the wreck area.”

Trophy Redfish: Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “Trophy redfish migrate to the offshore water during the cold-water times. They can be found schooling near the beachfronts, around offshore sandbars and on the artificial reefs. These fish are normally schooling and feeding on something that they have corralled. I have caught them on 4-oz. single tube diamond jigs. The best color for tubes has been red and green, and the best color jig/hair combinations have been blue/white and chartreuse/white. For those fishermen who prefer using real bait, I suggest squid and shrimp laced onto 4/0 j or circle hooks fished directly on the bottom or suspended in the mid-water column. Make sure your drag is set light to medium and not locked down. For those offshore fishermen who want to troll for redfish, pull a 3 1/2-inch Drone spoon (silver or black with chartreuse flash) 20 feet behind a No. 3 planer or an 8-oz. trolling sinkers. When trolling around diving or sitting birds, take the boat in and out of gear, allowing the lure to fall at different depths of the water column. The best way to find an offshore redfish is to keep an eye on the sky. If the reds are feeding, the sea birds are diving. All sized sea birds will follow and feed on the surfaced leftovers. So, if you see gannets, cormorants, loons or any size sea birds diving or sitting on the water, there is a good chance that trophy redfish have been feeding. They will most likely do so again—and shortly. Stay in this area, do a little bird watching, and they most likely can show you the way.

Please remember any size redfish that are caught in federal waters are protected and must be released. During this time, some of these trophy redfish being caught have been up to 45 inches long. Please handle with care.”

Savannah Snapper Banks: Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “Bottom fishing is always very good, especially when you bait your hooks with cut squid. If using live bait, I suggest lip hooking sand perch, rock bass, juvenile vermilion and tomtates. Please remember grouper season is closed and will not open until May 1, 2025. There are a few other offshore closers that are pending, along with rules for releasing fish. Please go to http://safmc.net to get updated regulations. The naval towers located at the banks R7 (3149.000/8016.500), M2R6 (3132.000/8014.000) and R2 (3122.500/8034.000) sometimes hold the interest of African pompano. Although this is not a fish that we normally catch in this area, this is the time we see them. The best bait is going to be the live ones, such as a tomtates, menhaden, horny belly or look downs. The best presentation is either going to be rigging bait under some sort of traditional adjustable cork or basic freelining. We normally try both methods. Targeting African pompano can be a little challenging because sometimes you can see them swimming on the surface right in the center of the tower. Once you see them, you most likely can get them to eat, but it’s best to try to get them to the outside of the tower legs. Hooking them up while they are swimming inside the legs of the tower usually results in them breaking off and is only going to spook the school. I suggest placing baits under floats or freeline on the outskirts and down current side of the tower leg. In some cases, also dropping a bottom rig, hooking up and reeling in a live fish will sometimes spark their interest. Once outside of the tower legs, this fish is most likely going to feed. So be ready. Don’t forget your gaff or your camera.”

Blue Water: Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “This is the time of the year, if you happen to have a good weather situation, to make a productive blue water run. Trolling for wahoo, king mackerel and blackfin tuna can offer one heck of a catching affair. Mahi mahi are few and far between during this time, but hook-ups are still possible. Finding a well-defined rip at the Gulf Stream this time of the year can be done, but I suggest not wasting time and just taking a heading to a known ledge area. Your best bet is to know the coordinates of all ledges, holes and live-bottoms areas where you intend on fishing. When departing Savannah from Wassaw Sea Buoy, I like to suggest two areas. I used to make my decision at the sea buoy based on offshore prevailing wind direction. If you have prevailing southernly winds, I suggest heading to an area 4 miles inshore of the Deli Ledge (3132.961/7943.493) to the B-Liner Hole, also known by me as the 944 Ledge (3131.43/7949.51). Or if your prevailing winds are coming from a northerly direction, I suggest heading to the South Ledge area. (3106.416 /7955.300). When arriving about 1 mile out from a designated fishing spot, I suggest slowing down and putting out two to three high-speed cow bell lures. My favorite lure is the 32-oz. Banchee high speed saltwater lure (https://ballyhood.com) These lures can be successfully pulled at 2 to 20 knots. You simply will not believe the continuous smoke trail that they create. I liked pulling them at about 12 to 16 knots. Once arriving, I suggest coming up with a high-speed trolling plan working the area over. While doing so, watch your fish finder and mark spots that are holding fish at different depths. Be prepared to stop and do a little high-speed jigging. When jigging in 150 plus depth of water, I suggest using a 7-oz. Williamson Benthos speed jig. It is best to use 50- to 80-lb. braid main line, about 6 feet of 80- to 100-lb. fluorocarbon leader and then attach a jig. Next move is most simple—have a gaff nearby, drop the lure to the desired depth, work the lure erratically, don’t stop, hook up a big fish, land and repeat. You could find yourself hooking up blackfin tuna or a big bottom fish!”

2025 Captain Judy’s Inshore Fishing Clinics: Captain Judy is offering fishing/learning inshore trips. You will go fishing and learn while you fish. If you catch legal-sized fish, your captain will clean them. Tip and fish cleaning is not included in the price. Please bring your own food and drink. Each fisherman will receive a signed copy of Captain Judy’s Inshore Fishing Techniques, as well as other information ($25 value). The dates are Feb. 22, 2025 and Feb. 23, 2025. On inshore boats in the water $200 per person and runs from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.