Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report March 2014

Saltwater: Inshore & Nearshore: Capt. David Newlin reports, “Looks like we are going to have an early spring on the coast. Almost everything turned on the last few days. The sheepshead and black drum catches have been nothing short of terrific. I had a couple days with 200-lb. catches of sheepshead and good-eating-size black drum. The bait is fiddler crabs. Almost all local bait dealers have been out of them, so take your shovel and go dig up some. Last week we caught redfish, drum, sheepshead, weakfish and black sea bass on fiddlers. These fish have been hitting inshore and on the close-in reefs. They should keep biting through the month of March. A slip-sinker bottom rig with a 1/0 kahle hook works great. In federal waters, use a 1/0 Owner circle hook. The trout have turned on during the warmer days. They have been caught on shrimp, polywogs and artificial lures. The best spots have been the beach sloughs, Bradley River, McQueens Inlet and Cabaretta. This looks real good for March fishing. Water temps are in the low 50s. When they get a little bit warmer, the fishing should be real good. The redfish bite has been real good for February, with several limits of fish caught. Inshore there are plenty of slot-limit fish being caught on shrimp. The big redfish are all over the nearshore reefs. On the reefs, fish a big piece of cut fish on the bottom with a 12/0 circle hook. The KTK, BL, CAT, DUA and KC reefs have big redfish. The whiting bite should start when the water hits 55 degrees. If decent weather continues, March fishing should be great. A few striped bass have been caught in the Ogeechee River. Try a black-and-gold Rapala from Kings Ferry downriver around creek mouths on the outgoing tide.” Capt. Judy Helmey reports, “March is the month that all fishermen and fish have been waiting for. Inshore fishermen can expect the cold redfish bite to thaw and become less stealthy. Best ways to get this fish’s attention is to pitch Berkley Gulp baits rigged weedless in and around shallow areas with structure. Redfish consider submerged oyster rakes and isolated grass pods a target-rich feeding environment. When choosing a color for your artificial baits, this should be determined by color of water. The clearer the water, the lighter the leader and color of artificial baits used. When the water temperature reaches 65 degrees, everything is alive. Once the redfish bite ends for the day, fishermen can give plain old bottom fishing in the sound near the mud flats for whiting a try. The best bait is going to be little chunks of shrimp laced onto small hooks. It’s a lot of fun. Bull whiting are sometimes bigger than you think. The Georgia DNR has changed the whiting also known as southern kingfish size and bag limit regulations. It’s now legal in Georgia to keep any size whiting and as many as you want. Please know that all license Georgia saltwater fishermen are required to have a SIP license. Always check fishing regulations before going fishing. During this month there is yet another great fish to target while inshore fishing, and it’s the sheepshead. Best times to fish for sheepshead inshore are two hours before high tide until two hours afterward. Look for where the sheepshead feed by looking at the vertical structure when it is exposed during low tide. Best baits are purple-and-black-back fiddlers, clam strips, green mussels, barnacles, shucked oysters with hearts and small pieces of bugged out shrimp.”

Nearshore & Offshore: Capt. Judy reports, “Offshore fishermen can look to catching some of the biggest sheepshead and black drum during this month. Normally the bite is very active. Sheepshead and black drum are bulking up and feeding heavily to be ready to migrate back to the waters. While fishing for sheepshead, you might encounter a black sea bass, flounder or other bites. As of this report, black sea bass season is open. And I am happy to report this bite is very strong at the nearshore artificial reefs. Before leaving the dock, whether your plan is inshore or offshore fishing, you should always check all rules and regulations for state and federal waters. For those fishermen who want a true challenge, I suggest giving some blue-water trolling a try. The blue waters of the Gulf Stream, especially off Georgia’s coast, can be very interesting because during the month of March big fish are on the move. You could find yourself hooking up with a mako shark, bill fish, wahoo, king mackerel or tuna. As far as best baits, I suggest setting your trolling spread up with real cedar plugs (not painted) and chin-weighted dink ballyhoo. And now for some old school advice, I suggest rigging up a red/black Ilander with horse ballyhoo and pulling it way back behind your trolling spread. And if that topwater bite doesn’t materialize, then I suggest doing a little bottom fishing. It’s a stretch to get there, but once you arrive, the possibilities could turn into a serious rod-bending affair!”