Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report – May 2006

Inshore: The inshore fishing for trout has been very good lately, and this month it should get even better with more big fish coming into play. Capt. Greg Hildreth said he’s had some good catches on live bait on slip-float rigs. “The sight fishing for the inshore reds has also been good. I had some nice 28- to 31-inch fish yesterday on Spike-It jerkbaits,” Capt. Greg said.

Nearshore: Good, with some huge action just around the corner. “The bull reds have shown up on the bars nearshore, as have the tripletail. If the weather stays like this we should have tarpon by mid May,” Capt. Greg said. Also, the Spanish mackerel are getting started near the beaches and over the artificial reefs. Pull No. 3 planers with Clark Spoons. If you see schooling activity, cast spoons to them.

Offshore: Very good. The Savannah Snapper Banks continues to produce a smorgasbord of large “Gulf Stream-sized” vermilion, triggerfish, black sea bass, hog nose snapper, red snapper, grouper, and amberjack, according to Capt. Judy Helmey. “This might surprise you, but we have been catching all of these species of fish on most of our fishing trips,” she said. “I use four basic types of bait, squid, cut fish, live bait, and frozen cigar minnows.” Also, the cobia have started to show up. Look for anything that provides any little bit of shade or flotsam. Things that float attract all sorts of small fish, and in turn big fish. Good cobia baits include live eels, prawn shrimp, pinfish, blue fish, catfish, menhaden, or small blue crabs. King mackerel are starting to show up, and these early arriving kings are usually very catchable.