Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report May 2014

Saltwater: Inshore & Nearshore: Capt. David Newlin reports, “Water temperature is in the low 70s in most places with some places still in the upper 60s. Inshore, everything is starting to come alive with the warmer weather. This week we caught some really nice trout in shallow water where they should be in late April and May. Points with a lot of oyster shells with 3 to 5 feet of water and some current is where I have been catching trout. Live shrimp on a slip-float rig as almost always is the most productive method. If you get on a spot with a lot of little fish, put a DOA Shrimp under a float, and work it in a jerking motion until a bigger trout finds it. Finding clear water is the must-have ingredient to catch trout. All the freshwater coming down the rivers has muddied the water in some areas. On low tide, you can almost always find a few spots with clear water for a couple of hours. The whiting bite is at its peak. On several trips last week, we caught more than 50 in an hour. This is a great method of making a quick fish fry. They seem to be all over the place. On the beach, they have been real thick. Creek mouths and points with around 10 feet of water have been good. In Ossabaw Sound, the mouth of Bradley River and Odingsell River have been whiting hotspots. On the beaches, find a cut in a sandbar, a small drop-off or just look for a spot with a slower current. You need a little current, but not real hard-running water. Use a small piece of shrimp on a No. 2 long-shank hook with the lightest sinker that you can use, and keep the bait on the bottom. The redfish bite has been steady. Finding clear enough water has been the name of the game. The fish I have caught have been way up in the ends of creeks on mud flats and shell beds. The redfish bite should get hot in May. Flounder are starting to be part of the daily catch. We hardly ever target flounder; we usually catch them on shallow flats while fishing for trout and redfish. Sometimes small mullet and poly-wogs will get a flounder’s attention better than shrimp.” Capt. Judy Helmy reports, “Although the spotted sea trout have been a little unpredictable over the last few months, May is the month that changes everything. By the time May rolls around, the spotted sea trout bite is joined up with the flounder bite, meaning two types of fish for one type of bait. As always, live shrimp under an adjustable float or popping cork works like a charm. However, if you want to get your bait closer to the bottom, but not right on it, an adjustable cork will do just that. Sea trout will find your bait, and the flounder can see it. If it’s artificial lures that you are looking to work instead, I suggest purchasing yourself some Berkley Gulp Alive baits, which come in all sizes and shapes. The old saying, ‘The secret is in the sauce’ comes into play when using this line of artificial baits. These styles of artificial baits have been proven by fish, and whatever you do, don’t forget you dip net!”

Nearshore & Offshore: Capt. Judy reports, “The bottom fishing can be very good at this time of the year at the artificial reefs. Best bottom baits are cut squid and fillet of fresh fish. The black sea bass, trigger fish, summer trout, flounder and other bottom biters love the option of a free meal. As far as topwater bite, the Spanish mackerel should have arrived. You might not see them, but they are here. Best places to troll are going to be over and around structure. If you happen to see a few Spanish catching air, I suggest working the area while pulling small to medium Clark spoons at different depths. You also could find yourself catching king mackerel, barracuda or little tunny. At the Savannah Snapper Banks, when the month of May rolls around, offshore fishermen get excited. Grouper season is wide open. The season for our area in Savannah is May 1 until Dec. 31. For more up-to-date fishery regulations, please go to www.safmc.net. Always check for current regulations, because you would be surprised how much they change. This is the month where gags and scamps (grouper) exercise their right to make a move to feed. As far as what’s best to use for bait, I suggest the nervous bait such as live cigar minnows or Spanish sardines, which are easily caught on just about any type of gold hook sabiki rigs. The secret is to use sabiki bait rigs made with No. 6 to No. 8 size hooks laced with fish skin. Once these styles hooks are dipped into the water, baits can resist the gold flash or the secret smell delivered. Another method for getting a solid grouper bite is by jigging, which has been working quite well for me. As far as best colors, cigar minnows or Spanish sardines look a likes has been the catching deal. The secret to jigging when it comes to catching big grouper is to drop to the depth where the fish are holding, and then work your jig by raising and dropping your rod. This basically works your jig about 4 to 5 feet up and down at the same depth. I call this working the strike zone. Once hooked up, this area is better known as the ‘striking zone!’ As far as topwater fishing at the banks, anything goes from king mackerel to dolphin. The means you really never know what might bite your hook. When moving from spot to spot, I try to always put some sort of a swimming lure, or a ballyhoo rigged on three 5/0 “J” hooks in a row also works. I suggest pulling this bait naked, meaning no skirt needed. The blue waters of the Gulf Stream can certainly offer lots of action during the month of May. Water temperatures to the west of the stream are still cooler, meaning the edge is still strong. The best ways to find fish is to locate any temperatures breaks. Go to http://sstcharts.com for free online sea surface temperature charts. The dolphin bite is normally the best this month. You can catch them pulling small to medium baits right on the surface. For those who don’t want to rig ballyhoo, there is another option. I suggest pulling old-school birds with artificial squid in tow. And last but not least, once you find a school of dolphin, I suggest stopping and pitching to them. You can use small jigs with screw tails, squid on a hook, cut ballyhoo on a hook or you use small live baits. Here are a few things to remember when it comes to catching and keeping school dolphin’s attention. If they come to the boat with their lights on (colorful attire), they are most likely going to eat just about anything you throw at them. To keep the school’s attention, always leave the last fish hooked up swimming in the water right by your boat until you have landed the one before. Dolphins are very jealous fish and always want whatever their counter parts are eating.” Capt. David Newlin reports, “On the offshore artificial reefs, the sea bass bite is hot. Sheepshead should still bite through May. Bluefish around 1 to 2 pounds have been thick on the close-in reefs. Triggerfish, porgies and an assortment of fish can be caught on the bottom. Bottom fishing on the reefs in less than 70 feet of water can be a light-tackle affair, which is fun with the smaller fish. Cobia have started showing up. May is the month for cobia. Anchor on the reef structure, and freeline a live fish or put it under a float. Keep a rod with a big jig or Rapala Magnum ready to cast. A chum bag full of chopped up pogies will sometime help bring them up to the boat. Kings and Spanish mackerel should be on all the reefs by mid-May. Sharks have shown up everywhere the last few days. May is the month for the big blacktip sharks to show up off the beaches. Get on the edge of the channels a few miles offshore with a live mullet or pogy under a real loud popping cork, and work the cork hard. A good chum line always helps. If any shrimp boats are working, they can hold a lot of sharks. Be careful, and stay a safe distance from shrimp boats. The big blacktips are a blast to catch. They jump and fight hard and also make great eating. Check fishing regs before keeping sharks. Sharks need to be cleaned within a few hours of killing them.”