Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report – October 2006

Saltwater:

Inshore: Good. The creeks are full of nice shrimp right now, so you can catch your own bait if you can throw a cast net. Capt. Greg Hildreth, fishing out of the St. Simons area, prefers artificials for redfish, and he’s getting plenty of action on soft jerkbaits. He’s catching some nice trout on a new float rig called Low Country Lightning. “It is a clacking cork like the Cajun Thunder, but you can vary your depth like the slip-cork rig. I’ve been using shrimp as well as artifical baits under the cork,” Capt. Greg said. Up the coast near Savannah, Capt. Judy also recommends trying a “free-line” with live shrimp. “Tie your hook directly onto your main line, hook your shrimp up by its horn, and basically let it free swim. This is one of most natural ways that live bait can be delivered,” Capt. Judy said.

Nearshore: The bull reds are showing up very well, and the tarpon are still here, according to Capt. Greg. “I had a friend fish on Monday, and he had 14 bull reds and two tarpon — not too shabby! The big reds will be wide open by mid October.”

Offshore: Capt. Ken Kennickell of Miss Judy Charters had a great day of bottom fishing at the Savannah Snapper banks this past weekend. According to Capt. Judy, “While using double-hook bottom rigs, cut squid, and fresh, dead, assorted minnows, the bite was on. It didn’t last long, but they all got their two-fish limit. Capt. Ken found a school of migrating red snapper that had probably stopped off to do a little feeding before pushing on. The snapper ranged from about 21 to 29 inches.