Georgia Saltwater Fishing Report – September 2009

Saltwater: Inshore: Capt. David Newlin reports, “In the sounds the trout and redfish action is heating up. Shrimp are plentiful almost everywhere. In St. Catherine’s Sound, the redfish seem to be on every drop, with a few big fish, but most of them are 13 to 13 1/2 inches. Live shrimp under a cork have been working great. The trout bite has been real good for August, and it should get a lot better on into the fall. The live shrimp cork rigs have been working. Fishing on the bottom with a split shot and live finger mullet has produced some big trout lately. Fish the oyster beds on the incoming tide for the best bite.” Capt. Bob Barnette reports, “We can look forward to an outstanding speckle trout and redfish run. Already the redfish are on the mud flats feeding on small crabs and shrimp. As the tides flood the marshes, look for tailing reds in the marsh flats. I prefer to use Gulp jerkbaits, but live shrimp and mud minnows work as well or better.”

Nearshore: Excellent. “Tarpon are at the peak of their season, and they should be around through September,” said Capt. Newlin. “The beach-fronts with some currents and rips have been holding a lot of big fish when the bait schools are present. Tarpon have been moving around a lot. Move until you are actually seeing fish rolling.”