Southeast Georgia Fishing Reports With Capt. Bert Deener – Sept. 22, 2023

Mark Vick (left) and David Brodmann had a great day for flounder in the Savannah area on Saturday. They caught a bunch of flounder by casting artificial shrimp and kept six (two over 20 inches).

These cooler nights have improved the bite, but the rivers are still a little full for a prime bite. The best reports this week were in ponds, the Okefenokee and saltwater.

Okefenokee Swamp: Carter Knoll fished in the east side boat basin this week and did well for bowfin (mudfish) by casting black/chartreuse and firetiger Dura-Spins. He caught several each evening in just a short time. Other anglers caught a few catfish by bottom fishing (probably shrimp or worms, but I did not ask them). The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.59 feet.

Local Ponds: Chad Lee fished several ponds this week and caught some bass and a crappie. He caught the crappie on a minnow right before the bottom fell out and he got soaked. Friday he caught 20 small bass up to 2 pounds on stickworms and spinnerbaits. He also flung a red/white Beetlespin for a little bit and caught 10 big bluegill. He fished during his lunch break a couple times this week and had a couple bass each trip. Jimmy Zinker night fished in a Valdosta area pond on Wednesday night and didn’t land any bass, but he had a big one eat his black Gurgler Buzzbait and dive down in the weeds and pull off. A couple youngsters fished a Brunswick area lake from a dock on Wednesday and caught several-dozen bluegill and channel catfish. They were throwing small, 2-inch grubs for their catch.

Saltwater (GA Coast): The fall mullet run is happening, and that means lots of big predators heading south with the bait schools. This is prime time to catch a giant bull redfish in our sounds, so give it a try. Tarpon are still around in good numbers, as well. This cooler weather has the trout fired off. I heard several good reports of keeper trout being caught in the Brunswick area. Mark Vick and David Brodmann fished the Savannah area on Saturday and caught a bunch of flounder (kept six of the bigger ones) on artificial shrimp. Two of them were over 20 inches. They also caught two slot redfish and several undersized trout mixed in. Justin Bythwood fished a Brunswick area dock early Thursday morning and caught a 4-lb. sheepshead using a fiddler crab rigged on a 1/8-oz. Shrimp Hook (built on a Gamakatsu kahle-shaped hook). He also broke off two bigger sheepshead that wrapped him around the pilings. The new bait shop in Brunswick named Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle opened last Friday. They are open Friday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week. They have plenty of lively shrimp and fiddler crabs and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They’re on Highway 303 just north of Highway 82 in the same location as the previous J&P Bait and Tackle. For the latest information, contact them at 912.223.1379.

First quarter moon is Sept. 22. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website (waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/rt). For the latest marine forecast, check out www.weather.gov/jax/.

River gages on Sept. 21 were:
Clyo on the Savannah River –  5.8 feet and rising
Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 4.0 feet and steady
Doctortown on the Altamaha – 7.6 feet and cresting
Waycross on the Satilla – 10.0 feet and falling
Atkinson on the Satilla – 13.2 feet and falling
Statenville on the Alapaha – 4.3 feet and falling
Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.2 feet and falling
Fargo on the Suwannee – 4.7 feet and falling

Capt. Bert Deener makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call him at 912.288.3022 or email him at [email protected].