Capt Judy Helmey, Savannah, Fishing report 12-2
Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956
POB 30771
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31410
912 897 4921 912 897 3460 FAX
Captain Judys email fishjudy2@aol.com
December 5, 2011
Saltwater Inshore, Offshore, Blue Water fishing reports, Freshies Suggestions, and Little Miss Judys Believe It or Not story! Thanks for Reading!
Table of Contents
Surf fishing report
Red Fish Mania!! Captain Alan Collins
Flounder fishing we do go! Pam Reynolds holding up a nice fish!
Captain Jack McGowan of Miss Judy Charters always has lots to say, Especially when it comes to fishing! Heres his report .
Artificial reefs A Family Tradition in the making!! Please meet Perry, Jenn, Carl, and Sharon
Savannah Snapper Banks
Freshies Suggestions Just in time for the holidays! Bill Vanderford
Gulf Stream Report!
Little Miss Judys Believe it Or Not! Fishing on the hill not over the hill!
Surf Fishing Report
No reports received at this time
Red Fish Mania!!
Captain Alan Collins
November 25, 2011
Inshore fishing with The Stewards and Captain Alan Collins of Miss Judy Charters
The fish were not the only ones swimming on this particular fish day!!
From Left to right: Nathan Stewart, Matthew Stewart holding a nice 22 inch red fish, Captain Alan Collins for Miss Judy Charters, and Mitchell Stewart holding a nice 2 ¾ red fish
Captain Alan Collins of Miss Judy Charters is holding Mitchell Stewarts just caught, fought, and tagged 28 inch red fish. But there is more to this story while Mitchell was fighting this fish, Captain Alan leaned over to keep line off the boats gunnels and into the water he went. As you can see he is a little wet from his quick and very cold polar bear plunge into the water. However, not a thing changed even when he was in the water swimming with the fish that was hooked up by Mitchell!! Its was all good!!
Flounder fishing we did go!!
Pam Reynolds is holding up a nice flounder, which she caught while fishing with her better half Captain Rick Reynolds of Miss Judy Charters
Captain Rick sent me this picture and then he added a few points that could help inshore fishermen get a better chance at catching fish. Lets talk about what we can learn from this picture. To do so you need to focus on whats showing behind Pam. To the left side of Pam there is a small clump of marsh grass. Behind this clump of grass there is a tiny creek mouth that drains the marsh into the main river. Pam was fishing in that mouth when she noticed her cork go into that small clump of weeds. According to Captain Rick, Pam was having trouble with her reeling hand and she could not get it out of the weeds. Captain Ricks plan was too give her line a quick jerk so as to pull it out from behind the weed. However, once Captain Rick applied just a little pressure the old flounders tail flopped out of the water. Pam then worked the fish through the weeds and then landed it. Once on the deck, Captain Rick noticed that the flounder had spit up a nice shrimp, which it had completely peeled before eating it.
So here are a few things that Captain Rick brought to light if the shrimp are getting peeled, but no hooks ups are occurring then nines time out of ten you are fishing in a flounder spot. This most likely would mean more than one flounder in the area. He suggest that in some cases giving a flounder at least 20 seconds to eat before setting the hook is a very good idea.
Its my opinion that red fish crush and drag your bait. Spotted sea trout attack, kill, and quickly eat your bait all in one pass. And of course the old flounder takes its time peels your shrimp and the eats it. Next time you are peeling and eating shrimp just think about the flounder doing it with no hands!!
Captain Jack McGowan of Miss Judy Charters always has lots to say, Especially when it comes to fishing! Heres his report .
Fishing prior to the last set of spring tides was good! As tides built over the Thanksgiving holiday the bite became increasingly problematic. Prior to the spring tides there several reports of stripers being caught on lee shores as well as good sea trout bite (we caught several). As tides became larger the bite subsided. Interestingly there were a few sheepshead caught on structure with slack current as well 10 to 13 inch whiting in the rivers as well lots of small sea trout caught by those trolling curtail plastics and fishing live bait. Despite some sea trout being caught the bite has not been hot. Likely as tides subside there will be a good bite and perhaps well in the New Year!
There have already been several reports of inshore and offshore sheepshead! Usually fishermen think of sheepshead during the winter and early spring. Fishermen targeting this fish on inside have had some nice catches as well those fishing nearshore wrecks! One common theme by both inshore and offshore fishermen is that juvenile sea bass are everywhere. Many of these fish at time would have been legal fish. As regulations have tightened on sea bass this fish could quickly become a nuisance for sheepshead fishermen.
The redfish fish prior to last weeks spring tides was good! Redfish were schooling in the rivers. Almost any structure had the potential of holding dozens of reds as well a few big sea trout. As quickly as the bite turns on it can turn off. Strong currents, dolphins, fishing pressure and just the natural movement of fish can mean excellent fishing one day and poor or no bites the next. Schools that are under pressure will either will be fished down, move or break up. Fish the conditions. This could means fishing areas that arent your usual two or three drops. You likely find new drops that youve been motoring by for years. Fish move. Youll find areas that can be world class one year, a dud the next. In short fish have tails and will be move. No matter what you learn or figure out there will always more to learn. Nature is in constant change. For example, a excellent redfish drop becomes silted in. Part of the fun fishing is finding new areas and way and how fish bite. This can take time. Perhaps a lifetime or lest a few hours on your next charter!
Hope this of interest and help! If interested you like you can book with me Capt. Jack McGowan This time of the year we are pitching soft plastics, baits and flies for redfish, stripers, as well structure fishing for sheepshead and bottom fishing for whiting.
Fish On! Capt. Jack McGowan
Artificial Reefs
Sheepshead, black sea bass, trophy red fish, flounder, blue fish, triggerfish, and who knows what else might bite your hook!!
A family traditional in the making!
By Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters
Tuesday November 22, 2011
6 hours artificial reef trip with
Fishing with Captain Judy Helmey and Captain Deidra Jeffcoat on board Miss Judy Too!
Attachment 209283
Please meet Perry, Jenn, Carl, and Sharon
Sharon (green tank top) and Perry Chambers (light blue t-shirt), Sharons daughter Jenn Marconi, (black t-shirt) (all from Pembroke, Georgia) and Perrys son Carl Chambers (striped shirt) visiting from Indianapolis, Indiana.
On November 14, 2011 Sharon called and got information for a possible offshore fishing trip. Arrangements were made and expectations were high! The first thing that you must remember when booking a fishing trip in this area is the fact is, if you luck up and get a good weather day the Fish Gods just might smile down on you. Well, on Tuesday morning the weather was beautiful with the sun shinning bright and the seas were absolutely calm as they could be. With this situation at hand all we needed was for the fish to show up! Believe me the fish showed up! Not just one type, but all kinds of fish offering up some unbelievable sights!
As I rounded the sea buoy Perry saw what he thought was a right whale on the surface. Since the sighting was right in front of my boat I quickly slowed down taking a direction away from the right whale swirl. With all eyes on deck looking for the next showing the whale never showed itself again. As soon as I made sure that the coast was clear I throttled up taking a heading to the KC artificial buoy area. My plan was to anchor up on a wreck and just swing with the ever changing current pattern. I am always getting asked, Why dont we move to another spot? My standard answer is The boat is really never over the same spot for any length of time due to the ever changing currents and wind.
Once we got my customized reef anchor hung on the wreck Captain Deidra (my first mate) and I (Captain Judy) started to get everything ready to fish. We already had the rods, reels, and tackle on the back deck. So therefore all we really had to do was bait up and offer a few suggestions on how a Sheepshead takes your bait. I like throwing in sayings like When it comes to the old Sheepshead you have to set the hook before the fish takes a bite! I always get some pretty strange looks when this comes out of my mouth. Another saying is The Sheepshead is so fast that it can suck in the insides out of your crab leaving an empty shell on your hook! So therefore I am always telling customers to really take a good look at your bait, because believe it or not, but it just might be an empty shell that you are trying to fish with. I am always getting asked, Which fiddler do you think works the best when targeting Sheepshead the purple or the black back? My standard answer is The purple backs, because they are sweeter than the black fiddlers. How do I know this? I took one of the fiddlers in each hand, crushed them, and tasted the juice. (I call this a captains red neck tasting test!) And now you know the rest of the bait testing story!!!
On this particular day I knew that I was anchored over quite a few nice Sheepsheads. However, I also knew that there were lots of black fish hanging in the water column. This is why I use fiddlers as my only bait used. Black sea bass will hit anything and they did. However, it seems the black sea bass will only eat the fiddler when it presented right in front of them. So the group moved around the deck looking to drop over the side in that prefect spot. I must say the black fish were plentiful, because they ate our fiddlers and others followed the hooked fish right up to the surface.
Heres is a few black fish that followed a hooked bait fish to the surface. None of these black fish are hooked up. I was using a live blue fish for bait. The black fish laying on the surface has the entire head of the blue fish in its mouth. I shook the line and finally the sea bass left go. Then it started making way back to the bottom taking its schooling friends with it. I took dozens of pictures just like this one. However, there was one picture that I missed. A black fish swam to the surface and jumped out of the water right by the boat. Now thats something you dont see very often!!!
Everyone caught dozens of black sea bass.
Attachment 209285
Perry Chambers and Captain Deidra Jeffcoat holding up a nice black sea bass
Captain Deidra Jeffcoat holding up a nice black fish that Sharon Chambers caught.
Sharons daughter Jenn Marconi liked the black sea bass so much that she kissed one!! Jenn is in management at the Krogers at Richmond Hill.
Please meet Carl Chambers holding a nice black sea bass. Carl is Perry son and is an accomplished executed chief in Indianapolis, Indiana. If the group caught any fish that they could keep, Carl was going to cook them his way!! As it turned out they did catch quite a few nice Sheepsheads. Chef Carl worked his cooking magic and prepared a meal fit for a king!! I am sorry to say I wasnt there to taste it first hand. However, I did received raving reports from the family on the fresh fish dinner that Chef Carl served.
This family fish day not only turned out to be a catching day, but also a seeing day too!
The first jelly with the colored skirt is called a cannonball jelly! There are a few interesting facts about the cannonball jelly fish. They are most of the time accompanied by a spider crab, which is either riding outside in plain view or they are tucked up inside under the jellys skirt. The cannonball jelly fish will not sting you. However, the mucus collected when handling them has a numbing affect on your hands. Whatever you do dont wipe your face or other parts until you have washed your hand properly. The second jelly fish is called a Southern Moon Jelly. This is not considered a highly venomous jelly. However, they do still have the ability to sting you. So therefore touching or handling should not be an option.
To top off our already interesting fish catching day a 500 pound plus ocean sunfish was just-a-swimming-around-the-boat! These are the most amazing fish. Ocean sunfish also known as Mola Mola dont have a tail. The tail end of the fish looks like its tail was cut off with a pair of pinking shears. To top off no tail at all they can still can jump out of the water and do some of the best belly flops that I have ever seen. This fish has an upper dorsal fin that is sometimes mistaken for a sharks fin. However, after a few second of watching you will be able to one tell why we call it a lazy fin. It just moves with the motion of the ocean.
For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_sunfish#Description
Perry Chambers holding his just fought, caught, landed, tagged, and release 411/2 inch trophy red fish, which he caught while plain old bottom fishing at the old artificial reef.
As if all the seeing and catching wasnt enough it was time to do some tagging. The big rod start bending, Perry picked it up, and the fish fight began. After a few minutes of give and take Perry brought this large 411/2 inch red fish to the boat, it was netted, tagged, revived, and released back to the wild. While putting the line out a large brown shark also known as a sandbar shark came to the live bait, looked at it, and then swam off into the abyss.
Attachment 209292
Captain Deidra Jeffcoat holding up Chef Carls nice Sheepshead. Catching this fish put Chef Carl in the thinking about how he was going to prepare this fish mode!
Attachment 209293
Perry holding up another tasty piece of the dinner puzzle.
It might have not have been the biggest Sheepshead, but it certainly did put a beautiful smile on Jenn!!! Proving once again that fishing is good for the soul!!
While fishing for Sheepshead and catching sea bass we also had something unusual bite our hook. Two clear nose skates decided that they wanted to partake of out purple back fiddler crab. Once doing so both became hooked up. The clear nose rays dont have the dangerous spike on their tail. However, I still dont suggest handling them. After this picture taking every both fish were released back to the wild. Its so true what they say about just plain old fishing in the ocean. You just never know what interesting things that you might catch!!! In this case two interesting things!!!
It truly was an amazing day!!
The bottom line to this fish day was the fact that even I was amazed at all that happened. And I am talking about from the time we got to the ocean until we pulled in or watched our last fish swim by the boat. I just love my job and the people that I get to meet while doing it!!
Big thanks go out too
Sharon and Perry Chambers, Sharons daughter Jenn Marconi, (all from Pembroke, Georgia) and Perrys son Carl Chambers visiting from Indianapolis, Indiana. We hope to see you again soon! Thanks Captain Judy
Savannah Snapper Banks
I did not fish nor did I get any reports of anyone that did fish this area last week. For those fishermen that want to target and catch grouper I suggest that you make your plan now!! The 2011 Grouper season will close on January 1, 2012 and will re open on April 1, 2012
Freshies Suggestions
Just in time for the holidays!!!
Bill Vanderford holding a nice striped bass
As we approach another wonderful year, we at Bill Vanderford’s Guide Service, Inc. look forward to renewing old friendships and trying new ways to catch fish. Thanks to you and our many other friends, we begin our 41st year in the guide business at Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River.
Fishing in the lake this past year was excellent in the 21 foot Triton bass boat. Spotted and Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and Stripers have been feeding like crazy, and the Walleyes will be running the upper Hooch during February and March. Along with the Spawning Stripers, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, and the rare Shoal Bass (Chattahoochee Grand Slam) will be active in the upper Chattahoochee River from March through the rest of the year. Also, the Trout fishing below the lake is always good during winter, but will get even better in the Spring and Summer. All this shallow water fishing is possible with the Special Jet Boat so check your calendars and call soon. New for 2012, we will be taking people on special trips to catch lots of catfish! This is great for kids and families!
As in the past, we offer Gift Certificates for any of our services,we have copies of the books, SECRETS TO FISHING LAKE LANIER or THE NEW GUIDE TO BANK FISHING ON LAKE LANIER. We have both the famous Origninal Swirleybird spinner gift pack, the Saltwater/Striper Series gift pack, and others at: www.georgiafishing.com
Come see us and learn something new in my seminars at the GREAT SOUTHERN FISHING SHOW at the North Atlanta Trade Center (770 279-9899) on January 21-22, 2012. Also, please allow us to again share with you the wonder and beauty of Lake Lanier, and the Chattahoochee during the coming year!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Bill Vanderford
Inductee of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
Mobile Phone: (770) 289-1543
E Mail: jfish51@aol.com
Web Site: www.fishinglanier.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTZivF8KTlk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpCdJAeURYM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E6u4gmNE4k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoflHDqrK8M http://www.youtube.com/user/fishyrac…/6/kcQDL4-Btjs
Gulf Stream Report!
I am sorry to say, I cant report anything! However, if you get a calm day believe me it will be well worth the ride!
Little Miss Judys Believe it Or Not!
Fishing on the hill not over the hill!
My first memory of fishing was with my father, which was sometimes during the mid fifties. We would fish inshore for trout, bass, tripletail, and flounder. My father then decided that he needed more room in which to throw his fishhook. So, we started fishing the offshore waters of the ocean. This was an entirely different frontier. According to my father is was an area that could never be over fished, because not everyone was brave enough to try it. We were fishing approximately 10 miles offshore. This live bottom area was known as the Old Black Fish Banks! Yet still Daddy was always looking to the east at the horizon. I knew sooner or later we would have to go. In the mid to late sixties Daddy and I started spreading our wings to the other side of the 10 nautical mile imaginary line. There wasnt much out there, but a sandy bottom. This wasnt what daddy was looking for so we headed home. I knew the next time would find us way the heck out there. So therefore in the early seventies it was a done deal we arrived at what would soon become known as the Savannah Snapper Banks. This area was located about 30 miles off the coast. It was a healthy live bottom area full of all types of big bottom fish. All you had to do was bait your hook, drop it to towards the bottom, and most of the time you had a fish on before the sinker landed. Once again Daddy said, This area cant ever be over fished. As if all of this wasnt enough we still pushed further out into the ocean. When we reached the 30 fathom curve I though for sure that the ocean was going to swallow us up. It was deep and prettiest color blue that I ever could have imagined. Once again the fish bite raged on with bottom fish so thick that I actually had trouble getting my line back to the boat. The top water fish were so big that we quite often didnt have equipment heavy enough to handle them. So therefore all we could do was to talk about them once we arrived back home. That was just fine with me. Fish that are that big could have probably hurt someone. We were now fishing over 65 miles from our coastline.
Basically we havent stopped pushing to the other side of the next ledge. I guess its a sportsmans nature to want to explore. Heck, what could it hurt?
Let me tell you about this fishing book that I brought the other day. Its pretty interesting. The publish date was in the year of 1902. Its a book that gives you instruction of when, where, how to catch all types of fish. I looked in the saltwater section. However, there wasnt much to read, but I did find this out about the fishing year of 1902. To catch a saltwater fish such as a grouper you must fish off a BANK, which has a rocky bottom area. Now thats not a suggestion that you get from any current fishing report!
Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Captain Judy Helmey
missjudycharters.com
912 897 4921
Sport Fishing Forums – North Carolina, South Carolina & Georgia Fishing
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