Saltwater Inshore, Offshore, Blue Water fishing reports, Freshies Suggestions, and “Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not story! (A great New Years Eve story!) Thanks for Reading!
I got my wish “a visit from Santa!” Captain Judy asks, “Who is this?”
Table of Contents
2011 inshore and offshore fishing clinic dates, it’s time to sign up!
Inshore Possibilities
Spotted Sea Trout Bite Lets talk a little about live bait
Red Fish Catching Opportunities! Artificial lures and soft baits
Artificial reefs.. Fish Just Can’t Make Up Their Mind!
Walt Sowers and fishing team December 22, 2010 Tuesday Fishing the artificial reefs!
Artificial reef, Snapper Banks, to the Gulf Stream Blue Fin Tuna Alert has been posted. No sightings yet, but anytime now…will keep you posted…
Savannah Snapper Banks Just plain fishing is good right now
Gulf Stream Reports Part One Birding for all the right reasons
Freshies Report Crappie bite in spite of the cold-water deal!
Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not! New Years Eve at the grand Oglethorpe Hotel
2011 inshore and offshore fishing clinic dates, it’s time to sign up!
To sign up all you have to do call, 912 897 4921 or email fishjudy2@aol.com
And you can pay the day of the school!
2011 Schools dates are
INSHORE FISHING CLINIC
Two Inshore School
Saturday February 19, 2011
Saturday March 12, 2011
One Offshore School
Saturday March 5, 2011
Time: 8:00AM – 2:00 PM
Place: Tubby’s Tank House 2909 River Drive, Thunderbolt, Georgia 31404
Cost: $100.00 (included one day class, breakfast, and lunch)
Please call 912 897 4921 now for reservations
Please sign up as soon as possible! There is limited entry!
This is not a Coke-Cola advertisement, but it could be. The Clausen’s Duo Fishing Team wanted us to know that their trout, which was caught on artificial shrimp patterns, were the real deal! In other words, “Much bigger than a Coke can!”
Inshore Possibilities
There in one thing that you can count on when it comes to the weather in Savannah, Georgia and “that is it’s always going to change and change a lot!” Here’s my take on what has been going on in regards to the inshore bites at the end of 2010 fishing year!
It has been cold, real cold, and then colder than usual in some cases. The surface water temperatures have gone from mid forties to the upper sixties on any given couple of days. This brings to light that those down under as well as the fishermen don’t know what to do as to fish or not. Well, it has always been my thought that if you don’t go you won’t know. So here are a few suggestions that might ease your fish catching pains!
The first thing is to always remember it’s called fishing not catching and then your day will be just fine! At least if you keep this attitude!
Spotted Sea Trout Bite
I have had some inshore fisherman say, “No bites available!” While others say, “When you find them the bite is ON!” It’s my opinion that those that fished on extremely cold and windy days have most likely had a slow to no bite. However, for those fishermen that fished days that was sunny prompting a warming trend serious bite most likely happened! So if you can pick your fish day you know what you need to do!
Here’s how we hook up our live shrimp when used as bait. I bet you already know how to set this bait up when making an afternoon shrimp cocktail.
Lets talk a little about live bait
If you can purchase live shrimp I suggest doing just that. However, if you can’t purchase or catch the real thing I suggest going with the artificial shrimp patterns. My father used to say, “Heck if the fisherman can get live bait neither can the fish!” All this boils down to is the fact there isn’t accessible shrimp in the creeks or rivers and most likely the fish aren’t going to be as picky as usual.
As far as shrimp patterns you can go with scented or not. Both DOA’s (non-scented) and Berkley scented baits will work. I know this for a fact, because no scented artificial bait was available when we first started fishing and they work just fine. However, since they are available now you might want to lean towards them. Heck, at this time of the year you need all the help you can to get the fish to at least look at what is on your hook.
Two shrimp in the water, left is artificial and the right is a live shrimp. Both shrimp lay in the water the same; both have big eyes, and seemly moving legs. So here’s the question that a fish might ask, “Which one should I hit first?” My answer would be, “Both of them!”
Red Fish Catching Opportunities!
Here’s proof that the red fish with hit both soft lures and the real bait at this time of the year. To the left we have plastic and to the right we have what’s left of a shrimp. Both baits were removed from the same red fish’s stomach! My father used to say, “If you want to know what a fish is really eating, after catching one take a look-see!” However, he doesn’t suggest waiting till you get to the cleaning table. You can’t legally clean your fish while on the boat, but you certainly can gut it. Heck, I have gut fish off shore and used the just eaten bait over again!
Soft plastics in shrimp and fish patterns are the way to go especially when you can’t catch or purchase live bait. Some plastics not only look like the real thing that smell like it too!
Artificial lures and soft baits
During this time when the red fish take to the flats it’s time to decide whether or not you want to sight cast artificial baits or use bait. For those that want to do some sight or just plain casting while retrieving artificial this is a very good time to give this a try. Lures rigged with small sharp treble hooks or soft jerk bait rigged weed less will work. The best suggestion that I can offer is to make all retrieves “slow to go!” The reason being is the fact that you are not the only one that is cold. The fish are too and all moves made feeding or not are going to be in slow-to-go motion! Keeping this in mind and it will offer up your best chances for hooking up a red fish during cold-water times.
This is piece of finger mullet on a hook. The best way to get this cut is to take the mullet and cut it like a loaf of bread. The best news about this bait is you can catch it in the warmer months and freeze for the cold fishing times.
Or Use the real deal bait
Some inshore fishermen especially at this time of the year prefer to use the real deal bait meaning no artificial lures here. The best part when using live or chunked bait is the fact that you feel that you are offering the fish something. The means you don’t have to work a lure all you have to do is to play the waiting game. This all boils down to putting your bait on the hook, cast in to place, and wait for a hit. During coldwater times I always suggest when using real bait that you don’t even hold the rod. I say, “Lay your rod down so that the main line lays right on the water.” I don’t suggest putting it in an up right holder (rod holder), because the angle of the rod might possibly be too high. The main line up and out of the water just might detour your fish if not for a second to look away. The best way to seal this catching deal is to “not set the hook!” In other words, “give them time to eat!”
Artificial reefs
Fish Just Can’t Make Up Their Mind!
Since I get to fish so much when things change in the ocean they can get noticed. For instance: We normally start targeting sheepshead with the water temperature drops below 60 degrees and stays there. When this cooling takes place fish with teeth such as barracuda, Spanish, and king mackerel make their wintertime moves. Black sea bass and their friends move to low relief areas and in some cases further offshore to other structure. When all this is set fish activity at the reef is normal, at least until another drop in water temperature. So everything went as planned I fished for sheepshead, black drum, flounder, blue fish, and red fish around and over the wrecks…and then targeted black sea bass, trigger fish, ocean perch, flounder, pigfish, blue fish, and occasional gag grouper. All was well..at least until a serious warming trend took place…..Late November till early December we had a series of warmer temperatures sending the water temperature back up to over 65 degrees. This must have confused those down under, because the normal holding-balance-changed. Where we were catching sheepshead before black sea bass, pigfish, ocean perch, and others started hammering our fiddlers. The fact of the matter is you couldn’t get pass all those open mouths to get to a sheepshead bite. The wrecks and low relief areas held all size fish from small to medium to large fish. Now I am not complaining we caught lots of fish and had lots of bites and my customers had a blast doing it! However, what I am saying is “Change is taking place all of the time and if you don’t watch you will miss it along with the bite that accompanies it!”
Ashly Guest watches as son Clayton age 13 is holding up a nice black sea bass! This is not Clayton’s first nor his last fishing adventure. While only 10 years old Clayton fought, caught, and released a 175-pound tarpon. With that accomplishment under his belt I know we will be seeing him again!
Walt Sowers and fishing team
December 22, 2010 Tuesday
Fishing the artificial reefs!
While at Rivers Services the other day I talked with Walt Sowers, which is in industrial sales. As usual our conversation went quickly from work related subjects straight into fishing. Walt asked, “Have you been catching any fish?” I replied, “Yes the sheepshead bite has been very good at the artificial reefs.” Walt was planning on taking a before Christmas fishing trip with friends. So I suggest sheepshead fishing.
Walt Sowers along with Marshall Showalter is holding nice black sea bass, which was caught while using squid and cut fish as bait. You just might have seen Marshall somewhere else before. Marshall although from Savannah now works in New York City as a professional model with Abercrombie and Fitch!
Upon leaving I asked that he send me a report and also any pictures that he might take. While watching the weather, he moved his fishing trip from the last to the first of the week. With sheepshead catching on their minds Walt Sowers, Ashly Guest, his son Clayton, and Marshall Showalter made way to the K C artificial reef. Once arriving they set up, baited hooks, and dropped down. As soon as the hooks hit the water bites happened. The reef was loaded up with large black sea bass with some weighting in at around 3 pounds. The catching process began with the fishing crew catching one nice black fish after another. While anchored up the group even got a glimpse of right whale making way to the south from their fishing area.
The bottom line to this fish day is this: Always be prepared for the fish that is ready to bite your hook. In the case of the Walt Sowers fishing team they picked a great weather day and caught exactly what was biting! A big congratulation goes out to the team for a job well done! Please keep sending these great fishing reports! And Happy Holidays to all!
Artificial reef, Snapper Banks, to the Gulf Stream
Blue Fin Tuna Alert has been posted. No sightings yet, but anytime now…will keep you posted…
Savannah Snapper Banks
Just plain fishing is good right now!
Bottom Fishing
Bottom fishing for black sea bass, triggerfish, white bone porgy, knobbed porgy, red porgy, banded rudder fish, gag grouper, scamp grouper, red grouper, mutton snapper, flounder, almaco jack, amberjack, tomtate, rock bass, scup, and etc…
Trolling or live lining
While trolling or live lining the catching possibilities at this time are very good. Last week king mackerel, amberjack, dolphin, and black jacks were caught.
Can’t keep genuine red snapper (closed 2010 with possible closure extensions)
Gulf Stream Reports
My suggestion is especially at this time…if you get good weather be prepared to go…boats have gone during this time in the past and have done quite well in the catching department while doing just a little trolling and strolling! Whatever you do if you get to go, what the heck, give bottom fishing a try! Here’s the best line ever, “You won’t know unless you go!”
Part One “Birding for all the right reasons!”
The meaning of birding is to observe or identify wild birds in their habitats. For the fisherman it means to observe the birds while they are watching the fish that they are trying to catch!
Things I found out while birding the blue waters of the Gulf Stream!
Photo by Captain Judy Helmey
This is a picture that I took of a bird while fishing in the Gulf Stream, which I called a yellow bill tropical bird. It’s extended tail feathers are not the only thing that you need to know about this bird. The most important thing for a fisherman is the fact that “9 times out of 10” this bird is tracking a big fish down under. In this particular case, this yellow bill tropical bird was stalking a 90-pound Wahoo. I watched as the bird stayed close to the same area, made darting moves, and then made feeding dives. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the bird above was mimicking the moves made by the big fish that was feeding down below.
It’s was truly amazing how the bird followed above as the fish went about its tail cutting and gut ripping ways The bird above moved just as sharply making the same tight moves above. When the fish chased its prey below the bird followed suit. As I watched I had to wonder how many times I had passed up such a feeding matter so well expedited. From this day on I was looking “far and wide” for single low erratic flying birds. And you will not believe all the Wahoo that I caught while using my newly found method of being a “serious blue water birder!” (Birding is the now the new term used instead of bird watching.)
After getting this photo developed, which took a while. (The digital camera might have been invented, but it hadn’t arrived in my picture-taking world.) I noticed the oil slick that had floated up to the surface. And on this particular day, before I put this all together, there were fresh parts floating. I happen to get a glimpse of this right before the bird took a dive and picked it up. Then it finally was driven home that the bird was watching and closely following the fish so that when it killed, fresh parts floated to the surface offering up a “free lunch!” Now that was a mouth full for sure…And I know you know how I found out about the 90 pound Wahoo that the yellow bill topical bird was following, because we caught it! Yes I do have a picture!
After I put “two and two” together the meaning of “what the fish and the bird had in common” things in the catching department changed.
Freshies Suggestions
Crappie bite in spite of the cold-water deal!
Photo by Bill Vanderford
Live Bait Fishing!
Crappie bite in spite of the cold-water deal!
When the water temperature is around the freezing mark you can still target and catch crappie. It’s best to fish murky water at around 20 feet that is around some sort of structure. Best rigs are going to be ones that offer any sort of vertical presentation. As far as bait, live minnows should get this fish’s attention. Whatever you do give them time to eat, because light bites can happen.
For those fishermen that want to “GO FISH LAKE LANIER”
Yes this is me sitting on the stern of Daddy’s wooden boat “Miss Jerry.” My mother most likely was taking the picture, because daddy would have never thought of putting the hotel in the background. As you can see it pretty much looks the same way today as it sits on beautiful Wilmington River. However, unfortunately it’s no longer known as the Grand Oglethorpe Hotel! However, for me it will never be anything else!
New Years Eve at the grand Oglethorpe Hotel
My father used to go to their New Year Eve Party every year. And to get the story started I must state my grandmother lived and worked at the hotel. So therefore he could drop me off and then walk right into the main lobby of the hotel and right into the famous Emerald Room. This was the hotel’s ballroom, which was definitely unbelievable to a 7 year old. I really don’t know where to start in regards to this story, because there is so much to write.
Firstly, let get this part of the story out of the way. My grandmother on my mother’s side worked at the hotel in linen services. I guess that’s what it’s called. She worked down under the hotel taking care of making sure all the linens were washed and pressed properly. Yes, I said, “pressed properly!” The linens were ironed back then for the hotel beds. And each bed had to be made up a certain way, but to this day I never understood why. All I know I couldn’t help do this part. However, I could fluff the pillows, which was always my job. My grandmothers’ room looked like a hotel room. It didn’t have a kitchen, because all meals were picked up at the hotel’s kitchen. I can’t remember whether I liked the food or not. However, what I do remember is individual pats of butter, small helpings of all type of jellies, and everything on a separate covered plate. All plates, coffee cups, and tea glasses set on what my grandmother called a “dolly.” We basically had the time of our lives picking up the food, coming back to the room, and eating off of a tray. It was great!
At the age of seven I wasn’t allowed to roam around much, but when I was I made tracks. I found out quick that from the linens services you could get almost anywhere. It was an adventure from the word go. Once everyone met me my travels broadened. I could run to the kitchen grab a piece of toast; butter it up with an actual paint brush, and get back to my mission. Before I go any further I have to tell you about this toaster. It reminded my of a merry go around. The white bread was put on the track and as it went up the burners inside toasted one side and as it came down the other side of the toast was cooked. It really never stopped. As the toast came around it was taken off, buttered, cut in half, and put on a saucer. After a while I would just run up, pick out my piece of toast, paint it with butter, and off I would go. Life was good especially while eating on the run!
I’ll never forget the day I found the ballroom, which was called the Emerald Room. It had dark green velvet curtains that seemed to go forever from the ceiling to the floor. It was a big room and on this particular day there were men with white hats chipping away at large hunks of ice. There was certainly a lot going on. The tables were being set along with colorful party hats, horns, and swing around noisemakers. Not only that, streamers of all colors was being draped from one end to another. Balloons were being tied everywhere; it was festive for sure! Being a child my main goal was trying to get one of those noisemakers. Sure enough a nice gentlemen also dressed in white fixed me right up. I now had a hat, horn, and noisemaker. However, I was instructed not to blow the horn or swing the noisemaker in the hotel. I am sure glad he told me that, because my plan was to parade through the Governor’s Lounge and see how much attention I could get.
Photo by Jerry Helmey
This is me once again trying to either hold up or just plain shoot at some one. I have always been fascinated with guns. In this case “cap guns.” I have to tell you while I am writing this I can smell the smoke that a cap gun made when fired. It’s funny what you remember. As a child, during my cap gun phase I fired off roll after roll. I shot at everything from the trees to the ground. As you can see in this picture I was dressed for cowboy success! The furniture in this room came from the Oglethorpe’s Hotel Governor’s Lounge.
Since I mentioned it I might as well tell you about the Governor’s lounge. This room was situated on the ground level floor of the hotel. It had lots of windows so you could see outside while sitting down. They should have called it the Lounging room instead, because there were chair and sofas all over the room. Heck, I could jump from one to another without even touching the floor. As a child I didn’t understand what all the sitting was about. However, this room was sure was used a lot. It was always packed full of people drinking and smoking big cigars. As far as watching, this was the easiest room to get to. You could just walk in from outside, shoot right behind the sofas, and never be seen. I ought to know, I made a lot of strategic moves in this place working my way through all the furniture.
Apparently the day that I received the party favors it must have been New Years Eve. I remembered daddy had dropped me off earlier that morning and said he wouldn’t see me till tomorrow. Believe me, there was no crying here. Don’t get me wrong I love my father, but just thinking about running around the hotel was pretty darn exciting. After all I had to make the best out of what I was handed. My daddy used to say just like bre’r rabbit did “Please don’t throw me in briar patch!” Well in this case, I was like that old rabbit; I wanted to stay at the hotel.
Since I couldn’t really do much with my party favors I decided to take them back to my grandmother for safekeeping. As soon as I dropped my goods off I headed back to the Emerald Room, because I wanted to see what those big block of ice looked like now. To my amazement they had carved two ice swans, which pretty much had me mesmerized. If I had known the word “unbelievable” I probably would have used it.
The next day my father picked me up. When we got into the car on the seat was a party hat, horn, and a swinging noisemaker. I acted surprised when he handed them to me and also when he told me about the swans that were made from ice. As I listened to him talk about things that I already knew I was happy to know that he had not missed out on anything either!
Happy New Year to all my friends wishing you all a great 2011!
Thanks for reading!
Captain Judy
Thank You,
Captain Judy
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
1 912 897 4921 office
1 877 500 3363 toll free
Miss Judy Charters
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