I took a busman’s holiday and went fishing with Capt. John Bottko on January 18. We had bright skies, light winds and we found the huge schools of winter time redfish. I could describe it, but click on the video link below. It tells the story:
Tight Lines, Strip Strike and Practice the Double Haul.
Capt. Dave
We were blessed with mild weather through the first two weeks of January. Water temperatures were 54 degrees through the end of the second week of the month. This time
Dad and Daughter
last year, water temperatures were hovering near 40 degrees.
The red fish are still very active and still fight hard since the water is not so cold as to make them lethargic. We are still finding schools of 25-100 fish on the low tide flats. The water is clear, so on days when the sun is bright and the wind calm, hunting these fish in the long grass and on the oyster bars is productive.
The good news is the reds are in big schools, so when you find them you find a lot of them. The bad news is the reds are in big schools, so you have to hunt them and know where they typically hang out.
This winter is supposed to be more typical, and the winter pattern for red fish should hold into March.
I haven’t been trout fishing lately, but they are in 12-15 feet of water and are being caught either trolling or fishing live shrimp on a slip cork.
I will be at the Great Southern Fishing Show in Atlanta next weekend. January 21 and 22. If you are in the Atlanta area, stop by and see me in booth 309 and attend my seminar on Fly and Light Tackle Rigging.
Until next time, tight lines, strip strike and practice the Double Haul.
Capt. Dave
Emmitt's Red Fish
The sight fishing for red fish is as hot as it gets right now. Last Friday the water temperature was 60 degrees, and the red fishing was off the charts. The fish are in big schools, are moving with the tide, chasing bait, and eating well.
We are having a Nor’Easter as I am writing this so the water will be cooler tomorrow, 12/13. But with highs in the 70′s, light winds and sunny skies forcasted for the rest of the week, the water temperature will rebound nicely. When the water temperature is in the 60′s and high 50′s, it contains a plenty of Oxygen for the fish to breathe. As a result, the fish fight long, hard and feed actively. We are coming off a full moon, so the water should clear toward the end of the week.
My sight fished red fish
Moderate water temperature, sun, light winds and clear water all add up to fantastic sight fishing for red fish.
The pictures in the post are from last Friday when I fished with some friends. We had school after school of red fish swim across the flat. All we had to do was wait for them and not spook them. After catching six, we decided to leave the flat and the fish for another day.
JC's sight fish red fish
December, January and February offer some of the best red fishing of the year, but it is very weather dependent. If you come to the Golden Isles at this time of year, try to be a little flexible on the days you want/can fish. Many times it is impossible to go out right after a big cold front comes rolling through. The winds are just too high.
If you would like to experience some of the best sight fishing of the year for big, strong red fish, give me a call today to come. ”Hunt Fish int he Marshes of Glynn.” Until then,
Tight Lines, strip strike and practice the double haul,
Capt Dave
September and October brought over fifteen days of flooded grass and tailing red fish. These “Bass
Sam's First Tailing Red Fish
in the Grass” were tailing hard grubbing for fiddler crabs. The water temperature stayed right at 70 degrees until the end of October, and the reds stayed in the grass. Most anglers were rewarded with many, many shots at tailing red fish. When the sun, earth and moon were properly aligned and when the anglers placed the fly in the right place, they were rewarded with tight lines and screaming drags from big, chunky red fish. The low tide fishing remained constant with many fish on the tide. Sometimes these fish are hard to catch, and other times, they seem to eat anything you throw at them. The good flies remained the Purple Passion and the Black Toad with an occasional take on a Kwan Fly.
Asbury Gay's Big Trout
The trout fishing is currently off the charts. We have the largest shrimp numbers many say they have seen in decades. The trout are all along the creek and river banks at at the creek mouths. Blind cast a green and white or tan and orange clouser in these areas, and you should be able to catch a “nice mess of fish” for dinner. An occasional 4 pound trout will also be landed, as my daughter, Asbury Gay, learned.
I am looking forward to November and December as the water cools and the reds gather in the big schools of winter. Clear water and mid-day low tides lead to phenomenal sight fishing for our bruiser reds in the Marshes of Glynn.
Give me a call to reserve the best dates for this wonderful time of year.
Until next time, Tight Lines, Strip Strike and Practice the Double Haul.
Capt. Dave
The water temperature is down to 76 degrees. The fish are more active, and the red fish definitely fight harder and don’t take so long to revive with more oxygen in the water. We are ending a week of neap tides and clear water. Today on the flats, we watched as the red fish flashed while feeding on small shrimp in water ten inches deep. With higher than average low tides, the fish are not tightly concentrated. It took a good deal of poling until we found them. I fished with another old Georgia Bulldog today. The weather, fish and wind cooperated.
Bent Rod, Big Smile
I am anxiously anticipating the fall flood tides next week. We have tides as high as nine feet coming up which means hours of time in the flooded grass chasing tailing red fish. I have some clients from Missouri, Texas and Florida
coming in to fish those days, but I still have a few days open. If you want to enjoy the best “Tailing Tides” of the year, give me a quick call and let’s go “Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn”
Tight lines, Strip Strike and practice the Double Haul,
Capt. Dave
I have been so busy, I haven’t had time to update the fishing report. My apologies for those who follow it.
Jim's First Salt Water Fish on the Fly
I hate to sound like a broken record, but the fishing continues to be excellent. The red fish are predictable on the low tide. Some days they aren’t active and it is hard to get them to bite, and on other days they are moving around, chasing bait, and are easy to get to bite. I have been fishing several new less pressured flats lately with good results. Most all of the charters are having multiple hook ups and landing at least a fish or two.
Tailing reds in the Grass
The flood tide fishing in the grass has been terrific. It is not unusual to see a dozen or so tailing and feeding red fish on a tide. I fish several different flats that are all close to each other. If we don’t find fish on one flat, then we simply move to another. The last week of this month and the first few days of October offer the best dates for tailing fish this year. I have been looking forward to this since this time last year. When I am not chartering, you can bet I will be fishing.
I don’t know what it is about the Purple Passion that makes it so effective, but that fly has become my go to fly this summer. Maybe it is the rabbit that moves in the water, maybe it is the dark color that makes if so visible, maybe it is the rubber legs, or maybe it is a combination of all. Whatever it is, you should tie some up and give them a try. I will add it to my flies page in a few days.
Trout fishing is picking up with several fish in the 17-20″ class being landed. There are TONS of short trout around. The shrimp are moving, and the fish are following them.
Flounder and triple tail can still be caught, and we pick up a few flounder while fishing for trout. I normally don’t target flounder, but if you want one for the dinner table, there are places and techniques we can try.
I continue to have folks that have never caught a salt water fish or red fish on a fly rod on the boat. I find it most rewarding to put these people on fish and help them catch their first red on the fly. We usually start the trip with a little casting instruction. Good casting is extremely helpful in salt water fishing. While many times I can get you within 20′ of the fish, if you can cast further, you tremendously increase your odds of catching fish.
Fall is coming. October through December offer some of the best fishing of the year. Treat yourself to a little break and come to the Golden Isles, and “Hunt Fish in the Marshes of Glynn.”
Tight lines, strip strike and practice the Double Haul
Capt. Dave
The last week, before the high, flood tides, the reds were on the low tide flats and feeding heavily on small shrimp. Even with water temperatures at 85 degrees, the reds are moving and smashing bait. As soon as the flood tides started the first of this week, the low tide fishing slowed down dramatically. The fish are still there, but they aren’t moving or smashing bait like they were earlier this month.
However, with the advent of the flood tides, the reds are in the grass and are tailing
The "Purple Passion"
heavily. Last night, I went out with a friend to check out a new flat. There wasn’t anything tailing in this good looking flooded grass, but that is the way it goes.. Then we went to check out another new grass flat, and within an hour, we saw ten tailers with one huge fish that was swimming around with his back out of the water. I had three shots with the fly rod, and connected with one. He smashed the same small, dark fly that was so effective last week on the low tide. I have named the fly the Purple Passion. I listed the recipe in the last post, and here is a picture.
The tides are receding now, and I expect the low tide fishing to pick back up by the weekend. The next tides for tailers are July 29th and 30th. Possibly the 28th as well.
If you get a chance, tie up a few “Purple Passions” and go sight fish to the red fish!
Remember, tight lines, strip strike and practice the double haul.
Capt. Dave
This will be real short. We have had a great trout top water bite in the morning. The trout fishing on Cumberland Beach has been hit or miss, and sometimes the trout are hard to find. We got lucky the other morning and caught this nice 23″ trout on top
An early morning top water trout
water. I am trying to release all trout over 18″, and my client graciously agreed to release this breeder fish. She will make millions of fish this summer and help our population recover after two severe winters. Some of the old timers say the trout fishing is a poor as they can remember it and acknowledge that the last two winters have really hurt the population.
The red fishing has been great on the early morning low tides. It is a hoot to see a line of small shrimp jumping out of the water as a red fish cruises along on the bottom. In the early morning, the wind is normally calm and you can see the fish come cruising
Tom's first red fish on the fly
down the flat from 50 yards away. These fish school up on the low tide for protection from predators, so we are seeing schools as large as we normally see in the winter. Most of the fish are three to four pounds, with an occasional large one thrown in for good measure. A dear friend fished with me earlier this week, and caught his first red fish on a fly rod. Tom, here is wishing you many more. It has become tradition on my
boat that when an angler gets his first fly rod red fish, he also gets the fly he caught it on. I have been fishing a small, size four black and purple rabbit strip clouser lately, and it seems to be producing well. This is an easy fly to tie. Just tie in some black bucktail on the top of the fly on top of dumbell eyes, add a little copper k-flash and a two rubber legs, flip the fly over and pierce a piece of rabbit strip with the hook and slide it over the hook point up to the body of the fly, stretch the strip to the hook and tie off. It has been producing well in the stained waters we see in the Golden Isles.
This week begins the first set of what should be some great tailing tides. Check back often for more reports. Until then,
Tight lines, strip strike and practice the double haul!
Capt. Dave
The trout bite has been terrific lately. For the last two days, I have been fishing on
An Early June Trout
the North Side of St. Simons. It is nice when you can cull the 13″ trout and bring home enough 15-16″ trout for dinner. As an added bonus, the Flounder bite is very strong on the low incoming tide. The trout are in the creek mouths and on the oyster rakes. Make sure you fish clear, moving water. The flounder will hit slowly stripped clousers along oyster banks. Again, clear, moving water is the key.
I was disappointed with the triple tail fishing this spring. There were only a few days when the fish were thick in front of Jekyll. However, the Prawn’s Revenge proved to be the fly of choice for these fish. These fish are moving to the channel markers now, and we can fish for them with either live shrimp, which is most effective or the fly rod, which is most challenging.
An awesome, sight fished 12 lb red fish
The red fishing has been good. I am consistently able to find fish. Sometimes they can be moody and not hit any fly you have in the box. At other times, they seem to hit anything. When they get moody, a well presented gulp bait will more times than not make them bite.
We have flood tides coming up this weekend. June 12th through the 14th should bring the first good tailing tides of the year. I was disappointed with the tailing tides in May, so I am looking forward to chasing Tailers in a few days.
Terry's sight fished red
Fishing for tailing reds is the most exciting method of fishing for these fish that I know. Seeing the tail of a 10 lb fish waving in the air while he is grubbing for fiddlers still makes me excited. I guess when you don’t get excited sight fishing for this worthy quarry, you should just give it up.
If you want to plan a trip to SSI to fish during the “tailing tides” here are the dates for the rest of the summer when the tides should be right for tailers. I published these dates earlier, but here they are again:
June 11, 13, 14 and possibly 29, 30
July 10, 11, 14, 28, 29
August 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,10, 11, 25, 26. 27, 29, 31 and possibly the 9th
September 1, 2, 3. 4, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and possibly the 5th, 12th and 14th
October 1, 2, 3, 4, 26. 27. 28. 29, 30, 31 The dates in late October are very weather dependent.
Give me a call to book your trip for this exciting fishing.
Capt. David Edens
Right now it is all about the Triple Tail sight fishing in front of Jekyll Island. Every
A Jekyll Island Triple Tail
Spring these fish come to the Golden Isles to spawn or sun just off shore of Jekyll Island. Fishing for them is simple. Your troll or drift in front of Jekyll Island looking for what looks like a gray and white trash bag floating in the water. These are the TT’s.
The most poplar way to fish for them is with a popping cork and a live shrimp. Simply cast your cork in front of and beyond the fish. Pull it in front of the fish, and when the cork goes under, set the hook.
The same goes for a fly caster. Cast in front of and beyond the fish. Strip the fly in front of him, and set the hook when the line goes tight.
In theory, that’s how it is done. In actuality, often the fish disappears, gets spooked by the boat/line/cork, or simply ignores your offering. That is the fun of sight fishing for these fish. If you are careful with your casting the fly angler can get multiple shots at the same fish. On some days we get shots at a dozen or more fish, on other days, not so many, and on some days, none—but that’s fishing.
Regardless, it is a hoot to hunt these fish in the ocean. You should give it a try.
Capt. Dave
