The first victim of the Flash Crab

I had the chance to stand on the casting platform today rather than the poling platform.  We left the dock at about 8:00 for a 9:45 low tide.  After a short ten minute ride to the low tide flat, we were into fish immediately. 

I have been working on a few new patterns recently, and tied one on today.  I fished Capt. Dave’s Double Rattle Flash Crab.  On my second cast I was fast into a fat 8 lb red.  I swapped places and Craig took to the platform.  He was throwing a black rattle shrimp, but failed to connect.  I took the platform again, and the Flash Crab immediately produced.  The fish inhaled this fly.  They were all hooked pretty deep.  We managed to get the fly out and release the fish none the worse for the wear.

If this fly continues to produce, I will post it on my flies page in a week or so.  Keep checking back.

The temperature is in the low 70′s and the water temperature is approaching 60 degrees.  As long as the wind stays down, the fishing should really begin to turn on.

Look closely at the next picture.  You can see the reds waking on the flat.

Waking Low Tide Reds

I had the privilege of attending this gathering of fervent fly fishermen just North of Atlanta this weekend.  I saw a lot of old friends and made some new friends.  Everyone was interested in the overlooked fly fishing resource we have in South Georgia. 
The only downside was that Friday and Saturday were the nicest days we have had in SSI since last Fall, and I couldn’t be on the water.  To all of you who were, I am sure you enjoyed a great day, and I am sure the fish are starting to cooperate.  We are supposed to have a few days of cool weather and wind, then it is supposed to turn nice again.  I can’t wait to get back out. 
Until then, practice your casts, be sure you can put the fly inside a hoola hoop at 50′ and you will be successful, “Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn.”

Jeremy and Meagan with his 8 lb red. Another victim of the black toad fly

Wow.  Is it cold in the morning running into a 10 knot wind at 30 mph with the temperature 32 degrees.  Winter can’t end too early for me.

I had some good anglers the last few days.  Friday I spent an enjoyable day with Jay and David.  Jay is getting married in May, and was down here for his Bachelor’s weekend.  We started early, and worked a few schools in the river, then we headed into a slough as the tide turned in.  We spooked some fish, but also had good shots at tailing and finning fish.    With low tide early and late, we decided to call it quits after a few hours and re-group  on the evening low tide.  We headed to a new spot, and were rewarded by several big schools of fish.  David and Jay are both good and experienced casters.  They had some excellent shots at fish, but they just had lock jaw today. 

On Saturday, I met Jeremy and Meagan at the McKay River launch.  Meagan gave Jeremy the charter for a birthday present, and drove down here from her parent’s home in Midway.  (She also gave Jeremy his first fly rod!  I would hang onto that woman!)  We started out on a flat off the ICW.  We saw a few schools working, but it was much like yesterday, with the fish not being very active.  Then all of a sudden, I hear Jeremy yelling as he is fast to a fat 8 lb red.  Not only was this Jeremy’s first red on a fly rod, it was his first red!  He took coaching well, got he fish on the reel and enjoyed the 5-10 minute tug of war.  We found several more schools on flats as the tide came in, and Jeremy did a good job of feeding the fish the fly, but they just wouldn’t take.
I think he is hooked and will be back for tailers in the summer.

 

Another victim of the black toad

Adam’s First Sight fished Red

We finally had normal weather return to the Golden Isles this weekend. Afternoon temperatures in the 60′s and morning temperatures in the 40′s.  Water temperature was 48.9.  Comfortable temperatures, light winds combined with the neap, half moon tides-which mean clear water-made for a RED HOT redfish bite this weekend. On Friday evening we landed two huge reds between 12 and 13 lbs. Saturday morning saw five reds brought to the boat. On Sunday morning I had a novice caster on the boat. We spent the first, best fishing hour,  trying to get him to cast farther than 20′. Then we went fishing. He consistently cast ten feet short of the school. After concluding he wouldn’t be successful with the fly rod, out came the spinner and gulp shrimp. He immediately connected with six pound red. We were in reds all morning, and they we finning and tailing.
If you plan on coming to the Golden Isles, please practice your casting. You need to be able to put the fly into a 24″ circle at 50′ to consistently connect with fish. If we ever get closer than 50-60′ of the school, we will spook them. After you spook a school, catching them is very difficult.  The fly of choice last weekend was the black redfish toad.

Here are a few more pictures of the Redfish we landed this weekend in the Golden Isles.

When I am not fishing, I still love to be on the water.  I am always looking for new spots and schools of reds.  I ventured out yesterday on the low incoming looking for clear water and a few new schools.  I was successful on both counts.  In the Hampton River, which separates Little St. Simons from St. Simons, the water is usually clear, so I decided to explore some of the backwaters up there.  I fished a spot I called “Puppy Drum Heaven” last fall.  I felt sure there would be a school there.  WRONG.  I didn’t see a thing, and the habitat is perfect.  I trolled around a few other areas, all with excellent habitat and didn’t see a thing.  Then all of a sudden, mud puffs of busted fish.   I found a big, new school of reds in an area where the water is usually clear and where I hadn’t seen them previously.  The fish weren’t exceptionally large, but there were lots of them.   Now to locate a few more schools in the same area, and we will have a new hotspot. 

Maybe the next report will be about catching some fish out of this school.

Capt. Dave

I had a cancellation today, so I went fishing.

After going out on Wednesday when the water was at 40 degrees, seeing fish, but not having any eat, I thought it would be better today.

We are at the end of a three day warming trend, with rain forecast for tomorrow and Sunday.  There were light North winds, 8-10 and a small tide, 7.1 ft.  After the warming trend, I thought the fish would bite.  When I got to my spot, the water temp was right at 45 degrees; a 5 degree warm up in three days.  Where I went the water was fairly clear, but not the crystal clear  encountered in this spot a few days ago.  I did manage to see, cast to and hook, several fish near the bank from about 50′ away, so it was pretty clear. 

The red fish bite on a fly was INCREDIBLE today.  The reds were schooled, finning and tailing in the low tide flat.  When I first go there it was a strike on almost every other cast.  It slowed down as the tide bottomed out, and picked back up as the tide started back in.  The strikes were very subtle, and I missed the first few thinking I was hung on oysters.  After I started striking whenever I felt a bump, it was fish on. 

I worked the schools from about 50-75 feet out from the bank with the trolling motor.  I just eased along, and when I saw signs of fish, made some casts.  Blind casting also paid off. 

Total for the day was 10-12 hooked and fought and five or six to the boat.  The biggest one was 13 lbs and 30″.  All on a fly rod, all in less than three hours.  INCREDIBLE

Come enjoy this great fishing.

Capt. Dave

12-21-09  Cold Weather Red Fishin’

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Jaqson with the new Fly Cast Outfitters 5 wt being put to the test

Cold weather has descended upon the Golden Isles, but the redfishing is hot.  Today I was joined by Capt Jason Rieger of SkinnyWaterCharter.com out of Savannah.  Low tides are early and late this week, so we pushed through some grass on the high tide to find some floaters during the middle of the day.  After an hour of looking, we decided to try the low tide flat, even if the water was still too high.  Along the edges of the flat we found several hungry schools of reds.  Jason hooked up on two consecutive casts and made great strip strikes.  For some reason or another the fish came unbuttoned after a few runs.  We pushed up the flat as the water was falling and found school after school of big reds.  Jason hooked up on a nice 9 pounder on the new Fly Cast Outfitters five weight.  After several runs well into the backing, we brought the fish to hand.   The fly of the day, you guessed it, a black toad.

If you have never seen schools of  hundreds of reds on a flat, you owe it to yourself to come to the Golden Isles at this time of year.  The schools are huge and there are several flats within a short run where we can find them. 

Schooling Low Tide Reds

Jason’t 9 lb Low Tide Redfish

 12-14-09
Fishin’ in the Fog

Capt. Dave

11-8

The trout and red fish bite it is on! Red fish are all over the low tide flats, and they are hungry.

Water temperatures have dropped to 68 degrees, the reds know winter is coming and they are fattening up for the cold weather.

The trout are everywhere. We find a school and wear them out on clousers and gurglers.

As soon as Tropical Storm Ida passes this weekend, we will be out again.

Capt. Dave