SALTWATER JUNE 2008 CAPT JUDY

June 2, 2008

Happy Fish Day!

Saltwater inshore, offshore, blue water fishing report, Freshies Suggestions, and “Little Miss Judy’s story! Thanks for reading! Captain Judy

Inshore Suggestions and reports

Trolling for Spotted Sea Trout

This is a great way to find where the fish are holding. Not only that, but it’s just plain fun catching fish while you are making way! Back in the old days we trolled a lot for trout. According to my father it was the only way to go, because moving always offered up some sort of breeze. When we moved about in the old days we used small 31/2 to 10 horsepower outboard engines. We would troll what was called “Christmas Tree lures” and screw tails threaded on small jig heads.

At this time there are so many lures on the market that not only are the fisherman’s heads spinning, but also the fish. The best way to decide which shape and size will work for each fish is to first think! You need to consider size, color, and shape. If you are targeting spotted sea trout lures shaped like small fish such as mud minnows, peanut menhaden, or croakers will work. Shrimp patterns are also great shapes to consider.

However, it’s hard to beat a slow trolled screw tail type lure. Once threaded on to a small jig head and pulled slowly over structure spotted sea trout eat it up! As far as color, the darker ones have always been my favorite. However, if that’s not working you need to have a variety of colors. One way that my father always taught me in regards to color is most of the time was to use this rule of the thumb, “when the water is dark go with dark colors when it’s lighter go with lighter colors.”

You know I am going to have to throw some twists and turns for that last suggestion. Best artificial baits used should match as close as possible the coloring of baitfish at any particular time. Now there’s a mouth full for you. It’s a “no brainer” if the water had been muddy for a while, “just go with darker base lures.” The reasoning is those down under have changed up so that they blend in. It’s basic instinct mode for survival. However, if this was a quick change those swimming in it might not have had time to readapt to their current color surroundings. This is where lighter baits are used when fishing darker water conditions. I suggest having a few different scenarios in your tackle box.

Lets talk a little about where to pull those baits that you have decided to fish. Creeks and rivers that are lined with oyster rakes are great places to start. I suggest taking a good look at these area when the tide is out so as to get a good look at your pulled over underwater terrain. The best time to start pulling close to shore and over the oysters is around ½ tide incoming plus. However, you might be using a deep draft boat, meaning you need more water than is over the oysters rake. If this is the case troll when the tide stage is higher. Areas that have live oyster rakes, white/dead oysters, sloughs, and feeder creeks are great places troll.

Lets assume you have found the fish, which means you either have had a hit or you have one on. As soon as you get any sort of action take a look at your surroundings: where your were exactly when you got that hit, which way you were pointing/heading, where you got the hit, was it by the marsh grass? Off from the marsh grass? What was the tide stage, wind direction, and of course the “time it took place!” In other words, “make serious mental notes!”

Once getting any sort of action it’s up to you what to do with your newfound bite. You can keep trolling over and around it, or anchor up and pitch to “strike zone.” Here are a few things you need to keep in mind. When trout are feeding “school wise” the area covered is normally no larger than the size of a five-gallon bucket. If you plan on retracing your tract, please keep this in mind. You might break up the feeding pattern scattering all those fish involved from the trout to the baitfish. When you get a hit don’t go crazy setting the hook. Please remember about the mouth design of this fish…very weak mouth…. meaning easy to pull the hook.

Captain Ray Crawley of Miss Judy Charters “Strikes Again!”

I am always saying, “just when I think that I have heard it all in comes another unbelievable, why didn’t I think about it suggestion. This past week Captain Ray along with fishing crew made way to area where the fishing was good, but the waiting was long. Captain Ray watched his group go from excited to somewhat bored. He knew he was in the right spot and though for sure the fish parade would come. He was right and it did happen. However, while the waiting was taking place, confirmation of things to come had to be discussed. When the fish finally started biting catching fishermen sported big smiles.

Although I don’t exactly where Captain Ray was fishing he did explain how he made his decision to “fish where!” At this time larger fish normally stage closer to the sound areas. This is where most of the baitfish is swept up to and out of. Larger fish, which also can be called “the smarter fish”, know this so therefore it’s a precise feeding plan for sure. As he approached the sound area he look for small feeders creeks and sloughs.

My meaning of feeder creek is a simple one, but might not be what everyone else thinks it is. It’s any small creek, which provides a way for water to move freely in and out of the marsh. In other words, these small/feeder creeks provide the least path of resistance. The best news is that it’s not just empty water that flows out of the marshes. This current brings with it all living things that semi-live in the marsh. So therefore where the feeder creek ends or should I say, “dumps into the larger areas” it becomes a feeding zone. It’s suggested to take a look at these areas from the low tide stage. The reason being is that you can then get a “fishing lay out down pat!” I suggest pick those areas that have any sort of shell bottom or any sort of raised oyster rake that the current move around when it’s coming or going. By knowing what’s on the bottom will better help you to be able to fish as well as catch better!

Lets say, “You have a feeder creek that dumps into a larger body of water.” Here’s what on the bottom and you have studied it well. There is a raised oyster rake right in the middle of the feeder creek right at the dumping out mouth. Now you wouldn’t even know that this type of structure was there unless you pre-looked at low tide or unless you pulled up and hit it! Here’s what happens with this scenario: When the water is either going out or coming in fish stage around the point of this raised oyster rank. The reason being as the current flows around these points small eddies are formed, which offers what I call “calming spots.” These areas are great places for bait fish to hold up, because they think it safe and for things moving in the water to get stalled out. Larger fish already know this drill, because this is how they feed all of the time. This is their pattern of least resistance when feeding is on their mind!

To work an area like this it’s suggest to used some sort of float rig. All you have to do is to let the driven current take the float with it offering up the moving pattern. Once it’s ascertained where the fish are staging repeat-ability is on your side. This brings to light that a float, floating can cover a lot of water. This boils down to the fact that the current takes the float with it. Too adjust and cover new areas in the floating zone all you have to do is to cast two feet one way of the other to get into the new feeding zone.

Lets talk a little about sloughs. My meaning might not be what other think. However, it works for me. It’s basically “an indention in the marsh line.” Waterways are lined with marsh, which in most cases are located on both sides. However, when the line is broken with any sort of indention also called a “slough” feeding zones are produced. These areas cause a break in the current producing once again eddies and rips, which in turn hold the attention of many. Any sloughs that have some sort of structure and feeder creeks within are more apt to hold the feeding attentions of any sort of fish. Bringing to light “where you have fish you have fish!”

Let assume that you are still reading ever though as usual I have babble like crazy for the past few pages. Although this information has been long it was all so necessary.

Let’s assume that you have now decided where you are going to fish. Now it’s time to pick out the best bait as well as tackle. During this time live shrimp is always a great choice. However, those little mud minnows aren’t a bad choice either. So I suggest purchasing or catching both and having them on hand. I must add that this bite this past week has proved that mud minnow produced more bites than shrimp. However, at this time there just might be a good reason for “muds to work better than shrimp I going to call it the “double dipping syndrome!” This is where you put two baits on one hook. This means two mud minnows or two shrimp at a time. According to Captain Ray when mud minnows are double hooked up, “each tail moves in a different direction.” This double action sends out “more luring vibrations,” which in turn brings on the attentions of the fish!

The rig that Captain Ray uses when going “double dipping” is what I call mini floats. He takes an oval slip foam slip float, which is the un-weighted design, and rigs it up traditional trout float style. (“Billy Boy Bobbers” design, which comes in 21/2, 31/2, and 4 inch sizes) Captain Ray definitely has own style of tackle set up. He isn’t concern with using snap swivels. Some fishermen think that by adding a snack swivel into the rigging equation that it scares away the fish. However, this is not the case. Most all of Captain Ray rod and reels are set up with a small size 10 snap (30 pound) swivel. All of his rigs are pre-made and easy to attach with this set up. His floats are all pre-rigged with 20, 25, to 30 pound test fluorocarbon leader, small weights, and approximate size Kale hook. Fish targeted, weather, depth of water determines the decision made on sinker weight as well as hooked used, and size of bait used. These small oval floats are set up just as you would a traditional trout float system. The good news is that when it comes to change up quickly Captain Ray has it “going on” in this field!

Please remember when fishing especially in inshore that noise travels faster than a fish! Once you have cast placed your float and let the splash rings disperse keeping. Let it still a bit. Please wait keeping allowing bait to keep the lowest profile as possible. Once the bait is cast to the area, please let the float do its job of quietly floating your bait into place!

Sounds

These areas especially during these times can offer the fishermen some really interesting fishing. This past week while bottom fishing for sharks in the Wassaw Sound I caught as well as saw something interesting things. My standard for this area is to basically anchor down and do the standard type of bottom fishing. This boils down to using two hook bottom rigs, which are made from 80 pound test line and have 4/0 “J” style hooks. For bait I either use squid or cut fish. Now, I not suggesting going out and purchasing all this heavy duty type of tackle, because you don’t need it. You can use what you have. The main thing is that you get your bait on the bottom, because that’s basically where I have been getting the best shark bite.

Standard bottom rigs have hook’s first and then the sinker. In other words the sinker is on the bottom meaning it hit the bottom first. Carolina rigs are those that are made with egg sinkers.
(Also sometimes referred to as slide sinkers) After sliding the egg sinker on to your main line, you then tie on a swivel with leader, and then hook. You can go with what you have. Believe me it will work. Shark fishing is great, because at this time there is plenty of action to be had.

Artificial Reefs

During this time trolling for Spanish and king mackerel is great! The bite has been steady and you really never know what you might catch especially when trolling some sort of spoon. Metal spoons made by Clark and Drone in my opinion is the best ticket to this ride. I have caught cobia also while trolling for Spanish and kings…bringing to light once again that it’s the ocean and there are lots of fish in the sea!

Freshies Report

It’s time for Crappie to take a dive!

During this time “crappie are happy!” The reason being is that during this time the spawning time is coming to an end as well as their shallow holding water days. It’s time for these fish to make a move for sure. Since they can’t get any shallower they go deeper so as to find some nice bush piles, and set up house keeping.

This is time where vertical jigging really can pay off in “hits, bites, and hookups!” The best bait set up to use is going to be jigs and live minnows. The best places to fish are going to be bush piles found in 12 to 25 feet water. As far as where the crappy hang in this situation is usually determined by the weather at hand! This boils down to starting deep and working your bait up in the water column. Now you no where to go and what to do when you get there!

Blue Water Report

It’s time to go dolphin, Wahoo, and billfish have been “on tap!” There have been a few black fin tuna caught. However, the stronger bite has been delivered by the other blue water species. Along with those listed there have been numerous large sharks and amberjacks guarding the ledges areas. Although these fish might not be the targeted species they are strong fighting fish for sure.

“Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!”

Race Track Moonshine Still

I had an interesting conversation with Michael Sheffield the other day. He had called to book a fishing trip and we got in a conversation about the good old days. As we talked it became apparent that we had something in common and it was the “way our parents were.”

The topic of conversation quickly went from fishing to moonshine! Michael mentioned that it wasn’t until just recently that he had figured out about the old Middle Georgia Speedway Track. Michael and his father visited this track on many occasions, but not for just watching races. As Michael got much older he started wondering why he and his dad even went when it was raining. He even remembers going a few times when the track wasn’t even opened. As a small child he didn’t even think about. However, as he got much older the thought process was put strongly into affect.

He did a little background checking in regards to this particular speedway and found some real interesting information. The speedway wasn’t closed due to lack interest. It was shut down, because there was an illegal liquor still operation-taking place right under the concession stand. According to what he read this went down in history as one of biggest productions “stills” that had been found at least at the time. This is an unconfirmed amount, but some 200 gallons of white lightning could be produced at one time!

Once Michael read about this a lot of things that had happened fell right into place. Happenings like visiting the speedway when racing weren’t even taking place.

There was another story that he was told by his uncle about his father. According to this tale the father and uncle were moving something. At the time “the something wasn’t revealed.” However, while making this move the vehicle being used developed a serious problem with the fuel pump. It basically malfunctioned. The only way that the duo could keep the vehicle moving was to pour gas directly into the carburetor. This act had to be done in order to keep the car moving. Michael said, “at first he didn’t think much about it, but then he thought, why were they trying to keep moving so quickly?” The answer came, because someone was chasing them.

The act of pouring gas into the carburetor in this case in order to keep the vehicle running was done so strangely enough. One of the party drove while the sat close to the engine so that they could pour the gas into the carburetor! As Michael told this story pictures came to mind and they were good ones. I hope that you are expericing the same visual thoughts that I did! Thanks Michael for sharing this wonderful story!

Thanks for reading!

Captain Judy