    
Judy Helmey (Captjudy)
New member
Username: Captjudy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 5:37 am: | |
The inshore bite continues to soar. I have had many reports and seen lots of fish on my own dock this past week. Here are a few suggestions on getting your self a fine rod bender.
Flounder
These fish are known for hanging and waiting for any type of food to get their attention. For bait, you could use anything from mud minnows to an artificial jig and screw tail to get the job done. These fish usually move up to the bank as the tide is rising and situated themselves so that they can get close to those other small bait fish that are also doing the same thing. There is always a push on the incoming tide to get to that oyster bed. Your fishing field can be all around this area from close to shore to offshore of where you are actually anchored.
Trout
This fish is a natural born killer as you can see once you take a look at their mouth design. They don't carry this set of teeth to chew gum. They have front teeth like a dog so therefore that bite like one.
This fish has to kill and turn the bait around in its small mouth before it can eat it. Therefore a trout will take longer to get the bait situated. On most occasions this fish is a sight feeder. So I say, "give them something good to look at!"
Red Fish
This fish is basically a bottom feeder. They root around looking for what suits them best. They certainly don't fear or could care less about shallow water. They are forever finding it and feeding allowing their tails to be waving in the wind. (Called "Tailing Reds") They move in close to shore as the tide rises looking for something to eat. They prefer anything type of bait from fresh dead or old dead. This fish puts a lot of stock in smells and then eats them. Once the tide reached the grass red fish just move right in with it. They gladly feed off of the marine life that attaches itself to the grass. Shallow draft boats work great during this time. Not only do these boat allow you to get to see them, but also a chance to catch them.
These tips that I have suggested are just a few of the many that will successfully help you to target each particular fish. All three fish that I have mentioned could be caught in the same area. Along with this fish come a lot of others that I didn't mention such as the "fetish fish." These fish are known as the "Professional Bait Steelers". They have a small mouth, don't take the entire bait, but basically destroy it so that no other fish will want it. They take the legs first and if you leave it long enough will pick at the rest until it is gone. So I suggest taking lots of bait. Here' a suggestion. Don't throw those leg-less shrimp overboard I would keep them. The body of a shrimp can be great bottom bait for whiting especially at this time of the year. If you happen to catch a "fetish fish" they also make great cut bait.
Back in the Old Days, the old gnat killer!
Here's one of these suggestions that I don't suggest using. However, I had to share it with you. Long before bug spray of any type there was the "old smudge pot method." My father used this method to ward off gnats quite a bit in the old days. He would take a metal bucket, lined it with a brown paper bag, put in some damp marsh grass, set it on fire, and boy did it smoke a lot. This day and time this task would definitely not be a safe thing to so for several reasons. Most of our buckets are made of plastic and we aren't fishing from a wooden rowboat. Our metal bucket just floated around in the water that was in the boat. This would keep the smoke flowing un-consistently and keep the bottom of the bucket cool, which means no fires elsewhere and absolutely no gnats!
Twenty-Mile Run Pay Off!
The team of Frank Cullum Jr. Frank Cullum III, and Charlie Kilpatrick won the last Yacht Club inshore fishing tournament. While most boats headed north to the Savannah River in search of fat trout the duo had other ideas and followed through with them. They ran to their personal fishing area, which is about 30 miles to the south. As you all know the northeast winds pounded us on this particular weekend, but their secret south spot kept the fishermen out of the wind. They had a great catch of trout and spot tail bass. Their catch won them 3 categories and also the Calcutta. Now you know what you get when you put three great fishermen together in one boat, "A Winning Team!"
Captain Frank also reported that he had a flounder, flounder, flounder sort of week. While fishing the Burnside River he had a bonus week while using artificial stuff. His favorite bait or should I say, "the flounder's choice of the day," was a salt and pepper Salt Water Assassin pulled on to a standard 3/8 jig head. According to the report all his had to do was to drop to the bottom and "drag it slowly" on the bottom. He had most of his action while doing the dragging thing on a mud and sand mixture type of bottom. The flounder that he caught fell into the "door mat size" category.
More Fishing under the lights
Captain Frank took to night fishing when there was no more sunlight to be had. He caught while using the deadly Yo-zuri Pin's Minnow lure some nice trout. Capt Frank wanted good fishing so he used his ultra light tackle, which was loaded with 6-pound test line. The trout pounded this lure. It was an active night around the old dock light. This just goes to prove you that most fish are just "spot light hams!" Thanks for all of the great fishing reports!
There are two types of Yo-zuri lures that I have tried. They both work great depending on your fishing desires. They fall into the Pin's Minnow series. I suggest the sinking and suspending styles. I have been using them on ultra light tackle with 6 to 10 pound test line. They are easy to cast and not only work at daytime hours, but also under the dock light situation. The good news in this department is "NO BAIT NEEDED!"
OFFSHORE
Artificial Reefs
Fall is now officially in the works. I have seen the migration of the cow nose rays as they were passing our area. This is truly a for sure sign of the fall/winter design! We try to hold on to the summer months as long as we can. However, no matter what dance we do the cooler temperatures arrive. Cooler air causes the water temperatures to drop, which then puts into play our "pre-migration period." This means that fishing will be good, but not real stable. Let me explain. With everything moving from the bait to bigger fish locating is going to be a big part of you fishing day. I will give you one thing to look forward to. Once finding the fish they generally are hungry, which means they are going to eat almost anything that you might have. So therefore your bait line could be anything from fresh dead parts to frozen squid. I have been using just plain old cut frozen squid. It has been working and the bottom fish love it. We have been catching large black sea bass, triggerfish, Atlantic flounder, ocean perch, and scup while fishing the artificial reefs. Most of these fish will eat about anything at this time of the year. It's not what you use as bait as much is how you put it on the hook. Black sea bass are gulpers, which means the take the bait hard and then swallow. Triggerfish, ocean perch, and scup are what I call "the jabbers," because they pick and tare at the bait. They also use the "double-teaming method" a lot. These three fish feed in the upper water column and do it together. While one fish is picking the others are pulling at the bait. Once the bait is shredded the fun starts all fish attack together. This begins once your bait starts to make its drop to the bottom. When this happens there is no way for you to know that you have lost your bait, because it takes so place fast. I suggest that when the picking stops that it's time to bring in your line, because if you had any bait left you would definitely know it. Here are a few secrets of the trade when confronted by "the jabbers." Your bottom rig needs to be made using small hooks. I am using about 40 to 50 pound test for my leader and 1/0 "J" style hooks. Always make sure that your hooks are real sharp. These fish have tuff skin especially around their mouth area. As far as our bait we cut it up small. This goes for all types of bait no matter whether you are using cut fish or squid. By using small bait the initial hit will be close to the hook giving you a better shot at getting a solid setting.
I would like to set the record on triggerfish's table fare. It is very good fried, grilled, and pan seared. It's very easy to fillet, but there is secret to this job. Always wash you fish first then lay on side. Take a knife with a real sharp point and cut through the skin all the way around the perimeter side of the fish. This outlined area is the surface size of your soon to be fillet. Once you have done that simply grab a corner and pull the skin off. You don't need pliers to grab the skin it's not slimy. In fact you can take the skin, hang it in so that it can air dry, and it will make the best sand paper that you have ever used. This is how, back in the old days, they sanded the decks of ships. All they had to do was to wrap the dried skin on a block of wood and start sanding. So therefore a triggerfish can and did have many purposes in a fishermen's life. They put up a great fight on light tackle. They are great to eat and their skin can be used to do some great "small honey do's" around the house. Just think about the conversation piece that you will be building!
Artificial Reefs in 50 to 60 feet of water
The good news in this department is that the fall/winter kings have started to show up in these areas. A few kings were caught this past weekend while trolling Rapala lures. For those of you fishermen out there that don't have any Rapala's on hand I suggest pulling the basic 31/2-inch Drone spoon. It's the old stand by lure that works almost every time when pulled at around 5 to 6 knots. I will fill you in on several more of our fishing techniques in next week's fishing report. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on the kings! It's time to go "Silver Streaking!"
Savannah Snapper Banks
This is the area to visit especially when you want to catch a lot of fish. This isn't a labor-intensive area to fish especially at this time of the year. All you need to do is to pull your boat up over some live bottom, drop in some baited hooks, and you should be in the "pulling business!" (I am using Gamakatsu "Octopus" 4/0 red hooks on my bottom rigs, which are made of 80 pound test monofilament line) In fact during this time I have found some of my best future fishing sights. The bottom fishing is great and you are just as liable to catch a big bottom fish mixed in with the small ones. Just about everything is migrating, which means what you find today at a spot might not be there tomorrow. This is not a bad thing, because as you drift your selected area the fish are more apt to follow your bait. Most of the fish at this time of the year are movers. Once they find a spot to refuel and rest a bit they tend to move on afterwards to their intended migration areas. Once again I canned stress enough the importance of a logbook. For instance, if you had made notes of what you caught where last year at this time you would certainly nowhere to start your fishing day. I have got about 30 years plus of records in which to determine the best location to fish. My job is done! However, I am still keeping records on a daily basis.
While drift fishing I suggest putting these extra lines out in addition to your bottom rigs. You will need to hold and work your bottom rigs, but these two lines I suggest work just fine in the rod holder. I would put out a top line sometimes referred to a "flat line or king mackerel line." However, you aren't just targeting king mackerel. There are lots of other top water fish that are displaced at this time of the year. We have caught yellow/black fin tuna, dolphin, and Wahoo by simply putting out an extra line. I am using 20 to 30 pound test line on a king mackerel light tackle type rig. This rig can be anything from a King Buster skirt rigged with a live fish to dead bait to just naked bait. I prefer a cigar minnow or ballyhoo (dead bait) for this particular rig. This is due to the fact that when I decide to move back up to the live bottom area I don't have to pull it in. I can slow or fast troll it back to the spot, which offers up yet another chance to get a hook up. I usually drift this bait at about 30 to 50 feet away from the boat. When pulling back to spot I let out another 50 feet so that the bait will troll sufficiently behind the boat. Always remember to set your clicker on (noise maker switch on the reel that makes that sound that all fishermen love to hear when a fish gets on!), because if you don't you might get a hit and not realize it. My second line that I put out is the live bait big bottom fish rig. I am using an 8-ounce trolling weight or egg sinker, 25 to 30 feet of eighty-pound test leader (monofilament line) and a big eye Gamakatsu 9/0 circle hook. On this rig I am using a few different types of bait. My most favorites are a live sand perch or rock bass. These baits are known bottom feeders and are usually prefer by big bottom fish. The best size to use is around 6 inches long. Give or take an inch or two. Just remember the size of fish you are dealing with and pick your bait accordingly. (Big fish such as red snapper and grouper) I drop this rig and bait offering to the bottom. I then reel up about 10 to 15 feet and put reel in rod holder set with a medium drag setting. While using this rig set up you don't set the hook. I don't move the line or adjust anything until I am going to move. Just watch the tip of you rod. If you get a hit, try not to pick up the rod even though I know you want to. Let the fish take the bait at its own pace. When the rod bends over double and the drag sings, it's time to grab the rod, and scream, "FISH ON!"
Don't forget your dip net!
I don't normally gaff my big bottom fish. We just dip them up in a big dip net. It's simple and easy to do. You can use a gaff, but a lot of errors can take place in doing so. Red snapper have an armor of big scales covering their entire body. It's easy for one of these big scales to get right on tip point of your gaff, which doesn't make it easy to gaff your fish. In fact it's almost impossible to do so with the scale covering the point of your gaff. The fish's weight doesn't normally allow you to forcefully penetrate the armor of scales. The grouper doesn't have scales. However the skin that covers them is very tough. If you don't hit them just right with the gaff you just might knock them off the hook. Here's another problem when it comes to gaffing as opposed to just dipping your fish up. When a large bottom fish is pulled to the surface they more than likely will develop the bends. The bends when it comes to a fish is where the air bladder expands with extra air, which basically bloats the fish. The fish is still alive but it can't swim back down to the bottom unless the air bladder is released of the extra air that it's holding. Now if you miss gaff, puncher the fish while knocking it off the hook you are going to be watching that 30 pound red snapper or grouper making it way back to the bottom. Therefore I highly suggest buying your self a net! And now you know the rest of the story and why!
GULF STREAM
I don't really have any actual reports, because as you all know the winds have been prevailing and strong. This keeps most all fishermen whether they have small or large blue water boats tied to the dock. However, I think that our time might have come for some good blue water fishing. Even though it's a little late in the season there is still time to get what left and coming for the fall/winter run. Before the last blow there were reports of black fin tuna being spotted schooling in around 100 feet of water. When the western edge of the stream develops back strong with a temperature drop, good fishing can be had. I normally get some good reports from both the north and south of our area, but the weather has stopped all of that. I do feel that if we get a couple of good days fishermen will make that run. When you do know matter what happens please let me know.
My Name is Captain Judy and I approve this fishing report! Good Fishing!
"Little Miss Judy's Believe It or Not!"
"Pearling Expedition"
My father was an avid hunter. He loved to hunt and fish. I went with him everywhere on his adventures. One of his favorite things to do was to go to his so-called private oyster beds, pick out a few, and eat them right on the spot. Heck, I even joined in on this one. As a child and adult I have always loved raw oysters. When daddy and I would go on an oyster hunt it was always a lot of fun. I loved playing in the mud and also I didn't mind too much picking up the oysters. My father's secret place was located in Bull River. It was a great spot for picking oysters. According to my father it was perfect, because even at the lowest tide stage his oyster beds were still right under the water. My father always maintained that oysters that spent too much time out of the water during a tide change tasted differently. As a child I was always looking for that white pearl. As I got older and smarter I realized that daddy was only telling me that because it put a twist on the collecting. In other words, it made me happy to help as long as a pearl might be had. As you all know our oysters don't usually produce pearls. At the time I wasn't privy to that information. So therefore it was just an oyster hunt to daddy. However for me it was what I considered a "pearling expedition."
We had to use proper footwear for the occasion. My father had the big black thick rubber boats of which he had cut off of his retired duck waders. Back in the old days I don't think rubber boots even came in children sizes. So therefore I wore daddy's old pair. They were big but we found out that if I wore my shoe inside of his boots it wasn't too bad. We pulled the old wooden rowboat behind our big boat. As we gathered the oysters we dumped them into the rowboat. When we were tired the oyster hunt came to an end and we went home. Now that I think about it no matter what we were doing when daddy was tried we stopped and moved on.
Upon arriving home it was time to cook the oysters. We had to wash them. Believe me there were no power washers at this day and time. So we sprayed them with water and then brush them to get them clean. It definitely took longer to clean than it did to cook them. According to my father there were types of cooked oysters. There were the "warmers, semi steamed, and the open ones."
The first two had lots of juice, which is referred to "oyster liquor." His favorite thing to do was to loosen the so-called oyster's anchor, which was attached to the inside shell, lift the shell up, and pour it in the old mouth. Occasionally you might see him add a few drops of hot sauce. There was only juice available in the first two stages of cooking. I like them cooked in all stages, but the last was my favorite. I didn't have to bother with trying to get them open. They were already popped open, easy to get unanchored, ready for dipping in cocktail sauce, and fit prefect on top of a saltine cracker. I'm sorry that I can't finish this story, because I'm leaving to go get me some oysters!
Captain Judy
"Old Fish Physic!"
|
