Guides still finding fish in cold weather

Lots to chat about this week as 2019 takes its rightful place. Most of the Georgia hunting seasons are now history, the winter fishing season is peaking on both the salt and fresh, and both hunters and fishermen are already beginning to gear up for what spring may have to offer.

Georgia’s deer season closed last Saturday except for some archery hunting being allowed in a cluster of six counties until the end of the month. Quail, along with various small game, remains open until Feb. 28, with the exception of woodcock which closes this Sunday.

On the migratory side of the ledge, what remains of the waterfowl season will close Jan. 27. Check the regulations, both state and federal for specifics.

A follow-up to our report last week of young deer hunters in action, noting Bulloch County youngster Cole Newman with his first harvest ever, taken while hunting with his dad Russell and granddad Greg - we received an additional report this past weekend of another, Savannah area teen Chase Farrell, who earlier in the season harvested his first ever, a trophy buck while hunting with his dad Pat Farrell.

Inshore action

While it continues to be slim pickings when it comes to individual fishing reports on both the salt and fresh, this week the salt water guides have been putting clients onto some excellent catch action, both inshore and offshore.

We start with a report from last weekend from Capt. Mark Lewis who operates Inshore Georgia Charters (912-312-0600) and works mostly out of Kilkenny Marina in Bryan County (912-727-2215). He told of the inshore bite being good last week, saying warm temps and light winds had the trout and redfish “on the feed.”

Capt. Mark said live shrimp presented under slip corks in eight to 15 feet of water was a good setup. He forwarded some photos of clients Will Pate of Atlanta and Iner Trasdell of Bluffton, with an impressive mixed catch. Capt. Mark said Pate had so much fun that he fished the next day when the temperature dropped and it got cold and windy, but his client still took home a limit of trout.

He said his clients are catching a lot of undersized trout, and that over the slot limit reds continue to be caught and released.

Another interesting inshore report came from Capt. Judy Helmey (Miss Judy Charters 912-897-4921), who in here weekly web fishing report www.missjudycharters.com, told of one of her team guides putting clients into a big school of reds, where a total 29 were caught and 20 were tagged and released, including three over the slot size. Capt. Kevin Rose was the guide and his clients were Chris Metcalf of Panama City, FL, Louis Gilbert of New Orleans and Trex Morris from Atlanta.

Capt. Judy also reported some excellent offshore reef and live bottom action.

A look offshore

Capt. Jimmy Armel, who with Capt. Brad Stewart operates American Fishing Charters (912-239-7309), reported some excellent action at the offshore reefs and the Snapper Banks.

He noted that both the black sea bass and sheepshead bite at the reefs now is about as good as it gets, and it depends on what his clients want to target as to how he plans the trip. “If they are looking to take home as many fish as they are allowed, I put them on the black sea bass. If they are more interested in the challenge and fight, then we target sheepshead,” he said.

Capt. Jimmy put two Vidalia clients into some black sea bass while fishing in 40 feet of water, using cut squid. “They (sea bass) were actually coming off the bottom to 15 feet. The depth finder was a blue (with fish).”

A trip to the Snapper Banks produced some excellent action when he, along with Savannah area residents Tony Siechrist and Chris Harrison made a run last week. While catching a variety of species that included “tons of beeliners (vermillion snapper), grunts, little tunny and even a eel,” Capt. Jimmy said the also caught and released 46 red snapper. Only a few of the legally harvestable species were taken, the rest released.

On the fresh

Taking a quick look at the fresh water scene, again individual reports remain scarce, but this is the peak season for both stripers in the river systems and for crappie in the rivers, ponds and impoundments. And within just a few short weeks, shad will again be making their annual spawning runs up the various river systems.

While recent rains continue to push many river levels well beyond their banks, the flooding of surrounding lowlands allows the various fisheries the opportunity to forage for food and fatten up. The longer the flooding, the more assurance the spring and early summer fishing action will produce some excellent catch action.

2019 Fishing regulations

The Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia DNR has announced the 2019 Georgia fishing regulations for both fresh and salt water are now available free in stores and on line. No word yet as to when hunting regulations will become available.

John Burke can be reached at 912-655-8505, or by email at jovabu32@comcast.net.