We have been enjoying some excellent fishing for Trout and Redfish around St. Simons Island, but this weekend it seems that the weather is going to get the better of us. It hasn't stopped the fish from biting but it is making it quite uncomfortable to be on the water.
The water is muddy but if you can find a small patch of clean water you should be able to get on some fish. St. Simons Island is experiencing some extremely high tides right now and the one good thing about that is the opportunity to catch tailing Redfish in the flooded marsh grass. This is a fun combination of hunting and fishing as you stalk the fish down and carefully place a bait in its face.
These are also some great tides for marsh hen hunting. Marsh hens are small brown birds that live in the thich marsh grass. As far as table fare... well... they taste like mud, but they are fun to shoot and there are always some locals that are willing to take them off of your hands.
When the weather clears, the fishing at St. Simons Island will be in it's prime for Fall inshore fishing. The tides should return to normal and the water should cool right down to the perfect range to allow for some great days of fishing.
If you need information about fishing at St. Simons Island whether it is shore fishing, fishing from a boat, or charter fishing, give me a call and I'll be happy to help you out.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
912-617-5577
St. Simons Island's Fishing resource site. Up to date fishing reports and techniques for St. Simons Island shore fishing and charter fishing. Provided by Capt. TJ Cheek
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Fall Fishing Report for St. Simons Island
This fishing report for St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island is an easy one. The inshore fishing is just plain awesome. The Trout and Redfish are stacked up and hungry.
Bull Redfish are here and biting on cut mullet, pogies, and crabs. There have been some 20 fish days recently and if you've ever caught a Bull Redfish, you know that is a back breaking day!
The Trout and Redfish have been really chewing. Live shrimp, Gulp baits, DOAs, and a laundry list of hardbaits have been very effective. The Trout have been nailing the baits so hard that they almost take the rod out of your hands before you can react.
I've had my best luck on the higher tides, last of incoming and first of outgoing.
St. Simons Island Fishing Forecast:
The inshore fishing is only goint to get better and more reliable. As the water temperature settles into the mid to upper sixties, the fish will get into a pretty predictable pattern and you will likely find the fish is the same honey hole trip after trip. The Bull Redfish will be leaving soon, so get after them while you can.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
912-230-7429
Bull Redfish are here and biting on cut mullet, pogies, and crabs. There have been some 20 fish days recently and if you've ever caught a Bull Redfish, you know that is a back breaking day!
I've had my best luck on the higher tides, last of incoming and first of outgoing.
St. Simons Island Fishing Forecast:
The inshore fishing is only goint to get better and more reliable. As the water temperature settles into the mid to upper sixties, the fish will get into a pretty predictable pattern and you will likely find the fish is the same honey hole trip after trip. The Bull Redfish will be leaving soon, so get after them while you can.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
912-230-7429
Hot Temps and a Hot Bite!
Hot Summer temps usually mean an ice cold bite, but lately we have seen an exception. The Trout, Redfish, and Flounder have been pretty easy to find and willing to eat.
We finally have some local bait at the marinas, so the high priced Florida bait is gone until next year. It seems that our local bait is either extremely big or extremely small though.
We have mostly targeted Trout with some great success. We have had days where we caught close to 40 keeper Trout and some days with a 16 inch average.
One day that stands out is June 29th. We had 10 year old Talon Mann on board and he boated a 24 1/2 inch Trout! That is a great trophy for a 10 year old.
The Shark fishing at St. Simons Island has been stellar. Fishing behind the shrimp boats with cut Bonito or Ladyfish seems to be the key. We typically fish with live Pogies but this seems to be the year of the cut bait. We have had some Black Tips and Spinners in the 100 to 120 lb. range on most trips.
Don't let the heat keep you from enjoying fishing in GA, and especially fishing in St. Simons Island, GA!
Cheers from Coastal Georgia Charter Fishing!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
We finally have some local bait at the marinas, so the high priced Florida bait is gone until next year. It seems that our local bait is either extremely big or extremely small though.
We have mostly targeted Trout with some great success. We have had days where we caught close to 40 keeper Trout and some days with a 16 inch average.
One day that stands out is June 29th. We had 10 year old Talon Mann on board and he boated a 24 1/2 inch Trout! That is a great trophy for a 10 year old.
The Shark fishing at St. Simons Island has been stellar. Fishing behind the shrimp boats with cut Bonito or Ladyfish seems to be the key. We typically fish with live Pogies but this seems to be the year of the cut bait. We have had some Black Tips and Spinners in the 100 to 120 lb. range on most trips.
Don't let the heat keep you from enjoying fishing in GA, and especially fishing in St. Simons Island, GA!
Cheers from Coastal Georgia Charter Fishing!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
Back in Black! Sea Bass Fishing is back on!
Back in Black! Sea Bass Fishing is ON!
Finally, Finally, we can keep Sea Bass again. We have been battling through them trying to get to the other species but man, these Blackfish are THICK!
The Amberjack bite has been Stellar, the Cobia are still straggling around, we've had some monster Spadefish on light tackle, and all of that combined with a nice box of Sea Bass, and you have yourself a pretty fine day of fishing coastal Georgia.
While I'm at it I might as well mention that the inshore bite has been pretty reliable. There seems to be a "here or zero" thing going around, but the hero days make it worth your time to get out there.
The Shark bite has been pretty good too. We fish behind the shrimp boats and get some fat sharks in the 100 pound range. It's hard to beat catching a lot of big fish that fight hard in a 4 hour trip near land. You can see the St. Simons lighthouse and all of Jekyll Island from where we catch these fish.
The Tarpon have shown up and are getting to be steady enough to fish for. I'm not quite ready to go park on the breakers and spend a lot of time on it, but it is getting close.
In summary, the fishing at St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island is SOLID.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
The Amberjack bite has been Stellar, the Cobia are still straggling around, we've had some monster Spadefish on light tackle, and all of that combined with a nice box of Sea Bass, and you have yourself a pretty fine day of fishing coastal Georgia.
While I'm at it I might as well mention that the inshore bite has been pretty reliable. There seems to be a "here or zero" thing going around, but the hero days make it worth your time to get out there.
The Shark bite has been pretty good too. We fish behind the shrimp boats and get some fat sharks in the 100 pound range. It's hard to beat catching a lot of big fish that fight hard in a 4 hour trip near land. You can see the St. Simons lighthouse and all of Jekyll Island from where we catch these fish.
The Tarpon have shown up and are getting to be steady enough to fish for. I'm not quite ready to go park on the breakers and spend a lot of time on it, but it is getting close.
In summary, the fishing at St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island is SOLID.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
St. Simons Fishing Report
It's finally nice and warm and the fish are firing up!
On the reefs from 20 miles and beyond, Snapper, Grouper, Bee liners, and Amberjack are being caught regularly.
Cobia and Spanish Mackerel have shown up in force as close in as 5 miles. The Cobia have been wary of most baits but can't resist eels or live crabs. In some cases when we didn't have either, we stunned a Pogy or Cigar Minnow and teased the fish until he ate it.
The Tripletail are on the beach and there are some BIG ONES out there. More and more people are fishing for them, and the fish are getting more spooky. The key is to stay as far away from the fish as you can once you have sighted it. Only get as close as you have to to make an accurate cast.
The Trout are finally back on the menu, at least for now. We have had some great days inshore with our average Trout measuring around 17 inches. The Reds are strong right now and the Flounder are getting in the mix as well.
It's a great time to fish St. Simons, Jekyll Island, Sea Island, and Cumberland Island.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing
On the reefs from 20 miles and beyond, Snapper, Grouper, Bee liners, and Amberjack are being caught regularly.
Cobia and Spanish Mackerel have shown up in force as close in as 5 miles. The Cobia have been wary of most baits but can't resist eels or live crabs. In some cases when we didn't have either, we stunned a Pogy or Cigar Minnow and teased the fish until he ate it.
The Tripletail are on the beach and there are some BIG ONES out there. More and more people are fishing for them, and the fish are getting more spooky. The key is to stay as far away from the fish as you can once you have sighted it. Only get as close as you have to to make an accurate cast.
The Trout are finally back on the menu, at least for now. We have had some great days inshore with our average Trout measuring around 17 inches. The Reds are strong right now and the Flounder are getting in the mix as well.
It's a great time to fish St. Simons, Jekyll Island, Sea Island, and Cumberland Island.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing
St. Simons Island Fishing Report
April Fishing Report for Brunswick, Jekyll and St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Calm seas and good weather have not been cooperating as much as we would like here on the Georgia coast, but there has been enough of it for one thing… A Taste of what Spring is like on our bountiful coast.
This taste has all of us wanting a full meal of spring fishing. Whether your taste is inshore or offshore, there is plenty of fishing biting on both ends.
In the rivers and backwater areas, Redfish have been fairly abundant with a few Reds in the sounds and off the beach pushing 40 pounds. The smaller "keeper" size redfish have been hard to come just like every season, but a patient fisherman might just catch the redfish of your dreams if a HUGE ONE is what you have in mind.
Speckled Trout fishing in the backwater and river areas has not been as spectacular. A few hero days are followed by zero days. In between, there have been some average trout fishing days, but the Reds seem to be a better inshore target at the moment but it will improve as the water temperature rises with the spring season.
Whiting fishing just off the beaches is absolutely incredible and some of the great eating little goodies are of good size as well. No matter what anyone says about whiting fishing, when they're here in these numbers and sizes there are sometimes no better options for a great eating fish. Why would you want anything better? And hey, you'll catch some small bonnet head sharks and other species on that ultra-light spinning tackle while you're catching a cooler full of those great eating Whiting!
Offshore fishing has everyone on the eastern seaboard on edge. Black Sea Bass has been closed by the Federal Government this year. It could possibly re-open with an imposed season in place as early as June of this year, but no one really knows.
With that in mind, we switched our game around. The new offshore reef target is now HUGE Sheepshead that come on to spawn on certain reefs just offshore of the GA Coast. Not every reef has this special inhabitance, but many of them do.
When I tell you big sheepshead, I mean big ones. We have boated many fish in the 8-10 pound range this season and it's just now in prime swing.
There isn't a much better eating, hard pulling reef fish out there within ten miles of the dock! There just isn't… We plan to capitalize on these brawny, reef bandits while they're here and in full force on the nearshore reefs here on the Georgia Coast.
Till next time, good luck fishing and tight lines to all!
PS – Want to know the three biggest lies your competitors tell you the day before a fishing Tournament? Here they are!
1. It's Supposed to be Calm Tomorrow
2. This boat won't wet you…..
3. Good Luck
All Lies! …… Just a little Tournament Humor for those of you who know about Tournament Fishing.
Cheers!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Fishing Charters
Calm seas and good weather have not been cooperating as much as we would like here on the Georgia coast, but there has been enough of it for one thing… A Taste of what Spring is like on our bountiful coast.
This taste has all of us wanting a full meal of spring fishing. Whether your taste is inshore or offshore, there is plenty of fishing biting on both ends.
In the rivers and backwater areas, Redfish have been fairly abundant with a few Reds in the sounds and off the beach pushing 40 pounds. The smaller "keeper" size redfish have been hard to come just like every season, but a patient fisherman might just catch the redfish of your dreams if a HUGE ONE is what you have in mind.
Speckled Trout fishing in the backwater and river areas has not been as spectacular. A few hero days are followed by zero days. In between, there have been some average trout fishing days, but the Reds seem to be a better inshore target at the moment but it will improve as the water temperature rises with the spring season.
Whiting fishing just off the beaches is absolutely incredible and some of the great eating little goodies are of good size as well. No matter what anyone says about whiting fishing, when they're here in these numbers and sizes there are sometimes no better options for a great eating fish. Why would you want anything better? And hey, you'll catch some small bonnet head sharks and other species on that ultra-light spinning tackle while you're catching a cooler full of those great eating Whiting!
Offshore fishing has everyone on the eastern seaboard on edge. Black Sea Bass has been closed by the Federal Government this year. It could possibly re-open with an imposed season in place as early as June of this year, but no one really knows.
With that in mind, we switched our game around. The new offshore reef target is now HUGE Sheepshead that come on to spawn on certain reefs just offshore of the GA Coast. Not every reef has this special inhabitance, but many of them do.
When I tell you big sheepshead, I mean big ones. We have boated many fish in the 8-10 pound range this season and it's just now in prime swing.
There isn't a much better eating, hard pulling reef fish out there within ten miles of the dock! There just isn't… We plan to capitalize on these brawny, reef bandits while they're here and in full force on the nearshore reefs here on the Georgia Coast.
Till next time, good luck fishing and tight lines to all!
PS – Want to know the three biggest lies your competitors tell you the day before a fishing Tournament? Here they are!
1. It's Supposed to be Calm Tomorrow
2. This boat won't wet you…..
3. Good Luck
All Lies! …… Just a little Tournament Humor for those of you who know about Tournament Fishing.
Cheers!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Fishing Charters
St. Simons Redfish - Where - How - Why
This winter season on the Georgia Coast has been one to remember for me. Not only did I get in more fishing trips than I ever have in the winter, fishing was pretty good and I found plenty of new fishing holes.
Fighting with freshwater
We fought rain water run-off from the Satilla River and the Altamaha River nearly all winter long. Anytime there are heavy rains north of us or directly upon us, it all runs one place. Downhill and straight to the Coast! These fresh water rivers dump directly into our eco-system and they're still over the banks in some places. Most people seriously don't realize what an impact and value these fresh water rivers have on our fishery. It's a double edge sword, so to speak. Our fishing and shrimping is good because of this type of estuary system, but when the rains come, it sure is hard to find Trout if the water gets too fresh.
We had so much rain, the water 3 miles offshore of Jekyll Island was pure, brown swamp and rain water. It was clear, but it was tannic brown. When you find this water far out into the Atlantic, fishing can be tough, especially for Trout.
The Redfish and where to find them
Reds don't seem to mind too much of anything, especially the fresh water influx. I believe that our inshore red fishing should be ranked second to Louisiana. We can't hang with that, but we definitely run a close second with all the others. One thing is certain. It's hard to find resident redfish in Georgia if you're just guessing. There are certain things they like in their feeding habitat.
All the places that look prime, most times, are not. Great looking spots can have all the scenarios like all the other best redfish holes in the area and not produce. Welcome to Red fishing! What I look for:
1. Is there somewhere the fish could run to get away from the Dolphins? In other words, is it shallow enough? (This mainly applies to resident fish, not the fall season movers as much). Those fish like it shallow in most situations, whether it is shell or mud.
2. Look for a gradual sloping Mudflat. One that is only a foot or two deep at flood tide. A steep, quick drop off is not the type of flat you want.
3. On this illusive mudflat, I like to see some scattered shell, even if it's just tiny clumps scattered here and there.
4. Where this mudflat meets the grass and beyond is important. The type of grass you want to see atop your mudflat is not thick spartina/marsh grass. If it's dense, they can't feed as well or move as freely on a flood tide. Sparse grass is what we look for atop the mudflat. Sprigs of grass the fish can swim between and feed on crabs, shrimp and the like. Many times, there will be scattered thick grass with "passages" into the marsh, so look beyond that first layer. Reds will do anything to get on top of a flat on the flood tide and eat crabs.
5. More often than not, there will be a feeder creek (or many) that dump onto the flat. There are exceptions to this depending on where you're fishing, but it's in the scenario most times.
6. Contrary in a funny way to number one above, Reds like to have access to deeper water if they need it. Believe me, they know how to get there in any situation. A redfish normally knows his home turf very well in case of a dolphin attack on the flat or other threats. In short, finding flats on the Intracoastal is ideal, even down in Jacksonville this rings true. With all this being said, you will find fish outside of the above parameters, but good luck trying to find them. Everyone has a favorite hole here and there, but finding Reds consistently in large schools takes practice, patience and you have to be thinking like a Redfish. Period.
**Note: I know this is arguable, but my 20 years fishing for Reds has revealed to me these key factors about them:
A Redfish has 3 Goals in life. The Red's main, number one goal is to keep away from Dolphins. Number two is food. LOT'S of it. Number three is they want to GET IN THE GRASS. No worries about dolphins and free to eat all they want.
If you have never witnessed a few Dolphins ganging up on a school of Reds, it's a sight you will never forget. The Dolphins plan the mission and carry it out to a "T". We have seen them run Reds up in the mud, chasing them down a flat on their sides and the most famous of all…. Crashing into a school of Redfish from multiple angles using numerous dolphins to carry out the plan. There is no escape when this happens. They get A LOT of Redfish this way.
About the Trout
As I mentioned, it was more like Freshwater fishing for Sea Trout! The only places I was able to find trout the past few weeks is in the back of long rivers and ocean front "beach creeks". Those two types of places were holding fish fairly well. Sometimes in numbers, sometimes not. When the fish would bite, we had a blast throwing plastic at them. Mostly root beer and motor oil colors were the best as usual. Those two colors have been fished before the electric chicken was ever thought of. I remember my Dad fishing those rootbeer screw tails in the 70's…. Great Plastic on a lead head.
Well, the good news for everyone on our coast is this; I just read the Satilla River was 2 ft. below flood stage, so the rivers will be cleaning up, the salt water will be normalizing in the rivers and we should resume normal saltwater fishing shortly!
Happy Fishing!
Captain TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing
Fighting with freshwater
We fought rain water run-off from the Satilla River and the Altamaha River nearly all winter long. Anytime there are heavy rains north of us or directly upon us, it all runs one place. Downhill and straight to the Coast! These fresh water rivers dump directly into our eco-system and they're still over the banks in some places. Most people seriously don't realize what an impact and value these fresh water rivers have on our fishery. It's a double edge sword, so to speak. Our fishing and shrimping is good because of this type of estuary system, but when the rains come, it sure is hard to find Trout if the water gets too fresh.
We had so much rain, the water 3 miles offshore of Jekyll Island was pure, brown swamp and rain water. It was clear, but it was tannic brown. When you find this water far out into the Atlantic, fishing can be tough, especially for Trout.
The Redfish and where to find them
Reds don't seem to mind too much of anything, especially the fresh water influx. I believe that our inshore red fishing should be ranked second to Louisiana. We can't hang with that, but we definitely run a close second with all the others. One thing is certain. It's hard to find resident redfish in Georgia if you're just guessing. There are certain things they like in their feeding habitat.
All the places that look prime, most times, are not. Great looking spots can have all the scenarios like all the other best redfish holes in the area and not produce. Welcome to Red fishing! What I look for:
1. Is there somewhere the fish could run to get away from the Dolphins? In other words, is it shallow enough? (This mainly applies to resident fish, not the fall season movers as much). Those fish like it shallow in most situations, whether it is shell or mud.
2. Look for a gradual sloping Mudflat. One that is only a foot or two deep at flood tide. A steep, quick drop off is not the type of flat you want.
3. On this illusive mudflat, I like to see some scattered shell, even if it's just tiny clumps scattered here and there.
4. Where this mudflat meets the grass and beyond is important. The type of grass you want to see atop your mudflat is not thick spartina/marsh grass. If it's dense, they can't feed as well or move as freely on a flood tide. Sparse grass is what we look for atop the mudflat. Sprigs of grass the fish can swim between and feed on crabs, shrimp and the like. Many times, there will be scattered thick grass with "passages" into the marsh, so look beyond that first layer. Reds will do anything to get on top of a flat on the flood tide and eat crabs.
5. More often than not, there will be a feeder creek (or many) that dump onto the flat. There are exceptions to this depending on where you're fishing, but it's in the scenario most times.
6. Contrary in a funny way to number one above, Reds like to have access to deeper water if they need it. Believe me, they know how to get there in any situation. A redfish normally knows his home turf very well in case of a dolphin attack on the flat or other threats. In short, finding flats on the Intracoastal is ideal, even down in Jacksonville this rings true. With all this being said, you will find fish outside of the above parameters, but good luck trying to find them. Everyone has a favorite hole here and there, but finding Reds consistently in large schools takes practice, patience and you have to be thinking like a Redfish. Period.
**Note: I know this is arguable, but my 20 years fishing for Reds has revealed to me these key factors about them:
A Redfish has 3 Goals in life. The Red's main, number one goal is to keep away from Dolphins. Number two is food. LOT'S of it. Number three is they want to GET IN THE GRASS. No worries about dolphins and free to eat all they want.
If you have never witnessed a few Dolphins ganging up on a school of Reds, it's a sight you will never forget. The Dolphins plan the mission and carry it out to a "T". We have seen them run Reds up in the mud, chasing them down a flat on their sides and the most famous of all…. Crashing into a school of Redfish from multiple angles using numerous dolphins to carry out the plan. There is no escape when this happens. They get A LOT of Redfish this way.
About the Trout
As I mentioned, it was more like Freshwater fishing for Sea Trout! The only places I was able to find trout the past few weeks is in the back of long rivers and ocean front "beach creeks". Those two types of places were holding fish fairly well. Sometimes in numbers, sometimes not. When the fish would bite, we had a blast throwing plastic at them. Mostly root beer and motor oil colors were the best as usual. Those two colors have been fished before the electric chicken was ever thought of. I remember my Dad fishing those rootbeer screw tails in the 70's…. Great Plastic on a lead head.
Well, the good news for everyone on our coast is this; I just read the Satilla River was 2 ft. below flood stage, so the rivers will be cleaning up, the salt water will be normalizing in the rivers and we should resume normal saltwater fishing shortly!
Happy Fishing!
Captain TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing
St. Simons Island Nearshore Fishing Recap
2010 Near-Shore Fishing Re-Cap – Coastal Georgia Saltwater Report
This has been a fabulous summer here in the beautiful Golden Isles of Georgia. From Savannah to Cumberland Island, the fish bite for most species was as good as ever.
The highlight of our season had to be the early tarpon run and the late cobia run.
We'll start with the Tarpon…. The fish showed up in the first week of June this season. I remember it like it was yesterday.
My charter was on board my Contender 31 Open at the time. We were fishing a 6-hour trip from St. Simons Island with a group of 3-people that morning.
The trip was actually for Spinner Sharks, Bull Redfish or whatever would pull out some line for the group on live bait, so we anchored the boat in St. Andrews Sound off Jekyll Island.
We were anchored down on a sandbar about 3 miles offshore in 11 ft. of water and had just released a large Bull Redfish. The flat line ripped and a small black tip was released.
Then, the sound of the release clip popping with force on the port side of the boat turned my head…. Then, AIR! First Tarpon of the season was hooked up.
20 minutes later we landed the 70-80 pound class Tarpon with grins from ear to ear. This fantastic Tarpon bite lasted for a solid 4-days before slowing back to a normal season. August proved fruitful per usual, and the bite was grand over all… We were all blessed this year with excellent Tarpon fishing.
There are always Tarpon coming in our area in waves in early summer, but a solid 4-day bite with no presence of bait schools in the area was beyond impressive!
Now, get this. Cobia hanging out until August in 60 ft. of water in large numbers? This was also a welcomed sight for any offshore angler! We couldn't believe it….. Not this many fish. It was an impressive sight to see this many Cobia during any season! Read on…
The short story; After a 3-week lull in the Cobia fishing, we targeted king mackerel, AJ's, Barracuda and other bottom fish, we figured the fish had moved on to the north like they normally do.
On August 3rd, we boated 14 Cobia, released 9 and pulled off several more. This was a real treat for a Charter in early August. Not only was it un-expected, it lasted for weeks on end. Charter after Charter we caught Cobia until early September and the fish finally moved out.
I counted over 40 fish boated during August alone, over half released. Some were of great size and a few were borderline and some short. Fact of the matter is, they were still Cobia and we were catching them.
Each trip I told my clients not to count on it, but we had been catching them in numbers. Each trip proved me wrong as we boated Cobia after Cobia.
After a while we figured out the bigger fish wanted the bait fished deeper, but not on the down rigger. A ½ ounce weight was the ticket for big Cobia. Also, many will argue the point, but, 2-stroke engines are a must! Cobia love it!
As mentioned, we are thankful and blessed to have the Charter season we had. It was simply unbelievable.
On another note, Bait was fairly easy to obtain when the winds were from the S-SW and W. During the many NE winds we had, the normal…. Bait was hard to get on the beaches. We had a few more Easterly and N. Easterly winds than normal, but overall the fishing was worth the lost wages from rough seas for most charter boat guides.
Cheers from the GA Coast…. May the seas be calm and your coolers be full!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Saint Simons Island Fishing
This has been a fabulous summer here in the beautiful Golden Isles of Georgia. From Savannah to Cumberland Island, the fish bite for most species was as good as ever.
The highlight of our season had to be the early tarpon run and the late cobia run.
We'll start with the Tarpon…. The fish showed up in the first week of June this season. I remember it like it was yesterday.
My charter was on board my Contender 31 Open at the time. We were fishing a 6-hour trip from St. Simons Island with a group of 3-people that morning.
The trip was actually for Spinner Sharks, Bull Redfish or whatever would pull out some line for the group on live bait, so we anchored the boat in St. Andrews Sound off Jekyll Island.
We were anchored down on a sandbar about 3 miles offshore in 11 ft. of water and had just released a large Bull Redfish. The flat line ripped and a small black tip was released.
Then, the sound of the release clip popping with force on the port side of the boat turned my head…. Then, AIR! First Tarpon of the season was hooked up.
20 minutes later we landed the 70-80 pound class Tarpon with grins from ear to ear. This fantastic Tarpon bite lasted for a solid 4-days before slowing back to a normal season. August proved fruitful per usual, and the bite was grand over all… We were all blessed this year with excellent Tarpon fishing.
There are always Tarpon coming in our area in waves in early summer, but a solid 4-day bite with no presence of bait schools in the area was beyond impressive!
Now, get this. Cobia hanging out until August in 60 ft. of water in large numbers? This was also a welcomed sight for any offshore angler! We couldn't believe it….. Not this many fish. It was an impressive sight to see this many Cobia during any season! Read on…
The short story; After a 3-week lull in the Cobia fishing, we targeted king mackerel, AJ's, Barracuda and other bottom fish, we figured the fish had moved on to the north like they normally do.
On August 3rd, we boated 14 Cobia, released 9 and pulled off several more. This was a real treat for a Charter in early August. Not only was it un-expected, it lasted for weeks on end. Charter after Charter we caught Cobia until early September and the fish finally moved out.
I counted over 40 fish boated during August alone, over half released. Some were of great size and a few were borderline and some short. Fact of the matter is, they were still Cobia and we were catching them.
Each trip I told my clients not to count on it, but we had been catching them in numbers. Each trip proved me wrong as we boated Cobia after Cobia.
After a while we figured out the bigger fish wanted the bait fished deeper, but not on the down rigger. A ½ ounce weight was the ticket for big Cobia. Also, many will argue the point, but, 2-stroke engines are a must! Cobia love it!
As mentioned, we are thankful and blessed to have the Charter season we had. It was simply unbelievable.
On another note, Bait was fairly easy to obtain when the winds were from the S-SW and W. During the many NE winds we had, the normal…. Bait was hard to get on the beaches. We had a few more Easterly and N. Easterly winds than normal, but overall the fishing was worth the lost wages from rough seas for most charter boat guides.
Cheers from the GA Coast…. May the seas be calm and your coolers be full!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Saint Simons Island Fishing
St. Simons Island Weather is HOT! and so is the FISHING!
Fishing the COASTAL GEORGIA HEAT in 2010
The GA Saltwater fishing remains incredible, even with soaring temperatures reaching 115 with heat index.
It has simply been one of those seasons that we'll all look back and say… Man, that was an awesome summer! Aside of dealing with scorching temperatures on land and on the ocean, this charter fishing season has been one of the best since 1997-1998 for our group and most other guides and captains in the area around St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island in Coastal Georgia.
Inshore:
Although we don't have very many requests for inshore fishing and backwater fishing in the summer season, the trips we have run and the re-con trips we ran have produced phenomenal results for Trout, Redfish and Flounder from the beach edge all the way to the back country marshes of Coastal Georgia.
If an Angler seeks to catch speckled trout, he/she will definitely have a superb trip with live bait and artificial, but weeding through the keeper fish has been a chore for everyone. Many keeper size fish are being caught, but it's about 6 to 1 or higher on throw-back trout. However, nobody ever said catching ANY size trout one after another wasn't fun!
At the end of the day, you will have a nice mess of fish most times and you will have caught more trout and redfish than most anytime last season. We can only hope they grow quick and everyone stays legal on their keep during this influx of smaller trout and reds. This could be a stellar fall season shaping up for coastal Georgia Inshore Fishing.
Nearshore:
Big Fish, sweat on the brow and medium tackle = SPINNER SHARKS AND TARPON. This season has been premier for Tarpon. The Spinners are here in dependable order each summer, but the Tarpon bite has been extreme. We haven't seen the fish like this in many years.
The numbers of Tarpon off the beaches right now is stunning. Most any sound, channel or sandbar cut on the GA coast that is holding menhaden will be holding tarpon. They are everywhere this year and not a minute to soon! Many of us were beginning to wonder what happened to the good old days of tarpon fishing.
Enjoy a trip to fish for Tarpon on the GA coast before they're gone. You can almost bet that if you don't catch one, you'll see MANY and have a better chance at catching one than you would have last season, or the season before. The challenge is always the same, but with the amount of silver kings in the area, your odds are dramatically increased, no question. This is the year… Right now.
The full moon in August proved its point and procedure once again of being the pristine time to target the silver kings on the GA coast. The blazing hot temperatures and huge bait pods of menhaden drive the fish into our area thick this year and we're no where near the end of the road. The tarpon should be around for another month or more unless some extreme weather moves our bait out of the area.
With tarpon in this area it is pretty simple. Find bait…. Find Fish!
Offshore:
You know, Amberjack are here every season and it's not really abnormal to catch a limit of them. However, catching a limit with spoons and jigs makes it that much more fun for the angler and a challenge for even the most seasoned fishing guide.
200g butterfly jigs in blue, green and red heads have been the ticket for catching HUGE jacks this season. AJ's can't stand the butterfly ripped by them… They'll eat it every time if presented properly. Offshore fun doesn't get much better, and contrary to popular belief, AJ is some of the best eating fish in ocean, especially the shoulder meat. Don't be fooled by rumors from Blue Water fishermen who dolphin fish 5-6 times per year who tell you AJ's are just trash fish in the way….. It's FAR from true. In fact, Salt Water Sportsman magazine had an article and a recipe for Amberjack Cakes in a recent issue less than a year ago. Enjoy them while they're here….. It is truly the fight of an animal and even better on the dinner table that night.
Now, you throw in some Cobia, and we got some good fishing going on during an offshore trip…. Grey Triggers, an occasional Grouper and nice Black Sea Bass… and well, that's all that needs to be said and it's happening right now in the middle of the summer. I can't wait to see that the fall months bring with the summer producing such nice fish for us!
We have been blessed this season on offshore trips. Maybe it's switching back to 2-Stroke engines? Who knows, but we're on a roll and expect it to continue for the above mentioned fish and others as well.
Get to Georgia and get on some great fishing. It's just getting started! Well, it really never ended?...! Bull Redfish will start next month, so we're excited about that fishery as well as one of our favorite beach side trophy fish. Possibly some of the largest redfish in the world can be caught right here not far off the GA coast, and it's almost time!
May the Seas be Calm and your Coolers be full!
Cheers to all!
Captain TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Charter Fishing St. Simons Island
The GA Saltwater fishing remains incredible, even with soaring temperatures reaching 115 with heat index.
It has simply been one of those seasons that we'll all look back and say… Man, that was an awesome summer! Aside of dealing with scorching temperatures on land and on the ocean, this charter fishing season has been one of the best since 1997-1998 for our group and most other guides and captains in the area around St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island in Coastal Georgia.
Inshore:
Although we don't have very many requests for inshore fishing and backwater fishing in the summer season, the trips we have run and the re-con trips we ran have produced phenomenal results for Trout, Redfish and Flounder from the beach edge all the way to the back country marshes of Coastal Georgia.
If an Angler seeks to catch speckled trout, he/she will definitely have a superb trip with live bait and artificial, but weeding through the keeper fish has been a chore for everyone. Many keeper size fish are being caught, but it's about 6 to 1 or higher on throw-back trout. However, nobody ever said catching ANY size trout one after another wasn't fun!
At the end of the day, you will have a nice mess of fish most times and you will have caught more trout and redfish than most anytime last season. We can only hope they grow quick and everyone stays legal on their keep during this influx of smaller trout and reds. This could be a stellar fall season shaping up for coastal Georgia Inshore Fishing.
Nearshore:
Big Fish, sweat on the brow and medium tackle = SPINNER SHARKS AND TARPON. This season has been premier for Tarpon. The Spinners are here in dependable order each summer, but the Tarpon bite has been extreme. We haven't seen the fish like this in many years.
The numbers of Tarpon off the beaches right now is stunning. Most any sound, channel or sandbar cut on the GA coast that is holding menhaden will be holding tarpon. They are everywhere this year and not a minute to soon! Many of us were beginning to wonder what happened to the good old days of tarpon fishing.
Enjoy a trip to fish for Tarpon on the GA coast before they're gone. You can almost bet that if you don't catch one, you'll see MANY and have a better chance at catching one than you would have last season, or the season before. The challenge is always the same, but with the amount of silver kings in the area, your odds are dramatically increased, no question. This is the year… Right now.
The full moon in August proved its point and procedure once again of being the pristine time to target the silver kings on the GA coast. The blazing hot temperatures and huge bait pods of menhaden drive the fish into our area thick this year and we're no where near the end of the road. The tarpon should be around for another month or more unless some extreme weather moves our bait out of the area.
With tarpon in this area it is pretty simple. Find bait…. Find Fish!
Offshore:
You know, Amberjack are here every season and it's not really abnormal to catch a limit of them. However, catching a limit with spoons and jigs makes it that much more fun for the angler and a challenge for even the most seasoned fishing guide.
200g butterfly jigs in blue, green and red heads have been the ticket for catching HUGE jacks this season. AJ's can't stand the butterfly ripped by them… They'll eat it every time if presented properly. Offshore fun doesn't get much better, and contrary to popular belief, AJ is some of the best eating fish in ocean, especially the shoulder meat. Don't be fooled by rumors from Blue Water fishermen who dolphin fish 5-6 times per year who tell you AJ's are just trash fish in the way….. It's FAR from true. In fact, Salt Water Sportsman magazine had an article and a recipe for Amberjack Cakes in a recent issue less than a year ago. Enjoy them while they're here….. It is truly the fight of an animal and even better on the dinner table that night.
Now, you throw in some Cobia, and we got some good fishing going on during an offshore trip…. Grey Triggers, an occasional Grouper and nice Black Sea Bass… and well, that's all that needs to be said and it's happening right now in the middle of the summer. I can't wait to see that the fall months bring with the summer producing such nice fish for us!
We have been blessed this season on offshore trips. Maybe it's switching back to 2-Stroke engines? Who knows, but we're on a roll and expect it to continue for the above mentioned fish and others as well.
Get to Georgia and get on some great fishing. It's just getting started! Well, it really never ended?...! Bull Redfish will start next month, so we're excited about that fishery as well as one of our favorite beach side trophy fish. Possibly some of the largest redfish in the world can be caught right here not far off the GA coast, and it's almost time!
May the Seas be Calm and your Coolers be full!
Cheers to all!
Captain TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Charter Fishing St. Simons Island
St. Simons Charter Fishing in June
Georgia offshore fishing – June 2010
The Georgia offshore fishing on the offshore and the nearshore reefs has been incredible this season so far.
All the guides in the south GA are have reaped the rewards of our bountiful offshore waters for Pelagic and resident species alike.
Fishing for Amberjack, Grouper and Sea Bass with butterfly jigs (200g) has been the ticket all season long. Jigging is relatively new in Georgia waters to many people, but the anglers who give it all they got with the jigs have produced results just as good as the Gulf and south Florida.
Nearshore, the Tarpon and Spinner Sharks have been cooperating in numbers using large live baits and casting plugs. Fishing behind certain shrimp boats can yield numbers and fish sizes that keep our clients coming back for more each season, and they look forward to it. And, I can't blame them…. Catching 100 pound + fish on medium tackle is about as fun as any fisherman could ask for, and the Georgia Coast offers this fishing within minutes from the Marina launch site and charter dock.
Some good live bait and some heavy mono leader top keep the toothy critters from chomping through and it's GAME ON!
We expect SUPERB nearshore and offshore action for the remainder of 2010 and the Bull Redfish will follow into the later part of the season as they do each year.
For now, everyone keep your lines tight, pray for the wind to stay west and get on the water and catch em' up!
Please visit our website below for the most up-to-date information, high quality videos, photos and more!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
The Georgia offshore fishing on the offshore and the nearshore reefs has been incredible this season so far.
All the guides in the south GA are have reaped the rewards of our bountiful offshore waters for Pelagic and resident species alike.
Fishing for Amberjack, Grouper and Sea Bass with butterfly jigs (200g) has been the ticket all season long. Jigging is relatively new in Georgia waters to many people, but the anglers who give it all they got with the jigs have produced results just as good as the Gulf and south Florida.
Nearshore, the Tarpon and Spinner Sharks have been cooperating in numbers using large live baits and casting plugs. Fishing behind certain shrimp boats can yield numbers and fish sizes that keep our clients coming back for more each season, and they look forward to it. And, I can't blame them…. Catching 100 pound + fish on medium tackle is about as fun as any fisherman could ask for, and the Georgia Coast offers this fishing within minutes from the Marina launch site and charter dock.
Some good live bait and some heavy mono leader top keep the toothy critters from chomping through and it's GAME ON!
We expect SUPERB nearshore and offshore action for the remainder of 2010 and the Bull Redfish will follow into the later part of the season as they do each year.
For now, everyone keep your lines tight, pray for the wind to stay west and get on the water and catch em' up!
Please visit our website below for the most up-to-date information, high quality videos, photos and more!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
http://www.stsimonsfishing.com/
Even Bass Fishermen can get it done in the Salt!
Trout Bite HOT on the GA Coast
Bite on the Georgia Coast"
(Premier Year shaping up for Inshore Fishing)
After all the talk about bad weather throughout the summer months and terrible inshore fishing, the holy of holiest, the "Speckled Trout" has finally come knocking….
In nearly each instance I have visited Marina's and Boat Ramps, the story has been equal. Trout! And, large numbers of them caught on a variety of bait. Although each angler has his/her own tactics for catching Trout, this season is starting out with the makes of very memorable one.
I visited St. Simons Marina last weekend to check out who was catching what before the wind started blowing the following day. I had high hopes there would be a good crowd of fisherman there just before the Weather front approached, especially on a Saturday.
As the barometer dropped through the early AM hours, I waited patiently to see who would be the first group back to the dock with a limit of Trout. At about 10 AM, a bass boat slid in and tied up. I watched with curiosity while they jostled with their gear and coolers, and the two anglers gave us a few hard stares as well. We don't see bass boats in saltwater all that much and I didn't recognize either of the anglers on board, so I minded my business, but only for so long.
The two never came up the dock and were just standing around the boat like they were lost. Well, they were. I took a walk down after about 15 minutes to check on the Anglers and see if they had any questions as they looked very confused.
They had been fishing in the Altamaha River (a brackish/more fresh) for large mouth Bass and took a wrong turn and ended up in the Intracoastal Waterway heading south and ran into St. Simons Marina after a fairly long Journey down river.
The driver said he had never been to the GA Coast and both the guys were from Alabama. He told me they were lost and were looking for Two-Way fish camp. I told both of them they may need fuel and we'll have to go to lunch and let me draw them a map to find their way back. These guys were so far from their launching area, I couldn't believe it.
During our conversation, the guys said they stopped along the way and fished several "points" of marsh grass that looked good to them. I asked them what they had used for bait and both the anglers were tossing black rubber worms with green and blue tails and had also been tossing a few spinner baits and jerk baits.
Now, for the big question I had been leading up to for nearly 15 minutes. "Did you catch anything?", I asked. The driver looked at his companion and answered "Yes, we did… But we're not sure if these fish are legal in length and we're not 100% sure what they are". When he said that, my gut hit my knee caps. I was thinking these guys had killed a pile of undersize Redfish. So, I asked to see their catch and let them know I was not the ‘Police" and would lead them in the proper direction.
The drivers fishing buddy opened up the large center release well on the aft deck of the Bass Cat with hesitation. His motion seemed intentionally slow and lifeless and was driving me nuts at that point. I wanted to know what they had in that well!
Finally, he opened it and asked me to step on board. I took a quick look and stepped back on the dock. I shook my head and looked down and he slammed the lid shut. The driver of the boat asks me, "Are we in trouble?" with a curious look on his face. I answered with only this. "If I were you, I wouldn't take that mess of fish up here and clean them". It would have caused a fiasco if they had.
The boys had themselves a box full of Trout in the 3-5 pound class! I finally quit holding out land let them in on their accomplishment and exactly what kind of day they had. "Getting lost was a good thing if this is the result", I said. I told them to be sure they didn't have any more than 30 fish total, so they began counting very cautiously. They had 26 Trout and 6 Redfish, all legal.
The Trout were huge and every one of those fish came off Rubber worms, spinner baits and Jerk Shad. These guys didn't know a thing about saltwater fishing, were lost and had never fished this area in their life. They were simply good fisherman during a great Trout season.
These guys were so scared they had done something wrong; they didn't know what to do and out of fuel. They wanted to ask directions and buy fuel, but were worried someone would ask if they had caught anything. Again, they weren't 100% sure they were trout, but they only THOUGHT they might be. Incredible… I will never forget it.
After I was sure they were legal, I offered to ride with them back to their launch area, so they agreed to bring me back by truck to St. Simons Marina after we loaded the boat on the trailer. We fueled them up and I kept the "vultures" off the guys so we could get them out of there without everyone swamping them with questions. The boys were nervous enough as it was and felt bad for getting lost. I didn't let the marina hang out group hammer them, and we headed north.
The driver (David) showed me where he thought they had fished, and the areas looked likely. It was hard to tell with no GPS track to follow, but he and his partner (Ronnie) were sure about a couple of the spots.
The men were so grateful after I got them back to their launch site; they ended up giving me every trout in the box. I argued that they should clean them and eat them as the table quality would exceed largemouth bass any day.
David said, "Man, we didn't come to catch no Trout. We came to catch Bass". I didn't have any words on that note and accepted the fish with no further argument.
David and Ronnie dropped me back off at St. Simons Marina 3 hours after we fueled their Bass Cat and drove off. I had a great time talking fishing with them. They were from Mobile Alabama and had only fished the lakes near there and a few North Georgia lakes as well. They had never been saltwater fishing in their life, so they were interested to hear about Bull Reds, Tarpon and other fish they had only seen on TV.
Upon returning to the Marina, I missed a lot of catches being cleaned, but every one of those boats caught plenty of "keeper" size trout that day. This could be a premier year on the Georgia Coast estuary system for Trout.
The spots: Points, rips, shell beds, covered mud/shell mix areas on the flood tide and any type of structure. It looks to be a no brainer this year, so far…
The Tackle: Popping Floats, Slip Floats, Soft Baits, Top-water (daylight & dusk) and bottom fishing as well. Looks like pretty much anything..! If you need live Shrimp, just email me for details on which marinas offer bait.
Get on the water, get your feel and catch some fish… The bite is on!
Good Fishing to All!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing Guide
Bite on the Georgia Coast"
(Premier Year shaping up for Inshore Fishing)
After all the talk about bad weather throughout the summer months and terrible inshore fishing, the holy of holiest, the "Speckled Trout" has finally come knocking….
In nearly each instance I have visited Marina's and Boat Ramps, the story has been equal. Trout! And, large numbers of them caught on a variety of bait. Although each angler has his/her own tactics for catching Trout, this season is starting out with the makes of very memorable one.
I visited St. Simons Marina last weekend to check out who was catching what before the wind started blowing the following day. I had high hopes there would be a good crowd of fisherman there just before the Weather front approached, especially on a Saturday.
As the barometer dropped through the early AM hours, I waited patiently to see who would be the first group back to the dock with a limit of Trout. At about 10 AM, a bass boat slid in and tied up. I watched with curiosity while they jostled with their gear and coolers, and the two anglers gave us a few hard stares as well. We don't see bass boats in saltwater all that much and I didn't recognize either of the anglers on board, so I minded my business, but only for so long.
The two never came up the dock and were just standing around the boat like they were lost. Well, they were. I took a walk down after about 15 minutes to check on the Anglers and see if they had any questions as they looked very confused.
They had been fishing in the Altamaha River (a brackish/more fresh) for large mouth Bass and took a wrong turn and ended up in the Intracoastal Waterway heading south and ran into St. Simons Marina after a fairly long Journey down river.
The driver said he had never been to the GA Coast and both the guys were from Alabama. He told me they were lost and were looking for Two-Way fish camp. I told both of them they may need fuel and we'll have to go to lunch and let me draw them a map to find their way back. These guys were so far from their launching area, I couldn't believe it.
During our conversation, the guys said they stopped along the way and fished several "points" of marsh grass that looked good to them. I asked them what they had used for bait and both the anglers were tossing black rubber worms with green and blue tails and had also been tossing a few spinner baits and jerk baits.
Now, for the big question I had been leading up to for nearly 15 minutes. "Did you catch anything?", I asked. The driver looked at his companion and answered "Yes, we did… But we're not sure if these fish are legal in length and we're not 100% sure what they are". When he said that, my gut hit my knee caps. I was thinking these guys had killed a pile of undersize Redfish. So, I asked to see their catch and let them know I was not the ‘Police" and would lead them in the proper direction.
The drivers fishing buddy opened up the large center release well on the aft deck of the Bass Cat with hesitation. His motion seemed intentionally slow and lifeless and was driving me nuts at that point. I wanted to know what they had in that well!
Finally, he opened it and asked me to step on board. I took a quick look and stepped back on the dock. I shook my head and looked down and he slammed the lid shut. The driver of the boat asks me, "Are we in trouble?" with a curious look on his face. I answered with only this. "If I were you, I wouldn't take that mess of fish up here and clean them". It would have caused a fiasco if they had.
The boys had themselves a box full of Trout in the 3-5 pound class! I finally quit holding out land let them in on their accomplishment and exactly what kind of day they had. "Getting lost was a good thing if this is the result", I said. I told them to be sure they didn't have any more than 30 fish total, so they began counting very cautiously. They had 26 Trout and 6 Redfish, all legal.
The Trout were huge and every one of those fish came off Rubber worms, spinner baits and Jerk Shad. These guys didn't know a thing about saltwater fishing, were lost and had never fished this area in their life. They were simply good fisherman during a great Trout season.
These guys were so scared they had done something wrong; they didn't know what to do and out of fuel. They wanted to ask directions and buy fuel, but were worried someone would ask if they had caught anything. Again, they weren't 100% sure they were trout, but they only THOUGHT they might be. Incredible… I will never forget it.
After I was sure they were legal, I offered to ride with them back to their launch area, so they agreed to bring me back by truck to St. Simons Marina after we loaded the boat on the trailer. We fueled them up and I kept the "vultures" off the guys so we could get them out of there without everyone swamping them with questions. The boys were nervous enough as it was and felt bad for getting lost. I didn't let the marina hang out group hammer them, and we headed north.
The driver (David) showed me where he thought they had fished, and the areas looked likely. It was hard to tell with no GPS track to follow, but he and his partner (Ronnie) were sure about a couple of the spots.
The men were so grateful after I got them back to their launch site; they ended up giving me every trout in the box. I argued that they should clean them and eat them as the table quality would exceed largemouth bass any day.
David said, "Man, we didn't come to catch no Trout. We came to catch Bass". I didn't have any words on that note and accepted the fish with no further argument.
David and Ronnie dropped me back off at St. Simons Marina 3 hours after we fueled their Bass Cat and drove off. I had a great time talking fishing with them. They were from Mobile Alabama and had only fished the lakes near there and a few North Georgia lakes as well. They had never been saltwater fishing in their life, so they were interested to hear about Bull Reds, Tarpon and other fish they had only seen on TV.
Upon returning to the Marina, I missed a lot of catches being cleaned, but every one of those boats caught plenty of "keeper" size trout that day. This could be a premier year on the Georgia Coast estuary system for Trout.
The spots: Points, rips, shell beds, covered mud/shell mix areas on the flood tide and any type of structure. It looks to be a no brainer this year, so far…
The Tackle: Popping Floats, Slip Floats, Soft Baits, Top-water (daylight & dusk) and bottom fishing as well. Looks like pretty much anything..! If you need live Shrimp, just email me for details on which marinas offer bait.
Get on the water, get your feel and catch some fish… The bite is on!
Good Fishing to All!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Charter Fishing Guide
Bull Redfish Running Late!
We fished HARD all weekend for Bull Redfish... I mean HARD. St. Simons and Jekyll are normally covered with these heavy hitters by now... However, everything is a month behind this season, it seems...
My bad thoughts were early on this as I told Bob Rowell while we struck out across the ocean on Saturday morning crossing the St. Simons Island shipping channel.. "The water is green, I said to Bob.. That's a problem. If it's too clear, we aint got a chance"
That is one thing about the Bull Redfish I can tell you from the last 20 years of fishing for them... THEY DO NOT LIKE CLEAR WATER in the breakers off the Georgia Coast. The nastier, the better it seems. Northeast Wind, big tides, crashing waves across the bars and horrible conditions prove best when hunting for large beach side redfish. Quite the opposite of what most people look for and for most other species as well.
We managed a couple of fish on Sunday on an un-planned excursion.. I had to re-deem after Saturday and I noticed late Saturday night a frontal boundry was pushing through causing a stiff W-NW wind on the water. I knew that water would be nastier on Sunday... So, last minute, we rounded it up at about 11 PM to go out Sunday morning.
I worked hard again on Sunday to catch Reds. These were off St. Simons in the dirtiest water I could find, and It still wasn't like I would have liked to see, but we caught Redfish. NOTICE HOW SILVER THESE GIRLS ARE. THEY ARE JUST GETTING HERE. The beachside water will change their color to a much, much darker shade as it stains their scales after the fish are on the beach for a couple of weeks. These fish just came in from offshore... THEY ARE ONLY A MONTH LATE!! But, we're thankful they're showing up.
Good Fishing to All!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Fishing Guide
My bad thoughts were early on this as I told Bob Rowell while we struck out across the ocean on Saturday morning crossing the St. Simons Island shipping channel.. "The water is green, I said to Bob.. That's a problem. If it's too clear, we aint got a chance"
That is one thing about the Bull Redfish I can tell you from the last 20 years of fishing for them... THEY DO NOT LIKE CLEAR WATER in the breakers off the Georgia Coast. The nastier, the better it seems. Northeast Wind, big tides, crashing waves across the bars and horrible conditions prove best when hunting for large beach side redfish. Quite the opposite of what most people look for and for most other species as well.
We managed a couple of fish on Sunday on an un-planned excursion.. I had to re-deem after Saturday and I noticed late Saturday night a frontal boundry was pushing through causing a stiff W-NW wind on the water. I knew that water would be nastier on Sunday... So, last minute, we rounded it up at about 11 PM to go out Sunday morning.
I worked hard again on Sunday to catch Reds. These were off St. Simons in the dirtiest water I could find, and It still wasn't like I would have liked to see, but we caught Redfish. NOTICE HOW SILVER THESE GIRLS ARE. THEY ARE JUST GETTING HERE. The beachside water will change their color to a much, much darker shade as it stains their scales after the fish are on the beach for a couple of weeks. These fish just came in from offshore... THEY ARE ONLY A MONTH LATE!! But, we're thankful they're showing up.
Good Fishing to All!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
St. Simons Fishing Guide
St. Simons Fishing in Spring
St. Simons Fishing in Spring
Spring Targets in Coastal Georgia
As I mentioned in my last report, spring is definitely here. The water temperature here on the S.E. Georgia Coast has risen to 66 degrees. That is a 13 degree incline over 2 weeks ago. This is the news we are looking for!
Already, the local anglers and charter fishermen who target great eating Whiting off the beach/nearshore areas are catching 15-40 keeper fish every trip. The Whiting have been in 12-30 ft. of water with no one place being the "only" place to catch them. They are all over the place, literally. Small fish, but great eating and kids love that type of fishing and it's easy.
Now, what I am personally waiting for is our seasonal group of Triple Tail (Eddy fish) that will school heavily near certain areas off our local beaches 2-3 miles offshore.
These fish are 100% sight casting targets. They first appear on the surface as a wounded or even a dead fish of some sort. That's exactly what we're looking for. An odd looking fish with 3-tails… Laying on the surface often swimming slowly or not moving at all, awaiting a baitfish or shrimp to come within attacking distance.
Not much of a trick, but landing your bait choice in front of the fish and not to spook the fish with your boat engine, or the splash of your bait. They get funny about eating sometimes, especially after the first week or two of anglers running their boats around those areas and haunting the fish carelessly.
Caution and much care should be taken when targeting Triple Tail. A cautious approach is key when the fish is seen lying on the surface. Nice and quiet, drift set up with the current and wind just right and shut the outboard down. Often, anglers think they will get closer to the fish with a trolling motor. Once the fish sees the boat, he's gone most times no matter how quiet you think you may be.
Now and then, you get a really stubborn fish that will lay right beside the boat no matter how much noise you make. Most times, you get too close, and they're gone…. Point is this; practice being careful and quiet when approaching your target. It will pay off in the long run.
Bait of Choice: GULP! Shrimp fished beneath a small float. No weight is needed in most cases unless the wind is blowing over 10 knots.
Rod and Reel: PENN Sargus Spinning Reel loaded up with 20 pound INVISIBRAID line. A PENN INTERNATIONAL 116 series Inshore Spinning rod will be about perfect for this task and many others.
What to watch for: Again, the fish will appear "out of the blue" many times and look like a dead or wounded fish. Sometimes, they remind me of a trash bag floating just beneath the surface. Once you see a Triple Tail, you will always know what you're looking for…. Once you catch one…. Get ready to be HOOKED!
Good Fishing to all!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Charter Fishing St. Simons Island
As I mentioned in my last report, spring is definitely here. The water temperature here on the S.E. Georgia Coast has risen to 66 degrees. That is a 13 degree incline over 2 weeks ago. This is the news we are looking for!
Already, the local anglers and charter fishermen who target great eating Whiting off the beach/nearshore areas are catching 15-40 keeper fish every trip. The Whiting have been in 12-30 ft. of water with no one place being the "only" place to catch them. They are all over the place, literally. Small fish, but great eating and kids love that type of fishing and it's easy.
Now, what I am personally waiting for is our seasonal group of Triple Tail (Eddy fish) that will school heavily near certain areas off our local beaches 2-3 miles offshore.
These fish are 100% sight casting targets. They first appear on the surface as a wounded or even a dead fish of some sort. That's exactly what we're looking for. An odd looking fish with 3-tails… Laying on the surface often swimming slowly or not moving at all, awaiting a baitfish or shrimp to come within attacking distance.
Not much of a trick, but landing your bait choice in front of the fish and not to spook the fish with your boat engine, or the splash of your bait. They get funny about eating sometimes, especially after the first week or two of anglers running their boats around those areas and haunting the fish carelessly.
Caution and much care should be taken when targeting Triple Tail. A cautious approach is key when the fish is seen lying on the surface. Nice and quiet, drift set up with the current and wind just right and shut the outboard down. Often, anglers think they will get closer to the fish with a trolling motor. Once the fish sees the boat, he's gone most times no matter how quiet you think you may be.
Now and then, you get a really stubborn fish that will lay right beside the boat no matter how much noise you make. Most times, you get too close, and they're gone…. Point is this; practice being careful and quiet when approaching your target. It will pay off in the long run.
Bait of Choice: GULP! Shrimp fished beneath a small float. No weight is needed in most cases unless the wind is blowing over 10 knots.
Rod and Reel: PENN Sargus Spinning Reel loaded up with 20 pound INVISIBRAID line. A PENN INTERNATIONAL 116 series Inshore Spinning rod will be about perfect for this task and many others.
What to watch for: Again, the fish will appear "out of the blue" many times and look like a dead or wounded fish. Sometimes, they remind me of a trash bag floating just beneath the surface. Once you see a Triple Tail, you will always know what you're looking for…. Once you catch one…. Get ready to be HOOKED!
Good Fishing to all!
Capt. TJ Cheek
Costa Del Mar Pro Guide
Charter Fishing St. Simons Island
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