Bite still strong, fishing report SE Georgia Dec 9-Dec 17, 2010

Mid-December brought us back to back cold fronts in the form of two clippers that saw temps drop to the low 20s.  For those who braved the wind and bone-chilling cold, the rewards were worth it.  We ran the entire gamut of inshore fishing during this period.  Limits of bigger than average Trout and slot sized Redfish were common.  Fortunately, we had favorable moon phases and clear water.  One of the better patterns was shallow diving and suspending lip divers.    One of the keys to enticing the Trout to bite on the twitch baits was to pause the bait sometimes as long as 5-10 seconds.  This naturally was preceded by two sharp twitches that are the custom way of working these baits.  As the Trout got repeated looks at the twitch baits and quit biting, we switched to slow sinking Mirrolure 52MR plugs. 

One of the best coastal Georgia Redfish opportunities is now upon us.  Midday low tides (10am -2pm) are the best windows for this type of fishing.  Typically, during the winter months, the Redfish will “sunbathe” on shallow dark-bottomed flats within the estuaries of the marsh.  Although as the tide recedes they may not be as eager to eat, and more inclined to warm themselves.  As the tide turns in, they will feast.  I like to nose my boat into these areas at the last of falling, or dead low, and locate the fish.  Once located, I will hunker down and wait for the incoming tide to get moving.  Many types of bait will work in this scenario, but as a rule try to keep your presentations fairly light.  A jig head and shrimp or small profile plastic will usually do the trick. 

A very well kept secret over the last few years is the amazing Flounder, Sheepshead and Black Sea Bass bite that occurs in 40-60 feet of water off the Georgia coast.  There are literally hundreds of nearshore structures that harbor these great eating fish.  The technique is very simple, and often over-thought.  My favorite way to fish these structures is to have the boat positioned directly over your target, and present your bait vertically—with as light a weight as possible, just enough so that the current does not move your line.  One of my favorite rigs for this type of fishing is the knocker rig.  This rig consists of a bead and an egg sinker placed directly on top of the hook.  Drop the rig to the bottom, lift up about a half turn, and hold on.  Many anglers often employ a dropper loop system with two or three hooks as well.  I like 40 lb braid on a conventional reel with a 7ft medium heavy blank.

Tip of the week:  When fishing the nearshore wrecks, upsize your synthetic bait (Gulp/Fish Bites) to a larger profile (5”-6”).  This will often entice the largest Sea Bass, Flounder or Sheepshead to fight through the pack.

You won’t know if you don’t go…