11-06-2001, 12:54 PM
CAPTAIN JUDY HELMEY<br>MISS JUDY CHARTERS<br>POB 30771<br>SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31410<br>912 897 4921<br>912 897 3460 FAX<br>www.missjudycharters.com<br><br>November 5, 2001<br><br>INSHORE<br>If you love inshore fishing, now is the time to wet a hook. As with last years fishing extravaganza this looks like it going to be another bonus season. With plenty of live bait available and easy to obtain, your first stage of getting a rod bender is out of the way. Whether you are a live bait fisher or an artificial lure fisherman, your chances at this time are great for a hookup. I prefer using live bait with the traditional float rig. I love watching the sinking of the cork. But there are lots of you fishermen out there who love to jig, pitch, or troll those newly developed lures and plastics. From the reports that I have been getting almost all types of fishing techniques are working. You know how all of this works, what's new today, could eventually become traditional tomorrow. Here's another old saying, "It all depends on who's holding the rod, not what's biting it. Here are some pointers that might help you in your fishing endeavors:<br><br>Traditional float rig with live shrimp adjusted to the depth of holding fish.<br>Grubs and screw tails pitched or trolled after the bite is on.<br>Use live shrimp or mud minnows on the bottom with just a split shot as weight or remove weight.<br>Use Fresh dead shrimp or small fillet mullet either on bottom or suspended. <br>Try Fiddlers around pilings for sheepshead.<br>As always, please let me know how you did!<br><br><br>OFFSHORE<br>I love this time of the year, your offshore fishing choices are many and close. For instance, take the kids for a fun day of fishing at one of the local artificial reefs. There is plenty of Black Sea bass, pig fish, sheepshead, bank sea bass, Atlantic flounder, and black drum. You can catch all of these fish with the exception of the sheepshead with just a small piece of cut squid. A sheepshead will hit squid on occasion, but they prefer the hard to get fiddler crab the best. The short boat ride that it takes to get to the KC Buoy, CCA Buoy, Savannah Reef, or DUA Buoy can turn out to be more than worth it. These artificial reefs can hold gag grouper at this time of the year, which adds another normal deep-water fish to the closer in mix. These big grouper are migrating at this time of the year and are known to stop in these areas to catch a quick meal before they move on. There is another fish that has shown up at some of the artificial reefs and that's the lane snapper. This snapper isn't caught in this area on a normal basis. There aren't as big as the genuine red snapper, but still are a lots of fun to catch. They look very similar to a genuine, but carry a little yellow color around their fins and body area. They will hit cut squid and small live minnows. I have only found them on the high relief spot at the artificial reefs. They seem to be schooling in pods over these areas. You only have one shot at a bite once you drop into the school. So therefore be ready! They are fast bait stealers! <br><br>If you prefer top to bottoming fishing you are in luck because this type of fishing is also available at this time of the year. The winter run of the famous king mackerel has started and should last until the middle of December. There are several methods in which you can use to get these rod benders on. You can fast-troll, slow-troll, or live-line. All methods are very effective. It just depends on which method you want to use. Fast trolling is very easy and not so involved. Pull your 3 ½ drone spoons deep and fast (about 6 knots) 30 feet behind #3 planers. For your surface lures, pull rigged ballyhoo or cigar minnows. I have been using a 6/0 three hook rig, placing the first hook section through the lips. This hook scheme works, but adding double singers (2/0 extra strong tremble, use light wire) to the top eye of the three hooks, increases your chances for a hookup. If you decide to slow-troll, your chances have already increased with this decision. You will need to catch some of the surface baits that are hanging around the buoys. However, don't rule out dropping your bait rig in a school of bait that is holding is a rip. After securing bait, rig it up with your tremble hooks/light wire, so that it can be pulled slowly and naturally. This is very effective way to catch a fish. Now comes the best way to get the chance to catch the biggest king mackerel. Those that fish know that live lining is the way to go, it's happens to be my favorite. It's very simple, use live bait, tremble hooks, and light line. I have started using 20lb test mono line. It has been working much better than 25 or 30 pound test. King mackerel love to round their bait up, which puts it in a holding pattern. This occurrence could take place anywhere that you find surface bait. Once you get in 50 feet of water, look for the birds to help you find the surface bait. Where there is bait, there often is the larger fish. With everything migrating at this time of the year, you could catch anything from a king mackerel to a yellow fin tuna. <br><br>If your looking to get action on the bottom in 100 feet of water, go east to southeast and find the live bottom areas of the Savannah Snapper Banks. The red snapper and grouper are being caught on the ledges in this area. Your best bait could be anything from squid, cut fish to live bait. I have been using a double 6/0-hook bottom rig. Just load the hooks up with bait of your choice. They don't seem to care at this time of the year. <br><br><br>GULF STREAM<br>As far as I am concerned all of the fish that are traveling in the blue waters of the Gulf Stream have and are very safe. At least from us fishermen. The easterly winds haven't let up which has made any attempt to get out there<br>null and void. I guess I could say that we all "NEED A BIGGER BOAT!"<br><br><br>"LITTLE MISS JUDY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT'"<br>Here's one of my stories that you must read. I don't even believe it my self. Not only was my father quite a fisherman in the daytime he was also an avid night person. In fact I spent many great times with him on his night time rendezvous. These outing were great especially for a child who was only about 8 years old. Every outing turned into an adventure. For instance the times that we spent at the lounge located in the Manger Hotel. If you are a long time local you must remember this bar in the hotel it was called the "Purple Tree Lounge." It was so neat, especially to an eight-year-old. When they brought Daddy and I our beverages both drinks had a purple tree stir stick in it. These were the good times before business owners were scared of people poking their eyes out with sharp objects. This stir stick was neat. Daddy would always give me his. I would stick my cherries on the limbs of the trees. It sounds like this story is about purple tree stir sticks, but it's not. It about the fish tank that was in the "Purple Tree Lounge." Their large aquarium had lots of small to large gold fish swimming around in it. As I watched the fish swim I noticed something different about them. You could see their insides functioning as the fish moved about. It was even weirder when they turned the lights down. The fish became illuminated with their bodies becoming lighter than their insides. You really could see everything that was going on inside their little bodies. I watched the food go in and the food go out. Now that I think about it I had no idea what daddy was doing all of this time! All I could figure was that he was missing a great fish show that was so very interesting!<br><br>Sea You Later,<br>Captain Judy<br><br><br><br><br>