Coastal Outdoors

Those of us who were hoping for a mild winter can guess again. The last week in December and the first week in January have been brutally cold, with lows in the teens and highs around 40. This doesn't sound like auspicious fishing conditions. Nonetheless, there are still some excellent inshore opportunities for those who'll brave the cold!

Eric and I got a late start the first Wednesday of the new year. We left about 11 o’clock that morning. The plan was to pole back into the salt grass in search of reds. Sounds simply enough, but there were two problems: one, fighting the cold; the other, perhaps more difficult, finding some reds. I think we both had a pretty strong case of cabin fever. So, regardless of the cold, we ventured out. Our skiff quickly covered the water. The ride was painfully cold but neither of us complained, though we were both trying to shield our faces from the wind.

In short order we arrived at our destination. The water was clear but given a 6-foot tide and cold temperatures we were surprised the visibility wasn't better. Eric hopped on the poling platform while I started working an 8-weight Redington fly rod loaded with a floating line. Several minuets passed. My blind casting was fruitless. The day was beginning to look like a bust. Then suddenly out of nowhere Eric spotted a red moving quickly away. Our coordination proved too slow for the first fish, so we agreed to try a combination clock and pointing method for locating fish. We were now ready for an unsuspecting red – or at least we were a little more prepared.

We spotted a nice red perhaps a whopping 20 feet away. I dropped a rust colored sea bugger about two or three feet away from the fish. With one twitch of the rod tip it looked like the fish was all over the fly. Then I got a case of bass fever and yanked the fly away! All I can say is, it happens. We saw a few more fish. All of the fish seemed spooky, like they had seen tricks before, or perhaps they were spotting or sensing us. Eric kept poling while we kept trying to find a pattern. The fish were in the skinniest water. We believed the fish were sunning themselves in the shallow, warmer water. The spots that had both skinny water and a light bottom seemed to hold more fish.

We did not encounter that many fish this cold winter day, although the seven to ten fish we did see were impressive. After laying down the fly rod and taking a cast with a spinner we produced a nice 30-inch red. My curiosity was going wild - was this a fluke or would a culprit jerk worm produce fish when a fly wouldn't? After many casts with the jerk worm I concluded it was simply the luck of the draw. A memorable bass on a cold winter day is pretty terrific!

A tip from a local avid fly fisherman and guide, Captain Scott Wagner: "When you think you're poling slow, go slower." Sometimes when bass are locating on structure they'll return after being spooked. Setting an anchor or push pole isn't very glamorous but it can produce fish. For optimal casting try putting the wind at your back and have a spinner ready if the wind gets up. Weedless flies such as Webers Carolina critters and seabuggers are my favorites. Captain Bill Glenn's favorite red fish fly is an imitation fiddler crab. Remember to work your plastic or fly in a realistic manner. Favorite colors are Arkansas shiner, salt and pepper, and new penny.

According to Marty Pinkston, the Flyboy out of Hilton Head, December, January and February are the prime months for reds on the flats. Seek out the low tides in winter and the high tides in summer. Sight casting for reds is something that generally has not been thought of in this area until recently. One angler has said our colder winter has actually helped this fishery by drawing reds to the warmer shallow flats. Who knows? It’s likely these fish have been here all the time. Due to the cold and lack of shrimp at this time of the year, most anglers aren't venturing out. It’s been said the tides on the north Georgia coast are too large to afford sight fishing opportunities. More and more anglers are disproving this theory.

About the Author: Captain Jack McGowan is truly one of our southern gentlemen. Jack has fished all his life and is a very observant fisherman. He worked at the premier tackle shop in Savannah, River Services, for many years before becoming a full time guide. You can reach Captain Jack by calling him at 912 441-9930. For charters call Capt. Jack or for immediate service call Miss Judy Charters 912 897-4921. You can also read his weekly inshore fishing reports at www.sstcharts.com