Miss Judy Charters Fishing Company
Inshore red fish, trout, flounder!
Offshore bottom fishing and trolling!
Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!
Captain Judy Helmey
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 office
Captain Judy’s cell 912 429 7671
March 10, 2024, Captain Judy inshore offshore fishing report and Not Hank Williams Sr story!
Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters
With water temperature on the up and mostly staying up fish are started to wake up. It is a known fact, fish, and the things that they prefer to eat are all making a move, which means everything down under is hungry. If you intend on targeting red fish, your options are plenty once you find their favorite holding spot. This is a fish that will eat, but only if you don’t spook them. A red fish reminds me a lot like a bottom fish offshore. They will eat bait that is fished directly on the bottom, and it doesn’t have to be alive. In other words, old smelly frozen shrimp that you might have in your freezer from 2023 will work like a charm.
It is time to go inshore fishing!
The spotted sea trout bite has been good one day and not the next. However, when it comes to targeting some trout they are movers not stayers. So therefore, where you caught them schooling/feeding the day before might not be the best place to fish on day two. However, it is a great spot to start. This is a good place to put your mental fish finding abilities to work. In other words, if the fish have moved, they can only go so many ways. And if you add the search for food into the equation you will quickly weed out where this fish didn’t move to. Just think about it. As far as the best bait at this time of the year anything that is alive such as shrimp or mud minnows will get their attention. And also anything artificial that when retrieved looks, smells, and acts like the real thing is going to work also!
Artificial Reef report found in less than 50 feet of water
If you are planning on fishing the artificial reefs or any nearshore secret wreck you best bet is to target sheepshead. These fish have really put on the fed bag and are bulking up-so-as-to make way to the inshore waters. As you know, at this time the old sheepshead as well as all of its offshore associates are getting really to take an westerly swimming heading. With water temps on the rise time to shift will take place soon.
As far as best baits, well I have always suggested the purple back fiddler! It seems to really get this fish’s feeding attention. However, anything that comes wrapped in a shell works too!
Drawing by Captain Glean Richards
An oldie, but a goodie! Fish this situation and find fish!
For those fishers that want to target sheepshead inshore that bite is getting right too! The secret to catching inshore sheepshead is fish vertical structure! Such as bridges, wrecks, downed trees, and thing that supports vertical marine growth!
While inshore fishing with Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters Ethan Long age 13 is holding up a nice cold water red fish that he caught while using live shrimp as bait.
This nice male black sea bass that couldn’t resist this small piece of cut squid on a hook! Beautiful colors!
Artificial Reefs more than 50 feet
Normally at this time especially while fishing artificial reefs found in more than 50 feet of water fishermen usually caught some really-nice black sea bass. Now, I am not going to say, “This is not the case any longer, but I would like to report you might want to target this fish in a little deeper water!”
We have been finding the larger black sea bass in about 75 to 80 feet of water while fishing live bottom and wrecks. Also, for some reason, any out of the way structure found at this depth normally is covered with them. The bite doesn’t last long, but once you find them you can fish, catch a few, and always come back later. Best baits are always going to be anything you care to use, but squid and cut fish work like a charm!
A nice mess of black sea bass and vermilion snapper also known as b-liners!
Savannah Snapper Banks
As always, when taking this ride, you are most always going to get a serious opportunity to catch fish. Before heading out I suggest check for current state and federal regulations!
Gulf Stream
Nice yellow fin tuna caught fought and landed in March 2000!
Well, I can’t give you a personal report on what’s biting at the stream, but how about this ….here’s my archive fishing report from March 13, 2000
Captain Judy’s blue water report, which was published on March 13, 2000…check this out …The trolling in this area isn’t on the “Wide Open Mode yet.” However, at this time of the year (March 2000) it doesn’t take much to please the captain, the crew, or the customer. I fished the stream this past week and had a bonus day. We trolled rigged ballyhoo deep on #3 planers and had a small, but significant tuna bite. We landed one 30-pound yellow fin and lost a much bigger one. We trolled R8 naval tower in search for any fish that might be held up in this area. We lucked up and caught amberjack and little tunny. It wasn’t exactly the best day I have ever had, but who cares, it was just great being out there!
Stan Strickland (1944-2022)
In March 2000 I received this blue water report from Stan Strickland (1944-2022)
Stan Strickland (1944-2022) and fishing crew fished this area also this week. Their trolling trip turned out to be just a dragging trip, with no hookups. But then Captain Stan said, “Just when the fish think they have out witted us, we still win!” Stan switched to bottom fishing and caught over 10 groupers that weight over 30 pounds. According to Stan, even though the trolling was dead, this bottom fishing day was one of the best that he had ever had. What happened then? Grouper specials all week at Tubby’s Tank House!
What is the bottom line to this fishing day? “Knowing when to change fishing strategies is the key to getting you best chance at catching fish!”
Photo taken March 2000 by Chris Curry
This is the photo that Chris Curry gave me March 2000! This shark was making way under Chris 26’s boat.
Chris Curry March 2000 Great White Encounter!
I had an interesting call the other night. Chris Curry of Savannah called and told me one of those stories that all fishermen love to hear. He had been stalked by what looked like to have been a great white. Of course, my first question was, “did you get a picture?” He answered, “I got two good ones!”
Photo taken March 2000 by Chris Curry
24 years ago, Chris Curry!
As you can see, Chris got more than one picture and yes this is a big fish. The shark seems to be just about the length of his 26’ boat. Over the past few years there have been several sightings of great white sharks off of our coast. However, this is the first picture that I have had the pleasure of seeing. Congratulations to Chris and his crew for thinking fast and taking the picture that was worth more than a thousand words!
This is the second picture that Chris Curry took of big shark! (March 2000) This is the picture he took after shark cleared his boat! Now this was one big fish! I remember this like it was yesterday! Then Chris told me that normally once arriving at the fishing grounds the crew would sometimes jump in the water and take a quick swim! After this encounter, no more swimming at least for a while! So, it has been about 24 years since this sighting. Do you think that Chris’s Crew is keeping up with the non-swimming tradition? Who knows, he might just give me a call and let me know! I will keep you posted!
As or March 2000…..boy have things changed in the great white shark sightings! Why? We GOT LOTS OF GREAT WHITE SHARKS AND THEY GOT NAMES TOO! Chris got us started it for sure!
What else did I report March 13, 2000?
I reported 3 right whales’ sightings off Wassaw!
Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!
Not Hank Williams Jr or Sr!
1923-1953
March 11, 2024
(but Frank, sure did sing like he might have been related!)
Way back in the mid-seventies I had an unusual visitor drive down Miss Judy Charters’ dirt road. The fact of the matter is, I can say that many times I have had unusual visitors for one reason or the other. This man was one of those that even after almost 50 years to this day I still remember our meeting like it was only yesterday!
As usual to get this story started, I need to tell you a little about the way this person arrived. He was driving an old beat-up 4-door Ford Falcon with a standard shift with all the windows open. He drove up, got out of his car, walked around to the hood, and then stood there. I had watched him drive in and so I was already headed that way!
He introduced himself as Frank and at the time I didn’t get his last name or maybe he never said it. He wanted to book a fishing trip, so I started giving him all the information and pricing. As soon as I was finished, he booked May 12, and I asked for his phone number. His said, “274521!” Of course, I then asked, “What are the rest of the numbers?” I knew he had left out some numbers, but he didn’t seem to care or wasn’t listening at the time.
Then Frank walked around, opened the driver’s door, and said, “I was in Alabama last night spending time with Hank Williams!” I smiled and said, “I bet you had a great time!” I didn’t really think anything of it until he said, “Yes Hank Williams Sr, was a wonderful person and great singer!” He then got in his car, cranked it up, and started singing “Your Cheating Heart” in a cappella. And loud too! (Believe you me I had to look the spelling of this word up!) I need to add, Frank had a great voice! As he pushed in the clutch and gave it a little gas his car started moving forward, he drove in a circle, and headed out the same way he came in. However, this time, he was singing loudly, and I listened with amazement as his old beat-up Ford Falcon made its hopping way down the driveway!
Now I wish I could say, “The story ended here, but I can’t, and you are not going to believe this one!” And once again if you know anything about me (Captain Judy) you already know that I, for some reason, somehow someway, bring forth strange encounters with people as well as animals! I have watched many a time, when not an acquaintance, that couldn’t help themselves, was drawn to come to talk to me. And most of the time these encounters are not on the pleasant side.
After a week or so, I had forgotten somewhat of my encounter with so-called Frank! As I was standing in the yard, I watched a large car better known as a land barge drive up! What a land barge? Well, it is an older model car such as an Oldsmobile or Pontiac. Sometimes I say, “Made of real metals not plastics!”
The land barge pulled up and out popped a familiar looking face. It was Frank from a couple of weeks ago. I smiled, but he didn’t. And he wasn’t singing “Your Cheating Heart” his face didn’t look so friendly as it did on our last visit. And this is what he said, and I quote from my grand memory, “I have married your sister, and you have until 5 PM to get off my property. If you don’t, I will be back to blow you up right where you are standing!”
After reporting this instance to the cops, giving them the tag number, and description of promised bombardier it seems they already knew this person of interest! The remark made then went something like this, “We will visit him at his home!”
I hope you enjoyed reading this very true story! Thank, Captain Judy
