Don’t mind the title, LOL. I’m just venting about how useless Trip Advisor is for people trying to find the right guide for them. Just look and see which guides out there have poured their heart and souls into this sport by writing articles, doing TV shows, seminars, magazines, etc. There’s a huge difference between that and begging for reviews on a third party site…
Sorry! I know that’s not what you’re here for. You want to get to the goods, so here they are;
The inshore fishing is pretty good on days that you can catch a low tide. The past few days have been perfect with mid to late morning low tides. The Redfish and Black Drum have been very cooperative with the occasional swarm of Trout mixed in. The water should be cleaning up which should also make the Trout fishing a little bit more viable. Now that water temps are nearing 70, we are also starting to see a pleasant mix of trash fish. Ladyfish, bluefish, and pinfish are happy to obliterate your hard earned bait shrimp so it’s not a bad idea to bring some plastics just in case. I’ve also been seeing some Bonnethead Sharks cruising the banks. Flounder fishing is picking up but not red hot so don’t forget to set the hook if you think your hung on an oyster.
Nearshore fishing is fun right now while the Tripletail are doing their thing. As it usually goes, the pressure on the Tripletail has increased causing the fish to be more wary but once everyone gets their fix it should all settle down. There are still plenty of catchable fish out there but you have to sort through the ones that are in a funky mood to get to them. It only takes getting clobbered with a popping cork a time or two for a fish to earn his degree in staying away from floating ovals.
In other nearshore news the sharks have started to show up. I haven’t spent any time fishing for them personally but if you follow southgasurffishing on Instagram you’ll see that they’ve been catching some nice 6 foot Black Tips from the beach. There aren’t any shrimp boats out there fishing right now so the usual easy way of drifting behind the trawlers is off the menu. However, like I said in the last report, if you can handle getting your chum on you can draw all sorts of life up to your boat. You never know, you could end up with a school of Spanish Mackerel or even a curious Cobia coming up to see you. Be prepared for everything!
Speaking of Spanish Mackerel, they have been showing up at some of the nearshore reefs. Last year brought a bumper crop of mackerel and hopefully this year will do the same. There are small pogies on the beach right now so a steel leader with a small live bait might be just what the doctor ordered. Don’t forget to have that pitch rod ready for the man in the brown suit while you’re out there!
Speaking of the man in the brown suit… it should be Cobia time in the 70 to 90 foot range. I’ve heard of a couple of sightings but no catches so far. I plan on making a scouting trip early next week to see for myself and I fully expect to find the fish. I’ll be sure to report my findings.
May is nearly here! That means Cumberland Beach trout. I haven’t heard of anyone giving the beach a try yet but it won’t be long. If the west winds persist I might not be able to resist going down and giving it a look. This time of year sometimes you can get an early start and whack the fish around Lake Whitney and Stafford Shoals while everyone else is just waiting to hear the news.
That’s about it. Check out this YouTube report below and be sure to subscribe to the new channel. I’m going to do my best to get back on a consistent content schedule. Just let me know what you want to see in these posts and on the YouTube channel.
And don’t forget to leave us a review on Trip Advisor if you’ve been fishing with us recently. Apparently it’s become a war zone! And we really appreciate all of the support that so many of you have already given us over the years through reviews, referrals, and repeat business. The entire CGCF family depends on you and we’re honored to have you as friends and clients.
Tight lines!
Capt. TJ Cheek