THE
Fish
Whisperer
July Fishing Forecast
TYBEE PIER
Fishing has only gotten better and now that the warm waters are here the
number of species has only increased. I have seen Mullet swimming in the
surf and this time of year the schools of Menhaden will be here. So look
for Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel and for the lucky few, maybe even
a Tarpon. For these species, live bait near the schools of bait is the best
chance at hooking a large fish. Always try to match your bait to the bait
you are seeing around. Speckled Sea Trout, Redfish, Black Drum, Whiting,
Bluefish, and Pompano should all be around as well.
18 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JULY 2020
Captain
Nick Shreves
NEAR SHORE
There are a lot of options when it comes to the nearshore fishery. King
Mackerel, Cobia, Spadefish, Spanish Mackerel, Barracuda, Black Sea
Bass, Triggerfish, Tarpon and Sharks are all fish that can be targeted on a
daily basis. With the warmer waters somedays you can even luck out and
find a stray Mahi or Wahoo coming to the nearshore areas. Everything will
be following the bait fish. Watch for the schools of Greenies and you can
have a fishing bonanza. It won’t take you long to find out if the fish are
near. For those not wanting to travel far, the Tarpon, Spanish Mackerel and
Sharks will be all over the beaches of the barrier islands. Fish the schools
of Menhaden or Mullet. For the Tarpon, I like to fish three live baits, one on
top freelined, one on the bottom and then one right in the middle. Tarpon
can be real spooky and it’s always best to be quiet when getting close to
a school of them. Once hooked, these fish go ballistic. They will put on
an airshow like no other fish out there. This helps them escape, so be
prepared to lose a few.
INSHORE
Shrimp are starting to move into the creeks and the fish are responding.
Flounder, Speckled Sea Trout, and Redfish are all feeding. Tarpon will make
a rare appearance as well. Live bait and artificial baits are both producing.
This time of year there is nothing like being on your drop with the sun
rising on a calm day, pitching a top water plug and watching the fish
explode on your bait. This is the best time of year for Flounder; they have
been eating Mud Minnows. I fish a popping cork with a leader just long
enough that my bait won’t tangle up in the oysters and other structures.
Always keep an eye out for a stray Tripletail that are around as well.
OFFSHORE
Fishing remains great with Vermillion, Snapper, Triggerfish, Black Sea
Bass, Grunts, Porgies, Grouper, Amberjack, and many other species. This
year we are allowed to keep American Red Snapper for 4 days. Wow, they
are so kind to give us so many days. July 10th, 11th, and 12th, then the
17th. One fish per person, no size regulations. I wish everyone luck on
getting offshore to catch all the wonderful fish out there.
Thank you all for your time. If you would like to join me on your
own fishing excursion, call me at Big Fish Charters (912) 230-4625.
Check us out for recent reports on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
BigFishCharter.
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