Captain Judy Helmey

Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956

124 Palmetto Drive

Savannah, Georgia 31410

912 897 4921or 912 897 2478

912 897 3460 fax

Fishjudy2@aol.com

May 2, 2018

Captain Judy’s inshore offshore fishing Report and 1956 story!

Fishing statement: To try to insure that fishing stays in the hearts of those that love it and to help

the ones that are going too!

Captain Kathy Brown of Miss Judy Charters is holding Gina Lucky’s Monroe, Louisiana just caught white

grunt snapper. I know you can’t tell from this picture taken, but the ocean was pretty in color and very

very rough!

Inshore Report

Well, still no live shrimp in our area, (Savannah, Georgia) but there is hope! I have been told way to the

south the bait shrimpers are catching a few. Just knowing this, makes me feel a little better. Soon, they

will soon arrive to this area! We are keeping an eye on their whereabouts!

For those that want to do a little casting of the net I suggest give it that old college try. Anything you

catch that you can keep alive will be grand potential bait! I am talking about finger mullet, peanut

menhaden, yellow tail, and etc. For those that just want to go and try to catch inshore fish, find some

dead frozen shrimp, and treat it like it alive. How do you do that? Rig them up under popping or

traditional float corks and let your bait do it floating best!

Mud minnows are bait that can work. Here’s suggestion: If one mud doesn’t get the fish’s attention try

two. If two doesn’t work, try three! I think you get the picture! You can hang this bait under a float or

just fish it naked. I am talking about the bait not the fishermen.

Captain Garrett Ross and Tripp of Miss Judy Charters had themselves a pretty fun catching kind of a day!

He is holding a nice red fish and of course that’s Tripp assisting! What did it eat? According to Captain

Garrett’s report after trying a little pitching of Gulps ALIVE he found that the real deal worked better. So

on this particular fish day, the reds preferred dead smelly shrimp fished on the bottom rather than

worked soft plastic swim baits impregnated with Berkley’s secret sauce!

Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters is doing what he does best! And what is that? Turning

fishing into catching! Captain Garrett is holding a nice black drum that he caught with dead shrimp.

Presentation of this bait can vary from popping cork with 2 foot leader to a Standard Carolina type rig.

Sometimes both styles of rigs work and sometimes one over the other! How do you handle this? Well, I

suggest giving both rigs a try. When the popping cork rig works this shows you that the fish are looking

up to feed. When the Carolina style rig works this most likely means that the fish are looking down to

feed! What does all of this mean? A fish can feed just about any way it would like. They can go tails up

head down or heads up tails down! Kind of like flipping a coin!

Artificial Reefs

In less than 50 feet of water

The bottom fishing in these areas will mostly result in catch and release. But, if you want a lot of action I

suggest giving light tackle bottom fishing a try. Any jig from a standard diamond to a Hopkins can get

this job done. To really get the bite going tip the hook with a small piece of squid or cut fish. What

happens? You hook up every time! Yes the Spanish mackerel are here! Best bait is going to be a trolled

Clark Spoon or anything pitched ove the structure that resembles a shrimp, glass minnow, or squid!

While fishing with Captain Ken Kennickell of Miss Judy Charters two brothers did darn good! Ken and

Tracy Joy (both from Rincon, Georgina) had an extraordinary Spanish mackerel and Blue fish catching

kind of day! This picture is proof of that! Why? The brothers got the fish and the tales that go with

them!

Artificial reefs located in more than 50 feet of water

Could be holding Spanish or King mackerel give it a try.

The bottom fishing for black sea bass is still 75% release and 25% legal to keep kind of a catch/release

situation. When bottom fishing this area I suggest using small fish steaks that you have removed all of

the appendages from. In other words a large chunk of bait with bone in is going to last longer allowing it

to attract a larger fish bite. The best news is the smaller fish can try to dismantle your fish steak, but

normally cannot. However the commotion they make trying usually brings on the interest of a larger

fish.

Please meet Savannah’s Sunbelt Rentals offshore fishing team! Andrea Cowell, Walter Cowell,

Andy Kulikowski, “string boy or door man” Melvin Lambort, John Farmer, Lyle Miller, and

Jasis Hammond. I (Captain Judy) had the honor of taking this fun group offshore fishing. What

can I say about them? A fun fish catching group! The best way to describe the fish on their

hooks is this: seven to two...seven genuine red snapper and two black sea bass! Yes these fish

were caught in less than 50 feet of water! What does this mean? The genuine red snapper

populations are pushing closer to the shore. I am talking about the mommas, papas, and those

little babies genuine red snapper! If this keeps up, Pretty soon we will all be able to catch them

in Georgia State Waters! And if this movement keeps on happening those swimming and fishing

at the beach might be in for some extra added excitement! I am old, but the way it seems to be

going I just might still be here to witness the whole darn thing!

Kevin Middleton Savannah, Georgia aka “Parking Attendant” caught this nice soon to be

released genuine red snapper. (Ken was a member of the Sunbelt Rental Offshore Fishing Team)

Why am I calling him “Parking Attendant?” On this fish day he was the first to arrive on site so

therefore he acquired the title of “Parking Attendant!” He did a great job of directing fishing

customers to their parking spots! And I appreciated the Heck out of it! (Captain Judy!)

While offshore fishing with Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters Melvin Lambort

Savannah, Georgia, also part of the Sunbelt Rental Offshore Fishing Team, caught this nice

genuine red snapper.

While offshore fishing on the Miss Judy Too, Jeffery Phillips Waynesboro, Georgia, caught his nice

Spanish mackerel. What was he using for bait? 00 Clark spoon pulled 15 feet behind a #2 Davis Planer.

Check out how calm the ocean was!

While offshore fishing on the Miss Judy Too Michael Blackburn Waynesboro, Georgia caught this nice

male black sea bass. Check out the beautiful colors that this fish is sporting.

While offshore fishing with Captain Kathy Brown of Miss Judy Charters Dylan Snyider Wagnesboro,

Georgia caught quite a few nice black sea bass! In his right hand is a female black sea bass. And in his

left hand is a male black sea bass. Here’s the thing...black sea bass are born females and later change

into males. So the fish in Dylan’s right hand will later change into a male and the fish in his left hand

already has been a female. I guess this is one fish that get to experience the best of both worlds!

Genuine Red Snapper Banks Report

Grouper Season is Open!!!! YAHOO!!!

May 1, 2018 till December 31, 2018 Grouper season is open!

The bottom bite is great. You could find yourself catching white grunts, genuine red snapper, vermilion

snapper, genuine red snapper, white bone porgy, genuine red snapper, red porgy, genuine red snapper,

knobbed porgy, genuine red snapper, trigger fish, genuine red snapper, amberjack, genuine red snapper,

banded rudder fish, genuine red snapper, almaco jack, genuine red snapper, grouper, and more genuine

red snapper! I hope that I am driving home the fact that we are catching and releasing a whole lot of

genuine red snapper!

Please meet Chauncey and Diane Bardwell Milam Texas, Shelly and Curtis Ingalls Houston

Texas, and Duane and Gina Lucky Monroe, Louisiana!

I had the grand fortune of taking this group of people fishing! (Captain Judy) They were nice,

and fun to spend time with. All they wanted to do was to spend time on the ocean, have a good

time, and just try to catch fish. And even though sea conditions got very rough at the Snapper

Banks they never complained! At 11 am the wind turned and started coming out of the North

east, which is when the seas condition started too built. By the time it was 12 noon Sea

conditions continued to climb turning an almost uncomfortable ocean into a full blown one. Our

drift in the wind was 2.4 knots. After motoring over a few waves in the 6 foot plus range I

decided it was time to call for an early start making way home. At 1:00 PM I threw the towel in

and started heading home.

Captain Judy of Miss Judy Charters is holding Diane Bardwell’s Milam Texas just caught white bone

porgy. My father always said, “When you catch a white bone it usually means that the feeding cycle has

started over.” What does this mean? From the top or bottom of the tide fish have a feeding pattern

better known as “the underwater pecking order.” From our observation it seems that the white bone

porgy is the last to be able to feed. So they have to wait for all others species from small to medium to

large to do the feeding deed!

Chauncey Bardwell Milam Texas is holding up a nice soon to be released genuine red snapper. Once

again, according to those that think they know, there is still a shortage of genuine red snapper.

However, apparently those that are supposed to know messed up big time!

Curtis Ingalls Houston Texas is holding a nice soon to be released genuine red snapper. Do I sound like a

broken record? Sorry I don’t mean too, but let the facts be the facts!

Duane Lucky of Monroe, Louisiana caught this nice shark. After a quick pat on the head we

sent this shark back to the abyss! And I have to say, “Duane’s last name fits him quite well!”

Why? He was catching lucky! Duane seemed to always have a fish on his hook!

Gulf Stream Report

YEP! WE GOT FISH! Blue water fishermen got a couple of calm days and they took the chance. Lots of

catching was involved. It’s Mahi Mahi Time!!!

Witch Doctor Blue Water Fishing Team

Captain Tommy Williams, Captain Tommy William III, Scott Abernathy, Dan Spencer, and Dr. Frank

Scarborough.

Captain Tommy William Witch Doctor, reported a strong Mahi Mahi bite in 1,750 feet of water. While

pulling blue/white cone head Ilanders Jr rigged with small/medium chin weight ballyhoo they caught

some nice Mahi Mahi. They also caught a nice Atlantic Sail fish, which was caught, fought and released

by Dr. Frank Scarborough.

What do pilot whales and bill fish have in common?

This is a picture of a pilot whale! While trolling in 79 degree water Captain Tommy Williams “Witch

Doctor” saw a school of pilot whales making way. Where? 20 miles east of the Deli Ledge. According to

Captain Tommy’s old school knowledge, where you have pilot whales, you got bill fish! This is about the

location where Dr. Frank Scarborough hooked up his Atlantic Sail.

This nice Atlantic Sail fish was caught, fought and released by Dr. Frank Scarborough aboard “Witch

Doctor!”

While blue water fishing with Captain Aaron Jarrel “Draggin Tails Fishing Team” Captain Garrett Ross

caught this nice big Mahi Mahi bull dolphin!

While blue water fishing with Captain Aaron Jarrel “Draggin Tails” Marshall Nowell, Captain Garrett

Ross, and Mason Snyder had a Mahi Mahi catching blast! This is a very nice Mahi Mahi aka dolphin fish!

While blue water fishing with “Draggin Tails Fishing Team” Kevin Heath caught this nice colorful most

likely tasty Mahi Mahi! Captain Aaron Jarrel showed them the catching way!

Draggin Tails Blue Water Fishing Team! What do I see? Lots of assorted size Mahi Mahi! I can see a

big fish fry in their future.

The bird is the word!

Yellow Billed Tropical Bird

When fishing blue water, if you happen to see a bird like this, it is most likely is following some

sort of large fish such as a Wahoo, bill fish, tuna, or Mahi Mahi

I don’t take customers out on blue waters trips any longer. However, Miss Judy Charters still

offers these trips. Captain Ryan Howard of Miss Judy Charters will be handling all of our blue

water trips. Call now for details! (912 897 4921)

It is bird watching blue water fishing time!

While making way I suggest keeping an eye out for any “lone long tail bird activity.” Long tail

tropical birds are normally seen in the blue water areas at this time of the year. If you see a “lone

long tail tropical bird,” which is hovering close to the water and flying erratically make an

immediate stop. The reason being is that there is most likely some sort of a big fish in the

“feeding mode” down under where the bird is hovering. The topical bird duplicates the fish’s

movements down under. The bird is watching and waiting for the fresh kill parts to float to the

surface. Normally if there is a kill by a large fish, when downwind you can smell the floating

oils. Not only that, but when you get in the area you can see the oil sheens on the surface. These

are all signs to “fish here!” Nine times out of ten you will find yourself in an area that a large

Wahoo is feeding!

“Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!”

This was the sign that was hung in every service station located on Highway 17

north and south of Savannah Georgia. And how do I know that? Because I was

the one that put them in each station!

In 1956 at the age of 56 my father....

My father’s basic charter fishing day went something like this. He got up one-

hour before the trip, which meant he had only been home for about two hours. He

never ate any breakfast, because he always had a very late supper. Once he arrived

at the fishing grounds he threw the anchor, instructed the customers how to fish,

went down below, and went to sleep with not even a worry. He normally slept till

around 2:00 PM, which was the departure time for home. The reason I know this

really happened in 1956 is I was not only daddy’s daughter, but also his first mate.

Thanks for reading! Captain Judy