Roe Seatrout Are Here!

I've heard several reports from all up and down the area today that the big roe seatrout are moving in and feeding voraciously! One report from the Sapelo Island, GA area was of a limit of trout all over 17 inches! Bait of choice for big trout is either large live shrimp or a small live pin or pigfish under a cork. If you've ever checked the belly of a big trout you'll notice that most stop eating shrimp once they reach a certain size and begin to feed on pinfish, pigfish, polywogs (mud minnows), mullet, and even small pogies.
I will stress, however, that the fat females you catch in spring are better released because of the thousands of eggs they carry. Keep the smaller ones for the table- I've found trout under 19 inches tend to taste better than the big mamas.

Inshore Forecast
As I said above, the big spring trout will be the main event for the next few weeks. However, early-spring species like sheepshead and big bull reds will still hang around for awhile until the dog days arrive.
The wind has finally died down and the water should start clearing up, the water is warming quickly, and the forecast shows clear 80s and even 90s for at least the next week. All this adds up to hot action in the sounds and beachfronts. When the water temps make it to around 70 degrees (they're hovering between 65-67 degrees right now) it usually means cobia, Jack Crevalle, and pompano will begin to show up. Get out there!

Offshore Forecast
As of last report, vermillion snapper and black sea bass were biting very well on the wrecks all the way out to the Navy towers. The weather's been rough lately, though, and there's been few reports. However, with water temps warming, the big red snapper spawn could begin soon, and we could see some of those 20-30 pound snappers being hauled in soon.
On the trolling side of things, kingfish sould also begin to show up in our nearshore waters out to the ledge. In bluewater, I heard a report of a couple of sails and a couple of swords being caught in the Gulf Stream by a boat out of Hilton Head last week. The Gulf Stream has been unusually warm all through fall, winter, and spring and that should add up to good pelagic action this year.

Freshwater Forecast
Where are all the redbreast? This is usually the time of year when we hear reports of epic football-sized redbreast being pulled from the Ogeechee, Canoochee, Savannah, and Cooper rivers. Yet this year, there have been very few reports at all. The rivers have been very up and down this year, especially the Savannah. The Canoochee and Ogeechee, though, has been at low water for some time now due to lack of rain, and the redbreast have had little chance to make their beds up in the flooded cypress flats.
Crappie are still biting well over the whole area. I may have spoken too soon on the bedding bass, though. A friend visited a pond on Blythe Island and reported that the fish were still bedding in crytal-clear water. They were able to hook several females, including one 6 1/2 pounder. Check your local pond to see if the fish are still bedding down.

Daily Recipe

Beer-Battered Crappie

One cup of flour
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon paprika
One egg
One/fourth cup cooking oil (vegetable or olive)
One cup beer
Place ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. The mixture will be a little thin, you want it to be thin, you want it to stick to the fillets. Dry the fillets before cooking. Spread them on paper towels and pat dry. Then use new paper towels and move the fillets to the new towels drying each one. Lightly salt and place in the batter.Use a quarter of an inch of vegetable or olive oil and cook the fish fillets until golden brown.