Georgia's oldest and fourth largest city is a place brimming with historical landmarks of all kinds. From the Georgia Historical Society to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, you're sure to find something that piques your curiosity. Savannah fishing charters also have a reputation to uphold and can take you anywhere from the backcountry to the Gulf Stream. Some charters here have a professional history of more than half a decade. To this day, they maintain only the highest standards of service.
Savannah Fishing Spots
Any time is a good time for fishing in Savannah. Really. Winter makes for great fishing near the river mouths and on Green Island, while summer is the optimal time to go offshore. The local reefs and wrecks are fishing hotspots during the entire year.
Lower Ogeechee River
Savannah itself is right next to South Carolina, and it's the Ogeechee River that separates the two. The river becomes a Trout hotspot in the fall-winter season when catching more than a hundred in a single day is definitely doable. It's also safe to assume you'll be able to nab some Reds at any time of the year in these waters. Variety trips, such as nighttime Shark fishing, are also a great way to enjoy yourself on the water.
Green Island
Green Island has prominent marshland, making it the best place to find Redfish in the Savannah area. It's especially a good place to visit later in the year when the water temperatures drop. The fish will flock to the backcountry and you'll have a field day out there.
Wilmington Island
Wilmington Island is a coastal suburb that's close to the immediate southeast of Savannah proper. It's popular both as a shore-fishing destination and departure point for a number of fishing charters that head offshore to the Gulf Stream. Surf anglers can fish the creek bends for Trout, Redfish, and Flounder.
Offshore Waters
As with most other parts of coastal Georgia, the best time to go offshore fishing is early summer. The season starts around mid-April, with Cobia, Kingfish and other species starting their northern migration.
To hook fish like Wahoo, Tuna, and Billfish, you'll need to reach the Gulf Stream's western edges, which can mean an 80-mile trek. This involves a 12-hour trip at the very least. On most trips, you will leave before dawn and be back for lunch.
You can have great fun fishing over the R7 and R8 Navy Towers for species like Amberjack, Cobia, and Barracuda. The towers are some 50 miles away, so you have time to do some trolling on the way out to the fishing grounds.
For shorter trips, it's best to stick to Georgia's abundant artificial reefs in coastal waters. These are located about 5-15 miles away from shore. Species like Black Seabass, Bull Redfish, Flounder, and Sheepshead can be found there. Look for floating debris to increase your chances of finding a keeper. Kingfish, Barracuda, Grouper, Amberjack, Little Tunny and many more species will also make an appearance depending on the time of year.
Fishing Techniques
Inshore fishing involves going into rivers and estuaries with plenty of shallow flats and marshland. It's a matter of preference whether you choose to stick with regular light tackle or maybe do some fly fishing. Come winter, the waters become very clear, making for great sight fishing.
When visiting the closer wrecks to bottom fish for Sheepshead or other smaller fish, you can still make do with light tackle. But if you go farther out in search of Cobia or Amberjack, make sure to have heavier tackle too (in the 60-80 lb test range). A good thing to know about catching Bull Redfish near wrecks is that they are suckers for deep jigging. Diamond jigs are almost sure to get the job done.
It's really easy to experiment with all sorts of fishing techniques once you're in Savannah. Other things you can do include trolling nearshore for Kingfish, sight fishing for Cobia, and going after Little Tunny on light tackle. Any of these can be great on their own, but mix them up and you're in for an unforgettable experience.
Need to Know
Any anglers over the age of 16 need to have a valid South Carolina recreational fishing license. This is the case no matter if you're fishing from the beach, pier, or a boat. Licensed Savannah fishing charters cover this for their guests at no additional cost.
Savannah is one of those places where you come for something and end up staying for a different reason altogether. Fishing might be the thing that drew you in, but there's plenty of other things to keep you hooked.