Sea Watch
GEORGIA DEEP SEA FISHING:
How It Started
-By Cecil Johnson-
Many people throughout the years have asked me the question, "how
did you get started in the deep sea fishing business?" Let me share the
story with you.
As a young boy growing up in North Carolina I literally dreamed of
boats, being on the water, and fishing. My home town of Gastonia was far
removed from the coast, but had many ponds, lakes, and rivers. If I
wasn't at school or doing my chores you could find me fishing or playing
in the water somewhere. I considered myself lucky to have both Grandmas
living at Tybee Island, so most of my summers were spent here fishing on
the old Tybrisa fishing pier, crabbing in the back river, or putting
around the creeks in an old wooden bateau with a 5 horsepower Johnson
outboard. I have many fond memories of those days. My friend and mentor,
Captain Charlie Walsh said that because of those days I had salt water
in my veins.
I graduated from Western Carolina University and eventually got a real
job in the business world of Atlanta, but every time I visited my Aunt
at Tybee it was hard to make myself leave to go back to the big city. In
Atlanta I met the love of my life {Elizabeth} and eventually we got
married. I heard people say, "if you go camping or fishing on your
honeymoon - your a Red Neck." Well guess what, we did both! I took her
on a party boat deep sea fishing and she won the pot for the biggest
fish - a 55 pound Amberjack. Not only did the fish get hooked, so did
she, hooked on the ocean and off-shore fishing.
Several years went by, and I couldn't out grow the strong yearning for a
life on the ocean. When we asked ourselves where we wanted to spend the
rest of our lives, the coast seemed to be the only answer. We started
our search in North Carolina, each week-end we would try the next area
down the coast. After a couple of months we finally made it to Tybee.
With relatives in the area, past experiences, and my grandmothers house
available for rent, Tybee was our choice. We didn't even consider the F
state.
Once here my search for a life on the water began. Being November most
of the shrimp boats already had their crew for the season, but there was
one small boat with a crusty old captain that needed a striker. It
didn't take long to find out why. He was a good enough sort of guy, but
couldn't stay away from the booze long enough to make it worthwhile. I
did get to eat plenty of fresh shrimp, crab, and fish. I got some
education about shrimping, but soon realized that I would be broke if I
kept that job.
Next I tried my hand at commercial fishing on a Snapper boat.This was a
45 foot boat that took a crew of 4 that fished primarily for Snapper and
Grouper to sell to the markets. There was only a salt water hose for a
shower and a bucket for the toilet. We used what is known as a bandit
reel, which was about 2 feet in diameter and connected to an electric
motor and what looked like an ice cream churn handle to hand crank in
the really big ones. We would stay out on the ocean until one of 3
things happened; the 4,000 pound fish box was full, had just enough fuel
to get back, or we were out of ice to keep the catch fresh. This was
normally about a week. Dealing with all types of weather conditions,
this was definitely a learning experience. The problem with this job was
that it was not very conducive to making a new marriage work. Out on a
boat 7-8 days and nights and back just long enough to unload, refuel,
and re-supply didn't make Mrs. Elizabeth too happy.
One lucky Tuesday I was down at the docks and two older men showed up.
They started unloading ice, bait, and rods, so I decided to give them a
hand. We got to talking while they were getting the boat ready to go
fishing, and they asked me to come along. This is when I first met
Captain Charlie. His friend, "Clapper" Guyer had been one of his fishing
partners for years and was undergoing dialysis treatments Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they went fishing for
the fun of it. I guess when they saw me, they saw a strong back to pull
in the anchor. That I was happy to do! After that day Captain Charlie
started asking me if I wanted to go as his mate when he had charters, of
course I always did. He took me under his wing, showed and taught me the
ins and outs of the charter fishing business. We hit it of from the very
beginning, over the next few years we became the best of friends.
Captain Charlie was a very likeable person. He had a smile and a
friendly word for everyone he met. He was a true lover of life, always
positive and in a good mood. When we first met he was in his 70's, I
said many times to myself " When I get to be his age, I want to be just
like him!" I think that is probably one of the best compliments you can
give someone.
It took about 3 years before I had enough time on the water to qualify
for the U.S. Coast Guard captain's license. About the time I got mine,
due to hearing and vision requirements, he let his go. Actually they
gave him an honorary certificate for life with the understanding that he
was not to use it for taking passengers out. He gave his boat to his son
who operates a diving and salvage business, and helped me to find one of
my own.
For the next 3 years he went on all my trips as my first mate. It seemed
a bit unusual to have a mate that was over 75 years of age, but I
wouldn't have had it any other way. Just think of it, a mate with over
50 years of experience. To be honest, when it came to a lot of the
preparation and clean up, I was doing most of it. He still had a talent
of running a straight course to our destination and would be manning the
helm. I have to chuckle when I recall some of his interactions with the
customers, especially the young children that sometimes accompanied
their parents. One day while using the salt water wash down hose a young
boy asked him how much water we had for cleaning. He replied with a
little laugh and said, "we have a whole ocean full!" Inevitably when we
were way out past sight of land, someone would ask, "how far is it to
land?" Capt would smile and say, "about 110 feet...right below us!"
I could easily use all my space telling you stories about the memories
on the ocean with Captain Charlie. There is not a trip that goes by that
I don't feel his spirit with us. Look forward to additional stories
about Captain Charlie in the future.
Well, that's how it started. Until next month, wishing you big tugs and
great adventures!
Cecil and Elizabeth own and operate Tybee Island Charters. Their newest
boat "Captain's Lady" is 55 feet and runs half day, full day, and
overnight deep sea fishing trips. They can be reached at (912) 786-4801,
or visit their web site at
www.fishtybee.com
Dolphin Facts
By Bob Eccles aka “Captain Bob”
Hi folks,
Once again last month I received numerous positive comments regarding
the information I've been able to provide regarding bottle nose dolphin,
and the marsh in general. It's my pleasure, and satisfying to hear that
many readers are finding the information interesting and useful. With
that in mind, here are a few more facts regarding the dolphin that I've
learned via research and observation over the past several years.
It is illegal in Georgia, and for that matter in the United States, to
feed, touch, or swim with dolphin, as it happens, for good reason.
Feeding them modifies their behavior. Mom and Dad are at the front of
the pack getting a free handout, while the kids are at the back not
learning how to forage for food. What you end up with is a generation of
dolphin that begs for food. Watching a dolphin beg for food is
interesting for only about a minute. It gets a bit tedious, kind of like
a puppy dog that won't leave you alone. It's a lot more interesting to
watch them behave in their natural way. Insofar as they will come right
up and check you out anyway, there really is no need to feed. In fact,
I'm convinced there's a dolphin narrator down there describing us as
common people. Touching them is not a good idea because even a common
cold on our part will give a dolphin a difficult time, they're not ready
to deal with it.
Finally, swimming with them is not a good idea because they are
extremely aggressive and sociable mammals. There are a lot of
understandable, but naive notions about bottle nose dolphin driven by
the TV show 'Flipper', a fine show but a trained dolphin. The dolphin
that we see here are, of course, mostly wild animals. I will be candid
with you because this is important. The reason we shouldn't swim with
the dolphin is because of the males, which approach twelve feet and
eight hundred pounds.
They are not monogamous, they are not picky about gender, and they are
not picky about species. So, on occasion, swimming with dolphin can lead
to a very dangerous and unpleasant situation. Too often, the victims are
children. Mom and Dad, good luck explaining this to the kids, but they
should be made aware of the fact that it is unwise to jump into the
water with a group of animated dolphin. They are not all Flipper.
More and more dolphin are being retired from marine mammal parks and
military readiness programs. They spend about a year at a research
facility in the lower Florida Keys learning how to reintegrate with
their society, and then a good many are released right here in southern
Georgia and northern Florida. If you see a dolphin come out of the water
and do a complete summersault, this is trained behavior and likely a
retired dolphin.
Well, enough for now. A little more about dolphin in the June edition,
and much more about the marsh and it's other inhabitants. For example,
oysters are interesting critters. They have a seven year life
expectancy. I never knew they lived so long. They have a very high
attrition rate, or low survival rate. Only one, in every two million
eggs, reaches maturity. And they are environmentally sound. An adult
oyster filters eight to ten gallons of water a day, which is why you
have to be careful about eating them. See you all next month, when we'll
talk a lot about the fascinating bird life.
-Cap'n Bob
Fish Tales
Just as sure as the blooming flowers and new growth tell us that Spring
is here - so do the Whiting. From the north end beaches to the back
river the bite is on. A simple bottom rig with fresh dead shrimp for
bait is all you need to catch these tasty fish.
Pal {AKA Glenn Riggs} from Chimney Creek Fish Camp reports many anglers
coming in with good catches of Whiting and a few Flounder. Start by
rigging a bottom rig with a number two silver straight shank hook. The
best tide is the last 2 hours of the ebb and the first 2 hours of the
flood out near the ocean. Try to stay in 12 to 20 feet of water in the
back river or the Wassaw Sound channels. Capt. Stan Allen said the
Whiting that he has been catching have been good size, from legal size
10" on up to 14".
Stan has also been having good luck with Redfish, averaging a half dozen
or more per trip. Try float fishing with mud minnows around structures
such as oyster rakes, jetties or docks. Bouncing a minnow on the bottom
with a light weight should also be productive. With any luck we might
see a spring run of big Spottails in the surf. Use a fish finder rig
with cut mullet or live finger mullet for bait. The near shore breakers
and beachfront whitewater is
the place to find these big bruisers.
Remember most of these fish will be too big to keep so bring your
yardstick. If you want a big Bass for the grill now is the time to go.
Starting July 1st the possession limit changes from the present slot of
14" - 27" to a new slot limit of 14"- 24". These new regulations will
help preserve the brood stock of this great game fish for the future.
The State of Georgia still has the most liberal creel limit, five per
day, of Red Drum in the entire country.
Many other species will be showing up at Tybee this month. We will see
small Sharks - Sharpnose, Bonnetheads and Blacktips. Also Bluefish,
Black Drum and Flounder. For Flounder, fish with minnows near the mouth
of small creeks, in deep holes and also near structures. Flounder are
not hard to land once they are hooked, hooking them is the trick. When
you feel a tap or a slow tug on
your line let the Flounder eat- count to 10- then set the hook.
Probably the trickiest fish of them all is the Sheepshead. These striped
members of the Porgy family fight like a bulldog. Fiddler crabs are the
best bait. Hopefully with a little rain and some row shrimp, we might
see a return of the Speckly Sea Trout.
They are all ready to eat your bait and give you a fight to remember.
When you see the dogwoods blooming the Whiting are biting and the Cobia
are
starting their spawning run on the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Don't forget, EAT FISH AND LIVE LONGER! By: Nelson Haslam
