Posted Dec. 4, 2024
Coastlines Georgia | December 2024 | Vol. 7, Iss. 4

By Ryan Harrell and Sean Tarpley
Marine Sportfish Population Health Survey

With the chill of winter settling over Georgia’s coast, the dynamic world beneath the waves transforms. Cooler waters usher in a shift in the species anglers can expect to find, with summer favorites like tripletail and tarpon heading south, replaced by the seasonal abundance of red drum, black drum, spotted seatrout, sheepshead, and other wintertime residents. Whether casting lines inshore or venturing to nearshore reefs, winter offers unique opportunities to connect with nature and reel in impressive catches.

Winter fishing isn’t just about the catch—it’s also about preparation. From selecting the right bait to layering up against the cold, understanding seasonal patterns and safety practices ensures anglers make the most of this rewarding time on the water.

What species can I expect to catch inshore during the colder months?

As the water begins to cool, species compositions in our inshore waters being to change. Sharks move out of the sound. Popular warmer water sportfish such as tripletail and tarpon begin their annual migration back to Florida. During winter, Georgia anglers can expect to catch red drum (“reds”), black drum, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, bottom fish such as whiting, and the occasional flounder.

Where can these fish be found during the winter months?

Red drum school up in large numbers this time of year, commonly working shallow mudflats and oyster banks. Water clarity also improves during the winter, making this a great time to sightcast for them. Spotted seatrout will start to move away from the sound looking for thermal refuge, finding deeper holes upriver and in creeks. Sheephead will truly start to school up and begin feeding heavily as they prepare to travel nearshore to spawn in the late winter. Flounder numbers tend to decrease inshore as water temps drop along the coast.

What are the key factors influencing where fish congregate during the winter months?

During the winter, fish are focused on three things: food, warmth, and protection from predators.

Finding a creek that holds bait in the winter can provide great success. Fish such as sheepshead and black drum are very structure oriented and feed off the crustaceans that grow and inhabit various structures. Anglers should focus on bridges, piers, and trees that have fallen into eroded estuary banks for these black-and-white striped species.

Finding warmer water temps during the cooler months can also help your success. Mudflats, oysterbeds, and shallow creeks retain heat during the low tides of the winter season. As the tide comes into these areas, fish can be found staging by these warmer landmarks. 

There are also outflows during outgoing tides, releasing warmer water that was trapped during a high tide. Finding these spillways can often lead to landing more fish. Seatrout and bottom fish seek warmth in deeper holes.  

What are the best types of baits to use for saltwater fishing in the winter? 

Bait can become scarce during the winter months, but it’s still possible for people to castnest shrimp and trap mudminnows. Bait shops also carry live shrimp and mudminnows throughout the winter, which are always great options for red drum, seatrout, and flounder. Dragging these baits on a jighead can be effective for reds and flounder. Live baits can also be fished under a slip bobber to get your bait down to the appropriate depth for reds and seatrout. Fiddler crabs and oysters work well for sheepshead. 
If you don’t mind bottom fishing, fiddler crabs and frozen shrimp on a circle hook can be effective on red drum and black drum.

Whiting, spot, and croaker can be caught bottom fishing with shrimp or squid in deeper holes in creeks. 
Soft plastics such as paddletails, curlytails, shrimp imitations, and fluke-style baits fished with a jighead can be effective on both reds and seatrout. Twitchbaits and jerkbaits can also entice a strike. On warmer days, don’t be afraid to break out a popping cork for either species. One of the most underrated artificial lures for reds is a spinnerbait (designed for saltwater) and has produced many fish during the winter months.

What conditions should I look for inshore to provide the best opportunity to catch fish?

Lucky for us, many of coastal Georgia’s average daytime highs in the winter are in the 60s, with overnight lows in the 40s. Our water temperatures typically sit in the 50s. During cold fronts when air and water temperatures drop, fish can become tight lipped, making bites harder to come by. Focus on warmer days following a front for best success. As mentioned earlier, finding outflows that contain warm water is usually a good way to find a congregation of fish.

What type of fish can be found at the nearshore reefs during winter? 

During the colder months, our nearshore reefs ranging from 20 to 40 feet deep can produce great days on the water. Species like black sea bass and triggerfish are great targets for bottom fishing anglers. Small strips of squid work the best for these fish. 
Schools of bull reds can also be found on these reefs as they leave the sounds and beaches after spawning in the fall. If you are lucky enough, you may see these masses of redfish on the top of the water, working schools of bait. Please remember the slot limit for red drum in Georgia is 14 to 23 inches, meaning you can’t keep these bull reds. Additionally, if you’re at a nearshore reef, you’re probably in federal waters where the harvest of red drum of any size is prohibited. 

Bull reds play an exceptionally important role in the reproduction of this species. To be honest, it may be best not to target them for conservation’s sake. But if you do choose to fish for them, handle bull reds with the utmost of care. If you want to snap a photo, don’t hang the fish vertically. Support its body and use fish grippers. Reduce mortality rates and gut-hooking by using non-stainless steel circle hooks. Revive the fish by placing them gently in the water and allowing the current to run through its gills before releasing it. Find more tips and best practices for releasing bull reds at CoastalGaDNR.org/RecFishing.

What safety tips should anglers keep in mind when fishing in colder weather conditions?  

First and foremost, wearing a personal flotation device (PDF or “life jacket”) and using your killswitch is always important when boating during any season. Don’t just bring them for a ride, actually wear them. Everyone who works for DNR always wears PFDs on the water. For us, it’s standard practice. Regarding winter, they do make jackets that have built-in PFDs. Keeping yourself warm and dry is important for both safety and comfort during cold weather. Dressing in layers and waterproof outerwear is important. Having a change of clothes and a towel can help avoid hypothermia if you get splashed or hit a pocket of rain on your way out to your favorite honey hole.

Any other tips or recommendations?

Most of what we discussed are general guidelines however conditions can change fast during the winter. Adjusting your tactics, such as where you’re fishing or the speed of your retrieve, may be necessary depending on water temperatures. Where fish are one day does not necessarily mean they will be there tomorrow. Lastly, get your fishing license, your free SIP Permit, a reg book and just go fishing.

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