Where do I start??? I fish the GA coast from piers and surf and have been doing so for seven years plus. Watch the locals is the best thing to do. If you can get to know a couple of them and wade through the fact that you are a pesky tourist, then you may get some great help and advise. </p>
As a note, remember this, everything in the ocean will either poke you, bite you, sting you or cut you. Be careful how you grab something you don't know. If you are wade fishing do the "stingray suffle."</p>
I fish St Simon and Jeckle Islands mostly which is about sixty miles south of Tybee. The bulk of the waters out of Savanna are somewhat shallower except for the shipping channels. Deep water fish are not known to use the area. The common fish that I would recommend to you in order is as follows; Whiting, spots and croakers, seatrout, flounder, sheephead, Atlantic spadefish, blackdrum and redfish. I recommend that you save your money rather than do what many touristdo - Don't buy frozen shrimp for bait. I have found that frozen small squid does a better job and stays on the hook much better. With cutsquid bits you can catch all the fish I mentioned less the flounder,seatrout and most times sheepheads. For the best action for spots, croakers and spadefish fish straight down around the pier supports. Fish in water four feet deep and deeper and set your bait from just off the bottom toone foot from the surface. For whiting you will need to cast out into down flowing tide into whiting "holes".</p>
If you want to catch seatrout withbait you will need live shrimp. Fish them along the edges and under the pier using a slip float and verylight weight. At times you may catch seatrout using arti'sthat look like shrimp. I like to use a jig head and a long hot-pink and yellow plastic bait in the intercoastal rivers near rocks, jettys and structure.</p>
If you want to catck flounder, you will need live baitfish(minnows). There is a better way to rig for flounder where you will need a heaver inline sinker with a 16" fluorocarbon leader to a circle or kayle hook. fish on the bottom for them. The water can be very shallow for them to deep waters.</p>
For Sheepheads you need fiddler crabs or small mussels. Fish around structure.</p>
Catch blackdrum on the down current side of the pier in the deepest waters using shrimp(dead or alive) or mussels.</p>
I catch my own bait in the marshes near the coast as part of the fun on my trip. I take a 4' castnet and toss it into small tidal creeks for live mullet, shrimpand mud minnows. I wadethrough the marshes on the flats and catch fiddler crabs. The purple and white ones work ten times better than the brown ones. You can also set out a baited minnow trap in the creeh while you chase crabs and get your minnows that way. Take an insulated bucket for your minows and get them dropped back into the sea in a hanging bucket as soon as possible for best bait life.</p>
You can find rocks and concrete anywhere in the surf line and find mussels about 1.5" long for bait. They are great for sheapshead and blackdrum. Crack the shell slightly and insert the point only of a small J-hook behind the shell hinge of the mussel.</p>
For redfish you can use cut baitfish or big shrimp, anywhere they may be.</p>
I have not mentioned sharks as you may have noted. Pup sharks are a blast to catch and then quickly and safely (for the fish) released. Use minnows, cutbait or anything from the sea that bleads for them. Please use circle hooks for a better hookup and a heavy leader that will resist the "tail-whipping".</p>
I could go on and on but I will stop here. Have fun and take some pics. - David</p>
