Fishing for Shark, Mackerel, Tarpon, Sea Trout, Flounder, Redfish and Whiting is good in local waters. The question is what effect the coming storms will have on our area and water conditions.

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Sharks are being taken in area sounds and behind shrimp boats working two to five miles offshore. Sharks up to 200 pounds are being caught behind the shrimp boats. These boats produce a natural chum line as stunned baitfish and shrimp fall away from the net as it is pulled along. Add this to the 10 to one by catch that is dumped back into the ocean every three hours or so and a giant buffet is created for the toothy fined ones. Anglers pull up to the stern of a shrimp and begin a drift. Don’t get too close or you will be in the net with the shrimp. Chunk out a live or cut bait about 10 feet under a float and the wait won’t be long. Remember to release Sharks unharmed. If the hook is very deep it is best to cut the leader and let the fish have the hook. It will dissolve away in just a few days.

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Tarpon remain active in local waters. They can be found working area sand bars. Look for “rolling” fish. These fish surface to grab a gulp of air and go right back down. Anchor the boat in a position that allows the bait to drift back to the fish. Tarpon are scavengers and will eat live or dead bait. I like to fish a couple of each. Tarpon have a boney mouth and it is a good habit to sharpen hooks often. When you get a fish on set the hook several times. Do not be concerned about hurting the fish, set the hook hard. Tarpon have no table fare worth so take a scale and release the fish unharmed.

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Take a kid fishing. Captains Vernon Reynolds and Eric Moody operate Coastal Expeditions Charter Fishing & Dolphin Tours. For more information call (912) 265-0392 or go to www.coastalcharterfishing.com

Tags: capt vernon reynolds, coastal expeditions, dolphin tours, fishing report, georgia coast fishing, jekyll island, jekyll island fishing, shark fishing, tarpon
Posted in Diversions, On the Water | No Comments »

Celebrate Spring on Jekyll Island with the first annual Jekyll Island Mother Nature Festival on Saturday, April 18, 2009. The festival boasts numerous activities for families to enjoy the outdoors and explore Jekyll Island while being green-conscious. Be sure to check out the activities below:
  
Festival Highlights
 
Friday, April 17
 
Pre-Fest Beachsweep, 10 AM–12 Noon, Beachdeck
Join the Jekyll Island Authority as they clean the beach in preparation for Earth Day. Gloves and trash bags provided. Just bring some helpful hands!
 
 
Saturday, April 18
Eco-Friendly Craft Zone & Exhibitor Area, 10 AM – 4 PM, Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Make eco-friendly crafts and peruse the numerous arts and crafts vendors, local ecology groups, and green friendly businesses displaying their items and information. Also, step inside the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn about sea turtles and their habitat.
 
 
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- Regift Auction,
10 AM – 4 PM, Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Bid on a variety of items “re-gifted” to the Center in honor of the Mother Nature Festival. The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Re-gift Auction puts a spin on the typical silent auction. Proceeds go to the continuing operation of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. We still need donated items.
 
 
Family Fishing Day 10 AM – 2 PM,
Rixen Pond behind Tidelands Nature Center
Join the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division for an afternoon of fishing at Rixen Pond. Free fishing poles provided as well as tips and advice.
 
 
Helicopter Tours 10AM – 4PM,
Jekyll Island Airport
Take a helicopter tour above Jekyll Island with Dragonfly Helicopters. $25 per person.
 
 

Kite Flying Demonstration
11 AM – 1PM, Beach at Blackbeard’s Restaurant
Watch as Coastal Windsports demonstrates their kite flying skills on the beach. Free.
 
 

Herpetology Session
2:00 PM, Tidelands Nature Center
Join the staff at Tidelands in a hands-on demonstration of amphibians and reptiles that make their home on Jekyll Island.
 
 
Outdoor Excursions
Make reservations for a variety of outdoor adventures in Dolphin Tours, Off-Shore Fishing Trips, Horseback Rides on the Beach, Kayak Excursions, a Bird Ramble, or a Beach Ecology Walk.

For more information on all of the Mother Nature festival activities and outdoor excursions, visit: www.jekyllisland.com/mothernaturefestival

Tags: Add new tag, arts and crafts, Beachscape, coastal georgia festivals, coastal windsports, conservation, dolphin tours, eco crafts, ecology, family fishing day, fishing trips, georgia beach vacation, georgia beaches, georgia coast, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, helicopter tours, jekyll island, Jekyll Island Beachscape, jekyll island mother nature festival, kite flying, Mother Nature Festival, re-gift, recycle, reduce, reuse, rixen pond, sea turtle conservation, sea turtles, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, tidelands nature center
Posted in April 2009, Beachscape | No Comments »

This is what the travelers on Yahoo think about Jekyll Island… Maybe you should post your own!

Live, Love and Enjoy!!
Last Visit: July 2004
Great for: Beaches, Hiking/Camping, History/Culture, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

Jekyll Island, Georgia is the island for me. This is a great vacation place. The beaches are not crowded. The scenic view is fantastic and your family can enjoy their family time together without worry.

You can enjoy looking for shells in the morning, fishing at the pier and then touring the homes of the rich and famous. At night, the island is so beautiful and you can ride in your car and see deer standing beside the road. The deer are so tamed that you can pull up beside them and they will just look right at you. At night, the marina is an enjoyable place to go watch the ships come in and the oysters at the bar are great.
The kids loved the Water Park and, if you spend the day there, by night all you want to do is lay on the beach and watch the waves because you are so tired. We always enjoy staying at the Jekyll Island Inn because it has the best pool and a bar close by the pool so we can watch the children.

But the best of all is going to Soccer Complex and taking the boardwalk to the beach. It is so nice on that side of the island. Not a lot of crowd and my husband and son can fish while my daughter and I enjoy the sum. We can go shrimping on the side and watch the shrimp boats come by. Also, we love to see the dolphins.
Jekyll Island is the place to relax especially when you only get one vacation a year and it is a place where you can live, love and enjoy the relaxing side of life.

“What A Wonderful World”
Last Visit: March 2005
Great for: Beaches, History/Culture, Nightlife, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

In January of this year (05) my sister and I decided to take a mini vacation. We had no where special to go, so we just pointed the car south. After a few stops and a few disappoints, we landed at Jekyll Island.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagine the beautiful experience we were about to have staying at Jekyll Island. The spacious beach, the promising sunrise, the peaceful sunset are all a soul needs to see what a wonderful world Jekyll Island is! One last note, 6 weeks later…the car was returning to my Jekyll Island sanctuary!

A Geeat Place for a Honeymoon!
Last Visit: September 2005
Great for: Beaches, Hiking/Camping, History/Culture, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

My husband and I went there for our honeymoon because my sister had recommended it to us. She had told us all this great stuff about it and she was defitinately right. The beach was amazing and we pratically had the whole beach to ourselves. We went the week of Labor Day and it was so uncrowded. We rented a 2 bedroom duplex through Parker-Kaufman that ended up being cheaper than a hotel room. We will defitinately be visiting again-only this time our three children will get to experience the beauty of Jekyll Island!

Jekyll Island Family Vacation
Last Visit: July 2005
Great for: Beaches, Scuba/Snorkeling, Hiking/Camping, History/Culture, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

This was the first year that we as a family went on a family vacation. My husband and I were celebrating our 4 year anniversary, and the kids being teenagers (18 & 16) all loaded up in the truck and headed to Jekyll Island. The whole experience was something wonderful.

The people were so nice! And the weather was sunny and hot, just the way we wanted it! We stayed in a duplex on the beach, and was up before the sun every morning looking for shells, then watching the sunrise. That was so spectactular! Renting bikes for the day and riding around the island looking at the sites, and the beaches that surround Jekyll Island was a wonderful treat. Then in the middle, when its hottest, we would go in and nap where it was cool for a couple hours. Then we were back at the beach. At night fall we would watch the moon rise, absolutely breath taking.The kids and I had never been to the ocean before, we had the best time ever. I happy my husband wanted to share his childhood memories with us while we were there, this is where he spent many summers with his family.Go and enjoy, make some special memories of your own.

One of my favorite vacation destinations
Last Visit: September 2005
Great for: Beaches, Hiking/Camping, History/Culture, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

I have been vacationing in Jekyll Island for many years. It’s a nice, quiet, and relaxing small island.
If you are looking for a touristy beach with lots of shops, resturaunts, and large resorts then this place is not for you. But, if you’re looking for a beach that’s never crowded, smaller hotels, and smaller local resturaunts then this is the place for you!

The scenery is beautiful. You can find your own corner of the beach during the off season and never see another person all day. They have horseback riding, bicycle rentals, dolphin and fishing cruises, nature walks, a great historic district, and much more. I’ve stayed at a few of the different hotels as well as the campground, and was very happy with the places I stayed. They also have house and condo rentals as well. There are also several other islands to visit near by, including St. Simons and Cumberland islands.
Jekyll island is located about 1 1/2 hours south of Savannah, and about 45 min north of Jacksonville.

Beautiful
Last Visit: June 2005
Great for: Beaches, Family Vacations
This is the place to go if you dislike crowds and glitter. It is simple,down to earth and peaceful. You can enjoy your entire visit because it is so laid back. If you are really looking for R&R then this is the place. The surroundings are beautiful. Clean, safe, uncrowded.

IDEAL day trip if you live in GA, FL, SC
Last Visit:
May 2004
This is maybe the best kept secret in Georgia. I found this place while on a business trip, browsing travel brochures in a hotel in Georgia. I went there because I’d never heard of it. It’s a bit of a pain to get there by car, and as you cross the bridge it looks like the standard golf course/dog and pony show that draws suburbanites in the summer. The real treasure here is the historical grounds, where you see the country estates of the Vanderbuilts, Rockafellers, etc. Jekyll Island in the early 20th century was used as a hunting resort for the extremely privilaged, and much of the history has been restored over the years. It’s a great getaway for an afternoon or weekend.

WONDERFUL VACATION
Last Visit: July 2007
Great for: Beaches, Hiking/Camping, History/Culture, Budget Travel, Family Vacations

MY FAMILY AND I ENJOYED OUR RECENT TRIP TO JEKYLL ISLAND.WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME,WE WILL DEFINATELY VISIT THERE AGAIN.IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO VACATION WITH THE FAMILY.JEKYLL ISLAND IS VERY PEACEFUL,A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN FLORIDA.WHAT I LIKED THE MOST;IT IS FAMILY SAFE&FRIENDLY.NO BAR OR NIGHT CLUB ON EVERY CORNER.IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NICE VACATION THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO.BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE DOLPHIN TOURS.

Beautiful
Last Visit: May 2005
Great for: Beaches, History/Culture, Family Vacations
My husband and I visted Jekyll Island in May of 05 for our Annivary. Great place. Enjoy the carraige rides and walks on the beach.Very peaceful. Will return again this year!!!!

Tags: beautiful, carriage rides, dolphin tours, family friendly, family vacation, feedback, honeymoon, peaceful, secret, vacation, visitors
Posted in Beach Bummin', CU@SummerWaves, Two Wheelin' | No Comments »