Bald Eagle and a Dolphin

10/2610- Went out to the pier, which I had to myself, outgoing tide. I had to fish closer to shore, as the current was too strong. Not much going on, probably because there was a dolphin slowly criss- crossing the river, which I would think makes the fish very cautious, and I had hardly any bites. Watching the dolphin, slowly rise and arch slowly back into the water without much wake, painted a scene so peaceful and graceful, until on one rise about a dozen large,( 2 '),  fish exploded out of the water trying to avoid becoming the dolphin's lunch. This happened several times. Eventually the dolphin moved on and out of sight, still no bites, just some crabs fiddling with the bait.

                                                                     My Photo


I was, after an hour, about ready to call it quits, when a large bird came out of the tree line on my right, he flew out to the middle of the river spiraled up and then dived, talons thrust out, skimmed the water and rose with a fish in his grasp, I had just seen a Bald Eagle find his lunch! Not sure if it was a Bald Eagle or an Osprey, I checked with the park ranger, and he said they had at least two pair of nesting Bald Eagles. Came home and checked my book, and sure enough it was a  Bald Eagle.

                                                                Photo from Google

Nobody on the pier and no fish in the river!

10/20/10 Went @ 3PM to the pier, no one there, all to myself.  Fished on an incoming tide, several bites, but no fish. Fished for about an hour. So if there is no fish info, I can fill you in on some local history. This spot on this river is where Union steam warships sunk the CSS Nashville in 1862, the Nashville had run the Union blockade. The CSS Nashville was originally a cargo ship, but upon being trapped within the blockade, was refitted as a side wheeler, iron clad warship. Today if you go to Ft. McAllister state park, they have on display the running gear of the CSS Nashville.

By the way I did catch something!

Wind and Tide

10/14/10 Got out to the pier about 3PM, tide slack and wind picking up. Wind became stronger to the point I had to put my hat in my tackle box. @3:30 tide began to move out, wind even stronger. Up to this point no action what so ever, with the changing tide some bites and eventually two small Croakers of 4" and 6". As the tide picked up and the wind dropped, all bites stopped, I could only guess that the croakers were riding the outgoing tide.

The river

We live a stones throw from the river, if you throw the stone twice. It's a large river, in places a half mile across, does a lot of meandering and splits itself in two quite a few times. Being a tidal river there are times  when it flows like a freight train through a tunnel, and between tides in seems not to flow at all. Anyway I live about a mile or so from McCallister State Park, outside of Richmond Hill, GA, not far from Savannah, the park has a pier that goes a good 100' into the river. With a yearly pass, I can fish every day if I wish, but I hardly go out to the pier. I have never had any luck on the pier, some small cats, even smaller Croakers and Whitings, and way too many Rays. When the water is really moving the tip of your  pole just bounces up and down, you just have to wait until your pole bend double to do anything. You can crab and shrimp from the pier, but the pier sits high and it can be a 20 foot haul up from the water at low tide.

Having said all this I promised myself I would fish more this year, so I got a yearly pass and will try to go a couple of times a week.

10/12/10-  Went out to the pier @3PM, 80 degrees, clear blue sky, tide going out, water moving at a moderate clip. Tried frozen shrimp, with a hook about 18" off the bottom, a couple of bites which I missed and then a good strong bite and a deep dive, took a couple of minutes to get the fish near the surface, and when a I could make out the shape, it looked very much like a sand shark, and then it jumped, not very shark like. Realizing where I was and with an out going tide, mainly fresh water, it would be strange if it was a shark. Somebody yelled that's a Gar, which it was, and about then he came completely out of the water, and I could see his long snout with rows of teeth, when he splashed back into the water, the line went slack and he was gone. Which was for the best, he was close to 24" counting his elongated mouth, and he would have never made all the way up to the pier and over the railing,a good twenty feet. Fished another 20 minutes, but no action. A man was doing a fair job of crabbing, with 6 nets lined up, when I left he had about 10 Blue crabs and a shrimp or two, which he used as fishing bait.