Fishing at St. Simons Island

Island Guide: Top Picks | Shopping | Restaurants | Savannah | Okefenokee Swamp | Sea Marshes | Events | History | Day Trips to Little St. Simons/Brunswick/Jekyll Island | Sea Island | Fishing | Birding | Golden Isles Overview

No matter what type of fishing you and your family enjoy, few places can match the variety of fishing found in the waters that shape and surround Brunswick and the Golden Isles of Georgia. Our vast coastal ecosystem of salt marshes, tidal creeks, winding rivers, sounds and the Atlantic Ocean is unspoiled, healthy, and brimming with fish of all types. The vast expanse of the ocean is an irresistible lure for those who seek the excitement and challenge of deep sea and offshore angling. Minutes by boat and up to 45 miles from the coast of the Golden Isles are bars, buoys, natural and man-made reefs and holes. Trolling with live bait can mean strikes by king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cobia, grouper, snapper, amberjack and others, especially from May to September. And within a few miles from shore, shark and tarpon can usually be hooked with the best times for these sport fish being mid-summer through September. In addition to a fishing license requirement, for saltwater fishing in our area, there are some limits to the number of fish that may be caught per day. Hooking up with one of this area's many expert charter captains who know these waters so well will add to the fun and success of your outing. Most charters include all the gear, bait and tackle you'll need. Here are some St. Simon Islands charter fishing boats: Charter Fish, Captain Mark Noble Charter Fishing, Hildreth Charters. For fly fishing, see Hildreth's Fly Fishing. A boat's not required to enjoy great fishing in the Golden Isles. Try your luck at these other spots: Surf Casting: Stretches of beach on St. Simons Island's north end and along Jekyll Island's southern end are good spots for surf fishing, crabbing, and seems. Piers: The St. Simons Island Pier (in the Village area), Gascoigne Bluff Pier (near Causeway) and the Jekyll Island Pier (located at the Island's north end in the Clam l Creek picnic area) are I popular spots with local and visiting anglers. Both float-fishing and bottom fishing, with the appropriate bait selections, work well. The piers are good spots for crabbing, too. Bridges: Area causeway bridges can be good places to catch fish, particularly trout in the fall. Depending on the location, you can fish either directly from the bridge span or from nearby structures. (Be sure to carefully note any bridge fishing restrictions and always exercise extreme care when on foot along any traffic bridge.) Everyone over 15 years old needs a Georgia fishing license to crab or fish in the area. For a state resident, it's $9/year. For non-residents, you can get a 7-day license for $7. License dealers can be found in major discount retailers, marinas, sporting good stores, bait and tackle shops, and hardware stores. Call 1-800-366-2661 for go to the Department of Natural Resources Web site.