Need tips for Jekyll island PLEASE!

[hoochfisher]

I'm taking my 8yo son on a short camping trip to Jekyll in a few weeks and wanted to get in a little fishing and need help on where to go.

I've never been to Jekyll, my only experience with saltwater fishing is 1 time going with a guide for inshore fishing, and the only gear I've got is 6' -6'6" spinning rods.

Can someone point me to an area of the island where I can show my son some fun with this light tackle without worrying about getting my rods or line broke constantly? I know about the big pier and that they have rental gear, but, this is a fairly short, budgeted trip and I dont really want to spring for that if I dont really have to.

Tyia.

 

[Bear44]

With a young one like that, size is not your concern. Action is. I'll let someone that knows Jekyll point you to a place, but as for method, use cut shrimp (fresh if you can get it, but frozen will work) on the bottom in the first drop off from the beach. It can be very close to the beach and does not need to be very deep. Three feet deep is plenty and I've seen less work well.

You're primarily fishing for a Drum species commonly called Whiting. They are a small cousin to the Redfish and are great eating. They'll put up a good fight on light tackle. Especially for an eight year old. Always check, but I don't think they are regulated for size or number you can keep.

Fish it on a Carolina rig with a #1 hook and try a combination of letting it sit and very slowly dragging it across the bottom. About 10lb line would be perfect, but heavier is okay, too.

There are definitely other species you can hook into doing this and that's part of the fun of fishing salt water.

 

[allamericaninfidel]

I'm taking my 8yo son on a short camping trip to Jekyll in a few weeks and wanted to get in a little fishing and need help on where to go.

I've never been to Jekyll, my only experience with saltwater fishing is 1 time going with a guide for inshore fishing, and the only gear I've got is 6' -6'6" spinning rods.

Can someone point me to an area of the island where I can show my son some fun with this light tackle without worrying about getting my rods or line broke constantly? I know about the big pier and that they have rental gear, but, this is a fairly short, budgeted trip and I dont really want to spring for that if I dont really have to.

Tyia.

I’m in Lilburn - I frequent Jekyll island often - Have for the past 20+ years and all through my sons childhood

Contact me through PM and I’ll set you up with enough rigs and a couple of locations to get you through a visit there

 

[Lionheart]

And this is the ODT at its best.

 

[colts]

Bears advice is solid. Another good method is live shrimp. Get a couple dozen live shrimp. Use popper corks and live bait hooks. Make sure your line is fresh and I always suggest tying the palomar knot. Easy knot to teach and the strongest. You fish these mostly in creeks, bays, docks. Check with americaninfidel for the hot spot. It will be easy to watch the cork and pop it for him. Check the tides. You need a salt license for yourself. Remember to check the drag and bring a cooler.
Bring deet for the sand nats.

 

[Tautog166]

Take him crabbing! Chicken thigh on a string and a net is what you need. Find a small creek and have some fun and good eating. I still love it.

 

[James Jordan]

Go out to the pier on Jekyll walk to the left and back to the left facing the parking lot. Fish towards the rip rap with shrimp or squid and you should catch plenty. Watch out for the raccoons in the campground they will get any food you leave out.

 

[whiskerz]

I will be down in 2 weeks am tagging for ideas. I did not catch much the last time I was down

 

[yellowhammer]

I stayed there week before last. Nothing was biting on the pier, beach, jetty, backwater for four days, then the whiting and croaker started biting. I use a 2-hook bottom rig, shrimp on top hook, cut mullet on bottom. Good fishing there some days. I just missed it. Happens. Usually I do well. Crabbers did well. You can catch crabs with a trap or hook, string, and dip net.

 

[gh1950]

This is what I would do with a youngster,

Chicken thigh is too good for crabs, traditional is to use chicken necks, but I don't know if you can buy those anymore without going to an ethnic market.

Here's a new twist, put the chicken neck in the toe of one leg of a pair of panty hose, tie the hose to your string. The crab gets hung up in the hose, and is a lot easier to net. Put a small rock on the hose, and you can sling it into some deep water.

Live shrimps are the best bait, but then you have to have some way to keep them alive, and that sounds like more than you want to do.