Feeding Frenzy of January Begins at Dusk
The full moon occurs on Sunday at 3:47 a.m., while the lunar perigee happens a day later. Both facts combined create the largest nighttime feeding period of the month and if the daytime weather is ideal, perhaps the largest daytime feeding period of the month.
Normally, the new-moon event produces the best daytime fishing experience of the month, but as in all cases with judging which fishing day is better or was better, the weather usually determines the winner.
Today, however, the major feeding migration of the day occurs during daylight hours from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. with a peak time of 10 a.m., however the amount of fog and clouds or lack of, along with any barometric pressure changes, will influence when exactly the peak period will actually occur.
The secondary feeding migration of the day occurs during nighttime hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Expect this to increase in intensity and duration each day over the next week as the moon causes the majority of fish to feed in unison by the light of the waxing full moon. The nighttime feeding session normally becomes the major feeding migration of the day, over the daytime feeding session, during the full moon-event week. Nevertheless, if the weather produces cloud cover during the night and the barometer rises or remains unchanged, less fish will feed successfully, meaning they will attempt to feed again during the daytime migration period. We found this true this week as we fished El Jobean Pier for a wide mixture of fish caught on live shrimp to grunts and Pinfish.
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Bean Bay from El Jobean Pier
It has been spotty on the El Jobean Pier with Spotted Seatrout on the grass-flats. Small sharks, Snapper, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, Ladyfish, and many short Grouper are scattered all around the pier and channel. We found some slack times but most of the times allotted us to bait ups and loosing up drags to running fish. This is also the time that keeper size Grouper start coming into the bay, holding just under the causeway near the channel. The channel at 23 plus feet deep rises to skinnies and six-foot ledges as a perfect spot for may a fish on a falling barometer or approaching cold front. If angling at night, be sure to being plenty of bug spray or you will find out who really is the bait.
Fresh caught live Pinfish and Grunts make excellent bait on the bay for the larger fish like Grouper.
Historical Facts:
From 1888 until 1921, Southland existed solely as Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad depot that serviced Hall Naval Stores and Stephen Brothers turpentine camps that leased prisoners for labor.
In 1922-23, Joel Bean had the town replanted and renamed to an anagram of his name, El Jobe-an, and began building up the town by providing a Post Office & General Store and a Hotel.
