The tripletail is the only fish species along the Georgia coast that offers true sight-fishing. Anglers idle along looking for the black back or white belly floating on the surface. When a fish is sighted, the boat is positioned so the angler can cast a bait in front of and past it; of course, it's sometimes difficult to determine which way the fish is facing. The bait is then reeled back to the fish and stopped right in front of it (within a foot if possible).

Often the tripletail eases to and bumps the cork, backs up, and then sees and takes the bait. At that point you can see the fish just under the water, and the temptation will be to set the hook before the fish takes the bait -- but you must wait until the cork is down or you feel the fish before setting the hook.

Once hooked, a good tripletail can strip off several yards of line two or three times and go airborne several times before coming to the boat.

Tripletails represent a singular fishing experience along the Georgia Coast and provide some both serious fun and good eating. The minimum-size limit is 18 inches; the creel limit is five per person.

SHARKS IN THE SOUNDS
Lots of sandbars, warm ocean waters, deep holes and an abundance of baitfish combine to produce the perfect habitat for birthing shark pups. During May, these conditions all come together in Georgia's sounds from St. Andrews to Warsaw. Tiger, bull, hammerhead, blacktip, nurse, lemon and sand sharks are some of the species that visit the Georgia coast.

Whiting fishermen know when the sharks show up, because all of a sudden they begin catching pup sharks along with the whiting. Those anglers then tell the shark fishermen, and before long, sharks are ending up on the grill.

Whiting is one of the best baits for sharks. Larger whiting can be cut crosswise into three pieces; smaller ones may be fished alive. When using the tail section, I like to cut the tailfin off at the point at which it attaches to the body, thus keeping the bait from twisting in the current. A twisting bait will not only fail to catch fish but also twist your line to the point of making it useless.

Live bait can be cut near the tail section to create a blood trail -- very effective for drawing in sharks. Live menhaden also make excellent shark bait, or great chum. Menhaden can be seen popping on the surface, and it takes little effort to take large numbers of them with a cast net. These baitfish also keep well in a large round livewell. Don't put too many in the well, however, or they die quickly.

I like to hook live menhaden, whiting or mullet through the nostrils. They seem to live longer and act livelier when hooked this way. They can also be hooked through the lips from bottom to top, through the eyes or behind the dorsal fin.