Where are we and what is this place?

Savannah and the colony of Georgia

In the early 1700’s a fellow in England named Robert Castell wrote a book entitled “Villas of the Ancients” that focused on Greek and Roman architecture. What, you ask, has that got to do with fishing in Savannah, Georgia?  Excellent question. Read on. The book failed and poor Castell was put in debtors’ prison as was the custom at the time. With the one phone call he was given at his booking, Castell called his old army buddy James Oglethorpe who was by this time a ranking army officer and a member of Parliament. The prisoner pleaded with Oglethorpe to get him out of jail. Oglethorpe could not help and his friend became ill and died in prison. Historians argue the point but I think the injustice of his friend’s death was the catalyst that motivated Oglethorpe to start a new colony in America.

Oglethorpe made an appointment with King George II of England to argue his case for another settlement in the new colonies.  Oglethorpe explained to His Highness that the Crown had three problems to which he had three solutions. First, Oglethorpe pointed out, the royal colony of Charles Town, South Carolina (now Charleston) was being harassed by Spanish and Indians from Florida. Secondly, the Crown depended upon foreign countries for subtropical crops which would curtail the supply in the event of war. Last but not least Oglethorpe outlined a plan by which debtors would be taken off the welfare roles and sent to the colony for a fresh start. Oglethorpe proposed a new colony as a military buffer between Charles Town and Spanish Florida. The new colony would grow subtropical crops and would hire the debtors to do it. George sat back on his thrown, pushed  back his crown and after a moment of consideration gave Oglethorpe his endorsement to start the new colony particularly when it would be named “Georgia” in honor of His Highness.

To shorten the continuing history of Savannah, Georgia, Oglethorpe landed near the present Hyatt Regency Hotel Savannah in 1733 with 114 settlers. General Oglethorpe set up defenses south of Savannah to address that threat and planted mulberry trees for silk production. Debtors never played a role in the development of the colony but two for three isn’t so bad. Savannah’s big break came as it became an important sea port on the Savannah River.

The Savannah River

“The River” as Savannah’s maritime calls it is Georgia’s border with and buffer from South Carolina. It is an alluvial river whose life begins north of Augusta, Georgia bringing fresh water runoff to the coastal plain until it becomes salty as it approaches the Atlantic Ocean. The point at which the river becomes salty was much further downstream until dredging operations began in the late 1890’s to accommodate larger ships. A deeper channel created faster currents and salty ocean water reached further inland. Until that point wealthy colonists capitalized on this source of fresh water to plant rice along the river banks and cotton on the high ground. Silk production did not materialize in the colony of Savannah. By 1840 Savannah, Georgia produced twelve million of the sixty million pounds of rice produced in all of the southern states. Cotton production inland and upriver from Savannah was so efficient that Savannah, Georgia became a world player in both the supply and the price of cotton. The Port of Savannah, Georgia grew to handle these crops.

General Nathaniel Greene was awarded land at what is now the northern reach of Chatham County, Georgia for his patriotism in the Revolutionary War (England’s “Civil War”). He and his wife Catherine settled there and brought Eli Whitney from Connecticut to tutor their children. During his tenure at Greene’s Mulberry Grove Plantation, Whitney improved a practical design for removing the seeds from raw cotton.  His cotton gin set the standard for the industry. English gin set the standard for everyone else.

It was a natural for Savannah, Georgia’s industrial base to take shape along the river. The river provided water for production, water for cooling and a cheap way to rid the factories of waste. As the Savannah River became saltier due to dredging did the river empty of life as it became polluted, so much so that workers became ill if they accidentally fell into the water.  It took years and dedicated work by the EPA and conservation groups to restore the river to life. Today the Savannah River holds an abundance of redfish, spottail bass, striped bass, trout, flounder and drum. To be on the safe side, I would not recommend eating fish caught upstream but the river’s mouth at the Atlantic Ocean is ok. And that coastline where the rivers meet the ocean is the most unique feature of this whole doggone state.

Inland Waters of Savannah, Georgia

Estuary is defined as the intertidal zone between the hard ground and the ocean. It’s also called “nature’s nursery” as many fin and shellfish spawn in these waters. Juvenile fish feed on microscopic plants and animals that in turn are eaten by the speckled trout, redfish, spottail bass, and the flounder that we enjoy. Without the health of the estuary and the rivers that feed it, the estuary would be unsuitable for reproduction thus the seafood chain as we know it would not survive. Estuarine waters of coastal Georgia are salty but not as salty as the ocean. Not only does rain fall on the rivers and creeks, but on the marshes that drain into the rivers and if you recall, alluvial rivers such as the Savannah River deliver fresh water runoff to the coast. Ocean water stays mid thirty percent salt but the estuary can fluctuate between percentage lows in the single digits of saltiness with much rain (even just upstate), to highs of near forty percent in time of drought. Plants and animals that live with us in Savannah’s tidal waters must be able to tolerate this huge swing. Temperature is yet another story.  The coastal Georgia estuary is relatively shallow with some exception for deeper channels. Shallower water allows sunlight to penetrate more of the water column than in the deep Atlantic Ocean producing warmer water temperatures. Coastal Savannah waters can range between the mid eighties (F) in the summer for this reason and low to the forties (F) in the winter from the influence of colder offshore waters.

But wait there’s more. The coast of Savannah, Georgia slopes down gently as it leaves the beaches to the tune of two feet (or so) per mile. Compare that to drop offs of a hundred feet or more within a mile of the coast of southeastern Florida or North Carolina’s Outter Banks. What happens? You guessed it: current. And lots of it. Tides pile up water in the shallows to a range of six to eight feet between high and low water. That means that the height of the water will rise six to eight feet in the six hours between low and high tide, and fall the same distance in the six hours from high to low. There are two high tides and two low tides every twenty four hours. You can see over the marsh grass at high tide and be eye level with the mud banks and the roots at low. I’m getting exhausted just thinking about how much water sloshes through Savannah’s inland waterways everyday.

There’s so much to see and so much light tackle inshore fishing to enjoy when you book with Standard Bay Charters. We’ve got the barrier islands, the rivers that open to the ocean, birds, dolphin watching, trips to Hilton Head, South Carolina, shells to find, rakes of living oysters, pristine beaches to walk with all the salt air, quiet, sun and Savannah coast as you can stand. Weather permitting we can show you the Savannah coastline itself. You’ll be amazed to see what it took for early mariners to navigate the inland waters of Savannah, Georgia. If you prefer, we’ll say nothing and let you unwind in the quiet and the sun of Savannah’s inland waterways.

How to book a trip and what to bring ..

Whether you choose some inshore fishing with us or just explore Savannah’s coastal waters, you’ll need to dress for the season whether its coats and sweaters in the winter, light jacket in the spring, raincoats if there’s a chance of rain and certainly bathing suits or shorts in the heat. Please, wear only soft sole non marking shoes on the boat.

Sun screen is a must to avoid sunburn and sun glasses are most useful. Feel free to bring the food and drinks of your choice. We have no problem with your bringing the higher octane beverages. We have all of the safety equipment, coolers and everything you need for inshore light tackle fishing. Ask us to bring ice if you’ll need some.

To book, call or write to plan a day with us at which time we’ll hold your credit card number to guarantee your reservation with settlement by cash or check only at the end of the trip. Our boats that accommodate up to six people are not restroom equipped but we’ll be glad to schedule in a pit stop at a local marina.

Click or call today and thanks for choosing Standard Bay Charters, your reliable charter boat service in Savannah, Georgia since 1995.

Captain Jay

Please, soft sole non marking shoes only

Pickup available from River Street hotels, Skidaway Island or midtown at Thunderbolt.