We had an impressive fleet of motorcycles outside the hotel this morning! The Villages Goldwing Club is in house and touring the Golden Isles for a few days. Thanks so much for visiting and we hope to see you again soon!

Linda from Mulberry, Indiana discovered her Island Treasure on our boardwalk!

Now until the end of February the Jekyll Island Authority hosts "Island Treasures on Jekyll Island,” a unique treasure hunting experience on Jekyll Island. The treasures are handcrafted glass floats called Island Treasures. The glass floats have been sought after by Jekyll Island guests since 2002. Each is a unique design and is stamped with the year of the hunt on its base. Plus, new for 2012, Island Treasures will be hidden all over Jekyll Island, not just on the beach, increasing the opportunities to find these beautiful pieces of art.

Feb 3^rd The O’Reallys

Feb 10 th The Warf Rats

Feb 17 th Charlie Wolf

Feb 24 th  Job Meiller

Calling all treasure hunters...it's that time again! Beginning New Year's Day and continuing through the months of January and February the Jekyll Island Authority hosts "Island Treasures on Jekyll Island,” a unique treasure hunting experience on Jekyll Island. The treasures are handcrafted glass floats called Island Treasures. The glass floats have been sought after by Jekyll Island guests since 2002. Each is a unique design and is stamped with the year of the hunt on its base. Plus, new for 2012, Island Treasures will be hidden all over Jekyll Island, not just on the beach, increasing the opportunities to find these beautiful pieces of art.

Join us every Friday in January and February for live music in our Lobby Lounge! We will have drink specials and you can order off our tapas menu!

January 6, 2012- The Matt Johns Trio 

January 13, 2012- Soul Gravey

January 20, 2012- Th O'Reallys

January 27, 2012- The Wharf Rat's

December is a great time to get out on the water.  This time of year we can have some beautiful sunny days with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.  Inshore fishing really turns on this month when Mother Nature cooperates.  Reds and Trout are usually the targeted species using mud-minnows, shrimp and of course artificials.  Trout are in the creeks or creek mouths, Reds are on the mud flats and along the shells banks on the upper tide when falling.  Low tide is a great way to sight fish (Spin or Fly) for these Red Fish on the early cold and clam mornings, that we will have this month.

As water temp’s begins to fall, Reds will be on the mudflats @ low tides and schooled up all together. On the colder days and nights these Reds can be a little slow moving to eat and can be skittish.  As this take place Reds will stay in the shallow water because it will be a little warmer as the day gets older, the sunshine is there friend and also helps us to locate fish as well.  When looking for Reds on the mudflats you want to have the sun over your shoulder, not looking into the sun.  A good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must!  This will help your sight on the water and when doing so, always remember to be slow and stealthy.  This month is a great time to use the fly rod and artificals baits to catch these Reds in the shallow water.  We throw a shrimp pattern fly and swim bait for the artificial rigged weed less reeling the swim baits real slow, if you think your reeling slow go slower.  The bigger Reds want chase the bait as much when the water temperature drops, but if the lure is presented properly close to fish they won’t be able to resist your bait.

Trout will be fair this month depending on weather of course.  When we have those warmer days Trout will hang out in creeks on the deep side of the bends of the creek.  Sometimes we will fish as deep as 10-15 ft. with a slip cork.  Other areas to check out are the white shell banks off the ICW and any points using live bait fishing anywhere from 3-7 ft.   Another way to find trout this time of year is to troll for them using a 3/16 jig head with a grub (chartreuse).  When you locate them I would recommend making more cast in that same area because Trout are a schooling fish as well…where there is one there could be more!   Christmas Creek has some good fishing this time of year for Trout, but be careful entering the creek mouth for sandbars and breakers.  I wouldn’t recommend fishing X-mas Creek when blowing out  of the east, unless you have a bigger boat because it can get rough when exiting the creek.

I want to wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas, until next year Tight Lines…..

Sonny
Just visited last week ( 3rd Time ). This is my favorite place to get away for a few days. I love the quiet beach and really like riding my bicycle in the mornings. I can't wait to return next year.

Pam
We just spent 3 wonderful nights at your hotel. The staff was so gracious and the beach is awesome. We loved sitting around the outdoor fireplace in the evenings. Thanks for the real Southern hospitality. We can't wait to get back to visit again soon.

Deborah
We had a wonderful time on our vacation in July! Wonderful hotel and staff!

Helen
Can't wait to stay next month for our first visit to Georgia coming all the way from England! Hope our room is nice the hotel looks fab..what do u recommend we do whilst on the island?

November is a great month for Redfish and Sea Trout. The water temperature has dropped to 65-70 degrees and depending where you fish, water temps could be warmer or cooler. When this takes place our fishing can really turn on with lots of rod bending action! We use artificial bait this time of year as much as we do live bait. Depending on how you want to target your fish, Trout will be out off of oyster points and oyster beds on falling tides. If you choose to fish the higher tides for Trout I would recommend fishing right up close to the grasses edge off of a creek mouth, any points, big oysters bars, and areas with good current flow. The cleaner the water is the better it is for Sea Trout. There are many different types of artificial baits to use when fishing for Trout. A few I use are a weed less swim bait, jig head with a Exude grub tail, DOA Shrimp, Mirro- Lure (floating or suspending), and jerk baits.

Reds can be fished a couple of ways this time of year. As we get closer into the winter pattern, Reds will be on the mud flats in good numbers as the water temp drops. When this occurs, it is a great opportunity to hook one of these Reds and could be a fish of a life time... The approach is much different when targeting Reds on mud flats. We pole our skiff in very shallow water to sight fish these Reds. Also, this is a good time to fish the oyster bars and white shell banks or bars for the puppy drum...just smaller Red Fish. When doing so we use adjustable popping cork rigged with live shrimp and this can be lots of fun with good numbers inside the slot. The bigger Reds will roam on mudflats searching for any crustaceans in its path. These Reds that live on the mudflats will usually stay in the shallow water most of the time to stay with the food and to keep away from danger. Most of the Reds found on the mudflats in the area average 7 lbs. and some can reach up to 15 lbs. These over slot fish need to be handled with care! When fishing in the shallow water for Reds we use a swim baits rigged weed less and retrieving the bait real slow. When sight fishing we want to be stealthy and pick your target when you make the cast.

Tight Lines.....
Captain Griffin Wood
www.jekyllfishing.com
912.269.7337
captgriff@hotmail.com

Congratulations to our Employee of the Quarter Mimi Scriven, Sales Coordinator. Mimi has been with the hotel for 2 years. "I am delighted and honored to be named Employee of the Quarter. It was an unexpected recognition by my peers and I am truly flattered." After awarding Mimi the Employee of the Quarter title, General Manager, Trevor Stratton said, "Mimi is the standard by which all employees should follow. We are truly grateful to have someone at our property who works as hard as she does."

Sea Turtle Release, United Way BBQ Bash and Savannah Bee Company Honey Tasting!

Join the Jekyll Island Authority's Georgia Sea Turtle Center this Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as they celebrate the release of Morcie, Glottis and Truck with a delicious BBQ Bash to benefit the United Way of Coastal Georgia and a special honey sampling of the Savannah Bee Company's Bee Cause Honey!


Savannah Bee Company's honey sampling and the United Way BBQ Bash begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is located at 214 Stable Road.

The United Way BBQ Bash includes a sandwich, two sides, drink and dessert for only $5!

Morcie, Glottis and Truck will be released promptly at 1:30 p.m. at Great Dunes Park. Great Dunes Park is located at the intersection of Shell Road and Beachview Drive.

Did you stop by the VIP Tent at the 2011 Shrimp & Grits Festival to see our General Manager, Trevor Stratton and his wife Jennifer?

As we get into August with the dogs days of summer getting pretty brutal with very little relief from the heat. Fishing this time of year has a hot bite off Cumberland Beach, mostly Sea Trout and mixed bag opportunities. Last month we had a 4 lb and 6 lb Trout on a charter that ate live bait. The Tarpon are out on the front side of Beaches. Redfish can be sight fished in the grass on the artificial baits with a good cast. Flounder has been a good bite as well. I like to fish low tide outside of creek mouth, fishing around docks, and Jekyll Fishing Pier has produced a good bite fishing on the bottom using a live Shrimp or Mud Minnows.

Redfish have not been very egger to eat at low tide because of the hot temperatures we had as of late. If you're very quiet and stealthy these Redfish will lay in the grass to rest and try to keep cool using the grass as cover. It helps to see the fish before it sees you! We are using swim baits and shrimp as our artificial of choice.

On another note Sharks can be caught fishing on the bottom with just about any cut bait, chum, and live bait. When using live bait the presentation I like is different. I go off the beaches and look for Shrimp Boats and drop live baits behind them as they trawl for Shrimp. Creating a feeding frenzy!

Dolphins work the surface just behind the nets that are being pulled. While keeping the boat in place,we throw the live baits out and free line them to 7-10 feet down and before you count to thirty you should have a shark hooked up! Most of the ones we catch are Black Tips and Spinner Sharks behind the Shrimp Boats. I will fish Inshore for Black Tips and Bonnet Head Sharks using cut Squid fishing on bottom. Most of these Sharks range from 12 in to 3 ft which can be lots of fun on light tackle for the novice and young anglers.

Three Great Days - One Great Price

October 26-28

The 2011 Georgia-Florida Golf Classic tournament registration fee is an all-inclusive rate of $300 for three great days of golf.

This rate includes the following:

• Two rounds of tournament play on Jekyll Island's beautiful golf courses, Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28.
• Optional Practice Round on Wednesday, October 26.
• Two Tickets to the Wednesday Evening Cocktail Party with food and entertainment.
• Two Tickets to the Thursday Evening Low Country Boil.
• Breakfast at the Jekyll Island Golf Course on Thursday and Friday morning.
• Lunch on the Jekyll Island Golf Course on Thursday and Friday afternoon.
• Beer and soft drinks on the golf course during tournament play.
• Tournament gift bag.
• Entry into the annual guest or spouse putting contest.
• Ticket for player's guest or spouse to the wine & cheese tasting.

As in 2010, this year teams will be flighted after the first round using a multiple course index, providing more opportunities to win prizes!

Registration is limited to the first 132 teams and spaces fill up quickly, so make sure to sign up your team today!

Register Today!

July is a month of excitement with many opportunities to catch different species in shore and near shore. The Beaches will turn on with more activity of baitfish as well as Tarpon, Jacks, Sharks, and Spanish Mackerel. Trout fishing along the Beach of Cumberland Island has been good as well as Christmas Creek. Redfish are still active early am low tides or late evening high tide and are willing to eat. Water temperature is 83-87 degree's which means Tarpon are here!

This month we will get into the summer weather patterns which is calm mornings, light southwest wind and in the afternoon the sea breeze start to blow and then here comes the thunderstorms. This gives us good opportunities to get out on the water and fish early clam mornings. Be sure to keep close attention to the weather/ radar as thunderstorms may build.

This month I will spend some of my time looking for Tarpon off the Beaches of Sea Island, SSI, Jekyll Island, and Cumberland Islands. These fish will surface early morning and at the slack parts of the tide. This is a good time to sight fish for Tarpon on the sandbars off the beaches. These fish will eat if the bait is in front of them using live or artificial baits. The artificial bait that has worked well for me is the DOA bait buster/ deep runner; just about any color will work reeling it real slow. I think you will be surprised how soft these powerful fish can eat! While looking for Tarpon look for the Jacks ruffling the surface of the water, it will look very different. We throw big top waters baits at these Jacks; also don't forget to up size hooks and rings on the baits. Tackle used: St. Croix rod 8ft med-heavy power, fast action 14-30 lb. and St. Croix 7'6 med heavy power fast action 20-40 lb. Both rods are rigged with Shimano Stradic 8000 with 50 lb power pro.

Until next time....

Tight Lines

Capt. Griffin Wood

captgriff@hotmail.com

912-269-7337

www.jekyllfishing.com

Share and stay! We are offering an exclusive Facebook special for you and your friends.Stay June 26-30,2011 and book your stay for $159.00 a night! Your stay includes suite accommodations, free bike rentals for up to 4 hours per day and 2 complimentary drinks at check-in. This special rate is only being offered to our Facebook friends so share and stay! Use promo code: FBS when making your reservation online or call us at 912-635-3733 or 1-800- HAMPTON. We love having you here!

Please note: not valid with existing reservations. Not valid with group reservations. Taxes not included. Free upgrade available. Limited availability.

The Hampton Inn & Suites would like to extend a final farewell and best wishes to our Assistant General Manager, Andy Hobbs. Good Luck with your new position as General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Beaufort, SC. We will miss you! Cheers!

June is here and the heat is on with lots of action of different species around the Golden Isles area.
The beachside of Cumberland, Jekyll, and Saint Simons Island's will turn on this month with bait fish, Sea
Trout, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel, Sharks and Tarpon could show up towards the end of the month.

Triple Tail are still being caught on the beachside of Jekyll Island using a float rig with a live shrimp. The fish have been a little on the small side for this time of year and not seeing many fish as we should. Last month we had some cooler temps so this may have pushed the Triple Tail farther out. Depends on the  bite will continue to get better this month for Reds and Trout. There are a few opportunities this month around the full moon to sight fish for tailing Reds in the grass.

The month of June I spend more time Trout fishing on the beachside of Cumberland Island and in Christmas Creek. So get out there early and fish high tide on the beach with a float rig and live shrimp, you may be surprised. Use caution when entering Christmas Creek! Christmas Creek will turn on with Reds, Trout, Ladyfish, Bluefish, Flounder and possible Tarpon. When fishing for Trout I like to use a slip cork, this can be helpful when fishing deeper water or rips to catch fish. June is the time to fish around any structure, rubble, jetties and around the big bridge pilings. Trout, Redfish, and Sheepshead like to hang around these areas to feed on different bait fish, little crabs and any other crustaceans.

Until next time.....Tight lines

Capt. Griffin Wood

www.jekyllfishing.com
912-269-7337

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center released four sea turtles back into the ocean Saturday after the Turtle Crawl Triathlon &  Nest Fest. Did you join us for the release?

Our Hampton Inn & Suites Executive Staff participated in today's Earth Day Beach Sweep! Approximately 60 bags of trash and an estimated 400 lbs of trash were removed. We hope you will come and enjoy our freshly cleaned beach this weekend! Everyday is Earth Day on Jekyll Island...we are living the "Green" Dream!

Tidelands 4-H Nature Center Jekyll has unspoiled beaches & forests teaming with wildlife. Take a walking tour into the forest, beach or in the tidal marsh & see a living ecosystem that is both fragile and beautiful. Guided walking tours are available through the Tidelands Nature Center on Jekyll. Tours are 1 1/2 - 2 hours long and will give you a greater appreciation for the ecosystem of the Island. Segway nature tours are also available.

Jekyll Island Fun Tours Segway Nature Adventure Glide along trails and personally witness this truly unique area.An educated guide will point out the plant and animal life as you stop to observe the sights. Riding the Segway® PT feels like nothing you've ever experienced. The Segway® PT is balances for you. It all feels natural and really cool. Call 912-635-9704 to book a reservation.

Golf Cart Nature Tours Discover a birding and nature adventure that only locals know about! Jekyll Island's three eighteen-hole golf courses are a natural home to deer, raccoon, nesting birds, flowers, butterflies, dragonflies and alligators. Join Birder and Naturalist Lydia Thompson on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a Golf Cart Nature Tour June 16th - September. Call 912-635-2368. for reservations.

Clam Creek Picnic Area Marsh and north-end beach walk meets at the Clam Creek parking lot, north end of island, opposite campground. (Mondays / Year-round)St. Andrews Picnic Area Marsh, maritime forest, and south-end beach walk meets at the St. Andrews parking lot. (Wednesdays / Year-round).

South Dunes Picnic Area Maritime forest and beach walk meets at South Dunes parking lot. (Fridays / March - September only)

Kayak & Canoe Tours Guided kayak tours are also available at the Tidelands Center. There is no better way to get closer to the birds, fish and other coastal wildlife! Quietly paddle and explore the pristine beauty of Jekyll and its natural habitat. Each tour is guided by an experienced naturalist. Canoes are available for self-guided tours on Rixen Pond.

Boating Bring your boat along with you to Jekyll Island. The recently updated Jekyll Island boat ramp that features 3 launch lanes 130 feet long, making it possible to launch boats at all tide stages. Venture out on the Intracoastal Waterway or into the Atlantic Ocean. Dock your boat at the Jekyll Island Harbor Marina for fuel and snacks.

Birding Southeast Georgia is well known as an outstanding venue for birdwatchers. Learn how to identify the multitude of birds that migrate through the area and get an up close look at the terrapin turtles that live in the salt marshes. The Georgia Coast Birding and Nature Festival celebrates an annual event in October.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a hospital for ill and injured sea turtles. The only hospital of its kind in the state of Georgia, the Center is open to the general public and offers an interactive exhibit gallery and a turtle rehabilitation pavilion with a number of viewable sea turtle patients. Group rates and tours are available. Guests will have the opportunity to learn all about the three forms of identification that turtles may receive before heading back out to the big blue sea. For more information make sure to swim on by the Georgia Sea Turtle exhibit gallery.