The BigFish Finder
World Class Fishing Continues
by Capt. CT Williams
BIGFISH TV • FOX 8 News
(504) 244-3474
www.theBIGFISH.net
World-class fishing from Delacroix to Shell
Beach will continue this month. For those who
have enjoyed boxing limits of speckled trout
and redfish this fall and early winter, keep your
expectations high; but prepare to make some
adjustments in the way you fish as the temperature of the air and water decline.
While there will be specks and reds to be caught
two feet under a popping cork, there are going
to be days when the “go-to” rig might not produce as well as normal, so let’s go over a few
tried and true tactics for when those patterns
change.
Drifting Lakes and Bays
Hopedale and Delacroix are filled with oyster-lined lakes and bays where nice fish will scatter across when the cold weather sets in. Some
of the best are Lake Ameda, Lake Amadee,
Tanasia, Point Fienne, Skippy Lake, and Lake Ba-
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tola. In the Biloxi Marsh, Stump Lagoon, Drum
Lake, Mussel Bay, and Pete’s Lagoon are just
some of the lakes you can drift and score big on
speckled trout
The technique is simple; using a popping cork
rig or a tightlined 1/4 oz. jighead, position the
boat on the upwind side of a lake, and simply let
the boat drift across the lake while you cast in
front of the boat. You will have to take up the
slack in the line as the boat moves towards your
rig. Work the bait slowly, keeping up with the
line. If you are drifting an area for the first time
and you have a pole anchor, it isn’t a bad idea to
tie it off on the side, letting it hang and drag on
the bottom. You should be able to hear the pole
hitting shells; if you can’t, you may want to move
to another area. Oyster shells along the bottom
of a lake or bay that is about 3 to 5 feet deep is
essential for this technique to work; but rest assured, there are a lot of open bays and lakes
that fit this description.
Deep Channels to Shallow Flats
This is a tide and temperature sensitive technique. You are looking for a channel that has a
little depth to it and then opens up into a bay
that is relatively shallow (2-4 feet). If the bay has
oyster reefs, all the better. You want the water to
be moving into the bay and up to the flat in the
morning when the water is warming and then
moving back into the deeper water as the temperature cools.
When the water is moving onto the flat (incoming tide), anchor just over the drop-off
where it comes shallow. Look for tide lines and
mixing water. This is where the fish are going to
stage, looking for bait that’s moving through
that channel and into the bay. Cast into the bay,
fan cast a bit to find the school. A popping cork
rig usually works best.
When the water is moving out, anchor along
the shoreline in the canal and roughly 50 feet
from the drop-off. This is usually a good place to
start. Using a Carolina rig or a tightlined 1/4 oz.
jighead, you want to cast towards the drop-off
(up tide) and reel your bait slowly back towards
you. The bait should be working with the tide.
Remember the fish will be facing the bay (towards the flow of water), and you want to present that bait to their face. Slowly bounce the
bait back from the shallow water to your boat.
Working Bayou Drop Offs
The cooler the water is, the more likely that
nice trout will school in deeper passes and bayous - especially ones with shell bottoms. You
often may hear of the “Bayou La Loutre Drift” or
the “Oak River Troll.” These are techniques that
are very effect