With all the wintry weather we had so far, this winter some say it has been the best winter we had for fishing red fish in a long time. Thirty-five miles south of New Orleans Bayou Log Cabins Fishing Lodge specializes in fishing speckled trout and red fish in the inland bays, duck ponds as well as dead end pipe line canals. I strongly believe with all the wintry weather we are having this winter, that is the main reason we are having such a great winter season with catching the amount of red fish we are catching. You see, with every cold front that passes through hear the wind must blow out of the north for two to three days to push the low pressure through this area. Well as you well know the north wind blows the water out of our marshes and we experience very low tides during this time. The red fish feel these low pressures as they are approaching and head to deeper water. Now, you must keep in mind that as soon as the low-pressure system arrives, and the wind starts to blow out of the north the water will began to drop very fast. One of the negative side effects to this weather change is that because the water is rushing out of the marsh so fast it causes the clarity of the water to get very dirty. The reason is that is gets so dirty is because as the water drops out of the broken marsh and duck ponds it moves the top soft silt of mud that lays on bottom of the shallows. All that silt is rotten vegetation that is simply turning into more dirt as well as giving something for the small marine life to eat. So, as the water falls out of the shallows at a fast paste it will carry the silt that is laying on the bottom along with the falling tide. This will cause the clarity of the water to get very dirty the first day or two after the north wind starts to blow. However, once the low pressure or cold front passed through the area and the winds began to settle down the silt will begin to fall to the bottom were ever it is, and the water clarity will return to clear water. That is when the red fish will start swimming around and began feeding. Keep in mind that for the two or three days that they were waiting for the water clarity to clear up they did not feed at all so by the time the water cleans up they are very hungry. Remember this, timing can be the difference between having a good trip or a great trip. I understand most folks go fishing when they get a day off from work, however always be mindful of the weather conditions and what might be happening on the water. Regarding what type of bait, we use during the winter months. Of course, I fish live shrimp from April to sometime in December. Starting in the latter part of December all of January, February and March I used dead shrimp under a popping cork, just like I fish speckled trout during the summer months. The only difference is that I set my trouble hook only fifteen inches under the cork when fishing dead shrimp for red fish. When I am fishing live shrimp for speckled trout during the warmer months I like to set my trouble hook about three feet under the cork. The reason is that fishing the winter months for red fish I through one to two feet from the bank and the water is normally shallow right there, and that is where the red fish are prowling the banks looking for their food. Learning to fish diverse ways depending on the time of the year and what type of fish you are fishing for can make a significant difference in the outcome of your trip. Having said all how I fish, remember this, I do not hit a home run every time I leave the dock to go fishing. It would not be a challenge if I caught a limit every time I left the dock. I always tell folks that you must learn to be able to enjoy yourself being out on the water and experiencing to fishing trip and if you happen to get on a bite and box up some speckled trout and red fish, well than that would be an extra. But if you leave the camp expecting to slam them every time you go fishing and fall short of your expectations than you will never get the full value of having an enjoyable time on the water. You always hear me talk about building memories while on the water fishing. It is not until you can enjoy being out on a fishing trip regardless if you are catching or not, that you will began to appreciate all there is to take in while out on the water. Sometimes I remember the good times while out on the water with a group more than if we ended up catching a box of fish or not. People will call back and book another trip with me the following year and I remember the enjoyable time we had on the boat and I must tell them how much of an enjoyable time we had, but then ask them they did we catch any fish when you guys came down. Laughing and cutting up on the boat, taking lots of photos, of course catching some fish always helps to create a memorable fishing trip. When you get back to your regular life, whether it be back at the office Monday morning or simply having family and friends over for a Sunday BBQ and telling stories about how much fun you had while on the water is what it is all about. Be safe while on the water during the cold fishing season.
