Shore Thing Weekly Fishing Report - 5/12/22

May 12, 2022

The fishing is getting better and better - but Sonny is finding more than just fish on his charters.

- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

The spectacular Roseate Spoonbill is one of many species of birds seen on Shore Thing fishing/wildlife charters. | Adobe Stock photo

We hope everyone had a fun and safe Mother’s Day Weekend. Seems like every week the weatherman is going a little easier on us. The water temperature and salinity is steadily climbing, which means the fishing will keep getting better and better.
 
We have begun seeing Spanish mackerel jumping, which usually means the rain minnows are moving in. Our boats have been working from Bayou Caddy all the way over to Cat Island with good results. 
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We have seen some good bites on the near shore reefs just outside of Bay St. Louis (Taylor Reef) as well. Once the Bay cleans up, I’d expect the fish will pile in there too.
 
On those lovely calm days, we are seeing and hearing good reports from Isle Au Pitre (Louisiana Marsh) down to the Chandeleur Islands. The flocks of diving gulls and little terns have made our lives a whole lot easier, helping us locate the bait. However, if we are exploring a new area, since we normally fish in about four feet of water or less, our method is very simple.
 
We use a Boat Monkey popping cork, about two feet of 20 lb. test leader, a small split shot weight, and a 1/0 hook for live shrimp, or a ¼-ounce jig head and soft plastic (Matrix). Give each spot ten minutes or less. If there is no action or signs of life, MOVE. You can move 50 yards or five miles, but keep moving until you find something worth sticking around for.
 
Keep one eye on your fishing pole and the other eye on the weather. A lot of our guides employ several weather apps, then use an average of what each is predicting. “WINDY” is a great app.
 
The Marsh and Cat Island are covered in birds right now. Some of our charters have been booked solely for bird-watching and nature photography. We have been lucky enough to find huge congregations of oystercatchers, herons, ibis, skimmers, frigatebirds and beautiful, pink roseate spoonbills. We love to catch fish, but the fish are only a part of the experience. Enjoy it all!
 
As always, have fun and be safe.
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Billy Guice Sr. and Jr. with a nice Redfish.

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