Shore Thing Fishing Report, 1/14/26

1/14/2026

January 14, 2026

Sheepshead and redfish are the stars right now, when the weather and seas cooperate. Have you tried sight-fishing for redfish?

- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Chart ers

Lily and Chad Rhodes from Waveland with a big bull red they caught and released in Lake Borgne.

Right now, everything revolves around the cold fronts. Typically, you see a very good bite ahead of these fronts due to the changing barometric pressure. As a front gets closer, there is some wind and rain, and as the front passes through, the temperature drops.

This is a good time to get familiar with different weather services. Keep an eye on local radar and wind models so you pick the days and locations to find the best water to fish in.

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Capt Richard Schmidt with Beaux Marvin from Denver, Colorado, and his first-ever redfish he caught on a fly rod!

The sheepshead are here in full force and should remain for several weeks. Structures such as bridges or the nearshore reefs are a fantastic place to start. Live shrimp works exceptionally well, as do fiddler crabs or even fresh, dead shrimp. My favorite move is to get up-current and fish back into the structure. Just plan on losing some tackle. It’s all part of the deal.

A very happy young lady with Capt. Paul Leoni catching sheepshead in Bay St. Louis.

Without a doubt, on those perfect weather days, the redfish bite can be absolutely stellar this time of year. Since we have not had a huge amount of rain, the water should stay clear, making for some incredible sight fishing in the shallow ponds. My favorite scenario has always been starting out at the very end of low tide and fishing rising water all day. If you don’t have a hard westerly or north wind, you should be safe from getting caught on a mud flat.

Captain Sonny and Stephanie Schindler with a January speckled trout and redfish they caught near Bayou Caddy.

It’s always recommended to have a float plan. Let people know what time you are leaving and returning and the general area you plan to fish.

It’s an amazing time of year to be on the water. Be safe, have a plan, and have some fun.

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