Shore Thing Fishing Report, 12/18/2024

December 18, 2024

The temperature ups and downs are causing some confusion in area fish, which don't know whether they're coming or going. Hotspots one day may be cold the next.

- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Barry Dreyfus with a beautiful red snapper he caught in federal waters.

Last week was very chilly. We had a couple of days where there was frost on the dock. Late departures to fish midday were pretty much the norm. This coming week it looks like the temperatures will be much warmer, but with that comes another hurdle to get around: Fog will likely happen with the water cool and the temperatures warmer. You need to be extra-extra careful in the fog.

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These fluctuating temperatures also put the fish in a weird pattern. The bite should stay good. The fish typically feed more in warmer temps in preparation for the eventual winter. We have begun seeing a good many redfish back in the ponds, so that is always a fun sight casting in that shallow water. On days when the wind is not blowing, the water is pretty and clean, with very good visibility.
 

Kevin Jacobi from Diamondhead with another nice redfish.

 
Plan to keep moving around until you find the good bite. A lot of the go-to spots we typically fish this time of year have been running hot and cold. You will get on a great bite one day, and then a weather front comes through, making the temperatures warmer or colder. You come back a day or two later and don’t get a bite. It is frustrating, but not uncommon.
 

Richard from Arkansas with a nice redfish on a chilly trip out of Bayou Caddy.

 
The cold snap definitely made for some good trout fishing in the deeper holes. The guys trolling or slow-jigging soft plastics or even Carolina-rigged live baits have been doing well, nearshore. Hopefully, the big sheepsheads are here for the winter. They have been a nice treat on slower days or days when we just want to close our trip with a big bite.
 

Cara York from Diamondhead with a huge sheepshead she caught south of Bay St Louis.

 
The federal red snapper season remains open until the end of December. Like any of the fishing we do, you must get lucky with a good forecast. The trips that Captain Alex has taken on the new big Freeman catamaran have all been very successful.
 
Merry Christmas everyone!

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