Shore Thing Fishing Report, 12/6/2023

December 6, 2023

With late fall's unpredictable winds, charter captains are staying closer to shore. As it turns out, so are the fish!
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- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Richard Stitch with a beautiful redfish he caught near Bay St Louis.

We're trying to keep one eye on the weather, man, and one eye on the fish. The weather calls all the shots this time of year. We are doing everything we can to get out, and when we get out, the fishing has been very good. There are some days, though, where the rain, thunderstorms, and rough conditions makes it just not worth it.

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Kylie, Kate, and Khloe Lafointaine with two huge sheepshead they caught near Heron Bay.

 
We have done far more near-shore trips than Louisiana marsh trips this past week or so, but the near-shore fishing has still been pretty steady. The big tide swings have been dynamite for redfish and white trout. Usually, the deeper holes have been where we start. Louisiana flounder season is open again, so that’s a good thing.
 

Dr Randy Green with a perfect-sized redfish he caught fishing out of Bayou Caddy.

 
Remember also that Louisiana’s new speckled trout regulations went into effect last month. You are allowed to keep 15 fish per person. Speckled trout have to be 13 inches minimum, and you are allowed to keep only two fish over 20 inches. On the days we have gotten into the speckled trout down south, size and bag limits really have not been an issue. We have just been keeping what we need and moving on.
 

Capt. Blaine Donner with a nice speckled trout he caught on a fly rod in the Louisiana Marsh south of Waveland.

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Right now, the sheepshead, redfish, and puppy drum have been very good. If you need fillets for a big group, the other species have definitely helped feed the masses. Speaking of sheepshead, some of the fish we are seeing have been gigantic! It’s unusual to see this many big sheeps this early and in this close. We are guessing the salty water pushed them in early this year.
 
Unless the weather is picture-perfect, we will most likely focus our efforts on near-shore fishing in MS waters for the next few weeks. First, the weather is unpredictable at times, and second, because of the consistent bite close to shore. The short runs on chilly days are a much welcome gift, also.

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