Shore Thing Fishing Report, 1/3/2024

January 3, 2024

Hot fishing in January? Believe it! The New Year had brought many surprises, including great weather, lots of baitfish, and excellent fishing.
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- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Sidney and Jerold with two of the many redfish they caught fishing out of Bayou Caddy.

Happy New Year! Our guides fished right on into 2024. Yes, we have had some chilly mornings, so we have been leaving later in the day. The conditions and fishing have been fabulous. The water is still a pretty clean color, and the bait is still around. Hopefully these conditions will carry on well into the new year.

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The author and his wife, Stephanie, enjoying a New Year's Day redfish bonanza near Ansely, MS.

 
We are still seeing speckled trout here and there in Lake Borgne and the Louisiana Marsh. However, the temperature, winds, and steady bite has kept us focused mainly on sheepshead and redfish. The sheepshead bellies have been full of barnacles and mussels. The redfish are packed full of shrimp.
 
If we find areas full of “rat” reds (undersized fish), we are staying put. The bigger fish have been nearby – we just tag and release the smaller fish. Whatever bait we are using, we try to use the largest ones we have to get the bigger fish to bite.

Todd Torguson and Bill York after a great New Year's Eve Day trip for big sheepshead and speckled trout from the Louisiana Marsh.

 
Our main focus has been playing the colder winds. Whichever direction the winds are blowing, we are doing everything we can to hide. Tide has also played a huge role in where we are going. The ultra-low water we had between Christmas and New Year left many areas we like to fish high and dry.
 
After that, it’s about finding structure. Bridges, piers, reefs, and/or shells are where we have been finding the best fishing. Of course, having moving water and baitfish (shrimp, mullet, etc.) is the icing on the cake.
 

Austin and Jeff Todd down from Ohio with “keeper and release”-sized redfish, caught near Heron Bay.

 
Truth be told, we haven’t seen fishing this good in January in a while, so we are just enjoying it while we can. Hopefully, these conditions and fish will continue for the next several weeks.
 
You definitely need to be extra-cautious with the weather conditions. Bundle up, leave later, and let somebody know where you’re going and when you’re going to return. Go have some fun, and make this year your best one ever.
 

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