| Outdoors |
Seeing red(fish) helps cure anglers’ winter blues
B
y February, most hunting seasons have ended or soon will. West of Mobile Bay, the marshes bordering Mississippi Sound Many sportsmen stay home in February, keeping warm by near Bayou La Batre frequently produce good redfish action. the fireplace while waiting for the coming spring fishing During the winter, spot-tails get in the deeper bayou as well as action. the West Fowl River and other streams flowing out of the marshBut nothing cures the winter blues like line-stretching action es. During cold days, look for sunny spots with shell bottoms that with a reel-screeching bull redfish on the other end. Cold weathmight hold more heat. er doesn’t bother redfish as much as it does speckled trout and Anglers can also fish the Perdido River delta near the Alaother salty species, especially the big bulls. In fact, cold water can bama-Florida line at Orange Beach. Rocky or concrete jetties at concentrate redfish in certain areas, making them easier to catch Perdido Pass and similar structures make ideal places to catch during the winter. bull reds. The hard structures absorb solar heat and radiate that “(Redfish) are very hardy fish and can also tolerate more flucwarmth into the water. Jetties also make excellent hiding places tuations in the salinity levels. We catch redfish in a multitude for crabs, baitfish and shrimp. The Dixey Bar at the southern end of places during the winter,” says of Mobile Bay can provide outcharter captain Andrew Carter of standing action for bull reds. Spanish Fort. During the winter, most anWhen cold weather hits the glers tempt reds with natural baits coast, redfish often seek deeper on the bottom. A live cocahoe canals, holes and channels where or mud minnow also makes an they can find more comfortable, excellent winter temptation. On stable temperatures. Anglers who a bare jighead, hook a minnow find redfish holes in the winter can through its lips and out the nosusually continue catching spottrils. Drag it very slowly along the tails until the weather changes. bottom, pausing periodically. Just Mobile Bay averages about 12 to the natural frantic wiggling of the 14 feet deep, but much of it runs minnow should provide enough considerably shallower. Large enticement for a cold, hungry redsandbars and mudflats dot many fish to attack. areas, particularly on the north“In winter, live or dead bait ern end of the bay near the Mobile doesn’t make much of a difference Causeway, which connects Mobecause when redfish are hungry, bile to Spanish Fort. However, the they’ll eat about anything,” Carter Mobile Ship Channel gives redfish says. “People catch a lot of redfish abundant deep water. Lined with with fresh, dead shrimp fished on docks and other structures, the the bottom.” channel and associated waters For bulls, use heavy tackle. also give redfish great places to Hook on a live mullet or cut baitambush bait. fish into steaks or strips. A whole The Theodore Canal runs about crab also makes a great offering 40 feet deep and enters the westfor bulls. Crack the top shell so Bobby Abruscato with A-Team Fishing Adventures shows off a ern side of Mobile Bay near Gail- redfish he caught while fishing in the Mobile Bay area of south succulent juices ooze out. Anglers lard Island. People can also find Alabama. Redfish can tolerate cold water better than speckled could also break crabs in half to redfish in the deep turning basin trout and other fish so they stay more active in the winter. make two baits. PHOTO COURTESY OF A-TEAM FISHING ADVENTURES near Magazine Point and in othWhile most people use natural er holes. Fish also venture up baits in the winter, redfish also hit the deeper rivers of the lower Mobile-Tensaw Delta and other lures. A jighead tipped with a soft-plastic trailer hopped along the streams flowing into Mobile Bay. bottom can work. Also try slow-rolling spoons or spinnerbaits “In the winter, bait comes out of the marshes so many redfish just off the bottom. move into the lower parts of the deeper rivers to intercept any“If we can’t get any shrimp, we start throwing soft plastics,” thing coming out of the delta,” Carter says. Carter says. “One of my favorites is a Matrix Shad. Since most of the shrimp left the rivers and marshes, redfish feed more heavily upon finfish. Therefore, anything that looks like a finfish is generJohn N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in ally pretty good for redfish in the winter.” Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Fishing in the winter takes patience, but in the right place, anTalk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@ hotmail.com or through Facebook. glers can warm themselves with great action. Bites might come in spurts, but when redfish prowl, things can get crazy fast.
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www.alabamaliving.coop
1/19/22 3:24 PM
