Fishing -- or more accurately, catching -- has been extra tough these past three weeks, making it a challenge for my fishing team and me to produce enough fish and video to tape my weekly “Fishin' Game” episodes.
And the story is the same regardless of where you go fishing: Lake Pontchartrain, Golden Meadow, Lafitte, the Rigolets, the Chef, Delacroix, Shell Beach, Buras and all points in-between.
“It's all been due to our weather conditions here lately,” Capt. Kenny Keeger, my Pontchartrain fishing guide, explained Thursday morning as we scouted canal after pond after lagoon in search of something that was willing to bite.
“Of course, all that's fixin' to change come spring. Until then, though, you, and me, and every other fishermen need to know how to hedge our bets when it comes to us putting a wintertime limit in our ice chests.”
The litany of “rules” is as follows:
1—Concentrate on deep water areas where temperatures will be slightly warmer than the surroundings—fish prefer water in the mid to high-60’s range to get them active.
2—Find the cleanest water you can find, except when you’re fishing only for redfish and drum (which tolerate muddy or murky water better than any other species.)
3—Fish on the bottom with Carolina rigs. Water on the bottom is always warmer—cooler water stays closer to the top. In winter, fish look for warm water.
4—Don’t be a finicky fisherman! At certain times of year you can profess to be a “artificial purist,” shunning anything that closely resembles natural bait. But in winter, you’ll need to fish every kind of bait there is, from artificials to market shrimp to live Cocahoes to live shrimp to cracked crab and anything else that appears edible to a fish.
5—Plot your trips primarily to pipeline and dead-end canals, to shallow marsh ponds that usually double as duck ponds, to inside reef areas, to practically every structured shoreline that holds promise of fish.
6—And check the charts and weather forecasts—fish prime feeding times according to the meteorological predictions. In short, you will definitely need a plan of attack if you intend to put fish in the boat.
“Frank, be sure to tell your readers to check with the local boys before heading out on a whim,” Kenny noted. “It’s the local fishermen who know what changes from day to day and who can help you avoid a bad trip by bringing you up to speed on the most recent catches.
“But under no circumstances should sports fishermen pass on wintertime fishing! Aside from a little wind and some chilling temps, winter angling is relaxing and usually very productive if you follow the tips above. There are generally no crowds, which means easy availability to live bait, anytime access to boat launches, uncrowded marinas, and minimal fishing pressure, which generally means more opportunity for you to do a significant amount of catching!
“All you really need is good quality winter clothing. Serious anglers usually shop for these at the specialized ski shops.”
And that’s the picture in a nutshell. The high-paced action won’t resume again until, say, mid to late April. But there’s lots of good fishing to be had up until then. . .at a cost of nothing more than a good coat and maybe a pair of “long-johns.”
Next week, we’re waiving “The Fishin’ Game Report” in favor of the Saint’s appearance and participation in the SuperBowl (most of our staff—especially our videographers will be in Miami). But until the following week, base your fishing decisions on the statistics I posted for you this week. I doubt seriously that anything will change that drastically and you should have no trouble catch a few fish if you follow these suggestions.
So. . .until week after next, “Go Saints.” And tight lines and good times to ya!
Frank Davis
