Marsh & Bayou’s
Fishing Forecast
Lake
Pontchartrain
by Chas Champagne
DockSide TV / Matrix Shad
985-707-9049
[email protected]
The time of year most Gulf Coast anglers dread the
most is here upon us now. From late February to early March
is just about as tough as it gets for chasing speckled trout
and red fish in our areas. What this time of year is great for is
Slinging Slabs. Thats right, the time is now if you are a crappie enthusiast, and if your not I suggest you try it. In my
opinion it is one of the most entertaining fish to chase in the
south. If peaceful fishing is what you enjoy this is for you. If
your a catch and hot grease type of angler this is the best
table fare you will find. Sacalait fillets make the best deep
south dish our waters have to offer. If you have never chased
the white perch it can be quite challenging. They are very
easy to catch but very difficult to find. They ball up in very
tight schools. You can go three hours without a nibble then
catch them until you are flat tired of it once you find that
magical brush pile or cypress tree holding the nest.
This is a peak time of year to target them as they are either
just about to spawn or on the beds in the shallows crushing
everything that moves. Well if you are wondering what types
of lures to use there are plenty to try. Here at DockSide Bait
and Tackle, home of the Matrix Shad, we designed the perfect miniature swim bait that these pan fish seem to devour,
the “Matrix Mini.” The Matrix Mini is an exact replica of the
well known Matrix Shad and it is a Crappie killer. It swims just
like a small minnow in the water and that just happens to be
one of a crappie’s favorite dishes.
Where do you find this intriguing freshwater species?
Well many places is the answer. The one thing you have to
avoid is salt water. These delicate fish are fresh water only.
Hurricane Katrina really put a damper on them but with recent years of flooded rivers and bayous from the last few
rainy years they are making a strong come
back. From the Tchefuncta River all the way to
the East Pearl River and all the bayous in between, makes the North Shore of Lake
Pontchartrain is a great place to start. For you
South Shore anglers try from Bayou Black all
the way to the Lake Boeuf area and all fresh
water canals in between there.
Here, the DockSide TV crew will go through
anything to find the slabs. We will tow the Andros just about anywhere. If we can’t get in an
area with the big boat we will even pull Jon
Boats through acres of woods and brush to get
14
March 2016 www.marshandbayou.com
to that magical lake or pond if need be. What ever and
where ever it takes. How to find them? Well they are tricky to
find and we are learning new tricks everyday. Cover a lot of
water is key. They pile up so you have to find that special
zone they are favoring. If it’s in the colder of months you will
find them deep. When that is the case we switch to a 1/8 oz
mini Jig with a Matrix Mini attached. Brush, snags and structure is crucial, but if there is not much visual brush and we
are fishing a deeper lake
in 15-20′ of water we will
drift the middle of the
lake especially in the winter months and simply
troll like we do for trout
in Lake Pontchartrain.
They love to use cover to
their advantage and they
always look up, so when
your jig is falling be looking for a strike. If you find
the right structure or
brush pile don’t avoid a
cork. Even in deep water
a cork can be very effective. When they decide
to go into reproduction
mode which is generally
late February look for
them to move up to the
shallows and really get
active and easier to
catch. When this takes
place we simply attach a
spinner blade to our Matrix Mini on a 1/16 oz Mini Golden
Eye cover ground and find the beds where they are doing
there spawning ritual. The point is put your big poles up get
you some mini spins and push buttons and chase down this
beloved fish.
Until Next Time
Good Fishin’
Mississippi
Coast
by Alex Smith
www.alexsmithfishing.com
Fishing has been hit and miss the past few
months. One day the conditions are perfect and
the next, a cold front moves in and pushes the
water temps down 10 degrees. Luckily the end is
in sight. Fishing is slowly starting to pick back up
along the MS coast. Water temperatures are back
up in the mid 50’s and steadily climbing. The
speckled trout are on the move, heading out of
the protected estuaries and back into
the gulf. In order to
increase your odds,
fish around the
mouths of bays and
near shore structure.
Inshore reefs and
harbors along the
beach front are producing coolers full
of trout. Make sure
that you have 6-10 ft
of water since the
bait is still holding
low in the water column. Since the
trout are still feeding predominately
on bait fish, Matrix
Shad’s glow paired
with a GoldenEye ¼
oz jig head is the
best combination.
Tightlining Egret
Baits Vudu shrimp is preforming equally well. For
those of you targeting bigger trout, try a Paul
Brown original in chartreuse, remembering to work
it slow. Once the water reaches 65 degrees, the
trout bite will be in full swing. Hopefully you will
be filling the box before you know it. Tight lines!
For more fishing tips on targeting inshore trophy fish, visit my Facebook page Alex Smith Fishing. My blogs are also available on my website
http://www.alexsmithfishing.com. For all questions contact me at (228)-669-2317 or email [email protected].