When February rolls around, anglers in the vicinity of Mobile Bay know that it’s getting very close to springtime, and the fish will start really getting active. We’ve had a very mild winter so far this year, so we may be having even an earlier spring than usual.
February is a good time to get after both reds and specks in the feeder streams of the Mobile Bay system. Creeks and bayous on both sides of Mobile Bay will have plenty of fish in the deeper holes, and anglers will do well to fish the bends of the feeder streams where the water is somewhat deeper.
On the West Side of Mobile Bay, all of the creeks will be good in February, but I really like to fish Fowl River in this month. There’s a good marina and launch ramps at the new bridge which crosses Fowl River on Dauphin Island Parkway, and this launch facility allows anglers to reach all parts of Fowl River with a short run.
For both specks and reds in February on Fowl River, I like to throw soft plastic jigs on 1⁄4 to 3/8 oz. lead heads. I work these jigs fairly slowly- the fish are still not in an active chase mood yet. I like to fish a moving tide if possible, and I seem to have better results when the water is moving. Just bump the jig across the bottom, and give the specks and reds plenty of time to find and eat the lure. GULP scented bodies can be good when the fish are being really slow.
I catch some pretty good specks in February throwing Mirr-O-lures when the fish are chasing mullet or bull minnows. When the water starts to warm later in the month, the specks will be more active, and some good trout will jump on a Mirr-O- lure worked slowly over oysterbeds in the rivers and out in the bay.
When it is possible to get live bait, we catch lots of fish by slow trolling both shrimp and finger mullet. Basically, I just let the live bait out behind my boat and let the current take me downstream over the deeper holes. I try to keep my bait on the bottom, so I have to adjust the weight used to match the current and the water depth. Sometimes the February specks and reds knock the bait hard when they take it, but other days it’s just a soft tap or a heavy weight on the line. I use my trolling motor to hold my position over the best water- this usually means the
deepest water in a particular stretch. Speaking of live bait, if I can get either live shrimp or fiddler crabs, I catch a lot of sheepshead around bridge pilings and other deeper structure. There are some wrecks in Mobile Bay which get loaded with sheepshead in late winter/early spring, and if I can get live shrimp or fiddlers, I can fill
up an ice chest quickly.
To book a trip, contact Captain Yano Serra Speck-Tackle-Lure Inshore Charter Service at 251-610-0462 or www.specktacklelure.com