The month of March is truly one of the most anticipated transition months for anglers here in south Mississippi. Anglers can look for fish to migrate out of the coastal rivers into the lower bays, as well as fish traveling form the gulf’s warmer waters into our coastal bays and Mississippi Sound. Local anglers know full well that the invasion of sand sea trout aka “white trout” and southern kingfish aka “ground mullet” is about to begin, and once it starts it will be an ongoing fish catching spree for most of the year. There are no limits on these two species, and when it comes to a fish fry their fillets are some of the finest on the planet. For the most part simple bottom rigs sporting a one-ounce weight, and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook will easily catch these tasty bottom dwellers. Cut squid, mullet, and croaker are excellent baits. Of course live shrimp or menhaden fished either on the bottom or under a popping cork is killer on the white trout too. Many anglers fish two hooks on their rigs, and reeling in two fish at a time is a blast. Look for fish to begin showing up on the White House Reef, Katrina Reef, Keesler Reef, Gulf Park Estates Reef, and Bellefontaine Reef just to name a few.
Look for redfish, black drum, and sheepshead to really heat up around the bridges and wrecks too. Speckled trout will be moving back down into the lower regions of the bays as well and if the weather stays mild the front beach will begin to give up trout.
Another popular fish during this transition month is flounder. Tipping jigs with a piece of cut bait or a lively bull minnow and slowly bouncing the tipped jigs along the bottom should produce great results.
Barrier islands will be on fire with spawning sheepshead, along with big redfish and black drum, and even some early runs of Florida pompano. Again, much of this fishing hinges on how mild our weather remains, and a late season cold blast could possibly put a damper on how good these early runs of fish may be. However, by the end of March look for fishing to be quite interesting, and plenty of excellent fishing rumors to be heard around the docks.
Capt. Robert L. Brodie
TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS
(228) 392-7660
teambrodiecharters.com
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