Capt. Dan Kolenich
The causeway has been off and on this summer. Water temps are in the upper 80’s. The saltwater has had problems getting into the delta. The daily rain in June, July, and August are to blame. That means a less than average year for the flounder on Tensaw Point, reds on the causeway, and trout in their summer time hideouts on Mobile River.
To find some flounder look on the points in the delta. A bull minnow on a Carolina rig is your best bet. Soft plastics on a 1/4 or 3/8 oz jig head will also produce some of the flat fish. I like a High Tide natural shrimp on a red head.
Reds are moving in and out of the causeway. Docks and the edges of cuts and the rivers in the delta are their hangouts this fall. Try a live shrimp on a Carolina rig or soft plastic on a jig head in three to five feet of water. I like High Tide natural shrimp or white/chartreuse shrimp on a 1/4 oz head. For a swimming minnow plastic, chartreuse/red, root beer/chartreuse, clear with gold or green glitter are all colors to make sure you have before you leave the dock. Of course, if you are drifting the flats a Hildebrandt spinner bait is my favorite.
Trout are all hiding in the deep water during the day. With all the rain this year, the rigs at the southern end of the bay have produced the best fish. Look for them early in the morning when the sun is coming up. Shallow docks and points are the places they go to feed then retreat to the deeper water nearby after the sun comes up. Live shrimp on popping corks, soft plastics on jig heads, and Mirrolure 32m in glad chad and Catch Jr. are my favorite plugs.
Summer will soon be coming to an end. By the end of the month, our first cold front should move thru. That means cooler water and better fishing as fall arrives to the delta, as long as the rains come to an end.
Capt. Dan Kolenich
info@captdankolenich.com
251-422-3474