Capt. Dan Kolenich
Winter is here and it’s as cold as any winter that I can remember. The water temps are is the 50’s. This should be the coldest we’ll see this year. Likewise, the fishing is as slow as it will be until the middle of the summer. Bait fish have headed for the deeper water to keep warm and that’s where you have to go to find specs and reds. At least until the weather starts to warm-up. On cooler days, look in the deeper parts of the creeks that flow into Mobile Bay like Bon Secour River, Fish River, Magnolia River, Dog River, Fowl River, and the Theodore Industrial Canal. Explore the small creeks in these rivers especially where the creeks flow into these rivers. On warmer days look near the banks close to deeper water. Work your bait slow and expect bites to be soft and slow. Live or dead shrimp on a carolina rig on the bottom are a good bet. If you’re fishing artificial bait, my favorites are a Mirrolure Glad Shad or High Tide Shrimp soft plastic on a jig head. I start with a white/chartreuse, root beer/chartreuse, chartreuse/red, or natural shrimp rigged on a 3/8 oz jig head and if they don’t go for that I go home and come back the next day.
If you find a calm day and want to head into the gulf, the near shore rigs are a good bet as well as Sand Island Lighthouse and Dixie Bar for Bull Reds. Send a live croaker or pin fish to the bottom at these places and let the bait do the work.
Stay warm and watch the weather, springtime is just around the corner. I can’t wait.
Capt. Dan Kolenich
info@captdankolenich.com
251-422-3474