[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ay is my favorite month for fishing in and around Mobile Bay. We can catch fish in shallow water all day and slide into deep water to find fish as well. Dixie Bar should hold good numbers of bull redfish through June until the water really warms up. The beach bite will turn on this month which is my favorite way to catch Speckled Trout.
Our spring was a little late this year so things are behind a few weeks in my opinion. We have also had an extreme amount of rain which doesn’t make things any easier. The main things I look for when fishing these conditions is to find clean fishable water and I like to see lots of bait in the area. The presence of mullet is key and menhaden are a close second. If I pull up to an area and I don’t see mullet pushing or jumping I usually do not waste my time trying to fish. I find this to be true with Trout and Redfish. Happy jumping mullet is a great way to locate a school of Trout or Redfish in shallow water.
It’s never too early to get out and try to start finding Trout around deep water structure in May. They are always there before you know it. It may take a few weeks for the muddy water to clean up in the bay but once the water cleans up it will be on around any structure in Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound. A free lined croaker or a live shrimp under a slip cork is the best tactic to target these species. The beach is my favorite place to fish in the summer. You have to pick your days for fishing the beach because too much surf can muddy the water and make it impossible to anchor. I like finding a hole or trough to fish the edges of with a live croaker free lined or under a cork. Usually if there are fish there, it doesn’t take long to figure it out because they are very aggressive while feeding in the surf. Topwaters and hard baits are also a great way to get after these fish. Be sure to keep your livewell in order to keep your baits alive and frisky.