Page 53 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2023

Winter Fishing Brings Challenges & Rewards
Many sportsmen semi-hibernate in February, sitting next to their heaters or fireplaces waiting for warmer days to come. However, the Mississippi Coast can provide great fishing action all year long, even on the coldest days.
Redfish, sheepshead and black drum can tolerate cold and usually stay more active during the winter than
most other species. If water temperatures remain above freezing, speckled trout also stay active during the winter. Sometimes, anglers catch their biggest trout all year on the coldest days.
When water temperatures drop significantly, many
fish head for deeper water in the Mississippi Sound or venture up coastal streams like the channels in the Pearl or Pascagoula river deltas or Bayou Caddy. Deeper water stays more stable and relatively comfortable all year long. Powerful currents scour deep holes in these channels. Fish commonly congregate in large numbers in these holes. If
Daniel Felsher showing off a Red Fish.
anglers can find a good hole, they might land a load of fish quickly without moving the boat.
Hard objects like rock or concrete jetties, dock or bridge pilings and reefs absorb solar heat and radiate that energy into the water column. To a cold-blooded fish, a change of just one or two degrees in water temperature could make a huge difference. Often, big fish hold tight against such hard objects. Rocks, blocks and pilings also attract crabs, baitfish, shrimp or other morsels that larger fish love to eat.
When temperatures turn super frosty, cold-blooded fish become lethargic. To make fish bite, anglers almost need to knock fish on the head with something too irresistible to ignore that doesn’t require much energy to catch.
During the coldest days, redfish regularly hunker down in the mud to keep warm and don’t want to move.
Hook a live minnow on a jighead and toss it to a marshy shoreline or other structure. Slowly drag it along the bottom, pausing periodically to let the natural frantic wiggling of the minnow provide enticement. Even the most lethargic trout or redfish can’t resist a minnow struggling right in front of its nose. A wriggling minnow might also entice hungry flounder, sheepshead, drum and other species.
Sheepshead and drum always prefer natural over artificial baits. They relish shrimp, crabs and fish. For giant reds and drum, use a whole blue crab. For more bites, remove the top shell of a crab and break the body in half to make two baits. Fish these baits right on the bottom in a deep hole. For sheepshead, try shrimp or a smaller piece of crab dropped next to pilings or other hard structures.
During the winter, live or fresh baits probably work better than artificials for specks, reds and most other
salty species, but live or fresh bait can become difficult
to obtain in the winter. Therefore, anglers must throw artificials. Suspending or slow-sinking lures work
great during cold weather. These buoyant baits hover seductively in the water, daring trout and redfish to attack them. These lures require little action, but considerable patience. Just let it sink slowly and naturally. Occasionally, give it a little twitch.
Fishing on brutally cold days takes extreme patience, but in the right place, anglers can warm themselves quickly with great action. Just keep experimenting to see what works best that day. If the chosen species doesn’t bite, perhaps something else will.
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