OT: Where to Redfish / Speck fish on the Miss Gulf Coast

Bulldog Bruce

All-Conference
Nov 1, 2007
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My wife and I are planning a trip and one option is to go to the Miss Coast and use my 18ft aluminum bass boat and try to do some Redfish / Trout / Flounder type fishing. Don't expect to go offshore. Where is the better places within Miss? Where is a launch ramp(s)? What time should we look to go for success?

Should be look to Louisiana, Alabama or Florida instead?
 

FreeDawg

Senior
Oct 6, 2010
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The weather isn't great with the wind. 2 things before you start. Your boat isn't very heavy and doesn't have a deep V so the weather is crucial. Our families boat stays at Bay Marina. Not sure about how they allow people to ramp launch but they are great people with gas,bait, and licenses on site.

Now the spots. Our best spots for redfish and trout are cat island (smugglers cove on south side of island) and the LA marshes which is approx 8 miles southwest from the bay st Louis with cat being about 6 to the southeast. We primarily fish those 2 spots.

This time of year the weather is generally worse and we don't go out there as much. When the weather isn't ideal we fish the bay bridge on the bottom. Right now the fishing here is good for white trout, sheeps head, drum, and the occasional redfish. Last weekend the wind was awful so we fished some holes (20-25 ft deep spots) in the marsh on the mouth of the Jordan River and Bay St Louis.

The biggest thing I can stress to your fun is not getting beat to death by a rough ocean. We have a 24 ft deep V fiber glass boat that weighs 3000+ lbs and we are careful where we go this time of year because the weather and wind can switch rapidly and make for a rough day. Anyway, enjoy and tear em up!
 

FreeDawg

Senior
Oct 6, 2010
3,745
405
68
The weather isn't great with the wind. 2 things before you start. Your boat isn't very heavy and doesn't have a deep V so the weather is crucial. Our families boat stays at Bay Marina. Not sure about how they allow people to ramp launch but they are great people with gas,bait, and licenses on site.

Now the spots. Our best spots for redfish and trout are cat island (smugglers cove on south side of island) and the LA marshes which is approx 8 miles southwest from the bay st Louis with cat being about 6 to the southeast. We primarily fish those 2 spots.

This time of year the weather is generally worse and we don't go out there as much. When the weather isn't ideal we fish the bay bridge on the bottom. Right now the fishing here is good for white trout, sheeps head, drum, and the occasional redfish. Last weekend the wind was awful so we fished some holes (20-25 ft deep spots) in the marsh on the mouth of the Jordan River and Bay St Louis.

The biggest thing I can stress to your fun is not getting beat to death by a rough ocean. We have a 24 ft deep V fiber glass boat that weighs 3000+ lbs and we are careful where we go this time of year because the weather and wind can switch rapidly and make for a rough day. Anyway, enjoy and tear em up!
 

starkvegasdawg

Redshirt
Dec 1, 2011
1,316
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I have an uncle that goes down 2-3 times a year and he goes somewhere in La. I am not sure exactly where but it is very close to where the MS empties into the Gulf. I remember him telling that one time they crossed where the river emptied and his depth finder went from 5' to 500' almost instantly. They mostly stay back in the tidal marshes where it is not very deep at all and they almost always limit out. They have caught a few flounder but mainly it is red fish.
 

Bulldog Bruce

All-Conference
Nov 1, 2007
4,349
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I am probably not going to go until April / May when hopefully the weather will be more stable.

I grew up fishing the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean so I know it take much more boat than mine to handle any white caps or more.
 

JabbatheGut1

Redshirt
Aug 12, 2010
276
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We limit out on reds and catch a good amount of specs...its a guided deal but for 200 bucks to show up and catch fish, its worth it. The guide is a great dude too...outfit is called Delta Dawn.
 

Tds & Beer

Redshirt
Jan 26, 2010
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Bulldog Bruce said:
My wife and I are planning a trip and one option is to go to the Miss Coast and use my 18ft aluminum bass boat and try to do some Redfish / Trout / Flounder type fishing. Don't expect to go offshore. Where is the better places within Miss? Where is a launch ramp(s)? What time should we look to go for success?

Should be look to Louisiana, Alabama or Florida instead?
 

Coast Dawg

Redshirt
Feb 28, 2008
364
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0
If you are interested in staying in the Biloxi / Ocean Springs area, let me know. The fishing will be drastically better and more consistant in May. Ideally you will want to fish between May 15th through the end of the month due to the tide / moon phase. Depending on where you stay, I will tell you exactly where to launch, what to fish with and where to fish in your aluminum boat for specs, reds, flounder, black drum, white trout, ground mullet, etc...
 

IslandDog

Redshirt
Feb 13, 2010
9
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0
www.bullnettlenews.com and click on the "Forum" link then "Mississippi Fishing SALTWATER Forum". You'll find all of the latest fishing news on the Mississippi Coast, where they are biting, and what they are bitingas reported bylocal fisherman.
 

Coast Dawg

Redshirt
Feb 28, 2008
364
0
0
if you go to Louisiana or Mississippi and are interested, I can reccomend some great charter captains. I would strongly suggest this in LA if you have never fished there before.
 

State82

Redshirt
Feb 27, 2008
1,130
0
36
the Dularge area south of Houma. Lake DeCade, Lake Mechant, Lost Lake and all the interconnected marsh in that entire area. Now, keep in mind, you need to be aware of where you are running to keep from getting high and dry. GPS would be an excellent idea to make sure you don't get lost. For reds, summer is the best down there. Specks won't be too good that far inland during the late spring/summer.
 

Uncle Ruckus

All-Conference
Apr 1, 2011
13,232
3,642
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black drum are tearing it up. you'll also catch an ok amount of reds there too, maybe some trout. i've been twice recently and caught plenty of black drum and a good bit of reds. the only thing i don't like about blacks are that youll get some full of worms. we use to have a camp in empire, la before katrina wrecked that ****. we'd go for a weekend and have our limit on specs and reds the first day so we'd skin and filet them that way we could catch more in case we got caught. really miss that place. planning on going on to the islands next weekend and try to get into some reds, they were hitting there pretty hard last weekend.