Winter is here and November was the coldest I remember. The water temps are is the 50’s. The causeway still has some salty water, but it won’t be long until the causeway flushes for the winter. Until it does, we are still catching some trout in the rivers north of the causeway. Drifting down the river, dragging a soft plastic on a 1/4oz or 3/8oz jig head is the way to go. My favorite is motor oil, but the purple/chartreuse or root beer/chartreuse have been picking up some of the bigger fish. A High Tide natural shrimp also is very effective. Reds are also hanging around close to the banks. I cast jigs or spinner baits as well as Mirrolures as I pass a creek where it flows into the rivers on the causeway. A hard hit and some line ripping off my reel lets me know that I found a red instead of trout.
Once the causeway flushes, the bait fish will head for 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 and let the bait do the work.
