Anglers have protection from the cold wind and these waters are safety zones — there’s no open water to make spray, and a dry angler is a happy angler in January.
BENEFITS OF THE BAYOUS
Yano Serra has guided on the waters of the Mobile Bay system for more than 20 years, and he always smiles when he speaks of January fishing for redfish in the creeks and bayous. “The creeks and bayous are good places to go when it’s cold,” he says. “Anglers have protection from the cold wind and these waters are safety zones — there’s no open water to make spray, and a dry angler is a happy angler in January. Most importantly, these creeks and bayous are very pro- ductive for reds because that’s where they are in winter!” For anglers targeting the small feed-
er streams which run into Mobile Bay, Serra recommends fishing shallow water on sunny days simply because it warms faster. Look for shell bottoms and any sort of structure like stumps that can radiate heat down into the water. Ledges in the deeper holes will hold crabs and reds will root through the mud after them leaving tell-tale streaks. Live shrimp, which is standard fare during most of the year for redfish, can
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be very hard to find in January. Agood alternative are scented, soft artificial jig bodies on weedless large-gap swimbait hooks. This rig will allow anglers to fish very, very slowly in thick structure without constantly getting hung up.
Although most anglers seeking Mobile Bay’s winter-time creek
redfish use conven- tional tackle, this is also a good
venue for fly fishing.
“Fish it really slow,” Serra advises. “When I bump some structure, I let it sit and it is usually when I hop it off the structure that the reds will take it.” Anglers should consult a reliable tide chart when planning a winter red- fishing trip on the Mobile Bay waters. Redfish bite better when the tide is moving at any time of the year, but this is especially true in winter. Prime
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time to be on the water is during either incoming or outgoing tides.
When asked how a stranger to the Mobile Bay feeder stream system can locate redfish, Serra recommends using a trolling motor and carefully examin- ing boat docks, oyster shell beds, and other structure. One sign for winter- time redfish anglers to key on is sharp bends in the creeks and rivers. Anglers will find that the outside of the bend will have the deepest holes. The slight- est change in water depth can add a precious degree or two to water tem- perature, and on cold days the reds will be in the deepest water they can find. Although most anglers seeking Mobile Bay’s winter-time creek redfish use conventional tackle, this is also a good venue for fly fishing. When the reds are stacked up in the deeper holes of creeks and bayous, they are much easier to locate and present with a fly. Sinking flies which resemble shrimp or crabs are very effective, and flies should have some sparkle to attract attention. Red, orange and gold are solid basic colors for redfish flies.
Serra laughs when asked if it ever TIDE
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