By Frank Davis
Posted Saturday, December 31, 2005
 E-mail this page  Printer-friendly page
This week I'm here to tell you, "Get a map of Shell Beach, find Stump Lagoon, then ask directions at Campo's Marina on exactly how to get there!" Cuz that's where some of the hottest speckled trout action is going on right now!
One other thing you need to know. Not only are the fish biting, so are the mosquitoes and the gnats. Bring along a lot of bug dope. This stuff will be as essential as you multiple rods and reels! Don't say you haven't been forewarned!! "Yeah, but it's not what you'd expect for wintertime fishing," host Kenny Campo, at Campo's Marina at Shell Beach, meticiously explained. "We're still catching speckled trout like it was mid-June and mid-July. That's because winter this year fell during Christmas week--remember, we got some snow out of it? Anyway, right after that week the temperature began rising around, sorta like we were in the middle of summertime. And instantaneously the fish began acting and reacting like it really was summer. They spread out in the ponds and lagoons instead of clustering together in the pipelines and deadends; the went back to feeding on the top (or at least near the top) instead of in the deep holes in the bayous and canals. And they took practically any bait that was pitched to them!"
"We're talking plastic, live shrimp, live Cocahoes, market bait--whatever!" Capt. Johnny Nunez chimed in. "I don't think that there's been two consecutive days where we've used the same bait in succession. Monday they took market bait; Tuesday they wanted chartreuse split-tail beetles; Wednesday they wouldn't look twice if it wasn't live Cocahoes. That kind of thing makes fishing a real challenge for a serious angler because, as Kenny said earlier, you can't establish a workable pattern, and you potentially can't count on fishing one set pattern over another. You never know what it's gonna be or what they're gonna wanna eat from day to day!"
Of course, since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, let me paint you the picture you'll need to glance over if you want to catch 'em on a regular basis:
1--Bring along on every trip (and use whenever necessary) artificial bait, fresh market bait, or live bait (specifically Cocahoe minnows). If you don't give them what they want, they'll just refuse to bite!
2--Get out early enough to take advantage of good tidal movement.. Now, obviously, this time of year is also fog season, so if it's as foggy as pea soup do I really need to tell you to hang out at the marina until you can truly see where you're going?
 3--Do 90% of your fishing under a cork (keep some handy). Remember Kenny said that the bites resemble summertime tactics--that means warm water, fish being pulled toward the surface, fish feeding higher in the water column. Of course, if it turns cold again on the spur of the moment, then go back to fishing deep. But it's got to be a day to day thing--you can't paint this picture with no wide brush!
4--Plan on doing a whole lot of moving around--you'll proablhy catch 3 to 5 fish in each spot before you'll have to change locations. Once again, that's because since the fish have been tricked into reacting as if it's summertime they've spread out all over the shallow ponds and lagoons like they ordinarily do in summertime.
5--If you want a guarantee that you'll catch them, find relatively clean water regardless of the spot. Don't need to say anything else about this--it should be self explanatory. And finally. . .
6--If you don't get heavy into the action righrt away (say within 5 minutes), pull up stakes and migrate to the next position. They seem to be holding in all the choice locations--the ones with the best water quality, the best cover, the best temperature, the best water clarity, the highest oxygent. So if that appears to be their pre-requisite, that's where you'll have to focus your attention. Simple as that!
One other thing you need to know. Not only are the fish biting, so are the mosquitoes and the gnats. Bring along a lot of bug dope. This stuff will be as essential as you multiple rods and reels! Don't say you haven't been forewarned!!
Now next week we check out Port Sulphur for the start of a new fishing year. So the exact moment Capt. Eric Muhoberac and I get back to Hi-Ridge Marina I'll get a report on the web for you. Make a note to yourself! Oh, yeah, and if you need a charter operator at Shell Beach, feel free to call Capt. Johnny Nunez--he can be reached at 504-676-3679.
Until then, y'all....be courteous and careful out there!
Frank Davis -- Visit FrankDavis.com
P.S. Our congratuations to "Little Kenny" and Kim Campo on the birth of their new baby Patrick Frank Santo Campo. Congratuations, too, to "Big Kenny." It's his first shot at being a PawPaw! And from what we can see, he's pretty good at it!
E-mail this page Printer-friendly page
| 
