Capt. Raymond Griffin

Yes, I know it’s deer season and duck season , but that don’t mean that fishing season is over either! I’ll be headed to the deer camp myself and I’ll also be sittin on an ammo can callin those ducks in, but I’ll also be out there “catchin” my share of those big red fish and knockin out some of those big yellow mouth trout! Hey, it’s the South and we are lucky enough to be able to do all the things that we love at the same time of the year! And I’m going to tell ya the best places, the best baits and the best times to catch all the fish that you can eat from November to February! That’s winter “catchin in the south!

The two areas that consistently produce BIG trout are the bridges in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Calcasieu . When I say BIG I mean trout from 4 to 10 pounds. That’s right and winter time is one of the best! The bridges in Lake Pontchartrain are the easiest to fish, anybody can do it. You don’t need a fancy rig to catchum either, almost any boat will do. You can put in in Slidell on the north shore and take a 10 minute boat ride right along the highway 11 bridge, it’s that easy.

Just throw a Deadly Dudley at the pilings and let it sink to the bottom and jig to slowly back up. Work one area for 10 or 15 minutes then move down a couple 100 yards and try again. Sooner or later you’ll run across those big boys stacked up like cord wood! If you like to bait fish bring along some live shrimp and use a Carolina rig and just bounce it off the bottom. If you want a guide for that area you can call Capt. Greg at 985-960-1709

For the Calcasieu Lake area you really need a guide, it’s a big lake with a lot of area to fish and it’s best to hire a guide the first time out. This a great lake for top water action all year round. It is the best lake in Louisiana to catch BIG winter trout 6 to 8 pounds are common and they also have great duck hunting in the area. Call Capt. Mark at 337-762-3713.

You know that I’m not going to leave my little area out! Lafitte is one of the most productive areas in the WORLD for both reds and specks. We don’t catch big specks here, just lots and lots! In the winter all of the fish move to the dead end canals and stack up on the bottom. No magic here, just find a dead end canal with clean water and bounce any color plastic off the bottom and BAM, it’s on! If the fish are acting funny that day just bring some dead shrimp along and the smell will get them to eating!

Have you got the picture yet? Almost all winter fishing is done on the bottom! They move close to the bottom to stay warm. The temperature is more consistent near the bottom and that’s where you are going to find the fish. Deep holes, dead end canals and big drop off points. It’s that easy, we have been doing it for years all over south Louisiana and south Alabama. It’s the same almost anywhere that you go. Winter north winds push the water out and the fish hold up in the deepest areas that they can find, that’s the secret! Whether you are fishing red fish or trout, find the deep holes and you’ll find the fish.

I would like to also mention two other great winter fish, sheep head and black drum. I know what some of you are saying, trash fish! Well if you have never eaten them, you don’t know what you are missing! Black drum taste just like red fish and sheep head is actually a sweet tasting fish., not much meat, but very tasty. These fish seem to like the cool weather and once you find them in the cool months ahead the action is GREAT! The ONLY way to catch these fish is with dead shrimp on the bottom. The best places to catch them is around oyster reefs and any kind of structure. If you catch one, you’ll usually catch a boat load. Any oil rig, any rock jetty or deep hole will hold lots of these fish. For kids its great action and they give a good pull.

As the holiday season approaches, I would to take a moment to thank all folks from Alabama that fished with us this year. It’s been a great year, over 12,000 red fish caught and we lost count of the trout. Please be safe in the woods and on the water. I hope to see you all at the boat show in Birmingham this January. Until then , tight lines and straight shots!

Capt. Raymond Griffin
Griffin Fishing Charter
1-800-741-1340