MS marsh getting right

[megalomaniac]

Buddy and I went yesterday in the little Gheenoe in the MS marsh and even out into the gulf since water was so calm yest morn. We caught 6 reds, lost 2 more nice ones, 3 flounder, and around 20 specks (only 3 measured). Was beautiful weather, even a bit chilly early AM. Even scooped up a few blue crabs back in skinny water (drafting 5in), but didn't get enough to make a full pot full, so we let them go.

Moved here in '97, yet never had any idea there was this much marsh fishing in MS. With the fall shrimp migration, there were almost 75 rigs at the boat launch, yet we never saw another boat once we got back in the skinny waters.

 

[megalomaniac]

Oh... and was a neap tide cancelled out by the wind as well. I was afraid we were going to blank with the southeast wind, but the fishes were still hungry

 

[clwg97]

That sounds like a good trip! I have always wanted to catch a red and just haven't been able to head down and try it yet.

 

[megalomaniac]

That sounds like a good trip! I have always wanted to catch a red and just haven't been able to head down and try it yet.

Gosh they are strong!

The red in the pic was 23in and about 5 or 6lbs. I was using my trout rig which is a 2500 series reel and medium light rod... took me about 5 min to wear him down and get him to the boat.

There aren't many better dopamine rushes than hooking into a red.

Another big slot red I hooked I fought for almost as long and the hook pulled right at the boat. Gut punch.

 

[clwg97]

Gosh they are strong!

The red in the pic was 23in and about 5 or 6lbs. I was using my trout rig which is a 2500 series reel and medium light rod... took me about 5 min to wear him down and get him to the boat.

There aren't many better dopamine rushes than hooking into a red.

Another big slot red I hooked I fought for almost as long and the hook pulled right at the boat. Gut punch.

Sounds like a blast! I love bigger fish on lighter tackle. Definitely takes some finesse to catch them.

 

[fullstream]

Sounds like a great trip! And I agree red fish are about as fun to catch as it gets.

 

[shrimphead]

nice fishing what county in MS. I'AM in harrison county

 

[megalomaniac]

nice fishing what county in MS. I'AM in harrison county

We launched out of La France, headed down pipeline canal, fished Heron Bay, Heron point, then back up to 3 oaks and then back deep into tributary bayous. Back thru the marsh to the launch. Prob 9 to 10 miles, prob burned 1.5g of gas in the stingy Yamaha 20. Got a tad sketchy as the wind picked up and we had to run a couple miles from Heron point back up to 3 oaks in almost 1 ft seas.

But good grief, there's a LOT of marsh to hit between Bayou Caddy and the Pearl River. And not crowded when you get in the backwaters. Better salinity over toward the east side of MS from Graveline to Pascagoula, but got tired of almost getting run over in the little Gheenoe by the crowds.

 

[RUGER]

Awesome !

 

[TboneD]

I was raised on a point surrounded by the marsh of lower Bluff Creek in Gautier, the coastal town between Pascagoula and Ocean Springs. So your post makes me jealous but not in a sinful way. Just makes me think of so many hunting, fishing, and gator stories I could tell. One day I'll get back down to fish all the brackish bayous I knew like the back of my hand. Sounds like y'all had a great time. It's amazing how much life the Good Lord makes thrive in those stinky marshes.

 

[megalomaniac]

I was raised on a point surrounded by the marsh of lower Bluff Creek in Gautier, the coastal town between Pascagoula and Ocean Springs. So your post makes me jealous but not in a sinful way. Just makes me think of so many hunting, fishing, and gator stories I could tell. One day I'll get back down to fish all the brackish bayous I knew like the back of my hand. Sounds like y'all had a great time. It's amazing how much life the Good Lord makes thrive in those stinky marshes.

yup... we saw a gator sunning back in the marsh that had to be every bit of 11ft. Dude was HUGE. Only bad thing about the backwaters are the biting gnats that will absolutely swarm you if there isn't a stiff breeze. Gosh those things are HORRIBLE!

 

[shrimphead]

have you tried the marshes around bay of st. louis

 

[megalomaniac]

have you tried the marshes around bay of st. louis

I've fished cutoff bayou, catfish bayou, and twin bayous on the north end of bay st Louis in the past with inconsistent results in a 19ft and 22ft boats, but mostly in the summer.

The Gheenoe might not be safe going there... plus there's way too many idiots running up and down the Jordan to Kiln.

I've heard plenty of great reports in the bayous and backwaters around the I -10 bridge in the fall, but it's only 15min longer drive from Hattiesburg to La France than Bay St Louis.

Im off next weekend, so we are planning another trip. Not too bad of a drive... 1h 45min from my house, leave at 430a, fish for 7h, still back home by 330p

 

[Displaced_Vol]

Just need more pics of this slice of heaven

 

[megalomaniac]

Just need more pics of this slice of heaven

I'll take more scenic pics next trip... it really IS a slice of Heaven.

The zoomed out pic is the whole area I've been fishing. There must be over 1000 miles of tiny bayous weaving everywhere in there... most have reds scattered throughout. Most of the specks are in the deeper bayous (5 ft and deeper), esp closer to where the mouths of the bayous dump into the MS sound. Flounder seem to also hug closer to the mouths.

The beauty of using a micro skiff is that we can get into and through the tiniest of bayous and narrowest of bayous that folks in normal boats can't reach, yet are too far for most kayakers to access from the launch. Folks in a normal 18ft boat would get stuck in the mud and have to wait for high tide to get off well before we even start fishing.

Tons of wild hogs roam the drier land in the marshes... as well as big gators feeding on them. I'm not sure, but I might have caught a glimpse of Bigfoot a couple trips ago.

But don't get me wrong, it's not like there are piles of fish just waiting to jump in the boat... they seem to move to different spots in depth every trip we make, and that varies even further based on a rising or falling tide. I just started fishing this area back in mid summer. And while I've caught enough for supper every trip except for 1, the last trip I made 5 weeks ago, we totally blanked... not even a single hit. But it's still better than any day fishing the typical welfare holes with 10 boats stacked up like cordwood in a spot.

But every time I go, we hit new spots and keep adding to the piggy bank of knowledge. I could really get into this area, as I've heard the reds never really leave the marsh year round, while the specks move far offshore and to the barrier islands May thru Sept.

 

[megalomaniac]

Here's a pic taken from 2014 on Google earth at low tide of one of the main passes not far from the launch. You can really see the prop scars in the mud from bigger boats trying to go where they shouldn't. I've seen a couple 18ft boats run aground here when the sand flat is just barely covered with water. Not a place to take your 22ft center console for sure.

 

[Displaced_Vol]

In another life without family responsibilities I'd be diligently working to retire as soon as I could get a piece of "land" like this. Gimme swamp with ducks, reds, specked trout, in that order. Or all three in close proximity would be fine and whatever else I can get out of it. Or I'd buy ad close as I could get and spend as much time as possible running around in places like this.

 

[7mm08]

yup... we saw a gator sunning back in the marsh that had to be every bit of 11ft. Dude was HUGE. Only bad thing about the backwaters are the biting gnats that will absolutely swarm you if there isn't a stiff breeze. Gosh those things are HORRIBLE!

We call them NO SEE UM's in SC. A cigar or a ThermaCell is your only hope.

 

[7mm08]

I'll take more scenic pics next trip... it really IS a slice of Heaven.

The zoomed out pic is the whole area I've been fishing. There must be over 1000 miles of tiny bayous weaving everywhere in there... most have reds scattered throughout. Most of the specks are in the deeper bayous (5 ft and deeper), esp closer to where the mouths of the bayous dump into the MS sound. Flounder seem to also hug closer to the mouths.

The beauty of using a micro skiff is that we can get into and through the tiniest of bayous and narrowest of bayous that folks in normal boats can't reach, yet are too far for most kayakers to access from the launch. Folks in a normal 18ft boat would get stuck in the mud and have to wait for high tide to get off well before we even start fishing.

Tons of wild hogs roam the drier land in the marshes... as well as big gators feeding on them. I'm not sure, but I might have caught a glimpse of Bigfoot a couple trips ago.

But don't get me wrong, it's not like there are piles of fish just waiting to jump in the boat... they seem to move to different spots in depth every trip we make, and that varies even further based on a rising or falling tide. I just started fishing this area back in mid summer. And while I've caught enough for supper every trip except for 1, the last trip I made 5 weeks ago, we totally blanked... not even a single hit. But it's still better than any day fishing the typical welfare holes with 10 boats stacked up like cordwood in a spot.

But every time I go, we hit new spots and keep adding to the piggy bank of knowledge. I could really get into this area, as I've heard the reds never really leave the marsh year round, while the specks move far offshore and to the barrier islands May thru Sept.

Interesting on the reds…… typically they DON'T move until they reach maturity at about 5 years which according to SCDNR is a 23-24" red. Then it's offshore for them until the fall.

 

[megalomaniac]

We call them NO SEE UM's in SC. A cigar or a ThermaCell is your only hope.

good idea on the thermacell, forgot about that. I know DEET does NOTHING for them.