When all else fails, offer the vicious predators meat. For the big bulls, use large trailers that mimic baitfish That’s exciting.”īesides topwaters, many anglers throw spinnerbaits, gold spoons and jigheads sweetened with soft-plastic temptations at reds. ![]() Sometimes, we’ll get five or six strikes per cast. If one spits out the lure, we often get a strike from another bull. “They will pull some drag until they spit out the lure. “Once we get our limit of bulls, sometimes we throw topwaters without hooks just to watch redfish annihilate the lures,” Pellegrin said. When a big redfish blows up on a topwater bait, it’s one of the most thrilling events in inshore waters. Flick it a couple times and hang on! Topwater baits can be highly effective for catching redfish. Toss a big topwater in front of a moving school. These hefty baits sail long distances and cover water quickly, making them excellent search baits. Walking baits, such as the Top Dog family of lures, Rapala Skitter Walks, Heddon Spooks, Berkley J-Walkers and HighJackers, move across the surface with a scintillating zigzag motion like a crippled mullet. Probably nothing creates more excitement for inshore anglers than a monster redfish exploding on a big topwater bait. Many topwater baits mimic crippled mullets. The biggest reds want a substantial fishy meal and particularly crave succulent mullets. April is an awesome time to fish topwater baits.” When big redfish gather in schools, they will eat anything. “Early in the morning, look for birds diving on bait. ![]() “On a calm day, we cruise the beaches by Last Island or Timbalier Island and see a lot of redfish,” Pellegrin said. These frequently hold big fish all year long. Anglers can also fish numerous wellheads dotting the area. When fishing a beach, always look for something different in the bottom contour. People who know where those islands used to be can still catch fish around them.”įish congregate around points on the islands, in the passes or in deeper troughs along the beaches - wherever they can ambush bait. I remember years ago, when the lakes and bays were somewhat separated. “The lakes and bays all run together between Port Fourchon and Cocodrie. “We lost numerous islands over the years from erosion,” said Kip Plaisance (98, ), who guides with his son Max for Plaisance’s Tidewater Charters out of south Lafourche Parish. Tommy Pellegrin of Custom Charters looks for biting fish near a flock of seabirds in the marshes near Cocodrie. Many islands disappeared entirely and now exist only as names on old maps, but they still offer structure that attract fish. Today, some only remain as outcroppings, sandbars or reefs. Over the years, hurricanes battered the islands and chopped some in half, hence the use of the plural “Isles” Dernières. ![]() One of the largest barrier islands, Last Island, or Isles Dernières in French, once stretched about 25 miles across the southern part of Terrebonne Bay and Caillou Bay. Several barrier islands demarcate the boundary between the inland waters and the Gulf of Mexico. Many waters, such as Lake Barre, Lake Pelto and Lake Raccourci, all merge together with Terrebonne and Timbalier Bays between Cocodrie and Fourchon. In the spring, look for bulls around Beach Point, Whiskey Pass, Little Pass and at the extreme eastern end of Timbalier Island.” Any place with a tidal drain cutting through an island would be a great place to fish. “Schools gather in the cuts and passes at the southern end of Terrebonne Bay and Lake Barre. “In April, the big reds are full of eggs,” said Tommy Pellegrin of Custom Charters (98, who fishes out of Cocodrie in Terrebonne Parish.
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