Alabama Redfish Slamma'

Report Date: August 15, 2002

ADVENTURE SOUTH GUIDE SERVICE-Buras/Empire/Venice---

Today I fished with Marty, Bill, and Jimmy from Alabama. Not in any real big hurry to get down the river, we took our time loading the boat and did not leave the dock until around 6:20. I was surprised by the SE wind that slapped me in the face when we hit the river, but I decided to head to the east anyway and try our luck. Armed with a boatload of Frelich 150's we headed that way and right into the teeth of a stiffening wind. As we got to the area that I fished yesterday, I knew from the get go that it was not going to produce today. The wind was blowing in on it pretty good, and the water was already worked into a consistent 1-2 ft. chop. What the heck, we gave it a try anyway, but the results were just as I feared. The guys only boated 1 trout and just about got spooled twice by something real big with lots of teeth. Oh well, that was enough to get the guys going in the morning at any rate. We tried a couple of more spots for trout, but a fast bite was just not meant to be. I was willing to sit on some trout spots and beat them out for a few, but one of the guys asked if I knew where we might be able to catch a few reds. That's all I needed to hear, and I cranked the engine and put her on a step.

I had a hot tip from a friend of mine on where some redfish might be close to the area that I was fishing the trout in, so I headed the boat that way. When we got there, things looked really good. The water was relatively clear. There was a bunch of bait in the area, and there were several sheltered banks on which to fish. I picked a bank that I have caught reds on in the past and it proved to be the right call. I had a nice red chase my bait right in front of my eyes, before slamming it and breaking it off with one swipe of his tail. Just then Jimmy hooked up so I stuck the anchor. Everything was going as planned until I tied the other guys on a Baby 1-. The Baby 1- has been producing very well, and the fish that Jimmy and I hooked, both hit Baby 1- crankbaits. Well, for some reason, one of the guys, and I won't mention his name, could not keep the bait in the water. Every time he got near the canes he would hang in them. We must have lost 8 Baby 1's in the canes, way back in the canes. We did prevail, however; and the guys were able to catch their limit of 15 nice reds before we called it quits at around 1:00. We also added 5 nice bay snapper to the box so that Marty could make him some poor man's crabmeat. The guys will be on the water again tomorrow with another guide, so I'll keep you posted.

If you want to go fishing with a guide service that prides itself on giving it's clients an outdoor adventure of a life time, give me a call at (504) 392-1700, or on my cell (504) 382-2711. You will catch fish with us and have a lot of fun doing it! The Redfish Roundup in the passes down river is on, and should continue through September. Don't miss the boat. Before you know it the fronts will start blowing through and you know what that means? Big Venice yellow mouths on the inside!!! I Guarantee Fish and Fun!!! Until Net Time, Catch Em' Up!!!

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