There aren’t many months that offer the great fishing opportunities of December. The last month of the year is one of those largely under rated months for fishing in Louisiana. Our inshore fishery lights up as speckled trout, redfish and flounder make one last active move before the really cold weather of a new year sets in. Now, each of these species are moving for different reasons. If you understand their motivations, you obviously improve your chances of finding, enticing, and catching each one of these fish.
Speckled trout have become active in our December marshes in an effort to fatten up for the winter. These highly sensitive fish detect minute changes in water temperature and react to the warming and cooling trends of the season. One of the speck’s favorite locations is often near a deep-water channel that opens to a shallow water bay or pond with oyster shell reefs nearby. This habitat allows the fish to move deeper when the water cools (deeper water is usually warmer) and then to the shallow flats for feeding when it warms. On cold mornings the fish will sit on the drop offs ambushing bait moving by. As the sun warms the water, they will often move over the oyster reefs to look for food among the shell bottom. In shallow water, live or artificial bait rigged two feet under a cork is effective. In water over three feet deep, try a 1/4 oz. lead jig head tied straight to the line with a Berkley Gulp curl tail (swimming mullet) bait.
Redfish are a heartier fish, less affected by the cold. While redfish less than 27 inches never really leave the marsh, they too become more active as the weather cools. These fish will often school in more open water and then break off into smaller packs or even alone when patrolling a shoreline for food. These spot tail marauders will readily give themselves away while working shallow water. Tails break the surface when grubbing the bottom for food. Their backs will surface like submarines as they move through the marsh. Even a redfish on the move underwater will create a very distinctive “V” wake on the surface. Look for any sign of the fish feeding. Bait jumping along a shoreline or a splash on the shoreline will tell you a redfish is hungry and ready for your bait. Key locations are broken marsh, as well as points and pockets of marsh. Look for hiding places where the fish can ambush prey. Popping corks, spinner baits, gold spoons, or a jig head with a Berkley Gulp jerk bait will be very effective.
Flounder are making a long distance move through most of November and right into December. This is their breeding season and larger mature flounder move towards the Gulf. Areas like the hospital wall in the Rigolets, the MRGO dam in Hopedale, the first and second spillway in Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River and even Breton Island will hold large numbers of flounder. Look for areas where big water volume crosses a large flat. The real beauty of flounder fishing in December is when you find one flounder; you will usually find a bunch.
Even you will catch yourself humming “White Christmas” at some point this month. However, the reality is in Southeast Louisiana we have more 70 degree Christmas mornings than 30 or even 40-degree holidays. The cold fronts will come and go, gradually coming more often until around mid-January when the weather tends to stay under 50 or 60 degrees. Until then the warming and cooling trends will create great fishing opportunities.
The real gift of fishing this time of year is most good fishing can be done in protected waters, that means shorter boat runs, calmer waters and a better environment for bringing the kids, or family and friends in for the holidays.
While there isn’t much chance of jingling bells on one-horse sleighs for most Louisiana residents, we do have popping corks and our own version of water-based sleds with lots of horsepower. So pack up the fishing sled, fire up the horses, bundle the family and go dashing through the marsh. Come on, sing with me:
“Popping corks, popping corks, popping all the way…”