Non-stop island action

Fathers and sons enjoy some sheepshead fun near Ship Island

It looked like a Foot Locker employee convention swimming around the reef near Ship Island as Capt. Travis Paige of Goin’ Coastal Charters quietly trolled up to the structure.

“We arrived at the reef around 8 a.m.,” Paige explained. “We could clearly see the sheeps (sheepshead) eating on the structure.”

Capt. Paige likes to keep it simple when fishing for sheepshead. He ties a ½-ounce bank sinker on the end of the line and about 8 to 10-inches above the weight he ties a loop where he attaches a No. 1 Eagle Claw Octopus Hook. Live shrimp hooked under the horn is the bait of choice.

“We cast the live shrimp as close as we could without getting into the structure,” he said. “It was non-stop action until the box was full.

“Sheepshead are hard fighting and fun to catch, not to mention they are great to eat. These fish will keep anyone entertained; both kids and adults love to catch ’em.”

With a box full of sheepshead, calm waves and gin clear water, the anglers decided to sight fish for redfish cruising the surf.

A key to finding schools of redfish is to search for rafts of mullet. Once mullet are spotted, the redfish will generally be close by.

“We noticed a school of fish and went after them,” said Paige. “I had two anglers standing beside me ready to go.

“When we got within casting distance we could see it was redfish. These guys made great casts and hooked up with two 30-inch reds that looked as if they came out of the same mold.”

The anglers were casting gold H&H jig spinners with a MirroLure 4-inch Soft Shad on a ¼-ounce MirroLure MJH Push-On jig head. To fish this bait, cast far enough in front of the fish to time the retrieve so that the bait passes directly in front of the nose of the fish. The flash and thump of the blade coupled with the action of the MirroLure Soft Shad will be too much for the red to resist. Hold on tight because strikes are usually vicious.

The group stayed with that school of reds long enough to catch one more for the box before the fish got skittish.

“We will continue to chase these fish throughout the summer,” Paige said. “If you have never fished for reds like this you don’t know what you’re missing.”

According to the captain, the water temperature is on the rise at Ship Island, which will have the trout and redfish getting thicker and thicker.

“This is a great time to get out there and catch trout and redfish,” he said. “We will start wade fishing, without waders, at the islands soon. This is my favorite way of fishing.”

If you would like to get in on this hot action, you contact Capt. Travis via his website, http://goincoastalcharters.com/, or give him a call at (228) 297-0207.