Redfish and trout are biting on the coast

May is shaping up to be a great fishing month in Mississippi’s Gulf Coast waters after a great start to the year.

“This year has been kind of strange, as we had great months in March and April,” said Capt. Brennan Carter of Rough Waters Charters. “We caught a ton of flounder early around the barrier islands and reefs on rod and reel. The water clarity has been amazing around the islands, the water has been beautiful and we’ve caught reds and trout too.”

Carter, based in Pass Christian, has been seeing a lot of bait in the areas where fish have been biting during good weather.

“We’ve caught a lot of trout on oyster reefs, mainly with artificial mullet and chartreuse Voodoo Shrimp, depending on the day,” he said. “Some days they want a mullet under a cork, and the next day they prefer a Voodoo Shrimp under a cork.

“Water clarity is about 8 miles out, and if the rain will get on out of here, we’ll be all right. I think we’ll have a great year, as May is already shaping up to be a good month. In the coming weeks, the salinity should be good, and as the trout are moving out.”

On the move

The speckled trout are moving to the outskirts of the marsh and to Cat Island and Ship Island on the grass beds.

“We are using more live croakers on trout; some of them are ready for that now, and some still want shrimp,” said Carter (228-671-0205). “By the end of the month we’ll be using more croakers on the bottom or on a cork early morning.”

Most trout will be in 3 to 6 feet of water, about 12 to 15 miles from port.

“If the water is beautiful, I’ll stay in Mississippi waters but most of the summer we’ll be fishing the Louisiana marsh,” Carter said. “The average trout will run 14 to 23  inches, and you’ll have some schooling trout around the grass beds around Cat Island.

“We have been killing the redfish on some trips, and on some we’ll catch a few here and there. Typically, we’ll target reds on windy days when we can’t get to the trout.”

Carter likes fishing in May, as the fish haven’t been heavily pressured, but his favorite months are June, July and August.

Tripletails will be moving in around the first of June, and they provide fast-paced action, too.