Like a scene from a Hitchcock movie, hundreds of loudly squawking birds repeatedly dove into the water or hovered just above the surface waiting to snatch any hapless morsel that appeared.
Beneath the birds, water churned with activity as toothy predators herded prey to the surface where they ran out of maneuver room. Terrified creatures could not escape the snapping beaks of the airborne assault, either.
Constantly on patrol for something to eat, sharp-eyed birds instantly spot anything that might make a meal and quickly swoop down to seize their share. Agitated birds can help anglers put numerous fish in the boat in a short time.
“Watching birds is a good way to catch speckled trout,” observed Todd Shiyou, a Hancock County native who now co-hosts the Mississippi Outdoors television show, but ran a charter service out of Biloxi for decades. “I’ve seen where birds are working a little bay and we’ll catch 50 trout in an hour.”
Feathery flurry
A feathery flurry could arise at any time anywhere along the Mississippi coast. Trout, redfish and other species regularly chase pogies, mullets or other baitfish, attracting greedy fowl. Larger birds, like pelicans, commonly dive on pogie schools. Big trout sometimes chase pogies, perhaps in competition with bull redfish or vicious jack crevalle.
In the fall, though, diving birds frequently mean shrimp. Specks love shrimp, but so do many other predators. No meat-eater with claws, fins or feathers can resist a succulent shrimp. Nothing creates a multi-species feeding frenzy like a shrimp migration.
Shrimp migrate from the estuaries to the Gulf of Mexico and back in the fall and spring. When a fall cold front hits, white shrimp start heading for deep water where they spawn and spend the winter. Brown shrimp also spawn offshore, but migrate in the spring, traditionally from mid-May through June. When shrimp move, every carnivore follows.
“When shrimp start migrating, trout follow,” explained Andrew Whitman with Blackdot Charters (228-326-8872, www.blackdotcharters.com) who runs out of Biloxi. “We usually start seeing good bird activity in late August. In October, we see a lot more bird activity than in late spring or summer.”
In a great spot, action can come furiously fast. However, not every diving bird indicates a speck bonanza. Birds dive into the water all the time. One could plunge after a single fish or even a floating cracker. A bird might grab a dead pogie drifting on the surface. Multitudes of birds habitually follow shrimp boats or crabbers sorting bycatch and tossing whatever they can’t sell into the water.
Variety of fish
Even birds diving on shrimp might indicate species other than trout. Both hardhead and gafftopsail catfish attack baitfish or shrimp schools as will ladyfish. Activity might also interest Spanish mackerel, bluefish and other species, including sharks. Bigger trout sometimes follow under shrimp schools, not looking to eat the crustaceans, but to devour their smaller spotted cousins.
“We catch a lot of trout under the birds, but we also catch many hardheads and gafftops,” Shiyou confirmed. “Sometimes, we also get into a school of white trout. If we find birds quite a distance from land, it’s probably going to be catfish or ladyfish in them. Generally, when we’re fishing around the passes or bayou mouths on a falling tide, we’ll get more trout. Smaller flocks, those with only four or five birds, will be better for trout. Another good indication, fast-moving birds usually mean good specks under them.”
Anglers need to see the right birds doing the right things. Study the situation with a good pair of binoculars. Look for hovering birds. Gulls flying low over the water know something swims just below them and they’re actively looking for it. Also look for surface activity such as bait jumping or fish striking on the surface. Watch how birds react to any activity. Frenzied redfish and jacks make a tremendously bigger surface commotion than trout.
“We watch the birds, but we also watch the water to see anything hitting the surface or jumping out of the water,” Whitman said. “Besides trout, we find a lot of gafftops feeding on shrimp under birds. Trout are typically directly under the birds.”
With their high-capacity bills, pelicans generally prefer larger fish, like big pogies and mullets. Many anglers call terns “liar birds” because they dive so frequently. Much smaller than seagulls and pelicans, terns characteristically go after glass minnows and other small baits that won’t interest trout keying on shrimp.
“In the fall, the gulls are feeding on shrimp, and that’s what trout want,” Shiyou said. “We want to target the laughing gulls, the black-headed ones. Terns usually feed on little shiners and other small things. Pelicans eat mullet and bigger pogies. We generally don’t catch many redfish when we’re catching trout, but occasionally, we’ll get redfish mixed with trout. Most of the time, schooling redfish target bigger pogies. When we see pelicans diving on big pogies, that’s where the reds will be.”
After spotting promising activity, don’t make a 250-horsepower mad dash directly into the frantic flock. Nothing shuts down a feeding frenzy quicker than a propeller driven by a powerful outboard. That will spook both the fish and birds, making them scatter. Instead, devise a good approach plan.
Use the wind
Watch the birds, wind, tide and current. Try to determine where the school already wants to go and intercept it. Pick a good starting point some distance upwind from the school and swing wide of the fishing area when running to that jump-off spot. From the starting point, let the wind or tide push the boat toward a place where the fish school can come to the boat. Only use the trolling motor sparingly for directional control because a whirling trolling motor prop can also spook fish.
“When we see a good flock of birds, we’ll head upwind and cut the big motor some distance away to let the wind blow us toward the school,” Whitman said. “If people want to follow the school, they need to go in gently and stay at least a good casting distance away from the birds. Sometimes, we’ll keep adjacent to the birds using the trolling motor to keep up with them and cast to them. When done correctly, we can follow the birds and the fish school a long way.”
When schooling trout get in a heated frenzy, they will hit practically anything. Since they want shrimp in the fall, give trout what they want. To keep their baits closer to the surface, many Mississippi sportsmen throw popping cork rigs baited with live shrimp. An age-old, but still highly effective technique, a wriggling shrimp provokes incredible action in a tumultuous feeding maelstrom, but trout can quickly slurp a bait off the hook.
Anglers fishing live bait might spend more time “fishing on credit.” Therefore, many anglers sweeten their rigs with soft-plastic lures that mimics shrimp, such as an Egret Baits Vudu, a Berkley Gulp! shrimp, D.O.A. or other crustacean imitation. Even if a fish attacks and misses a plastic bait, the temptation remains in the water and could entice another strike.
“We normally throw popping corks,” Whitman said. “If we have live shrimp, we’ll use that for bait. When trout get really fired up, we’ll use plastic shrimp, like a Vudu or some other shrimp imitations under a cork. Around a trout school, we’ll try to keep the baits high in the water column because catfish are typically near the bottom.”
Popping the top
Anglers seeking the most exhilarating action might throw topwater baits. Topwaters could incite fantastically violent strikes and tend to attract bigger fish. Lipless crankbaits also work exceptionally well, but baits with multiple treble hooks tangle easily. Anglers might spend significant time unhooking fish as the rest of the school swims farther away.
“When just fishing for fun, topwater action can be amazing,” Whitman said. “Topwaters might give people a better hook-up ratio, but they take more time to unhook fish.”
Consequently, many anglers prefer single-hook baits when chasing school trout. Besides shrimp imitations, metal spoons also work well and can sail long distances. Jigheads tipped with various plastic enticements catch trout. Some anglers fish multiple jigheads simultaneously, placing a smaller lure above a bigger bait. Use tough plastics that toothy trout can’t easily tear to pieces. For colors, stick with anything that imitates a shrimp, like white, clear or natural tints.
Although action can come at lightning speed, fish could just as suddenly stop biting. After making an attack, trout don’t necessarily leave the area if shrimp remain in the vicinity. Sometimes, fish regroup for another assault. Keep scanning the skies. Often, the same school or another one will disrupt the surface a few hundred yards away. Until that happens, fan-cast around the area with 1/8-ounce jigheads tipped with shrimp imitations. Also, scan the area with electronics to locate fish or bait concentrations. Trout won’t go far from their groceries.
Spotting boisterous birds anxiously diving can instantly turn an uneventful day into a fantastic fish-catching experience for anglers old or young who get to the right spot in time.
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