Spring has finally arrived, let's go fishing!!! 3-16-2014
The Biloxi,Mississippi fishing charter boat Whipasnapa, is finally back in the captain's seat!!! Oh! how good it feels too... What a winter, huh??? Not many people had boating on their mind the last few months, that's for sure!! But with that being said I think it's over. The 1st day of spring is this week, spring breakers are amongst us. It's hammer time!!! Usually, by now we are in full swing, but just now getting warmed up this year!! Time to get back to waylaying'm, stanking the grease!!!
Been pretty busy last few weeks getting the arsenal all cleaned up, greased and ready to go. Starting to pick up few trips as some spurts of sunshine an warm weather has teased us a lil lately. For the most part, the fishing has been pretty good. We did get a big flush of fresh water the last part of February that made a few trips a lil slow!! Just seems slow in winter any ways cause you don't have all the bait fish and stuff constantly biting on your bait. When you feel something chomping this time of year it's generally something worth a good hook set. Croakers, pinfish and hardheads just not around till the water temps gets back up close to 70 degrees!! Kinda of limited sometimes what you can do when the winds are blowing a Gail and the bay has been flushed out!!! Had 4 off shores on the books and have yet to get out there!! I know, I know we usually have one those biggens in by now!!! (But ol Mother Nature rules in this sport)!! I can assure you I'm chomping @ the bit to go do lil BIG water fishing myself 4sur!!!
The last couple weeks have straightened out for the most part!! Although numbers have been still down a lil (for whipasnapa standards). Sheepshead just have not turned on reel good this year!! Not sure the reason other than colder than normal temperatures.. I think a lot of it has been the fluctuation of the temp!! Up and down up and down and winds steadily changing directions ( bout like a woman) o yeah guess we are talking bout (Mother nature here) all the fresh water flowing down the rivers also!! Most trips in past years would average some 30 sheepshead with several reds & black drum a few specks an flounder mixed in!! This year tho it's been more like 8 to 12 sheepshead an the black drum an reds have been lil more consistent!!!
Bait shops have constantly held a nice supply of live shrimp which helps for sure.. Caught the first hard heads this weekend. Which means..... cobia will be here just any day now!! Lord knows I love hunting them cobia!! When you start seeing the butterflies, the turtles out on the prowl and the pecan trees start budding. Its time to load up some Fiesty hardheads and go. (chum the bar) If you ever get out on a reely good cobia hunt you will understand!!! I like to call it cobia hunting! You go out off one the barrier islands, I prefer horn or chandelier island. Get on a good stand, I prefer edges of bars preferably chumming over some grass beds or cuts in the islands where bait fish would be holding up. Put out lil stinks (chum), do lil cobia calling put you out few weapons with good lively baits (cats, croakers or eels). When 2 or 3 show up swimming around the boat and you can see'm everybody goes to scram-a-ling, cause you have to be quick to get a bait in front of them before they become what we call a drive by. When one or two or 3 takes the flipped baits and you can get multiples hooked up it's very heart pounding!!! Bout the only fish that reely gets the ol ticker ticking like a big ol buck!! To feed a bait to a 60, 70, or 80lb fish is just heart attack material!!! Chumming for them is very patient testing but if you can handle the waiting game it can be very rewarding!!! Chumming as most know is one of my favorite types of fishing!!! Putting out ol tournament slick an a dozen or so weapons with the hairy triggers set is a very productive, exciting way to catch cobia, shark, bull reds, jacks, tarpon and many other species!! When you have the weapons loaded (baited) with ol hardheads and the clicker goes to easing off, and you start about a 6 Mississippi count to give the potential St. Record fish time to swallow the bait!! The anticipation of setting the hook is like none other!! Then once you set the hook an it starts the rise to the top and you get that big brown color as she comes up doing that ol head shaking tale walk it can be very well (orgasmic)!!!!
Any way folks thanks so much for a very successful 2013 and a very anticipated 2014 is under way. I was kinda injured fighting a very disturbing foot injury all winter so didn't reely get to hunt, like I like too. I had a severe case of plantar fasciitis !! Very painful!! But it's almost healed now and been couped up with it all this winter.... bout ready to,well ain't no bout ready too it!! I'm very ready to bust this 2014 boating season wide@ open!!! So y'all come on down jump aboard and let's get it on!!! Red Snapper season right now is 6-1-2014 through 7-11-2014 and cobia season is right around the corner (April may). The kids love the fast paced trout and ground mullet which is any day now!!! The camping season out to the barrier islands is right now and still plenty reds and stuff now too! So moan down South Mississippi load up on ol Whipasnapa 228-229-6978 will get you hooked up!!!
Many thanks to all and God Bless!!!!
Capt Robert "Earl" McDaniel
www.whipasnapacharters.com
228-229-6978