Tell me a little about Red Fish fishing on Mississippi Coast. Guides and things like that. My son would like to get up a trip. Include best times of year.
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Tell me a little about Red Fish fishing on Mississippi Coast. Guides and things like that. My son would like to get up a trip. Include best times of year.
Beastman is your man for that info.
Never really a bad time (besides dead of winter), the fish just move to different habitat. I would probably hold off until the spring at this point. My favorite place for fishing for redfish in MS is easily Cat Island. It has so much habitat they love. Any charter guide out of Pass Christian or Long Beach will focus on Cat Island. One of the top charters on the Coast is Shore Thing Charters out of Bay St Louis. They have multiple boats and really know their stuff. They know Cat as good as anybody.
One consideration you should really make is the MS limit vs the LA limit. In MS you can box 3 redfish per person and they all must be at least 18 inches (1 over 30 inches allowed). In LA it's 5 per person and they must be 16 inches (1 over 30 inches). Most redfish trips you can catch speckled trout too and LA limits are better as well. In MS you get 15 per person and they must be 13 inches. In LA its 25 and 12inches.
Back to Shore Thing Charters. LA waters is only a few miles due south of Bay St Louis and they fish it extensively. You can go with this outfit and fish LA and their limits. They add a $50 fuel surcharge for trips to either Cat or LA and it's $600 for 4 anglers. Covers everything including fish cleaning and bagging. All in all a solid deal.
Another consideration is weather. It's completely unpredictable. If you booked a trip in MS where you went 8-12 miles offshore, you would end up staying closer to shore and fishing the bridge in BSL IF the weather was bad (windy). Plenty of fun not near as good as going out farther.
Another thing I'd look at is charters in Shell Beach, LA if you just have to be close to MS but not necessarily in MS. It's close to MS and they fish the marshes so it's "protected water" meaning if weather got windy, it wouldn't effect you like it would in MS. If you want to drive just a little bit further, I'd highly suggest Big Dog Charters in Laffite, LA. It's the same type of fishing as Shell Beach. Laffite is due south of New Orleans. When we book them we leave the coast at like 4:30 am to meet them at the launch at 6 but it's worth the drive. I know Big Dog Charters is $600 for 4 anglers.
Another option if you want to go economical is Team Brodie Charters out of Biloxi. He fishes close to the marina at the reefs and in the Biloxi Bay. He's well known for boxing a ton of fish albeit white trout and ground mullet but those are great for fish fries. He can put you on some redfish too. He is only like $475 for 4 anglers.
One thing I always suggest is to clearly communicate to the captain when you book what you want to do. You said you want to get some redfish with your son so thats what I'd tell the captain so he can game-plan. I've booked trips where I tell them my #1 goal is boxing fish for meat and we aren't concerned with chasing trophies.Most good captains base his plan on your request.
http://www.shorethingcharters.com/
http://www.bigdogfishingcharters.com/
http://teambrodiecharters.com/
Just to elaborate on the MS vs LA limit for redfish. If it's just you and your son (+ the captain counts) you can box 15 redfish in LA vs 9 in MS. On speckled trout those numbers would be 75 in LA and 45 in MS.
Just something to consider.
Here is another guy that is worth calling that isn't expensive http://shallowdraftcharters.com/Home.php
By mid march, things should start getting solid. When it first starts heating up the fish move from the river systems and back into the bays and near MS sound.
State82 is very knowledgable about this topic. I hope he catches this topic.
but remember - the limits apply to where you return to ... ie, you can fish LA waters but when you return to the boat launch in Ms. you have to observe MS. catch limits or vice-versaQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
It only applies if you wet a line in MS. We keep our boat at the same place that Shore Thing leaves out of a lot of the time (Bay Marina). If we go fish the LA Marsh or Isle au Pitre we have to come straight back to the launch. We can't stop and fish the BSL bridge. If we do we are now under the MS limits. My cousin lives on the Bay and never fishes MS. He got stopped by Ms coast guard in the bay on his way in from LA waters with a LA speck limit. Authority asked him where he was coming from. Answered Cabbage Reef, Isle au Pitre, etc... and showed LA fishing licenses. No problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by FISHDAWG
ETA-you can fish LA from MS and use LA limits as long as you come straight in and don't fish MS on your way out or in. That's my understanding at least and what all the MS charters that fish LA do.
Attachment 255
That's over a MS limit taken from Isle au Pitre LA at Bay Marina MS on July 4th a cpl years ago. The authorities were at the marina checking folks hard (mostly for alcohol) and never said a word to us.
is that you in the middle?
LOL no. That's my marine biologist brother. If you've seen deadliest catch, he works up there (Dutch Harbor) on fishing boatsQuote:
Originally Posted by Barking 13
coolQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
Thanks Beast and others. I will put this info in a doc. and hold for my son. We live in N Miss so we could go to either MS or LA and it would not make much difference.
Again thanks.
Beast - I wouldn't be comfortable about that without confirmation - a MS game warden @ our marina told us what I just said before - also required is a valid fishing license from the state where you return to from the water ..... I don't know about coast guard interpretation of state game laws but I'm going with what the state game warden told me ... there's absolutely no way for enforcement to know where those fish were caught or if you stopped and fished Ms waters on the way in or not ...... redfish are protected in federal water so if you get caught in fed waters with one they really wont buy some story about catching them in state waters and just happened to be in the cooler when you ran out to fed watersQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
@FishDawg
I'm not trying to be argumentative b/c you know your stuff and there is a TON of confusion over that interpretation. The redfish in federal waters thing isn't a concern for us b/c we never get that far out. The thing I hang my hat is what charter guys do b/c I put faith in them knowing their stuff so they won't lose their livelihood. If you book a Chandelier trip out of Biloxi, your going to box LA limits. If you book one the the guys in BSL that fish the LA marsh, you box LA limits.
maybe - I don't use charter captains and I know sometime the regs for them are different because of the special license they have to carry but this would seem like one of those things that would be the same for everyone ... I only used the redfish in federal waters thing as an example .... now I'm gonna have to research this because I hate not knowing for sure ... I'll post what I can findQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
I was thinking the same. Was going to find a coast MS wildlife guy to email.
I looked up some Shore Thing reports and this one is from Oct 28th and it looks like LA limits to me. http://www.ms-sportsman.com/lpca/ind...7#.UoJnpo2kCy0
Being 70 would I need a Miss Lic.?
You know, I could be wrong but I think in MS, if you're on a charter you are good. That's not the case in LA.Quote:
Originally Posted by Percho
this is correct ... the charter capt's have to purchase a commercial license that covers everyone on board their vessel .... if not on a charter, then residents over the age of 65 will have to buy a one time license for a grand total of 5 bucks ..... Steve, I just e-mailed that question to the law enforcement div of the Marine Resources division ... called the question in and nobody there knew for sure and the website didn't address this issueQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
I emailed Captain Mike. I don't know if he has the time to respond but if he does, I'll report back.
I found this:
Recreational fishermen not fishing in Mississippi waters may transport and land
fish that meet the minimum size and creel limits of the waters in which they
were legally caught. Said recreational fishermen must possess a valid salt-
water sportfishing license as may be required in the waters where the fish were
caught. In the absence of minimum size or creel limits in another jurisdiction,
Mississippi law will prevail.
Here:
http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/joomla16/...s/reg-book.pdf
Good find percho and I hope you and your son have a great time on y'all's future trip.
Just received email from Shore Thing Charters:
Hey man,
Capt Sonny Schindler here with Shore Thing Charters. I have to field this topic almost every single day about the licenses. It is perfectly legal to go into LA waters, fish and return to MS waters(with a LA limit of fish). Where ever you doing the act of fishing, your license and your catch must comply with the state you are doing the act of fishing. If you keep a redfish under 18 inches or more than 3 redfish you legally can not stop and fish in MS waters. Same rules apply fish that swim. The agents we talk to said to not even take the boat out of gear on the way home.
FYI,
we do not have surcharge to go to the LA marsh or the islands. We used to apply that for a run to the chandelier islands, but we seldom go out there. In MS you are legal to fish on all of our boats as the charter license stays on the boat. In LA waters the license stays with the guide and the customers are able to purchase a Louisiana Charter Passenger License. It is good for 3 days, costs $10 and can be purchased online, over the phone or at the Walmart in town(Waveland, MS).
We talk with the DMR Agents regularly to make how we run charters is even close to bending the law. We would never put our customers, or our guides in harms way.
Hope this helps, have fun and be safe.
Capt. Sonny Schindler
Shore Thing Fishing Charters
228-342-2206
www.shorethingcharters.com
Big ups to Captain Sonny for clearing all that up. Just another reason why to book with them. I wasn't even inquiring about booking a trip but just a question and he responds in less than an hour. That's why those guys have such a great rep.
thanks ... still haven't heard back from our state officials but I did learn something while researching - if you are transporting or possessing minnows you have to have A LIVE BAIT LICENSE .... geez they think of every way in the world to rip the recreational fisherman ....... BS like this ensures I will always be an off-shore guy
I think we need more laws and rules. And lawyers of course.*********Quote:
Originally Posted by FISHDAWG
Thanks again we will grandson also who is in 2nd at State.Quote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
@FishDawg
Another interesting limit note. I've always wanted to do one of those 2-3 night Chandelier trips where you sleep on a big boat and get a skiff everyday. Well, I found out since you never come back to shore you only get a 1day limit (25 specks, 5 reds). No way I pay that kind of money for that. I was thinking, if I limited out each day, I could bring back 75 & 15.
does a two day "possession limit" not apply ?
ETA - I've never been but I have friends that claim Chandy is the best Redfish action aside from southern La
Not sure. A friend who went on one last summer went and said this. He was pissed. His words were, "They sure as he'll didn't tell us when we signed up. They told us when we were out there."Quote:
Originally Posted by FISHDAWG
good thing about offshore is you can practice fillet & release
I dug out my new saltwater guide from the MS Dept of Marine Resources in the office and what Percho posted is from page 18 fwiw
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6fa8657e.jpg
Came in late today Beastman. As for Percho's question, I'm gonna have to defer to you on the MS gulf coast fishing. All my experience is in south LA from Lafitte to Dularge south of Houma. My camp is in Terrebonne Parish south of Houma, so I just never take the opportunity to go to our gulf coast area but I really need to sometime. The only guides I have used are strictly in the LA areas south and west of New Orleans. Lookss like Percho got some good info for the great Magnolia State, however. BTW, looks like the forum is really beginning to take hold. Love it!Quote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
If you fish with a guide down here and specifically wanted to catch reds, I imagine you would have a hard time not catching your limits. You can find them all year round as well. I've never fished with a guide in MS, but as mentioned, I have heard great things about Shore Thing Charters. If you go with them, there's a good chance they will make the quick run to the LA marsh and you can get the big numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Percho
the secret to that is to cook and eat as many as you can that night ....forget about a bunch of trout & redfish ... we need to make an overnight tuna trip next year ... the only money you will pay is for your portion of the gas, bait, & groceriesQuote:
Originally Posted by BeastMan
I'm down. All I need is a bit of advanced notice. I've actually never been tuna fishing. I haven't been deep sea in a while either. We could never get the weather we needed to make the run in our boat this summer. I was itching to get out to some rigs and get some AJ's or snapper, just never got the chance.Quote:
Originally Posted by FISHDAWG