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Redfish on Spoons
 Keith Lusher
As the dead of winter approaches, the speckled trout bite is becoming more relegated to deeper water. The same can be said for anglers who are targeting redfish. With the north winds pushing all of the water out of the duck ponds, the canals that feed into the ponds are chock full of reds.
I made a trip with John Guillot of Kiln, MS, to the lower East Pearl Marsh to try and capitalize on the cold weather and the fantastic redfish bite across the area.
We started our day in what the locals refer to as “The Port” which is on the Mississippi side of the river. Our plan was to target redfish along drains in the marsh that spilled into the canal. As Guillot threw the trolling motor down to approach the first drain, I noticed water that was coming out of the drain and mixing with the water in the main canal. “You see that turbulent water? That’s where you want to cast — past the ripple line — then reel through it,” he explained. He then made a cast. Guillot was using a gold 1/4-ounce Johnson’s Silver Minnow Spoon. “These are hands-down the best spoons out there. You just can’t beat them for action, durability, and affordability,” he said. 
Then, a solid thud as I set the hook and began my battle. After landing the fish and adding the 20-inch red to the box, Guillot stood up and said, “Ok, my turn!” as our confidence grew. He flung his spoon into the same spot and set the hook on yet another fish. After landing the third fish of the day, we were like two kids in a tackle shop. Laughing and high-fiving each other. After putting one more slot fish in the boat, we started catching undersized redfish.
I’ve got hundreds of drains out here. Sometimes, you just have to find a new one and pick up one or two out of each drain. Guillot went on to explain how the fish start out big and get smaller as each drain is fished out. “These fish are hungry right now and trying to get thick for the winter stretch,” he said. “I find that the biggest ones in each drain will strike first. This makes sense because they are the dominant fish in the group.”
As our day progressed, Guillot's theory held true as the first 2-3 fish out of each drain were keepers and progressively got smaller. It didn’t take us long to reach our limit and return to the launch as we ended our day with a healthy box of redfish, all measuring between 19-25 inches. As the calendar turns from December to January, Guillot recommends throwing spoons in any cuts that lead back to duck ponds, as these fish will be forced to deeper water where they are easy pickings using artificial lures.
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I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
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