Targeting Fry Guarders

BY: GARRETT WADE

May is a great time to be fishing. By now the bass are becoming more aggressive and feeding up after the spawn. Most fish will stay shallow for a while longer before moving to their summer habitat. Some of these bass can be found guarding fry and can be a solid pattern to target this time of the year. Bass will guard their fry for around 7-10 days after hatching and can be found in and around spawning areas. The fry will stay around the beds for the first few days and as they grow they will move out to the edges of spawning pockets and bays. The fry will relate to any cover that provides plenty of protection, such as boat docks, brush, or around cypress trees.

In clearer water you can visually see the fry. They will look like small black clouds of tiny bait in the water and many times there will be a bass near by to fend off predators. If you can visually see the fry on the surface or even see the bass sitting below them a weightless wacky rigged senko can be hard to beat. Another great bait to throw is a weightless Texas rigged trick worm. The trick is to make an accurate cast without spooking the bass. The most natural presentation would be to skip the bait to the fish and let it sink, twitching and pausing the bait near the surface. Try to keep the lures in sight most of the time when working the baits around the fry. There are times when you get towards that later guarding period the bigger fry will have some range to them, so that is when you can let that worm get a little deeper.

In stained water when blind casting for fry guarders a topwater can be one of the best baits to throw. Either a spook worked with short fast twitches or a buzzbait can be great for covering water to locate fry. When you get in an area that has fry in it you will see the surface of the water look like it’s raining as you work your bait through it. Be sure to give those spots a few extra cast or slow down and pitch the worm to them.

In conclusion whether your fishing clear or stained water be on the lookout for fry and be sure to target those bass guarding them.

It’s finally here, one of the best months of the year. The water temps are in that perfect 70-75 degree. It’s warm but usually not unbearable. Assuming the spillways stay closed, the fishing should be stellar all month.

The shrimp should be pushing in all month long. There should also be finger mullet, pogies and rain minnows coming in too. Find the bait and find the fish. The trout should have a big spawn. Leading up to

And following the big spawns(full and new moons) the trout should feed like mad. This is run and gun fishing. If you are not getting bit, seeing bait, slicks or diving birds, MOVE. Keep moving until you find em. There should be fish on the nearshore reefs, barrier islands, and all through out the Louisiana Marsh. If you are not finding any action, just keep looking.

The live bait shops should be stocked up on shrimp and croakers. I’d recommend getting a little of both. When the bite gets rolling, you can always switch over to a soft plastic like a VUDU Shrimp, or a Matrix shrimp creole. We either tight line them or out them or rig them 2 feet under a boat

FORECAST BY SONNY SCHINDLER

SHORE THING FISHING CHARTERS

BAY ST. LOUIS, MS / 228-342-2295

WWW.SHORETHINGCHARTERS.COM

Monkey popping cork.

The triple tails should begin moving in, so be sure and check any buoy, channel marker or floating debris. Live shrimp always work well for them.

There will still be plenty of fish along the beach. The reefs, bay and bridges should still hold plenty of puppy drum, sheepshead, white trout, specks and flounder. No matter where you fish, launch or get bait, expect a crowd. Please be patient and courteous. Give other anglers plenty of room and don’t be afraid to explore. Crowds don’t always mean there are fish around

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