NEW ORLEANS — In February, speckled trout hit and mostly miss, but there are two consistent species you can fish at this time of year with inconsistent water conditions: Bass and redfish.
Last year's double Bonnet Carre Spillway openings brought more bass along with an influx of freshwater into brackish areas in the Chef and lower St Bernard and Plaquemines Parish canals and marsh ponds closest to the river, helping stock up traditional bass territory and creating some new hot spots. Those areas are prime for catching bass on one cast and redfish on the next in the same spot.
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Dead or live shrimp under a cork will catch both but there's lots of artificials that work just as well if not better for redfish and largemouth bass. I'm fishing today with a soft plastic on a jighead with a paddle tail. Capt. Mike Gallo used a crawfish colored chatterbait and Capt. Ryan Lambert used an H&H spinner with a grub on it.
They're eating them all up. Look for the cleanest moving water with bait even better off choke points and drains and you'll find the red fish and green.
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