BIG LAKE
Have you caught a fish in 2008? If you have, you are a die-hard angler. Combine the winds and the cold and one has a challenging environment to catch a fish. However, from the north end to the southern portions of Big Lake, reports keep coming and they are all good! Lake Charles Tackle's Greg Vidrine states that Prien Lake and Turners Bay continue to be the most talked about areas from anglers who come in the store. Early morning bites are the ticket for a fast limit but there are other reports of good catches later in the day. Numbers have been decent but catches of 4-6 pound trout have been fairly common.
Vidrine explains that with high wind and water temperatures dropping, fishermen will want to look for protection such as LNG Canal as well as the Saltwater Barrier on the north end. A strong suggestion is to slow down your presentation and look for deeper water. This is a tried and true method for January that not only produces more strikes but usually gets bigger fish.
Other good reports come from West Cove where anglers are targeting reefs north of Rabbit Island. The fish have been on reefs in 4-5 feet. Bigger fish have been hitting slow-falling suspending baits such as Gulp! Sinking Minnow and Jerk Shad rigged weightless as well as the Catch 2000 series. Berkley Fluorocarbon in 12 pound test is an awesome line for this presentation as it sinks and is very sensitive to detect light, cold water strikes.
When using lead head with Gulp! and soft plastics, to get your bait deeper and quicker, consider using a heavier lead head such as five-sixteenths or three-eights ounce instead of the standard quarter ounce. Scent is very important with current conditions and Berkley's Gulp! Saltwater Series is what numerous local anglers are using. Top favorites are 4 inch Gulp! in Shrimp bone jack and pearl/glow and 3-4 inch Gulp! Pogy in New Penny and Nuclear Chicken Glow. The Pearl and Bone Jack is for clear water and New Penny and Nuclear Chicken Glow for stained and low-light conditions.
