Speckled Trout and Redfish Bayou Chico

I had a very late start to this fishing trip at Bayou Chico. I launched around 10:30 at the last hour of major peak. The winds were out of the north with an incoming tide. I noticed small baitfish around the launch that were about 2 inches long so used a 3” Slam Shady paddletail on a 1/8 trout eye finesse jig head. I stayed on the west end of the Bayou and fished the perimeters. I caught 3 dink trout around piers and sailboats on the south side. Maybe one would have been a keeper. I moved east to a grass lined shore and missed a redfish. I immediately cast back to the area and hooked a 19” redfish. I couldn’t tell if it was the same one or another fish. I fished around the island, and then moved east on the north side of the bayou. No bites. I made the circle back to the launch and decided to hit the piers one last time. I caught 2 more speckled trout, with one maybe a keeper. I would occasionally use a Rip n Slash but didn’t get any bites on it.

The fishing doesn’t seem to be as hot in Bayou Chico on days with a north wind. I didn’t see much bait activity, nor too many herons trying to catch baitfish. Chico wasn’t my first choice as I wanted to fish Perdido Key north of Ono Island but I had a late start finishing up editing for my clients. On a beautiful Friday afternoon I figured the boat traffic would be bad in Perdido Key.