08/27/2026
The Gulf Coast marshes are still absolutely on fire, and the bite keeps getting better every week. If this pace holds, fall fishing is going to be downright ridiculous. Flounder fishing is already in full swing.
Just a couple weeks ago we were putting 5–10 flounder in the boat by late morning. Now we’re catching 10–20 within just a few hours. When you find them, they’re super aggressive—and it’s all driven by menhaden (pogies). We’re seeing flounder blowing up on pogie schools tight to the grass, and once the livewell starts filling with flounder, the pogies they cough up tell the rest of the story.
Redfish are the same way: when you find them, they’re fired up. We haven’t been targeting reds specifically, but while hopping point‑to‑point for flounder, we’re seeing plenty of reds pushing shallow and chasing shrimp. A few casts is usually all it takes. They’re just less tolerant of these upper‑80s water temps, sliding in and out of the flats as conditions shift.
Our focus has been the lower to mid marshes—lower meaning closest to the Mississippi Sound, and mid being farther up the bay systems and rivers. Pogies are everywhere right now, but the key is finding schools tight to the grass near the deepest water in that area. Don’t overthink “deep.” In two of our best spots, “deep” was only 3–4 feet, but that deeper water was within 10 yards of the grass. The rest of the flat had 30–40 yards of shallow water before you reached that depth, and those areas held far fewer pogies tight to the grass.
Even though we’re catching flounder and reds in 1–2 feet of water, the nearby deeper water is what keeps pogies cruising the grass lines. Flats with 50 yards of shallow water between the grass and deeper water will still have pogies—but mostly scattered across the flat, not pushed up against the grass where the predators are feeding.
Take a little time to scan the surface. The pogie schools are easy to spot milling around. As for lures, I won’t dive into specifics. But it's hard to go wrong with 4' baitfish-colored swimbaits. These fish are feeding so hard you can throw just about anything—lures or live bait. I stick with lures because they let me move faster and find fish quicker.
Bottom line: the bite is hot, so get out there!
