Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Anyone ever done a Chandeluer Islands multi-day, overnight charter trip , especially during October or November? Any info trip stories, or suggestions is appreciated. Thanks.
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Chandeluer Islands trips?
- Thread starter Wood Smoke
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spurrs and racks
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WaltL1
Senior Member
I have done multi day trips 4 times. When the fish are biting it can be AWESOME, but there is no guarantee the fish will be biting.
Overall the trip is great. Live on the mothership, takes skiffs out fishing etc.
Any specific questions I might be able to help with?
Overall the trip is great. Live on the mothership, takes skiffs out fishing etc.
Any specific questions I might be able to help with?
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Thanks! Which "mothership" charter(s) have you been with, and did you wade fish or fish out of provided small skiffs?
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Yes it is, and any insight from folks that may have been in recent years is certainly worth a listen.
WaltL1
Senior Member
Have been out with Due South
http://www.duesouthcharters.com/
Joka's Wild
https://www.jokaswild.com/
And a couple more I cant remember the names of.
Some have "fancier" motherships than others. Some have a little nicer skiffs than others. But all basically the same and go to basically the same areas.
Most were a combination of small private rooms with a bunkbed and bigger room(s) with multiple bunkbeds.
Don't expect luxury. Expect a decent clean place to sleep. All had really good food. Full "home cooked" meals.
Have done both wade and skiff fishing. Certain times of year are better for wading which your Capt. will advise you of or is on their websites. You will be fishing shallow regardless. 1 - 3 feet deep.
Have never been disappointed with any of the motherships and skiffs.
I want to stress dont expect fantastic fishing just because you are in the Chandeluers.
Fishing is fishing. When its good it can be AWESOME, Bull reds, nice reds, Big trout, little trout. Lots of both. Or it can be just "average" fishing.
Its the overall experience that makes it very cool. Don't think I ever saw more than 1 or 2 other boats that weren't part of your group.
I will say if you are thinking about going this year and haven't booked yet you can probably forget it. We book a year in advance to get the best times of the year. Most all the websites have a calendar.
I leave anything out? Oh and all the prices are basically the same..
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Excellent and thanks! I agree that best probability is to plan a year out. Did y'all ever go in the fall/October?
WaltL1
Senior Member
Yep I was there last October. Fishing was very good. Nice time to be there.
I think the BIG breeder trout do their thing in early summer though.
Oh and you asked for stories -
My story is..... sharks enjoy te fishing there too
Wading can be interesting. Typically you are going to have a long stringer with a float to put your fish on. Sharks have figured out trout on a stringer are much easier to catch. Several vids on youtube showing it happen.
Closest they have come to me is about 2 feet away. Lots of large rays too. You have to do the Chandeluer shuffle as you walk to scare them away so you don't step on them.
Oh and make your list and check it twice, if you forget something you aren't getting it anywhere.
I think the BIG breeder trout do their thing in early summer though.
Oh and you asked for stories -
My story is..... sharks enjoy te fishing there too
Wading can be interesting. Typically you are going to have a long stringer with a float to put your fish on. Sharks have figured out trout on a stringer are much easier to catch. Several vids on youtube showing it happen.
Closest they have come to me is about 2 feet away. Lots of large rays too. You have to do the Chandeluer shuffle as you walk to scare them away so you don't step on them.
Oh and make your list and check it twice, if you forget something you aren't getting it anywhere.
Mexican Squealer
Senior Member
Sounds like a cool experience. Best of luck with it.
WaltL1
Senior Member
If nothing else the peace and quiet and lack of anybody or anything make it worth it.
Longhorn 16
Senior Member
Don’t forget some bug spray or a thermocell. Really nice if the wind lays down and the bugs come after you.
It’s a great trip!
It’s a great trip!
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
A quick add ......, I actually went once with some guys way back in the early '90's. Left out of Biloxi on a really old crappy "mothership" that had been sold by a retiring operator and poorly resurrected by someone trying to get a new charter service started. It was loud inside the cabin area because of a generator running 24/7, stunk because the "head" leaked, lots of musty mold/mildew inside the cabin area, bunks literally on the floor (mine next to the "head"), and disgusting food. We spent not even one full day anchored at the Chandeleurs before the captain decided to head in and into the marshes because of a brewing storm. Caught one fish the whole time, got no sleep, and got eaten alive by mosquitoes in the marsh.
WaltL1
Senior Member
Wow that sounds like a nightmare. An expensive nightmare. I would venture to guess that Capt isn't in business anymore.
At least these days you can look o their websites and have a good idea what you are getting into.
And no excuse for nasty food. On my last trip we had gigantic piles of the catch of the day one night, the biggest, juiciest piece of prime rib Ive ever seen the next night, burgers and dogs on the grill for lunches and bacon, eggs, biscuits, sausage, fruit etc for breakfasts. A good Capt. knows a fisherman with a belly full of good food is a happy fisherman.
None of my experiences on the 3 or 4 motherships I have been on were anything like what you described thankfully.
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Again , thanks for sharing this! Was your last Oct trip on the "Due South" or "Jokers Wild" ( since you mentioned these)?
WaltL1
Senior Member
Last Oct. we went out with DMJ Charters (couldn't remember their name before)
http://dmjcharters.com/
The mothership was the least "fancy" of the motherships but in no way anything like you described above.
From what I remember all the other boats we went out on left out of Biloxi but DMJ was about 1 hour past Biloxi.
Due South was the most "fancy". But again no complaints about any of them.
And glad I can help!
Wood Smoke
Senior Member
WaltL1
Senior Member
I talked to some of the other guys and their consensus was Due South would be their top choice based on the mothership. The skiffs/food/service etc were more or less equal across the board.Thanks, Walt!
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Wood Smoke
Senior Member
Thanks! Hard to beat good references from folks who have done this. Of course I've just about googled this to death already, and at least by what info is provided on their website, Due South seems to be at/towards the top of a choice list.
How many went with/from YOUR group, and how many days did y'all chose for the charter?
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WaltL1
Senior Member
We always had a full boat which was either 10 or 12 depending on the boat and did the 2 1/2 day trips. Left the dock Thurs. night at like midnight, woke up in the Chandeluers Fri morn, fished all day Fri, fished all day Sat. left the Chandeluers Sat evening after dark, back in Biloxi late Sat night, slept on the boat, off the boat Sun. morn. Im pretty sure that what they are calling the 2 1/2 day trips.
Lures were the usual stuff - popping corks with a Gulp shrimp or jig, gold spoons, soft plastics on a jig head and I always bring an ultralight rod to catch pinfish etc. and did well using them for live bait.
