The Pelican 2024

Ok, so the playlist thing was pretty cool.. heres one for this read..

The Pelican Lodge drifts around, tucked cozily in the middle of the Chandeleur Island chain, located about 35 miles from Gulfport, Mississippi. Owned and operated by Richard Schmidt, the place is the perfect mix of first class and roughing it. First class in the aspect that everything is clean, the beds are comfy, the food is amazing, and you get to poop outside. Roughing it in the way that you have to pole yourself and find your own fish...

For this trip, we had a mix of guys from Drifter and SWC. Some guys had been a couple of times, and some were first-timers. For me personally, it's always fun to just watch a first-timer take it all in. From first arrival to each passing hour, preconceived notions of what to expect are shattered. It's hard to truly tell people how unique this experience is. Each day brings new surprises, and you really never know what you will find at every turn.

Day 1 is really a half day; you leave from the dock in Ocean Springs around 10:30 am and make it out to Chandy by 11:15-11:30. This was the first day after a front pushed through, and it was super windy, like 25-30 mph windy. It didn't stop us. The beauty of Chandy is that although there isn't a lot of cover, you can always find places to tuck in and find fish. The shallower creeks and flats near shore that were protected from the wind held a lot of mid-slot fish that happily tail and look for food. They are super aggressive and pounce on any lure or fly that lands within 10'. It's a good way to warm up.

That afternoon we all get back to the dock/house, always met with an appetizer, cold drinks, and a lot of smack talk. Then, of course, a 20 oz steak dinner with sides and dessert. Not a much better way to end a hard-fought half day of fishing.

Day 2, our first full day on the water, was also gusty. The wind was about the same, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. One of the coolest parts about The Pelican is that you're supplied with your own skiffs, so you can literally fish anywhere and any way you want. You can also load up with three guys to hang out, have a guy taking pics, or just hand you beers. We spent most of the day doing the same thing as the day before: staying out of the wind and catching smaller, eager-to-eat fish. We finished the day with another amazing dinner and some fishing off the dock. Lots of bull reds can be caught just chunking out a piece of cut mullet while you sit around and chat.

Day 3... Today is the day. Dead calm. All the guys split up, some to the north, some to the south. We all had an epic day. So many bull reds caught, jacks, drum, and sheepshead. When the sky is clear and winds are calm, it frees you up to look for fish anywhere on the island, and man, is it a cool place to explore. The water was clean and clear, making spotting cruising fish easy, and the mix of that and the fish generally being overly excited to eat make the ingredients for an epic time.

We all brought home a few smaller fish and had a nice fish fry that included Richard's famous baked beans; they were special. More hanging out, night fishing, and listening to music. No better way to end an epic day.

Day 4 is a morning-only fish. Basically, we go fish while Richard and the crew clean up and pack the boat. Some guys took the boat out, and some decided to walk the beach. There's about 9 miles of beach to walk when the winds are calm, and you can easily spot bulls cruising in the breaking surf, often 2-3' from the shoreline. It's another unique and awesome way to explore and fish Chandy.

After getting back, we pack up the TwinVee and head back. Have a few drinks, maybe even do a little redfish tattoo. As always, an amazing trip, Chandy is very unique and although it's hard to put into words, it truly feels like a destination trip out of the country, not a redfish trip to LA. I can only hope everyone in Drifter gets to experience The Pelican at least once!

~ Chase