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Well, there’s this monitoring location in Belle Chasse that measures turbidity (how clear water is) in a unit called FNU and it’s been offline. Knowing what value to look for is easy, because all you have to do is compare historical data (satellite imagery and river level vs FNU). Typically, you want to see FNU in the single digits or teens. When the river is dirty you will see FNU at 20-100+.
Just bookmark that site for future use.
I really wished you posted this earlier instead of the night before, because it’s 9:30am right now and you’re gonna be hitting the water in a few hours. With the information you provided (I don’t even know where you’re launching from), all I can say is “stay away from Lery down to Grand” because there’s an algae bloom.” The bottom of Spanish looks good. I’d try that. Otherwise I’d run toward the outside and fish tidelines at major points.
If you gave me more information I could give you more feedback. Otherwise, last minute trips without much planning is asking for a bad day on the water, especially if by “Pointe a la Hache” you mean “launching from Beshel’s and fishing the surrounding area. Lots of silted in land to ruin your day around there. Bay Long, Uhlan Bay, Grand Bayou, and much more. Anywhere in the outfall of the river is a hazard, which is basically the whole area. If you posted which routes you want to take then that sure would be handy.
“I’ve never done any inshore fishing around Venice.”
Even more so around Venice. Yeah, it’s potential to be productive is unmatched, but there are tons of hazards around there. Did you see those routes I shared in this post? Are you up to speed on those USACE canals with all the rocks?
There’s so much that can go right and even more that can go wrong down there, and failing to plan is planning to fail. I cannot emphasize that enough. I know it’s extra work, but having a great trip is the extra reward. This is not bowling.
So, based off what you’ve given me I can tell you this: idle everywhere you go. Go slow. Have a float plan. Make sure someone back on dry land knows where you going, when you’ll be back and what to do if you don’t arrive on time (call the Coast Guard). I’d also have SeaTow handy. Radio, satellite communicator is good, too.
I’d chalk up tomorrow to a “learning trip”. You’re gonna learn your safe routes the most manual way possible: by going slow and getting those GPS tracks.
In fact, if it were me, I would forget fishing Pointe a la Hache and make my plan for Venice to ensure a safe and productive trip. The more planning you do, the more fishing you can do and the more you’ll learn things the easy way.
