[Boyce]

I have considered getting Active Target for my Lowrance, but that would mostly be for sacalait fishing the river by my house. It would be pretty sweet to have fishing Inshore though. There’s a guide in Lake P that uses it on his boat. I think his name is Danny Hunter.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by  Boyce.

[Boyce]

Awesome report. I sure hope the Biloxi Marsh turns on this fall.

[Boyce]

I wonder if the deep area of Red Pass was off to the side where that Shrimp Boat was sitting? That was right up on the bank though. Seems odd.

[Boyce]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I’m headed down to Venice now and don’t have a screenshot of my new plan, but I’ll be starting out heading out of red pass to Sandy Point Bay and Schofield Beach, then am heading back in, down Grand Pass, crossing zin zin bay on a safe route, and heading into south pass at the first spillway. From there I have plenty of options depending on that happens.

I’ll report back with routes and spots Monday!

[Boyce]

9/19 UPDATE ON MOTOR

I think I may have figured out my issue. No water to be found in the fuel, no air in the lines as far as I know. What I think happened: after the Hurricane, I used my extra generator gas to put in my boat to go fishing. Without even thinking twice, it was regular 87 grade fuel with 10% ethanol. I religiously use non ethanol fuel in my boat, even though the Mercury Fourstroke 75 Owners Manual says that 10% ethanol is ok. I think my motor did not like the ethanol fuel since it has almost exclusively run on non ethanol fuel for 2.5 years. That, coupled with the gas cans could’ve sweat inside over the years, is what I am thinking my issue was. I put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank, filled it up the rest of the way with non-ethanol fuel, and ran it in the driveway on ear muffs. No issues.

Fingers crossed for the next trip, which will be this Sunday in Venice.

[Boyce]

I think you can probably fish whatever pattern is in season like you would normally, but the difference is that the storm surge pushed a bunch of saltwater, fish, and bait into the marsh and that’s what will help make for good fishing.

[Boyce]

Yes lower unit gear lube. Well, it’s green going in and black coming out after a year of use. Just like engine oil I guess. I use Mercury SAE90 for my Mercury Fourstroke 75.

[Boyce]

I don’t unfortunately

[Boyce]

Oh Venice will definitely ruin you. In the greatest way possible.

[Boyce]

Thanks!

[Boyce]

+1 on all of this. I think you pretty much nailed it IMO and thats likely the approach I would take.

Another good area with water movement on the Hopedale side could be Grand Pass in Lake Robin.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by  Boyce.

[Boyce]

Red Pass is surprisingly shallow, about 3-5 feet. IIRC, it starts getting shallow maybe 500-1000 yards from the mouth. I’ve only been out there twice, but I couldn’t find a deep area for anything. It stays pretty deep throughout most of red pass (7-12 ft or so, IIRC), but once you get to that mouth, it shallows up quickly. I am wondering if I would’ve started with a jig in those deep areas just before the shrimp if that would’ve produced. One thing I did notice was that both times I have been there (this past June and this past Sunday), the same Shrimp Boat has been parked off near the shoreline in Red Pass, boat running, a crew aboard, but just sitting there doing nothing. The same boat in the same spot 3 months apart. So, back to how the hell shrimp get in there… man, I have no idea either. But evidently that Shrimp Boat likes that area enough to camp out there lol.

I didn’t see any guides or any other boats for that matter in Red Pass— none out in the open water after the mouth either. I had it all to myself, and upon seeing those shrimp I figured it was game time. Most of the guides I saw were running offshore and hooking a left out the marina while I hooked a right.

I remember you mentioning High Line Pond on my planning post, but I could never locate it when I was searching around GED. Sometimes you gotta get that zoom just right to show the name of certain areas lol. Where exactly is it?

While I do enjoy fishing the typical areas I always have like the Pontchartrain basin, I just can’t get Venice off my mind. I have got to go back asap. For me, fishing is all about the hunt. Finding the fish is more rewarding than catching them, especially in a new area, especially if it’s Venice. Granted I would love nothing more than to come back into Venice Marina with a limit of Trout in my small little Bass Boat and pull up next to the big dogs to unload, but the exploration aspect and the finding fish aspect is what drives me more.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by  Boyce.

[Boyce]

It’s EFI and thats good advice. Mercury Fourstroke 75. I was automatically thinking I should just go ahead and install a fuel water separator and I still probably should, but I will do that procedure to check for water first.

I also think it could be air my fuel lines.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by  Boyce.

[Boyce]

Yes, sorry, I wasn’t clear. The seal/gasket behind each screw is what I suspect were leaking. I think your advice of changing the lube more frequently is something I need to do as well. I usually don’t put 100 hours a year on my motor, but I change the gear lube and oil once a year regardless. But still, being that it was that black when changing I definitely think I should change it more often.

[Boyce]

lol, I would be much more worried if that were the case!