Devin
Forum Replies Created
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“spots trout 2 and trout 3 i can see the cut is super shallow so i would not fish inside of them”
Those canals are rocked off. They are not navigable. Reference this for more info. Do not go into them under any circumstance.
“but if i can find trout in those harsh conditions, i think it would only make me a better angler so i am trying to figure this thing out and make it happen.”
If trout aren’t there because they’re still in saltier water spawning, then that doesn’t make you a better angler. Casting at empty water is just an exercise in futility.
BUT, those spots are much closer to that saltier water (unlike East Lake P, Lake Catherine, etc.) and it could have some trout already moving in or taking a break from spawning.
“With a couple exceptions, most of the spots i would be fishing with heavy drop shots and i would also keep close eye on down scanning to find sign of life.”
Good choices.
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Here are those 3-26-25 tracks since you’re actually putting in the work on this one.
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Now we’re cookin’ with gas.
Okay, the best thing you can do is figure out safe routes, get them on your GPS and see with your Mk-1 Eyeball.
The first thing you want to figure out is going from the marina to Zin Zin to SW Pass.
You want to be able to run straight out of Cypress Cove or Venice Marina and jump into Tiger Pass, then take that down to the cut you see in the picture below to Grand Pass. Then take Grand Pass down to Zin Zin Bay and shoot straight across to First Spillway. Then you’re in SW Pass. That green track is an actual track I ran back in March.
I would fish the rocks on the shoreline of the river downstream of 1st Spillway, starting at the very mouth of it and going about a 1/4 mile down.
Then you can run down SW Pass. It won’t be perfectly calm, it could be a little choppy if that wind is coming out of the NE, but I think you’ll be good. You want to run down to where you see wing dams and fish those. Those sunk rocks at the very end of the river are good, too.
Again, I wouldn’t get wrapped around the axle over catching fish, but just getting those routes knocked out would be good.
As for feedback on your plan:
That green route on your map, I’d be super careful running that. I’m pretty sure it’s good, but that area has silted in very good and sometimes it’s hard to see a new sandbar. Like, you can see the new-ish one just inside the West Bay Cut on 9/5/21 imagery. I saw SeaTow pulling a guy off of it a couple years ago and I actually went over the top of it (very slowly). There’s not much clearance and it’s a hard bottom.
Trout 2 and Trout 3 could actually be redfish 2 and 3. If you do fish Trout 1, use an HDS for sure. If you see bait balls on the graph, definitely try anyway.
I wouldn’t bother with Trout Point and Beach unless there was something there to tell me otherwise.
I have fished the hell out of Trout 5 and never came away with anything substantial. You’re welcome to try. Just watch out for the rocks going through there.
–> I’m assuming you’ve looked at all this on the historical time slider. <–
Trout 5 is Joseph Bayou. I’d go to where it dumps out and fish that. It sets up like a scoop and is best fished with an HDS. It can be white trout heaven. But they will be hammer white trout, not little b*tch white trout like what you see in Bayou Bienvenue.
I would pass up Trout 6 and Trout 7 to get at the wing dams and jig those as well as the adjacent rocks. You will more likely than not catch slot redfish there.
Honestly, I’d pass up all that fishing just to figure out the most direct way across the top of East Bay and into South Pass.
Final note, ensure your trolling motor is good. It’s gotta be a STRAWNG BOI to keep up in the river current. You’re gonna find out. lol
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Man, I’ve got some of those exact same maps. Just having a handy visual reference (non-electronic) is nice. Your garage is looking good.
Yeah, I was up at 0600 this morning, and opted for a hoodie to run in. This year is being a little more gracious to us. No swirly death from the Atlantic, river is finally down.
I’m getting the itch.
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Like I said in your other post, I think you’re fishing this area way too early for speckled trout. You will catch throwbacks and ladyfish. Maybe in deeper spots like you can catch a bunch of 10″ white trout.
This is made to be even tougher by the neap tide.
Furthermore, you’re planning around a .3 foot falling tide. Dude, that tide range is way too small to be of any significance. You really won’t know what the water is doing until you get out there.
Not accounting for the early timing, that’s why I would fish places where water moves first: mouth of Chef Pass at Lake P, Seabrook, L&N Bridge, south side of Trestles, big points and big constrictions.
The small train bridges you have marked technically count, but in my years of experience fishing those spots, I have not once whacked the daylights out of the trout this early in September. They need another week or two. Then I would only be fishing tidal highways for white shrimp trout.
For me, good trout action typically equates to a doable limit. Preferably whacking the daylights out of 25 at one spot with more trout at additional spots. That’s my standard. That’s what I’m giving you advice for. I am not giving anybody here advice to go diddle around with dinks all day. Let’s crush some fish.
Outside of that, your routes look good. If it were me, I’d stick with redfish and grind the hell out of whatever shoreline with a weedless gold spoon or even dead shrimp under a cork to catch my four. I would only take a ride into Mud Lake to see if any birds are diving, and try L&N bridge if the tide is ripping out of there. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother, and would go straight to fishing for redfish in the Pearl or Rigolets Pass itself. Chunk and wind, chunk and wind.
If I could fish somewhere else (besides Venice), I’d go to Hopedale and fish the south side of the Rock Dam, then all the coves and points all the way down to the Spoil Canal. Or I’d start at Comfort Island then work my way to the rigs in Bay Eloi and look for birds working in the area, as they tend to be this time of year.
That works because that area is further out to where speckled actually are this time of year.
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I love that y’all just had fun with the spade fish instead of stressing out over another species. Like, just have fun. Good stuff.
Also, love that y’all punched out to the rigs. Taking advantage of the conditions.
All I can say is “great report, thanks for posting”. I definitely have the itch to get out there. lol
The river has cleaned up and is continuing to do so. It’s really gonna be a badass fall down there.
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Well, you’re already winning because you took time to post a plan. This is key because there are things that you would’ve learned the hard way and other things that you would’ve had no idea about if we weren’t here to tell you.
So now you know. Good things. Now, let me give you some thoughts on your plan and what I would do instead.
*** Feedback On Your Planning ***
You have a thoughtful plan and are accounting for most of the conditions. I really love how you tell us what tackle you’re going to use. Very key.
A minor detail that I see being left out here are water levels. Is the water unusually higher or lower inside Lake P? That will affect how water moves on the day of your trip regardless of what the tide is mathematically predicted to do. Spoiler alert: water levels are even. You’re good.
Next thing, if you’re going to fish a neap tide, why are you fishing spots where water doesn’t move first?
If I were fishing a neap tide tomorrow, I’d be looking hard at Seabrook, L&N bridge, Chef Pass and the south shore of the Trestles or Hwy 11. Not spots like Spot 1, Spot 2, Spot 3.
*** IMO Too Early for Lake P ***
But I think you’re planning for the wrong area. In my opinion, I think fishing the bridges in Lake Pontchartrain is not a good idea. Not yet. It’s just too early. The grass beds of Lake Pontchartrain can be good, but I think it’s too early by a week or two.
Also, the tide prediction is crap. It’s a neap tide.
Now, quick sidebar: if it weren’t for the garbage tide, I’d tell you to go to Martello Castle and fish it when the tide is absolutely ripping out. But it’s not.
And this is a problem for your original plan or any modification to it, because a lot of these places are otherwise good to fish under a better tide, but you won’t know because the tide will be crap when you’re casting a line. You won’t be very confident fishing those spots again in the future because you fished them at their worst. Nor will you be learning anything more useful than what I can already tell you right now: fishing Lake Pontchartrain this early in the fall season on a neap tide is a useless grind and exercise in futility.
There you go. I just saved your fishing trip. Take it from the guy who does this for a living and beat the video game. Or, go ahead and do it. You’ll find some throwbacks, look at slack water and maybe luck out with a couple slot redfish. Whoopty doo.
*** But If You Absolutely Must Fish Lake Pontchartrain ***
Then I would concentrate on grass beds. Get on GED and identify grass beds on the south and north shores of Lake Pontchartrain. They are painfully obvious, or reference the Grass Mats folder in the IF101 Student .KML
Fish a light double rig (1/8 oz jigheads) or Mirridone (17MR) suspending bait over the top of them. Topwater is great first thing in the morning or if it’s hard overcast.
You can do that and that will probably be your best shot at speckled trout in Lake Pontchartrain. You’ll get to learn what the grass looks like in person and where it is actually located for when more speckled trout move in.
But, IMO, it’s nothing so great that it’s worth committing that much time and energy to. That’s why I have this next suggestion:
*** Or Maybe Just Consider This Wild Idea ***
So where is the water definitely still moving? This is the beauty of fishing the River, because she’s always moving. So even when the tide is slacked out, there’s still moving water in the river and one reason why I am encouraging you to take a ride and begin learning that.
In comparison, Lake Pontchartrain sucks. It’s not even close.
When fall fully kicks off, you will want to be fishing Pointe a la Hache on down to Venice. Screw Lake Catherine, Borgne, Pontchartrain, etc.
If you’ve never launched out of Venice or Empire or whatever, then this is your chance. Go explore on a day the tide sucks and then fish Lake P when the tide is better. This way you can get your GPS tracks and put in your TOW for a fishery that is far more rewarding than Lake Pontchartrain.
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#noguideneeded
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Man, that’s too bad because Lake Lery tends to be on this time of year, but I guess it’s gets hammered pretty good by all the guides and what not. Either way, great report, thanks for posting!
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Sorry, just saw this.
Yeah, I think that’s a worthy plan. The only one worthier is hitting Venice now that the river is down.
But I think the MRGO could have some stragglers in it. Good luck out there!
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“but had a trip about a week ago where we caught 30 specks- 3 of us . on dropshot live shrimp at the mouth of sw pass.”
I KNYEW IT
What were you throwing a 3/8oz jighead at? Rocks in shallow water?
How heavy was your drop shot?
And man, if you have a report, let us know! Thank you so much!
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Yup, same here LOL
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I saw some fly over Pearl River this morning. Heading south.
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Oh there’s so much to talk about here. Did you guys fish the mouth of Joseph Bayou, specifically with an HDS?
“@DrillNFill did and said it was a struggle.”
Man, I hate hearing that. I’m assuming he got into the shallow stuff by the sunk rocks. I’m sure we’ll hear more. I hope so lol
“but @ShooterMcGrabbin was so confident in his plan at the marina it got me thinking too much”
You let that autist temu viking get in your head!!! lol Just kidding.
I have no idea why I care so much, I’m not gonna get out there anytime soon lol
But y’all did get out there and wreck one helluva box, and during what I think is a tougher time of the year. Give it 30 days and it will be a different game. And it will all be happening down there first.
Man, and y’all did this on a lark. Imagine if you were out there regularly. I’d be happy with what you guys did. It’s laying the groundwork for what’s to come.
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Sorry I didn’t see this sooner.
Well, for future reference, I would try fishing Lake Catherine and Lake Pontchartrain’s dock lights. The inner harbor area of Olimpic Beach is good. The lights at the Trestles bridge are worth fishing, too.
If running that much in the dark bothers you (and it absolutely should) then I recommend getting your GPS tracks during the day and then running those at night. That way you’re crystal clear there are no pilings or something else to ruin your day.
I would have small lures like these tied on ready to go.
