Devin
Forum Replies Created
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Excellent fishing report! A few notes for folks who are reading:
“After reading Capt. Devin’s report on 4-13-25 Fourchon I decided I would post as well since we both caught and kept 3 trout.”
For anyone else reading this: your report is super appreciated, whether you whacked the fish or not. Crushing the fish is not even remotely a prerequisite for posting a report. No, no, no!
That and if there’s something you can change in your fishing trip that one of us might notice that could make all the difference, then we will never know if you don’t post a report.
So, if you’re reading this, POST A REPORT!! You can be anonymous on this forum, remember that. Leverage this forum, this is what you’re paying for!
“I tried to upload her picture holding the 18 inch trout but the site would not allow me to.”
What did the site tell you? Are you using an iPhone? Was the picture in HEIC format? I can fix this if I have that information.
“had an opportunity to tow a stranded young family with 2 small children back to their launch as they were having motor problems.”
You’re a dime. Thanks for doing that.
Also, IIRC, the sheriff’s department will come get you in that parish to lend a hand. Just for anyone else who’s reading this. I don’t have that number, however. I should probably jam that into my phone just in case.
I’ve seen the shrimp run in Chauvin before and always wondered how good it could be for speckled trout. I do like fishing redfish north of where you were in the marsh. I also know that speckled trout get in the canals north of where you were, so I dunno if you tried that or not.
Either way, great report, thanks for posting!
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“Probably moving in a few months and selling the boat so plan to fish as much as possible if I can.”
Nooooooo lol
It’s always a bummer to see a consistent poster move out. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Either way, great report. It sounds more or less like what I saw on the water. Thanks for posting it!
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” but I managed to coach them enough to get it restarted and watched them if they fell behind.”
You’re a good man, thank you for doing that.
“Damn Spanish Mack!”
We are seeing a lot more of those. I suppose that’s a good sign. They were non-existent for awhile.
Did you eat it yet? How was the fillet?
Well, you caught more trout than I did on Sunday, so good job.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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This is a great report.
Okay, so for anyone else reading this, I use this USGS Pearl River gauge to see how high or low the Pearl is.
A quick look at Geosphere reveals if she’s muddying the area or not.
“3: it was like 11am and i wasnt going to be catching a limit. Knowing i had the next two days i could fish, i headed in to recoup and try to point a new plan together for the next day.”
Wise words. Yeah, just head in and get a head start on the next trip.
I’d say this was a great fishing trip and even better report. Thank you for posting it!
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“So doing the opposite of inshore 101, i got all his intel, the spots and all.”
Actually, that’s your angler network in full force.
“I took the bass track 160 on its maiden voyage inshore”
Hell yeah, #trackergang!
“within 30-45 mins i had my limit”
Yessssssss
It sounds like they just wanted the Double Rig.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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Okay, I’m a little confused as to what conditions you were experiencing. If we can clear that up, I can give you better answers.
Thing #1
Which way was the water moving? Was it moving west to east (falling)? Or was it rising?
If it was falling you were set up ideally (correctly). But, given the debris on the west side of the Trestles, you can still fish the west side, just know you will need to use more slack (or even a heavier sinking weight) to fish the bottom.
If it were rising then you were 1,000% on the wrong side of the pilings.
Thing #2
How do you know you were reaching the bottom on your casts?
Thing #2.5
How often were you getting snagged? How many lures did you break off?
Thing #3
Lake Pontchartrain’s water movement can be fickle. That’s because uneven water levels after a significant wind event can cause it to continue to drain or fill, even when the tide is predicted to do something opposite. This is due to Lake P being so big and having such relatively small holes through which to drain/fill (Chef and Rigolets passes).
That’s why I want to be super clear on Thing #1.
Thing #4
Chas probably caught those fish somewhere else on the Trestles, he was just trying the area by you looking for his next fish.
He’s also in touch with every other single fishing guide/Lake P regular on the lake. I used to be a part of that circle but now keep to myself. If he sees me out there I will hear from him, especially if he’s struggling. lol
Chas is great, I love him, we are friends, but these days I mostly keep to myself and don’t really talk to anyone. I just apply my process and live/die by that.
Thing #5
Don’t take everything he does as gospel because there are non-fishing reasons he does what he does. For example, if he’s working his way down the bridge and there’s someone anchored in his direction of movement, he’s not going to work his way up to them, give them a high five, swap fishing stories then begin a seminar. He’ll go under the bridge, work past on the opposite side, give a friendly wave if he’s spotted, then continue on. Like the rest of us, he puts on pants one leg at a time and just wants to fish without being bothered.
FWIW, I do the same thing.
That and if there’s a million boats on the bridges he won’t bother fishing amongst the crowd. He’ll find fish somewhere else, even if the trout are really chewing on the bridge.
Thing #6
For me, personally (and apparently for Chas), the absolute best time to fish the Trestles is when the water is coming in, flowing east to west. This does not necessarily equate to a rising tide, for the reasons mentioned in Thing #3. When the water is rising (whether that’s due to gravitational forces from the sun/moon, wind or uneven water levels, the west side of the Trestles is best because now the pilings and debris are working with the direction of water movement.
You can still fish Hwy 11 in this condition, but I’ve found that Hwy 11 is most productive when water is falling out.
Thing #7
That wind you reported is not going to be enough to turn the tide around. It looks like you had a .6ft tide range that day, which is a good deal for the Trestles. A 10-15mph wind would have a more noticeable effect.
Thing #8
“A friend of mine limited out the past two days in his kayak there.”
I’m interested to know what he did different. I’m assuming you’ve debriefed with him to ascertain this.
Thing #9
Chas probably caught those fish spread out across pilings. He’d pick one up here and there. I doubt he crushed them in one spot.
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I absolutely love this post and have a lot to say but will begin by answering your questions outright.
“1. Does retrieving with/against the current matter?”
What matters is getting good presentations. Good presentation = getting the lure in front of the fish. Should you fail to do this then your effort doesn’t matter. You may as well be at home doing something else.
The ideal simple-stupid way to get good presentations is what I’ve detailed ad nauseam in this video. If the water was falling (moving west to east) then you were ideally set up correctly and Chas was not. I’m not totally clear on what the exact conditions were and we’ll circle back on that in a moment.
“What might have been his theory for casting into the wind and retrieving against the current?”
Chas is a master of knowing where his lure is in the water column and getting it to the bottom in front of feeding fish. He was most definitely giving the lure more slack and a little more runway to get to the bottom.
“Or does that even matter at the trestles?”
It does matter, but when you’re as good as Chas it doesn’t matter. You just get the good presentation.
“2. How does water clarity affect lure color?
I’ve heard than when the water is a little dirty (which it was) it’s better to fish darker colors (which I was doing). Yet apparently he was fishing a bright color.”
You might want to be sitting down for this: no.
What happened is that Chas has a lot of Tiger Bait taking up room in his office and he needs to make space, so he went out and caught them on Tiger Bait. Now the masses will obey and go buy Tiger Bait.
Otherwise, he could have been using Lipstick Lusciousness, Radical Rainbow, Depressing Dapper or any number of colors I can make up that catch more fishermen than fish.
I think color can make a difference, but it won’t make up for the disparity between your single fish and his many fish. What made the difference there is his eons of experience fishing that same bridge since the day it was renovated 30 years ago, his total and far-reaching angler’s network and the fact that he lives across from the marina and can get in the water on a whim.
Now, I get the impression you’re a smart guy and aren’t making comparisons and just want to know why, how, etc.
So let me make another post breaking that down, because there’s some things I’m not clear on.
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What OS is that you’re using?
Windows has a Snipping Tool for screen shots.
Macbook is Ctrl+Alt+4 IIRC
GED also has a jpeg export that I used in @olw3rd recent planning post.
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Looks like 12/17/23 imagery.
Yes, those are dredge scars bigger than sht. Could be good to fish.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned that imagery and that area somewhere in here, or at least in the old FaceCrap group.
I’ve definitely marked that spot to fish, but don’t think I’ve gotten around to it.
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Yeah, coves like these are what I am talking about. The points between can be really good to fish and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re holding trout. Do us a favor and just bring dead or live shrimp to throw under a cork right up against the grass. It’s a no brainer for redfish. We want that badass report.
For speckled trout, just literally cast off the other side of the boat toward the MRGO with the cork/sparkle beetle setup I like.
You can toss a jig, jerkbait or suspending bait against the rocks on the shoreline further NE of there for nicer trout, but that could be a grind.
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“@Devin thats a myth. Mosquitos and gnats survive sub zero temps in alaska.”
I didn’t even think of that. Makes me hate bugs even more. lol
“Honestly though, i cover up. Even with no bugs, i dont like getting blasted by the sun so i cover up 100% of the time.”
This is the way. Just wear clothes. Whenever I take chicks fishing I’ve got to remind them it’s not the beach, and it’s not a photo op. Put on clothes lol
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Or provide coordinates and date of imagery, if that’s easier for you I dunno about others, but I access this forum mostly from my desktop and have GED a click away. Whatever works best for you.
The phone pic was fine, I recognized the area right away and took a closer look on GED.
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“As for Chaz wacking a limit and you not…that’s what sets a pro apart from an aspiring angler. Try not to compare yourself. You’ll be a lot happier that way.”
Wise words. I don’t think AA is doing that, however. He just wants to know why. In all fairness, I do as well. LOL
“I generally see more boats lined up on the west side more routinely.”
Yes, and you see them sitting down not catching much, either. I think some people just do what everyone else is doing.
It’s worth noting that when the Trestles was overhauled in the 90s the work barge was stripping pilings on the west side of the Trestles. (see it in this video) As it did, occasional debris would fall in the water and that debris is still there today, breaking the current. Trout use that, so they may be off the pilings on the west side even when the tide is falling. See attached pic. I’ve also seen this debris on sonar and have confirmed it.
“it’s usually better to fish the west side during a falling tide and the east side of the bridges during an incoming tide”
Well, not exactly. When you’re jigging you want to be downstream casting to the pilings. But that takes more skill.
People not possessing this skill will switch it around, and fish upstream of the pilings. Charter captains do this often. They fish something like a Heavy Drop Shot or Carolina Rig that’s weighted heavily and let the current creep it toward pilings where they can catch fish. This works well when there’s a lot of fish on the bridges.
But on days there are fewer active fish, jigging from the opposite side is superior in every way.
The aforementioned debris on the seafloor west of the Trestles makes an exception to this.
As for trolling, I think it’s a great technique to learn for the sake of learning it. You should definitely do that. I haven’t done it in forever, and need to give it a whack again because I think my kids would love it.
I also think it could be good to implement at places like the Long Rocks and around rigs. Gotta channel my inner Buck Perry. lol
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Dooooo it!!!
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Boyce, thank you for answering this for me. lol Yes, that’s it. Dead nuts spot on.
To piggyback Boyce: yeah, just don’t fish the Long Rocks. Let the other moths go to the flame, stay in the MRGO and work all the stuff everyone else is gonna drive past. I’d rather grind on the MRGO than put up with boats on the Long Rocks.
Bring dead shrimp to cork against the shorelines on the north side. I really like all the coves you can fish there.
