[keithl]

All great information guys! I never thought about side scanning the poles and turning sideways awesome ideas! That’s why I brought this up it leads to a great discussion and lots of helpful information that maybe others have been wondering about but never asked. I definitely second the idea of following someone, not the Alabama kind, but boats you know they know how to run the area.

[keithl]

Thank you Devin. Experience is the key from what I gather and study the area in GED.

[keithl]

Let us know when they get to Gus’s!

[keithl]

Great video. Those were some nice trout!

Thanks!

[keithl]

<div>Great report and intel on different lures/techniques to try in areas. Learning an area through the different seasons of the year is the key to long term success IMHO.</div>

Thanks Devin!

[keithl]

This is by far the best I’ve seen and having someone like yourself and the values you personify with the group and your forum are second to none. We’re thanking you for creating it! I’m still waiting for those signed books to hit the site!

Tight lines to you!

[keithl]

Thank you again! I’m looking forward to the weekend!

[keithl]

Hi Devin, This is wealth of knowledge and I truly appreciate you taking the time to help someone new to the area. At this point I was getting very frustrated but it was from a lack of applying ALL of the elements I studied in IF101. It all plays together as you try to impress upon students of the trout. I’m going to work this plan whichever one the weather brings about. I labeled a couple questions below to be sure I understand where I’m going like I don’t know where the trash rig or raccoon island? The others I have on GED. I have a great corker with me so she’ll love this.

“I typed in Raccoon Island but it brought me to the west?”

“I don’t know where the trash rig is?”

it looks like you’re using the Shell Beach forecast. Use Comfort Island and Bay Gardene since those are “outside” areas that more accurately reflect where you will be fishing. When you do, you’ll see that the wind is gonna be a tad bit bumpier. The tide timing is also different by about 5-6 hours. That’s a big deal.

“10-4 on the correct forecast to use, I wasn’t sure.”

After that, there’s a hazard (with more information about it linked here) that’s near Platform 2 and Oyster Reef 2. ” Got it Marked now.”

After that, there’s no problem with fishing shallow water. If you think some place could be shallow, then come off plane further out and idle/trolling motor in and fish it anyway. I caught some nice trout yesterday in water that was as shallow as 18 inches. They are there. Stop throwing mud everywhere, slow down, be as stealthy as you reasonably can and fish them anyway. Your boat can do it.

“Okay, got it”

Bring a cajun anchor or Danforth if you don’t have Power Poles. I don’t have a jackplate or Power Poles and I can make it happen. You can, too. “10-4”

I think your plan is good and worth executing. If I were starting from scratch that’s what I would do to begin learning the area. That’s because the spots you picked out are protected from a SE wind and that’s what has been blowing this whole time and would have been blowing the whole time by the time you get in the water (if the prediction doesn’t change). “We’ll see it’s early in the week, lol”

But it isn’t my first time fishing that area, so I’m actually going to recommend something a little different than what you’ve got planned.

** Plan 1 **

I think you should shoot straight out further than what you’ve got planned. If I were you, I’d be at the Long Rocks first thing in the morning and fish against the rocks with an 1/8oz jig and Matrix Shad in Ultraviolet. Then I’d fish off the rocks in the deeper stuff (~5-9ft) with a 1/4oz or 3/8oz jighead. Start somewhere further southeast and let the wind blow you down the length of the Long Rocks. I’d also try the end of the Long Rocks. There are three “ends”. Even consider fishing the middle of the break in the rocks.

Then I’d shoot to Raccoon Island and pop corks on the lee side of it. Then I’d scream to Platform 1 and fish that. I’d be on the trolling motor aggressively fishing around it with a 3/8oz jighead. Then I’d have the throttle punched through the dash to fish the Trash Rig in Bay Eloi. Then I’d go to the rig southeast of there and do the same thing. Jig both spots. If you have a helpful person with you, then that helpful person gets to throw a cork with a 40″ leader. Then I’d pop corks at Deadman Island. Beat them with a stick if they try anything else. It’s also that helpful person’s job not to fly out the boat. It’s a bass boat, it eithers idles or screams at top RPM. There is no inbetween.

“I typed in Raccoon Island but it brought me to the west?”

“I don’t know where the trash rig is?”

Then I’d scream to Comfort Island. “Got it.”

I could also condense this trip to Long Rocks -> Trash Rig -> Comfort Island. I’d even consider doing that in reverse order because the Long Rocks is probably gonna have everyone and their mom there on a Saturday.

“I like the reverse idea. I’m not much on taking a number and fish.”

When you fish Comfort Island, know the shallow water on the west side usually does best. Cork it with a 40″ leader. “My wife/fishing partner is a corker and she’ll love this!”

If it’s too bumpy because the weather man sucks at his job then go inside to the MRGO and fish those spots I picked out. Cork ’em. Or you can do what you picked out from Trout 1 to Trout 9. I think those could work but do not dilly dally. You are moving with a purpose.” Yes I am. I’m on a mission now! I’ve struck out enough. IT’S ON FISH!

You need to be mentally prepared to forget the Long Rocks in the event the river is splooging crap all over it. If you get there and see garbage water, LEAVE. Jump to Warp 9 to clearer water. I would not fish the rigs southeast of the Long Rocks (Five Wells and 32 Block) because they are most certainly covered in crap river water.

** Plan 2 ** We’ll make a judgement call the day before to see if we can get a better feeling of the weather. I’m excited to fish either one!

Use this plan to guarantee calmer water and where water is definitely not gonna be threatened by river water or having been dirtied by that strong SE wind for days on end. Plus the wind is predicted to be calmer out this way. Bring bug spray. “Have three different kinds on the boat, lol” I hate biting bugs”

I’d go straight to the rocks on the east side of Lake Borgne. Fish a topwater against the rocks for quality trout, have your helper fish a cork with a 24″ leader. “This sounds awesome!”

You will see there are coves in breaks in the rocks, definitely fish in those and fish the end of the rocks.

” 10-4″

You will also see bright white shell banks on GED. Fish those.

Then you’ll see a rig off of Point aux Marchettes at 29° 59.034’N 89° 37.247’W IIRC. Fish that. It will be calm enough. Jig and drop shot that bad boy. Maybe a cork. Lots of snags there, be ready to break off.

Then consider fishing the reef balls at 30˚ 04.283’ -89˚ 35.107’. Due east of that is a big shell bank on Lake Borgne. “Got it”

Magill Lagoon is Plan Redfish. Got it.

There you go. Good luck. You’re top notch!

[keithl]

You may be right they’ve had a month to grow. I think the weather is going to be good especially forecasting overcast. I’m looking forward to trying this area and I’ll continue south. I’m hoping for some good water since I’ve had no problem finding dirty water lol! We’re going to give it a shot

Thanks!

[keithl]

Thank you.

[keithl]

That’s a big goal😁! In your profile Timbo it says you fish the Pearl river. When’s the best time to fish the Pearl down by the Rigolets? I love to catch marsh bass too and it looks like a good area to fish.

[keithl]

Gotcha! I’ll make the changes on my plan, thank you these are the things I have no clue to.

[keithl]

Thank you Devin I appreciated the extensive feedback and LAFB Is the best man, no bs. I’ll post this weeks upcoming trip to get feedback we have some really good fisherman on this site that I can learn a lot from and the area I’m fishing.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by  keithl.

[keithl]

Awesome feedback. I hope others learned from mistake. The Ranger is a killer bass boat platform light, quick and oh yeah it’s a blast to drive. Hopefully I’ll see ya out there and we can hook up and fish.

[keithl]

Thank you so much I really do appreciate the maps and feedback. I made a huge mistake trying to fish where I fished. Just a note when we got back to Hopedale Marina Pat said the only reports of fish caught were on the north side of the rock wall. Makes sense.