Boy was it hot on Friday! Both the fishing and the weather. Little to no wind, gnats out in force and pushing 90 degrees made it feel like the middle of summer. The fish did not mind and we caught plenty of them. Speckled trout up to 3 lbs, redfish up to 26″ and some medium sized flounder to top off the ice chest. These fish were caught in the inside deep water holes with adjacent flats, outer shallow water coves and over submerged reefs out in the Sound. The majority of the fish were caught on artificial cocahoes in the smoke color with 3/8 ounce jigheads. We had live bait, but the artificials were producing better. Inside, the fish wanted the bait slow rolled over the oysters up on the flats. The outer coves and the outside reefs produced with a steady retrieve and slow rolling the bottom. The tide was predicted to rise till noon at over 1 foot range, but we did not find any rising water. I guess it was due to the exceptionally high water in the Delacroix marsh right now. The salinities have returned to the inside, but the still seems to be too low for spawning fish around the islands. There are still fish to be caught both inside and outside. Good luck out there!
Action as Hot as the Weather
The weather finally got us this morning and forced my guests to cancel at 4 AM. That is a shame because the fishing has been pretty steady the last few days out of the Delacroix marsh. We have been catching nice size trout at the rigs and wellheads in Breton Sound. The fish have been moving around from day to day with the same spots not producing consecutively. The water on the outside is dirty and fresh on top, but salty below. The trout have been in the 18-22″ class and have wanted live shrimp and artificials on the bottom. The live shrimp have been doing best on a jighead instead of the carolina rig. The hot color for the plastics has been a smoke w/red tail. Most of the trout have been picked up working the down current side of the structure. The redfish are still working the points and cuts in the outer bays. The best action has come on the rising tide. The reds have been in the 18-24″ class with an occasional bull up to 25lbs. The fish have wanted live or dead shrimp 24-36″ under a cork. This action can be as hot as the weather! This week, it looks like we may get a break from the heat as a small front brings some drier air to the area. This will be a welcome relief! Good luck out there this week.
Captain Jeff J. Dauzat
Tough Fishing Conditions Today
Tough fishing conditions in the Delacroix marsh today. My guests were greeted with rain right away this morning which kept us in the boat slip for a while. A break to the east allowed us to punch through and get some inside fishing in. We worked deep bayous for trout and reds with artificial and live cocahoes. No limits, but nice fish. Artificial held an advantage over the live on the 13-19″ class trout. The fish were staging at the mouths of cuts and lakes with a deepwater bayou running through. The trout and reds wanted the baits slow rolled or twitched on the bottom in 15 feet of water. The hot color was alvacado on a 3/8 ounce jighead. The tide was falling despite the strong SE winds. The tide slacked around 11 AM and the action stopped. We tried running to the moving tide, but with rain blowing up around, we decided to call it a day early. We pulled into the slip just as the rain started. Perfect timing! The weather looks iffy with the approching front. There may be a window in the morning which we will shoot for and try to get some fishing in before the bottom drops out. Good luck out there this weekend.
Captain Jeff J. Dauzat
Another Windy Day in Paradise
Another windy day in paradise. My guests were treated to a stiff ENE breeze gusting to 25 K this morning in the Delacroix marsh. The water had been low in the morning, but poured in during the day. That was the biggest .4 foot tidal range I have ever seen! The water was clean in the morning and became increasingly cloudy throughout the day. We found some small trout feeding in the winter time holes this morning. It was two throwbacks for every fish that hit the box, but steady action. The fish wanted live cocahoe minnows on the bottom on jigheads and artificial cocahoes in smoke w/red tail. The artificial out produced the live today. A few small reds and a couple of flounder rounded out the day. The action is spotty right now and with the full moon, the action is best early and late. Look for your fish to still be in the deep holes early and moving up toward the flats in the afternoon. Good luck out there this week.
Captain Jeff J. Dauzat
Windy Day Down the Bayou
Windy day down the bayou today out of Delacroix. Northwest winds at 20 Knots dirtied up the water quick. Adverse conditions to say the least. Clean water was scarce, but the areas that had good water also were holding fish. The fishing and catching was slow and we caught our fish is spurts. We worked protected interior bayous and passes between small bays. The trout and red wanted live cocahoe minnows on the bottom with a 1/4 ounce jighead. Later in the morning, the trout were taking artificial cocahoes on 1/4 ounce jigheads in alvacado w/red tail and smoke w/red tail. The fish were picking up the bait very subtly and wanted a slow to no retreive. Casting across current and letting the bait drift with the tide was best. The trout were up to 3.5 lbs with a good number of 11.5″ fish. The lone red was a bull at 29″. The female trout had eggs forming when they were cleaned and the water temperature was well over 70 degrees F, the spring spawn is only a couple of weeks away! If the weather will ever stabilize, the sows will be on the islands soon. This weekend looks good for fishing. The wind should lay down and allow the water to clean up. Good luck out there this week and weekend.
Thanks Captain Brian and Captain Rick!
Tough Fishing Conditions
Tough fishing conditions today out of the Delacroix marsh. Strong winds out of the Northeast held up the tidal fall today. The fish did not want to cooperate in the lack of moving water. The trout that fell victim to our lure presentations wanted artificial cocahoes worked slowly on or near the bottom. The hot colors were alvacado with a red tail and smoke with a red tail on a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jighead. The fish were in 10-15 feet of water. The weather looks iffy for the next few days with consistent rain in the picture. The end of the week holds promise as the weather and water clears. Good luck out there this week.
Captain Jeff J. Dauzat
Easy Limits of Speckled Trout
Excellent fishing in the interior marsh out of Delacroix, Louisana. Easy limits of speckled trout are finding their way into the ice chest. The fish really fed this morning before the front pushed through. The fish are staging in the deep holes and passes between lakes and adjacent to flats. These fish are readily taking artificial lures presented slowly along the bottom. The hot colors today were smoke and purple/chartreuse tail on a 3/8 ounce jighead. The fish were 13-18″ with a good number of small fish. There was plenty of action on almost every cast and the last fish hit the ice chest before 11 AM. It does not get easier fishing than right now. This pattern should continue through the rest of the month and into the first couple of weeks in February. If you have never experienced the fast and furious action of inshore speckled trout fishing, then this is the time to visit. Good luck out there this week.
Excellent Fishing out of Venice
Excellent fishing in the Mississippi River Delta out of Venice. The reds are everywhere and are striking anything in their path. The fish wanted live cocahoe minnows carolina rigged on the bottom. The fish also attacked artificial cocahoes in black/chartreuse tail and purple/chartreuse tail on a 3/8 ounce jighead. The reds are cruising the canes and rocks along the river passes. Along with the reds, trout, flounder and bass were aggressively feeding. The river is low and the water is turning green. The fishing will only get better! Good luck out there this week and weekend.
Captain Jeff J. Dauzat