Lack of Wind makes for Easy Rig Hopping

Todays predicted 2-3′ seas did not materialize and made for some easy rig hopping out in Breton Sound.  The water looked good and the tide was rising a little over a half foot. We found the trout stacked up on the down current corner of a rig in 10 feet of water. These trout were nice, 15-22″ with no throwbacks. The fish wanted live shrimp carolina rigged and artificial cocahoes on a 1/4 ounce jighead. The artificial outfished the live shrimp today. The hot color was avacado w/red tail. We also soaked live croakers to pick up a couple of larger trout and one bull red around 30 lbs. which was released. The fish only wanted the bait cast up current and worked back, no cross current or down current presentation. We were well on our way to our limits when a crew boat decided to park and washed us out. It took four more drops to find them again, but fishing a small wellhead in 12 feet of water worked for us. These fish followed the same pattern, but would pick up the bait cross current as well as up current. The live croakers were being inhaled as soon as they hit the bottom. My guests took a while to get the croaker fishing touch, but were getting seasoned as we ran out. Artificials finished us up. We hit a redfish hole on the way in and soaked some live and dead shrimp 2′ under a cork for some redfish and drum action. Nothing big, just decent slot fish 18-20″. Good day at the office! The tidal range is starting to drop to nothing toward the weekend. We will need some wind to move the water. Good luck out there this week!

Captain Jeff J. Dauzat

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

Good Fishing Continues

Good fishing continues out of the Delacroix marsh. The big trout action out at the rigs has slowed as of late. The fish are still around, but the weather pattern has not been condusive for spending alot of time in Breton Sound. The smaller trout have been ganged up under the birds in Black Bay. The fish are taking artificial lures in any color. The throwback ratio has been around 8-1. Fun to catch, but not rewarding at the fish cleaning table. The weather of late has us working the protected waters where the outer bays are just plain lousy with redfish. Easy limits of nice reds 18-24″. The fish are taking live shrimp or dead shrimp 2-3′ under corks. Artificial lures have also been very effective. The best are gold spoons, and cocahoes in alvacado and purple w/chartreuse tail. Good luck out there this week!

Captain Jeff J. Dauzat

 

Exciting Action in Early Morning Fishing

Excellent fishing this weekend out of the Delacroix marsh. The speckled trout are still feeding at the rigs and wellhead structures outside in Breton Sound. The big sow trout bite seem to have cooled off a little, but the smaller more aggressive fish have taken up the slack. The trout are taking live shrimp carolina rigged and deep under corks in 10-12′ of water. Artificial cocahoes in alvacado and smoke w/red tail have also produced alot of fish. The fish have attacked the plastic when presented with a slow roll technique near the bottom. The action was best early till mid morning and then faded. Plenty of bird action in the western side of the Sound. The trout have been nice in some of the schools running up to 3 lbs., but there are also quite a few throwbacks in other schools. The birds have been making up good in the late morning and running through the afternoon. Best lures are double rigged plastics in any color. Casting accuracy is important with these fish. Look for the shrimp jumping out of the water. The seagulls will be close behind swooping down onto the water to catch the shrimp. The trout will also be right under the shrimp trying to eat it. If you can cast within 5′ of this activity, it is almost a guarantee to catch a trout. The redfish seemed to come alive in the outer bays and exterior lakes this week. All good fish up to bulls, but averaging 22″ with no undersize fish. We set up on points in lakes and bays with good tidal water movement and 2-3′ water depth. Live shrimp, dead shrimp, artificial cocahoes and gold spoons all caught limits of redfish. The fish wanted the shrimp 3′ under corks. The fish were attacking the corks too! At one spot, we lost 7 corks due to breakoffs. A guest would be hooked up fighting a redfish and another red would hit the cork and cut the line. Exciting action! The weather looks iffy for the next few days. Hopefully this weather system will shift east with a push from the pressure in the west. After the system passes, the Delacroix marsh will return to normal and the action will resume. Good luck out there this week!

Captain Jeff J. Dauzat

Big Fish Bite in the Delacroix Marsh

Big fish bite this morning out of the Delacroix marsh. It was a little rough out in Breton Sound, but the fish were active. The big sow trout were all 2 – 5 lbs. and fell for our offerings of live shrimp on the bottom and artificial cocahoes slow rolled along the bottom. The artificial outfished the live today. The live shrimp were presented carolina rigged and on jigheads. The hot colors for the artificial lures were alvacado and smoke w/red tail. The trout were subtle in the pickup, but put up quite a fight once hooked. The fish were holding both upcurrent and downcurrent of rigs and wellheads in mid Sound. We worked the fish into a frenzy several different times and had multiple double and triple hookups. Surprisingly, we only lost one trout right at the boat. The bite ended as the seas built up mid morning and we ventured back to the outer bay marsh areas to work some redfish. The reds were scattered, but working windward coves and points paid off with a couple of bulls and a couple of limits of 18″ fish. The black drum and sheepshead were working the drags as well. Live shrimp 2 feet under a cork was the ticket for the redfish action. We only saw a couple of flocks of birds today and the fish were 10-12″. Too small to fool with. The water is nice in the northern and eastern parts of the Sound. The Southern areas are dirty with river water. The weather looks good for the next few days into the weekend. It will be a good time to get out and enjoy some excellent trout/redfish action. Good luck. Thanks Captain Steve!

Captain Jeff J. Dauzat