Delacroix Fishing Report – 5/8/2023

Took a ride early this morning with the boys from Tennessee hoping to get back on that trout bite. We hit several spots with promising conditions, but very few trout feeding. This sometimes happens when there is a full moon and the fish feed at night moving the daytime bite later in the day. We decided to switch gears and head to some redfish holes. We found a shallow cove with a small bayou leading to a small duck pond. We tried both live and dead shrimp under corks and caroling rigged. Redfish and Drum were interested and my guests enjoyed the drag pulling action. These fish were in the 18-26″ class. This spot played out and we tried another Bayou point as it opened up into a small pond. We got back on the redfish and drum action, but we also started to pick up a few trout in the 13-16″ class. The trout were most interested in artificial cocahoes on 3/8 ounce jigheads. We also picked up a sheepshead and a flounder to round out the fish box. The wind shifted from the West as thunder boomers started to build and it changed the tide speed and our boat position which slowed our bite. With bait running out, we decided to call it a good day fishing and take it back to the boat slip. Good times on the water! Good luck out there.

Captain Jeff

Delacroix Fishing Report – 5/4/2023

Great fishing conditions this morning as we left the dock. Light winds out of the East and an incoming tide spelled success right away. We hit a spot where a pass empties into a lake. The trout were there and hungry. Fish started finding their way into the ice chest. The trout were in the 15-20″ class. The fish wanted live shrimp carolina rigged and artificial cocahoes on 3/8 ounce jigheads. The action faded as the water color started to cloud up. We took a ride to the outside edge to find the water conditions were worse. We did pick up a few more trout and one 18″ redfish. We decided to head back inside and came across a point with a very shallow oyster reef behind it. The rising tide had the water boiling across the reef and it had alot of bait activity. We set the boat upstream of the point and threw back to the reef. It was on, the trout were tearing across the reef and attacking bait as it worked through the oysters. The action continued until an oyster boat passed and its wake blew out the bite on the shallow reef. We hit another spot on a big lake to catch the end of the rising tide and got on another trout bite and picked up a nice bonus flounder. The tide slowed to nothing and the bite fizzled. We headed back to the dock with smiles! Be back at it next week. Good luck out there!

Captain Jeff

Delacroix Fishing Report – 4/20/2023

Very windy this morning as we left the dock. The winds were honking 20 mph from the SE. We were able to stay in protected waters and avoid the beating. We hit protected points with good water movement from a rising tide. The water was dirty and fresh from the high water conditions in the Mississippi River. We caught speckled trout in the 13-16″ class on carolina rigged live shrimp, live shrimp 3′ under corks and on artificial cocahoes. The fish were scattered and we had to bounce around a bit. The river is on the fall so hopefully some better water conditions will be available. Good luck out there!

Buras Duck Hunt – 1/28/2023

Very little wind this morning as we crossed the Mississippi River. We got into the pond and got the teal decoy spread set out. This effort went without issue and we had a long wait till legal shooting time. We visited and waited with anticipation for that magic hour to arrive. It was slow at first as not much was moving. We had a single Mottled duck get too close and got that one in the bag. A few teal started to buzz around and we picked up a few more, but it was painfully slow. We waited it out, but the flight did not happen. We did not limit today, but it was fun nevertheless. Tomorrow is the last day of the season, but it is predicted to be bad weather so we will not hunt. Overall it has been a fantastic season on ducks in the Mississippi River Delta, will miss being out there. Chasing turkeys will be next in the que.

Buras Duck Hunt – 1/27/2023

Teal time continues in Buras. Light winds out the Northeast greeted us as we crossed the Mississippi River. We sailed into the pond and began to set out the teal decoy spread. Unfortunately I ran over a decoy string and it got wrapped up into the propellor shaft. I had to cut it out and then limp to the bank and get out of the boat to get it fully cleared out. Cost us some time, but we were able to get the rest of the spread out and get into the blind and set up before shooting time. Day break brought not much flying. The ponds were full of ducks as we could hear them quacking and whistling, but just not flying. As the shooting started around us, the birds started moving and we limited on teal in short order. Good shoot and we will be back after them tomorrow. Good luck out there!

Buras Duck Report 1/20/2023

Stiff breeze out of the Northeast this morning made it a little lumpy crossing the Mississippi River in the early morning hours. We picked a blind on the north side of a big pond. We placed out only Blue Wing and Green Wing Teal decoys in 2 groups one upwind and one downwind of the blind. We got settled into the blind and awaited legal shooting hours. We could hear Bluewings quacking and Greenwings whistling all around us as the darkness started to turn to the light. The shooting started on adjacent leases and the birds started to get up and move. A pair of Mottled ducks got a little too close and the drake found his way into the boat. Once we shot, then the groups of teal got up and started buzzing, a quick flurry of action and we had a few Greenwing and Bluewing Teal on the pond. The action really slowed and we just had a few small groups cutting through the pond. Seems the birds did not want to fly unless jumped up. We waited it out, and other hunters started to pick up and leave. Once they started running, the action picked up and we were able to finish it out strong. Will be back after them next week. Good luck out there!

Buras Duck Hunting Report – 1/16/2023

Mild temperatures and light winds at the start of the hunt this morning. The birds did not fly at first light as usual. We could hear them calling on the water all around us, but just not flying. As the first shots started to ring out in the distance, the birds began to move. We had a few teal start to buzz the decoys and we quickly decided it would be a teal kind of shoot. We began to take the teal that ventured too close to the blind. We ended up with limits of Bluewing and Greenwing Teal. Teal are a very challenging target and excellent table fare. We did not see very many big ducks during this hunt, it looks like they may have moved on. We will be back after them this week! Good luck out there!

Buras Duck Report – 12/27/2022

Light winds and cool temperatures this morning in the Mississippi River Delta. We crossed the Mississippi River and headed into a big pond that has been holding birds. The water was low due to last weeks artic front. Luckily, the tide came up last night and was just starting the fall as we got set up. Tried a different look with the decoy spread, put out scattered pairs thinking the set up might work with the light winds. Shooting hours arrived quickly and the teal were buzzing everywhere. My guests unleased and we quickly got limits of Bluewing and Greenwing Teal. We picked up and made a loop for Nutria Rats. We saw 3 and collected one. We saw 7 hogs along the way, more than I have seen in quite some time. We will be back out tomorrow. Good luck out there this week!

Buras Duck Report – 12/17/2022

The Louisiana Duck Season second split in the West Zone opened this morning. The boat launch was a zoo this morning with a lot of hunters getting out into the Mississippi River Delta. The breeze was stiff out of the Northeast as we headed to the blind. The birds started working the pond well way before shooting time. The decoys were alive with the whistles of greenwing teal that had landed. As shooting time arrived, the big ducks were not working. We could see them up in the sky, but they were not interested. The bluewing and greenwing teal were buzzing everywhere. We waited and got a couple of Mottled ducks to commit and picked them up. A lone gadwall swooped in and stayed. We decided we better take what was available and we finished quick with bluewings and greenwings. We picked up the ducks and started to pick up the decoys and saw that the big ducks were starting to work the pond. Should have waited…Good luck out there this week!