Devin
Forum Replies Created
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“Venice is just so incredible. It is so indescribable that no words can express the beauty of it that can only be understood by seeing it in person. The Mississippi River Delta is so vast and so exciting that it can easily become overwhelming.”
Dude, yes. Bang on. Yet people will tow to <insert same ol’ spot> even when the most badass reports are coming out of Venice. Just blows my mind. People will go to The Wall and weed through throwbacks all day while nothing under 15″ breathes water in Venice. LOL
” I rented a cabin in Boothville Saturday evening so I didn’t have to wake up insanely early to leave my house on the Northshore Sunday morning.”
Great call. Worth every penny, I am sure. Especially with that LNG and Belle Chasse traffic!
“My plan was to check 3-4 spots for Speckled Trout first thing, and if it wasn’t happening at any of those spots, then I was punting on Trout and going straight to flipping the canes for bass and redfish”
Brilliant.
“When I got about a half mile from the mouth of Red Pass, I noticed shrimp jumping literally everywhere. It was the absolute Mother Lode of shrimp, and they were absolutely engulfing red pass all the way out into the gulf.”
I cannot wrap my head around how they get into that marsh. The River is constantly pushing them away and when it’s high it’s the worst water for them, right? So how the F do they get in there? A trout I caught in The Jump last year coughed up some shrimp, but that could’ve come from a guide. So how in the hell does a thing with barely any swimming power go UPSTREAM?!?! I’ll die before I ever learn it all.
“so I elected NOT to make the run to Sandy Point and Scofield Beach out of an abundance of caution”
Good move. Better safe than sorry. But did you see guide boats or anyone else running in that direction?
“So I punted on Trout right then and there and headed into a canal that fed into Locust Pond in search of Redfish and Bass.”
Yeah, I’m guilty of that from time to time. This is why for new areas I measure things out on GED so I know how long it really is, and that gives me a better idea. I understand that’s a lot of homework to do.
“The water was pristine. Absolutely crystal clear.”
The clearest water I’ve ever fished for specks or reds has been in Venice. People just don’t know. The River is where it’s at. They just don’t know. They will go to the Trestles and strike out three times in a row and just won’t make the drive to Venice when the river is low.
“I was throwing a Texas rigged Net Bait craw in cobalt blue, with a pegged 3/8 oz bullet weight. I saw plenty of bass swimming around the shorelines, but all of them would turn their nose up at my lure.”
Green pumpkin may have been better. I’ve never had much luck sight fishing bass if they’re not locked on a bed. Flipping canes on a non-sloping shoreline has worked best for me, or bomb casting swimbaits and spinnerbaits in ponds. I think they’re more cautious. Like, my buddy Ty had an aquarium by his front door that had a bass and redfish in it. The redfish was a slack-jawed idiot with a dunce cap it on. It had no situational awareness at all. It just sat there. But the bass was like the freakin’ Predator. If someone walked through the door, it turned to look and would follow you across the room. I think bass are just a sportier fish.
“Then like an idiot, I left there and made another long run to Baptiste Collette”
I get it. I do the same thing. The long run to greener grass. With this hindsight, I would’ve tried High Line Pond, or at least how to get back there.
“However, this trip was not a waste.”
No, it was not!! I wish more people understood this. What you did is how you catch fish over the long term. Like I said in that other post: you are the tip of the spear. You are there early as all get out, by about a week or two. Those fish are gonna be in the River bigger than sh*t because more bait comes out of there than anywhere else. It’s The Saltening in high gear. More water, less fish. Now you have tracks getting you around, especially from Grand to 1st Spillway, that’s a big deal, because a lot of that is dumb shallow.
You’re killing me with this Venice report. My Tracker is broke right now and I am leaving it that way so I can get actual work done, or I will be towing to Venice every week. LOL I’ll have fun, get good video, etc. but that’s not necessary right now for LAFB. lol
“Looking back, my motor was fine. Gave me zero issues.”
More good news.
Boyce, excellent report, thanks for writing it. My only problem with it is that it’s making me antsy for Venice. I’m glad you see what I saw, and now you understand why I get frustrated when people don’t see the point in going. It’s another planet. Bring your spacesuit.
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You’re definitely consistent.
Kenndedy Lagoon can be really good. I’ve had some great days there in the evening as the shrimp were rolling out.
I’m willing to bet you can find similar action in Bayou La Fee, Bayou Biloxi, maybe even Bayou Sue. I would also start taking a hard look at stuff further in, like Bayou Thomas, Doulut’s Canal, Bayou St. Malo and Martello Castle.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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I love these reports. You are not giving up for anything. The determination is unstoppable. True Viking seafaring spirirt.
“Usually if this happened while TT fishing I would be upset but I ran parallel to them with the thought that they can see the pods on each side.”
Smart move.
“I started to make my way back and realized the east of the island is very shallow and very clear. I didnt see any fish but I’m sure that is a prime wade fish topwater spring/fall destination.”
It is. I’ve always wanted to try, but never got around to it. Too much other stuff to fish, content to make, features to install, etc.
“to look for black drum on pots”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! They always have their rubber lips wrapped around those corks.
“I got an Uber, picked up my truck/trailer and loaded up back home.”
Life lived on the edge. Geezus, dude.
“The more these fish elude me, the more my obsession grows.
It will be so sweet to have my hands in the mouth of one of the giant, majestic beasts. And I’ll share it here first.”
Every time I see one (at the aquarium LOL) I think of your quest.
You’ll get there. What matters first and foremost is having that fire.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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Neil, thanks for taking time to post an intro. Good fall fishing is cranking up, so hopefully there will be no need to drive too far.
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Look, MODIS can be a good tool, but remember that the resolution is 250m per pixel, meaning an entire fishing spot can be squirreled away in clear water and you’d never know.
I wouldn’t fish water that is totally garbage, but I bet if you started fishing bayous and passes coming out of the marsh on a falling tide that you’d find some specks under diving birds and jumping shrimp. It’s getting to be that time of year.
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Hey Gene, it’s great to have you! Thank you for taking time to intro yourself!
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If you have that money to burn and it makes you happy, go for it. If you are already savvy with using a foot pedal trolling motor, casting tackle and mentally visualizing presentations on fish as well as surrounding cover and structure, then it can be a good tool.
Otherwise, inshore fishing is not so hard or difficult that that tool would give you some kind of edge (without the aforementioned skill sets) or unlock fishing spots for you.
What matters is finding biting fish in the first place. I’d spend that money on gas and maintenance for TOW.
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Hey Rhonda, it’s great to have you here, thank you so much for posting an intro. The fishing is probably going to be off the charts this fall, so you’re in the right place!
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“The MS River is at 2.5 ft at the Carrollton Gauge, so I am thinking it is Venice’s time to shine. I am not sure if I remember what the River level was at when Devin was fishing Venice last December, but I think it’s right around what it’s at now? Correct me if I am wrong.”
Yes, that is correct.
“My thoughts are the trout will be in the passes in deep water, so my plan thus far mostly focuses on that.”
I’m not confident on that. Water temp is 83 at Pilot Town. But it’s Venice, so who knows? I would be curious to check 1st Spillway and the rocks further downstream of it. That’s your #12. Fishing the inside is what people usually do, but I have had success fishing the outside of it, like up against the riprap on the river’s shore between the rows of pilings.
After that, Scofield Beach out of Red Pass. No intel, just a SWAG I would make, especially on a rising tide.
I would definitely graph The Jump. If I saw tons of bait or fish sitting on the bottom then I would try it.
High Line Pond could be good for sight fishing redfish, but I haven’t been in there since 2020. It’s probably silted in even more. GED is your hero here. But it is teal season, so maybe don’t go in there.
Make sure your trolling motor is 1,000% unf*cked before relying on it in the river.
The Wagon Wheel could be good for reds.
You should understand that maybe fishing a little further out would be good for speckled trout with the current water temp. The rocks at the end of SW Pass could be enough, like even the ones on the outside of the south part of the river, if that makes sense.
Otherwise, you have an adventure ahead of you.
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Just letting you know that I haven’t forgotten about this. There’s a million other things in LAFB that need juggling right now, but this is still on my To Do List.
Thank you for being patient!
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“I depend heavily on my foot pedal trolling motor when I fish, so that was a punch in the gut right off the bat”
Ugh, same here. Without it my ability to fish different spots is hurt and has to be changed from what was planned. I hate that. Sorry that happened to you.
“7 keepers all 14”-16””
Okay, not bad. I’ll take that with a dead trolling motor battery!
Otherwise, great report, thanks for posting it!
About your motor (just in case): I think ethanol is fine if it is being burned every day. We ran ethanol in three airboats and a slowboat at the swamp tour and had no ethanol-related issues. The problem with ethanol is that it separates out of solution and leaves a layer of water at the pickup in your gas tank. So, if one goes fishing in October, then stores the boat until the next fishing trip in April, and there is ethanol in that bad boy, there will be a disaster.
I’m sure you already know this, but I’m stating it anyway for others who may read your report. It sounds like you fixed your problem, but I would keep an eye and ear peeled on that motor in the event its something else, especially going to Venice.
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It looks like it sets up just like Martello Castle or Bayou Thomas: it’s a scoop. More on this here at 20:23 in this video inside 101: https://www.lafbelite.com/lesson/if101-5-2/
I’d park about where those boats are, either a little north or a little south, then hang a Heavy Drop Shot off the side of the boat. Or, if you’re not scared to cast upstream (and why would you be?), fan cast around the boat.
I’d expect to use at least a half ounce of sinking weight, but don’t be surprised a 1oz bank sinker wins the day.
I’d be sure to fish there when the tide is falling its ass off.
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Nice boat!
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Out-friggin-standing! I’m hoping you back safely and find something worthwhile! You are the tip of the spear! lol
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Do you have routes for East Bay? My understanding is that getting in and out of it is tricky as there are lots of sandbars and sunk wellheads to hit. The only way I’ve ever accessed East Bay is from the mouth of the River, I have not been down Joseph’s Bayou. I don’t plan on going anytime soon, but this could be good intel for Boyce.
