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Oyster Reef Specks
 Keith Lusher
With the forecasted highs reaching the upper 90s, anglers on the Northshore are opting for watching preseason NFL football rather than chasing fish. So when Danny Hunter of New Orleans Best Charters gave me a call and asked if I wanted to catch speckled trout, I was hesitant to answer.
Hunter has been finding limits of speckled trout fishing the oyster reefs on the southern end of Lake Borgne. I made a trip with Hunter to learn a few of his techniques and learn a new way to fish for trout in August.
We launched at Rigolet's Marina and hunkered down for a long ride through Rigolet's Pass and across Lake Borgne. The winds were blowing out of the north at 10 mph, making the lake a bit of a challenge, but Hunter's 24-foot Sportsman Master 247 bay boat handled it well.
Hunter points out or first stop
After reaching our destination, Hunter pointed out the white PVC pipes that rose from the water. "Those markers show where all the oyster leases are," he said. "When fishing flat-bottom lakes like Lake Borgne, any kind of structure you can find is going to attract baitfish and predator fish."
Hunter uses Marker 54 Jerk Shrimp. It’s a 4-inch shrimp has an eyehole in the middle of its body, which allows it to hang horizontally. "When I pop that shrimp, it bends in half and looks like a real shrimp popping," Hunter said. He rigs the shrimp 4 feet under an Undertaker Cork. Hunter threw his trolling motor down and positioned his boat on the outside of an oyster bed. We both cast our rigs into the water. The action was slow at first as we were popping our corks to no avail. However, patience paid off, and Hunter's cork suddenly shot under. He leaned back, set the hook, and reeled in a 14-inch speckled trout. He explained what he'd observed at these oyster reefs. "Sometimes these fish swim around these reefs looking for baitfish, so you have to be patient out here. If you fish a spot for just a half hour and move, you might miss the fish when they come through," he said. 
Keith Lusher hauls in a speckled trout caught on a Marker 54 Jerk Shrimp under and Undertaker Cork
Hunter was right! My cork shot under, and I reeled in a 15-inch trout that I tossed into the ice chest. We stayed put in our position and caught a few more speckled trout with some white trout mixed in. Hunter said the white trout bite had been amazing all summer and had helped "save" a few trips when he takes clients out. "A lot of people frown upon keeping white trout. They say the meat is too mushy. But I’ve noticed if you get it on ice quickly and keep the meat cold from the time it enters the boat, to the freezer, white trout fillets rank right up there with speckled trout," Hunter said.
As the morning wore on, the sun rose higher, and the heat reminded us of why August can be such a challenge for fishing. Hunter shared his "glass half full" analogy. "Look around. How many boats do you see?" he asked. "We've got the place to ourselves out here. If you prepare correctly—sunblock, long sleeves and pants, and a hat—the heat is manageable," he said. I have to admit that the steady action made the heat barely noticeable at times. 
Hunter shows off an 18-inch speck
As 10:00 a.m. approached, we were closing in on a limit of specks. That's when Hunter's cork went under, and he set the hook on something that pulled drag from his reel. He lowered his head and said, "Stinking gaff top!” The fish moved in on our party, and we began catching gaff top catfish that averaged 20 inches.
After wasting time reeling in a few of these fish, Hunter made a move to another oyster reef where we picked up where we left off. Hunter's cork shot under, and he yelled, "Fish on!" He reeled in an 18-inch speckled trout which hit the floor of the boat like a brick. "Now we're talking," Hunter said. "Sometimes these bigger trout will come through and turn your entire trip around," he said. A few casts later I fished off our limit with another quality 18-inch trout. 
 Alli Lusher slings a black drum into the boat
Return of the Salinity
As the southeast winds continue to blow in late August, the repercussions are being seen in Lake Pontchartrain. At last check, the average salinity for the lake is at 3.6 PPT. With the bump in salinity, anglers are seeing an increase in croaker. I made a trip to the Causeway with George Patterson to specifically target drum and croaker. I was joined by my two daughters Kasey and Alli. Since they don’t like to throw anything back, I figured a meat haul trip would suit them perfectly. We started fishing near the 8-mile mark on the bridge and immediately began getting hits on the bottom using cut-up squid and market shrimp. Everyone on the boat was using a drop-shot rig with a tagline about two feet above the weight. After catching five keeper croaker (9 inches or more) and 2 black drum, we were forced to move south because of a brewing thunderstorm towards Kenner. The storm forced us to work our way north but before the trip was over we managed 17 croaker, 4 drum, 3 blue cats, and 1 speckled trout. The trip confirmed that the Lake is in fantastic shape and seems to be returning to the way it used to be a decade ago before all of the spillway openings. Joe Gray of Slidell was throwing his cast net in the Rigolets when he pulled up the net and discovered a type of fish that he had never seen before. “It had 3 or 4 spikes on the dorsal fin so I knew it wasn’t a juvenile tarpon or jack cravelle,” he said. Gray later was able to identify it as a skipjack. These fish are usually seen in areas farther to the south but with the higher salinity in the Rights, the fish have pushed farther north than usual. |
 Keith Lusher
I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
Look for the Northshore Fishing Report publication every Thursday in The Slidell Independent Weekly Newspaper!
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Ron Hindman of Slidell joins the NFR Studio to talk about his 11-pound trophy bass he caught in the West Pearl River
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