Take advantage of adverse conditions!
Keith Lusher Jr
The dog days of summer are here and all across the Northshore
fisherman are struggling to find fish with any consistency. Lake Pontchartain
is suffering from low salinity and as a result the speckled trout just aren’t
there like in past seasons. High water is also wreaking havoc on the freshwater
rivers and bayous on the Northshore. Add high daytime temperatures to the mix
and fishing almost starts to feel like work. This is the time of year where anglers decide
to pack it in and wait for the first cool fronts that make fishing bearable
again. It’s these times that you can take advantage of the adverse conditions.
Freshwater
Sunrise on Bayou Lacombe
As the morning erodes away and the heat sets in, move up-river and find overhanging trees that provide shade for bass. The sun will dictate where the bass are so use the sun as a tool. Put away those top-water lures and break out the weed-less jigs. Cast underneath docks, logs, lilly pads, and overhanging tree branches. This often provides a three to five degree difference in water temperature and you can bet that makes a difference to a bass trying to regulate his body temperature in the August heat! Below is your best bet this week for catching bass on the Northshore. |
The rivers and bayous of the Northshore offer two dimensions
when it comes to bass fishing in the heat.
If you are willing to change fishing styles when the daytime heat kicks
in, you can benefit tremendously. In August it’s very important to get an early
start. Get out on the water before the sun comes up head south. The southern
end of the rivers and bayous on the Northshore holds some of the best bass
action you’ll ever witness. Shad and shrimp are more plentiful here because of
the proximity to Lake Pontchartrain and with the cooler morning temperatures
you’ll be able to take advantage of bass chasing bait-fish without any
limitations from the heat. Find ditches
and run-outs from the marsh and throw top-water lures such as Chug-bugs and
Pop-R’s. Look for baitfish scattering across the surface and target that area.
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Tchefuncte River
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Bass fishing on the “T-Funk” is fantastic right now! Anglers are taking advantage of a stout marsh
bass bite towards the southern end of the river during the early morning hours.
Find wind-blown banks and fish top-water lures 20 to 30 feet off the
shore. Remember, just because you’re
fishing top-water doesn’t mean you have to fish shallow water. The deeper
waters of the main river are cooler and more oxygenated than the smaller
dead-end cuts that are peppered throughout the Tchefuncte. Look for shad and
shrimp action on the surface or birds diving. This is where you will find large schools of
bass feeding.
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Zach Liberto shows off his Tchefuncte catch
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Saltwater
Speckled trout fishing starts to get tough around this time as well. Add to it the unseasonably low salinity levels in the lake and you get what adds up to be a non-existent speck bite. This reminds me of the summer we had a few years back when they opened the Bonnet Carre Spillway and freshwater filled the Lake for some time. Upon opening the spillway, speckled trout fisherman had great success fishing ahead of the freshwater line. You can use the same tactic this summer as well. Below is your best bet for catching speckled trout this week.
Lake Borgne
Slidell angler Vito Neal takes advatage of saltier water in Lake Bornge
Because Lake Borgne is open to east and connects directly to
the Mississippi Sound, salinity levels are higher right now than in Lake
Pontchartrain and the fishing reports are evidence of this. Reports of bait-fish are abundant and anglers
are finding limits of speckled trout at the rigs and shell reefs in the Lake.
Use live shrimp on a drop-shot rig in the deeper waters near the L&N
Bridge. If you’re willing to weed through some smaller trout check out Half
Moon Island and fish live shrimp or Matrix Shad Shrimp Creole under a cork.
Lake Borgne is synonymous with tripletail fishing. This can
be the perfect “plan-b” for a bad day speckled trout fishing. Triple tails typically hang out underneath the
floats of crab traps in the middle of open water. On a sunny day you can spot
these fish and sight fish them. Use live shrimp on a #6 treble hook rigged
under a cork. If you can get close enough to the fish try free-lining your
shrimp to it. Cast past the fish, retrieve your bait passed the fishes head,
and hang on!
More Articles!
Can't find fish? The marsh bass are there!
Bass fishing makes summertime transition on Northhsore!
Lake Pontchartrain speckled trout may be in survival mode.
Beat the crowds, find less stressed waters!
Speckled trout season off to slow start on Northshore
Got your backup plan?
Finally some stability on the Northshore!
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