August can be one of the most difficult months to fish on the Northshore. The long, hot days can be downright torturous for anglers, especially when they aren’t catching any fish. Add to it the vicious west winds we have had lately, and the start of this month may have even the most steadfast fisherman second guessing their fishing trip. This is the month that most anglers just call it quits and hold off until the first cool fronts start to roll in. But there is something about this month that is different from all the past Augusts.
Fishing is actually picking up on the Northshore! Reports out of the Lake Pontchartrain point to salinity levels rising which means things may be getting back to normal even before the fall fishing season starts. Bass are being caught in good numbers all along the bayous near the lake also. Anglers are having no problem heading in with a limit of bass before the heat of the day sets in.
Lake Borgne
While things are improving in Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne is clearly your best bet until conditions fully recover. When you make your way out of Chef Pass and into the lake look for large yellow rig with a smaller concrete rig fixed on the side. This is called the Alligator Point Rig and it is one of the most fished rigs on Lake Borgne for good reason. Troll around the rig and wait until you find the specks. Anchor and concentrate on that location. Anglers are catching specks on the bottom with live shrimp with a healthy mix of white trout also. Like always, you’ll pick up a few drum and sheepshead but reports of fisherman catching mangrove snapper have been surfacing recently also.
Best known for its green and white tanks near the barge section of this rig, the Tulane Rig offer a variety of fish in August. Get out here early to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Use live shrimp rigged under a sliding cork set approximately 8 feet deep. Fish the pilings until you start catching fish then camp out on the spot. The fish here tend to school tight so where there is one there are bound to be more to follow!
If redfish is your weakness, head across Lake Borgne and into the Biloxi Marsh. Start by locating baitfish on the surface and the redfish will follow. Live shrimp under a cork is a safe bet but for those who are up for more of a challenge, gold spoons retrieved near the surface can provide heart pounding top-water action that dreams are made of.
While jumping from spot to spot it’s important to remember that August offers another type of fish that is often overlooked. Tripletail fishing is gaining popularity and for good reason. This fish offers an abundance of delicious white meat that is associated with most offshore fish. Tripletail hold to floating surface structure like crab floats and small mats of algae. Otherwise known as “flashers,” this fish has a unique way of ambushing baitfish. It floats sideways on the surface as to imitate its accompanying structure. Shad that use the floats as cover from prey also use the oddly shaped tripletail as cover.
The tripletail will use this method of hunting literally all day and use hardly any energy doing so. Fish this size rarely present themselves to anglers so take advantage of this sight fishing opportunity in what may feel like the middle of nowhere. Since keeping the bait in the strike zone is so important, free-lining live shrimp is the best way to maximize your cast and not have it sink down past the fish. Plastics aren’t as productive as shrimp but have been known to work if placed right in front of the fish.
Salt Bayou
What has always been a great place to catch bass, Salt Bayou is my top pick this week for catching August bass. The key is finding ditches that run out from the marsh. Bass are congregating where the water drains into the main bayou. Throw soft plastics and top-water lures early then switch over to deeper running crank-baits as the heat kicks in.
Upcoming
Tournaments
The Wednesday Evening Bass Club is holding bass tournaments every Wednesday evening on the Tchefuncte River. For more information call Tommy at 985-807-6249.
Liars and Lunkers is holding their bass tournaments every Thursday on Lock One. Call 985-502-3217 for more information.
Bass Assassins will be holding their next tournament at Bayou Liberty on August 4. For more information call Chris at 985-707-7857.
Monday Afternoon Bass Tournaments are being held on Bayou Liberty. 5 p.m. until dark. For more information call Lee at 985-774-3121.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com. Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)