Fall Fishing Under the Birds
The colder weather is bringing changes for saltwater anglers fishing Lake Pontchartrain, Borgne, and Catherine. Fishermen are finding it easier to locate fish simply by finding diving seagulls that are searching for wounded baitfish and shrimp. An increase in speckled trout catches are being seen as well as white trout in the area. The colder water temperatures have also drawn the blue cats in to the lake in search of more food. Anglers have noticed an increase in catfish caught whether intentional or as a by-catch.
Ross Hebert of Covington and a friend made a morning trip to Lake Catherine and ended up spotting some seagulls diving as he neared Unknown Pass. Hebert was using live shrimp under a cork. “We got on them early – first thing in the morning- right where Lake Catherine enters Unknown Pass,” he said. “All of them were caught under the birds.” The team caught 18 keeper trout and a 24-inch redfish within an hour but after that, the school moved away and so did the birds. The friends were unable to relocate the school and spent the rest of the day fishing different areas in Lake Catherine. “The rest of the day all we caught was one more trout and a nice bass,” he said.
Robert Thompson made a trip to the Rigolets with his wife Donna. The team launched at Lake Catherine Island Marina and started fishing at 7 a.m. They tried several spots until spotting a flock of seagulls diving. “It was like a mirage in the dessert – but it was real,” he said. “The birds were so thick I just knew there were fish underneath!” Thompson flipped down his trolling motor and eased near the flock and spotted action on the surface. “There were so many fish on the surface I could hardly contain myself,” he said. The team started casting and Thompson said it was one after another. “As fast as we could cast out the cork shot under and we were reeling in fish,” Thompson said. The couple caught 28 keeper speckled trout when they ran out of live shrimp. Luckily, they brought along some frozen shrimp. They casted out with the market bait but couldn’t mange a bite. Then they started casting out without a cork. That’s when the action started back up. “Right when the bait hit the bottom, we’d feel a tap and set the hook,” White said. They stayed in the same spot and caught 45 white trout ranging from 10-12 inches. “What an amazing day on the water,” he said. We’ll have enough meat in the freezer to last through winter,” he said.
Gnat Repellent
Although gnat season is coming to an end, there are still a few days before the next cool front when the temperatures are up, and the wind is calm. Lana Houlihan of Slidell experienced this on her last fishing trip. It’s been proven that having a sage plant around reduces the number of flies and mosquitos, but she was curious as to if it worked for gnats? Her question was answered after bringing along a small 4-inch-long bundle of dried sage to burn on the boat. “Burning sage to repel gnats works!” she said. “A bundle costs $4 and lasts forever.”
Tournament Results
PRTT held its monthly tournament at the East Pearl River. The river was low, and the weights were high with some beautiful fish brought back to the scale. First place went to Ralph and Ronnie Dunn who brought in a 5-fish limit of 17.9 pounds. Second place went to Mark Mohr and Charles Dauzat who weighed in 5 fish at 14.3 pounds. Chad Hartzog and James Harris won third with a limit that weighed 13.3 pounds.
The Double Nickel Bass Club gathered at the East Pearl River to fish on a beautiful day with highs in the upper 70s. The tide was falling, and the West Pearl was below 8 feet as 19 anglers blasted off to fish the event. At the weigh-in Ron Hindman took first place by bringing in a 3-fish bag weighing 8.51 pounds. In second was Ralph Dunn whose limit weighed 8.12 pounds. Joe Picone placed third with a 7.84-pound bag that was anchored by the big bass of the day: a 4.82-pound bass.
Upcoming
Tournaments
Liar’s and Lunkers is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on November 28. For more information, please contact Chad Hartzog at 985-502-3217.
The Double Nickel Bass Club is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on Tuesday, November 30. For more information, please contact Joe Picone at 985-630-4170.
PRTT is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on December 11. For more information, please contact Charles Duazat at 985-960-6936.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com.Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)