Winters Back!
After a warm start to January, it seems old man winter has returned to the Northshore making the fish a bit harder to come by. The strong winds combined with the Pearl River spilling water into Lake Borgne has made it difficult on anglers. However, there are still fish to be caught even with the less-than-optimal water conditions.
Big Nasty
Cody Guidry made a trip to the Rigolets and found clean water in some cuts that drain out from the marsh. He was using Matrix Shad in the Ultraviolet color on a 3/8 oz jighead and was able to put together a box of 10 bass, 5 trout, 1 flounder, and 1 redfish. While he was putting together his box of fish, Guidry was interrupted by a hungry black drum, which he referred to as, “Big Nasty” that measured over 30 inches.
From Offshore to Inshore
Joey Redondo just moved his family from Miami to Slidell and decided to take his son fishing in the Rigolets. The father and son fished together a lot in Florida, but this trip was different. “It was our very first-time fishing in Louisiana. “Coming from Miami I mostly fish offshore but I was hoping to learn more about inshore brackish water fishing,” he said.
The team was using dead shrimp on the bottom and fished out of Geoghegan’s Canal. The Redondo’s fished for hours but the wind made it tough. “There was a cold, blazing wind out there,” he said. While they didn’t catch any speckled trout or redfish, they were able to catch nine blue cats which provided loads of line-pulling fun for the inshore rookies. “Overall, it was a great time out on the water, and we can’t wait to get back out there,” he said.
Tickfaw Update
While not complete, the recovery of the Ticfaw River continues to be promising. The river saw a fish kill after Hurricane Ida hit in August of 2021. Martin Duvic made a trip to the river in search of sac-a-lait but the conditions made it tough to fish. “There was a brisk wind, and the water was muddy, muddy, muddy,” he said. Duvic was tight-lining a black and chartreuse tube jig in the main river and only managed two keeper sac-a-lait but did catch a lot of small sac-a-liat. “That’s a good sign,” he said.
Less Spillway Openings?
It’s safe to say that most fisherman on the Northshore have never heard of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In the act it states the Army Corps of Engineers must get the approval of the National Marine Fisheries Service before opening the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway, or any spillway for that matter. After the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ in 2019, several cities, counties, and businesses across the Mississippi Gulf Coast sued the Corps, claiming the more frequent, lengthier openings of the Spillway have caused heavy damage to the environment and economy of the Coast. The court ruled last week that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated that act that was meant to conserve and manage the fishery resources found off the nation’s coasts.
The Corps will now consult with the National Marine Fisheries about damage to marine life in the Mississippi Sound. Anglers are hopeful that abiding by the Act will lead to fewer openings of the spillway moving forward and better fishing in the future for those who fish Lakes Pontchartain and Borgne.
Upcoming Tournaments
The Double Nickel Bass Club is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on Tuesday, Jan 31. For more information, please contact Dwain Crumby at 985-502-6006.
Pearl River Team Trails is holding their next tournament at Crawford’s Landing on Feb. 11. For more information, please contact Charles Dauzat at 985-960-3260.
The Florida Parishes Bass Anglers are holding their tournament at the Tickfaw River on February 12.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com.Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)