Giant Yellowfin Close to Venice & The Secrets to Finding Trout
Welcome to this week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report, covering New Orleans, Venice, Hopedale/Delacroix, Grand Isle, Houma, and everywhere in between. Host Andre’ Savoie talks with Capt. Josh Edwards of Calcutta Gold Fishing about the fall offshore transition around Venice, where yellowfin tuna begin moving much closer to the Mississippi River as mullet and pogies migrate offshore. Andre’ also talks with Capt. Frenchy, a New Orleans-area inshore guide and avid fly fisherman, about the fall trout transition, reading bird activity, finding clean water around feeding catfish, and using subtle clues to locate fish. You can also follow Capt. Frenchy on Facebook.
Capt. Josh explains why fall is one of his favorite times to chase tuna out of Venice. As October approaches, the fish transition from the distant offshore floaters to areas much closer to shore, often only five to 15 miles out. Mullet and pogies begin migrating offshore to spawn, creating bait balls that attract yellowfin and blackfin tuna in open water. Josh says fall is more about trophy fishing than numbers, with some of his best days producing several yellowfin in the 150- to 180-pound class. Sharks can make landing those fish difficult, so he uses heavier tackle to shorten fight times, including one 222-pound yellowfin landed in about five and a half minutes. Swordfish in the 150- to 200-plus-pound range are another option, while wahoo begin showing around offshore rigs.
Capt. Frenchy breaks down an inshore bite around Shell Beach, Lake Borgne, and the waters east of New Orleans that remains in the fall transition. Speckled trout are beginning to move back toward inside waters with migrating shrimp, but the fish remain scattered and many of the trout closer to the interior are still small. Frenchy explains how he uses fly tackle for far more than shallow-water redfish, targeting trout with sinking lines and weighted flies in deeper water as well. He also shares several ways anglers can better read what is happening around them. Diving gulls can indicate shrimp being pushed to the surface by trout or redfish, while birds simply scooping from the surface may be following feeding catfish. Instead of immediately leaving muddy water and catfish behind, Frenchy recommends working outward until finding the cleaner edge, where trout often hold just outside the mud cloud. He also explains why anglers should occasionally shut down the engine, watch the water, and even listen for shrimp popping nearby.
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