• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Feb 12, 2009 - Page: 10C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Today’s thunderstorms will give way to the week’s second front and, come Friday, we will see the end the string of 70-degree afternoons.

That’s not all the bad news, and all the more points to making freshwater species your weekend target.

Not to add to all the day-in, day-out troubles we’re seeing every day, but here’s what ahead this weekend:

• Constantly shifting, moderate winds, from the east/southeast at 10-to-15 knots (with rain) today, then southerly early Friday, west Friday night, the north Saturday, then east Saturday evening, then southeast and south Sunday.
• Nearshore seas will run 2-to-5 feet. Offshore seas — 7-to-10 footers today — will drop into the 3-to-5 foot range through Monday. Rough enough conditions to be sure, and it comes with a forecast of moderate choppy conditions for “inside” waters.
• Rising rivers, notably the Mississippi, which was clearing in the Venice area earlier this week. Rains and thaws will run levels up to 18.4 feet today (and into Old River) at Baton Rouge and to the 7.4 foot mark at New Orleans. That means lots of current and dirty water invading the Venice area and points on the east side of the river out of Plaquemines Parish launches. The Mississippi will fall more than a foot (down to a 5.5 reading at New Orleans) by Wednesday.

Freshwater
The Atchafalaya River is low with constant levels, maybe it’s time to make the trip for bass and sac-a-lait. Most areas have clear water, and canals on the south end are holding enough fish.

Look for canals near the deep-water spots that were safe havens during Gustav and Ike, and served to restock these areas when water quality improved.

Chartreuse/white spinnerbaits, shad-colored crankbaits, black-blue jigs and gold jerkbaits — all worked slowly — are catching bass from Grand Lake down into the lower Bayou Sorrel area.

False River bass are in the prespawn mode. There are lots of small, male bass, hanging in 2-to-6 foot depths and taking pumpkinseed lizards, four-inch dark-colored tubes and jigs-n-pigs. Heftier female bass were showing up in deeper water. If you’re not familiar with False River, then now is the time to head to the “flats” in either end of the river and turn on your depthfinder. You need to find brushtops. That’s where the fish are living.

Similar reports are coming from lakes Concordia and St. John. Sac-a-lait are moving to shallower water and are hanging in thick cover. Shiners are big sellers there and in other oxbows from Vidalia northward.

Saltwater
Calm conditions produced hefty wahoo and yellowfin tuna catches at the Midnight Lumps off the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The best inshore redfish/trout reports are coming from Delacroix, notably around Oak River.

Old Bayou Blue south and west into Montegut is the most solid area in the Lafourche-Terrebonne area.