Fishing Report for October 8, 2009

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Oct 8, 2009 - Page: 10C

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Isn’t October supposed to be our driest month? Isn’t October supposed to be the harbinger of fall?

Well, you can’t tell any of that by the last week’s weather, and, other than milder temperatures, the weekend’s forecast is bringing us more of the same conditions we’ve had for the last month — rain, a bit more than moderate south and southeast winds and seas a bit rougher than we’d like.

Rain and wind will keep water high and dirty in most places — except, that the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers will start falling after hitting unheard of high levels for this time of year.

Weather

A front moved through and brought fog but didn’t push through to the coast earlier in the week, and another stronger front is pushing in here Friday. But, the weather folks don’t know if it will push into the Gulf or stall along the coast and leave us with heavy doses of rain throughout the weekend.

The forecast is for a wet Friday, and an even wetter Saturday and Sunday with highs in the upper 70s. Look for Friday’s south winds to shift to the east for Saturday and Sunday with nearshore seas running 1-to-3-feet and offshore seas at 3-to-5-feet.

The coast

Lots of questions about speckled trout have been answered. Mostly small specks are showing up in places like Blind Bay, California Bay, the beaches out of Empire, the Lake Pontchartrain bridges and reefs behind Grand Isle.

Redfish are everywhere: Hit the marshes when the tide is moving out.

If you’re not picky about what you catch, then the Pontchartrain bridges, the new dam in the MRGO (near Breton South Marina) and the weirs and run-outs from Caminada Bay north to canals, ponds and marshes south of Lafitte are solid.

Redfish and small drum are mixing with some “keeper” speckled trout, flounder and sheepshead in those spots and all are taking live cocahoe minnows and fresh shrimp. Except for the Pontchartrain bridges, work bait under a cork. Use Carolina rigs in Pontchartrain. Purple/white artificials and the Gulp! Natural Shrimp are working under corks, too.

It’s been too rough for a consistent offshore report.

Freshwater