Fishing Report for October 29, 2009

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Oct 29, 2009 - Page: 12C

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Plan to spend another weekend in the interior waters. That’s because another cold front — the one that’s bringing so much rain across south Louisiana today — is due to blow in here sometime Saturday, almost a replay of the last two weekends.

It’s not the wind nor chill that’s making it harder to catch fish in most areas, but the rain that’s keeping rivers and bayous high and muddy.

Consider reports from Lake De Cade: A month ago there were loads of speckled trout and redfish. Today, the lake is high, muddy and unproductive.

That’s why finding clear (maybe just clearer) water is a must for the best freshwater and saltwater catches.

Weather

Southwestern parishes are catching up to seven inches of rain, while we’re predicted to get 1-to-3 inches by Saturday.

Look for today’s 10-to-15-knot south winds to linger through Friday, then go southwest then north and run to 20-to-25 knots with higher gusts late Saturday into Sunday. The farther east you go, the later this wind shift will be.

Expect lows in the low-50s with highs in the 70s and lots of sun late Saturday through early next week.

Freshwater

The high and rising Atchafalaya River will fall a bit on the north winds, but is predicted to rise next week. Its stage at Morgan City is 4.6 feet (flood stage is 4.0) and it’ll hit 4.7 feet early next week. The Mississippi River is on a slight fall, but more water up north will push it back up next week.

There’s not much to report here: Lake Cataouatche is holding bass, and spinnerbaits continue to produce under rough lake conditions. With higher skies and higher barometric pressures, it means slower retrieves.

Areas on the east side of the Mississippi River, namely Delacroix and Caernarvon, are showing recovery from the hurricanes and bass are taking jigs-n-pigs. Frogs are working, too.

Between the fronts, the houseboats on Old River continue to hold bluegill. Work a cricket on a weighted hook at least 10 feet down. Sac-a-lait there are stuck in the buttonwood brush and around the now-submerged walkways and piers.