Fishing report for May 8, 2008
| OUTDOORS EXTRAS |
NAVIGATION
Louisiana Records |
Weekend weather promising
Print
Email
Save
Twitter
Social Media
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
For the first time in weeks we don’t have to look into a weekend of violent weather.
With the full moon coming May 18, this is the last weekend for recreational fishermen to fish the Central Coast before Monday’s opener of the inshore shrimp season.
Freshwater is holding its own across the state now that bluegill are eating darned near everything in sight.
Just remember Sunday: If your mom likes to fish, Sunday looks to be a grand day to be on the water for Mother’s Day.
Weather
It’s been a strange spring: Another cold front is predicted to move in late Sunday and bring us the best chance of rain for the next six days.
Until then, look for 10-to-15 knot south winds in the Lake Pontchartrain area and across the coast until late Saturday or early Sunday when the winds are predicted to shift to the southwest then the west and range from today’s 3-to-5 foot seas to 2-to-3 feet, then 1-to-3 footers late Sunday with a forecast of “a light to moderate chop” over inside waters.
The major rivers continue a slow fall: The Mississippi River will hit the 37-foot level at Baton Rouge by Monday, when the reading at New Orleans is predicted at 15 feet. For the first time in six weeks, the Atchafalaya River will fall below the 7-foot level at Morgan City when it hits 6.9 feet Monday. Remember flood stage there is at a 4-foot reading.
Freshwater
Even though the Atchafalaya River is falling, its slow recession continues to affect places outside the Atchafalaya Spillway levees like the Belle River-Lake Verret area and several of the bayous and canal systems south and east of Morgan City.
South winds will continue to swell water levels there, and the 3-to-6 inches of rain in south Louisiana last weekend has water from Bay Natchez into Lake Palourde at its highest in three years.
That’s why with south winds in the offing, the best action is going to be the back ends of canals throughout the Verret system. Canals on the east side of the lakes — Texaco, Crackerhead and those off Four Mile, Sherman and Cheramie bayous are holding enough panfish for a healthy fish fry for Mother’s Day. If you’re fishing the lakes, then find shell bottoms or hard bottoms between the trees.
Saltwater
Finding laughing gulls and fishing under these voracious birds has been the best tactic for catching speckled trout during the last week along the Central Coast mainly in the lower Barataria Bay are along with Caminada, Terrebonne and Timbalier bays.
The old tandem Shad Rig is a consistent producer, though you can rig soft-plastics in tandem and catch specks and white trout two at a time. Chartreuse is working in clear water. Try purple/chartreuse, too. Purple/white and strawberry/white works in stained water.
With the full moon coming May 18, this is the last weekend for recreational fishermen to fish the Central Coast before Monday’s opener of the inshore shrimp season.
Freshwater is holding its own across the state now that bluegill are eating darned near everything in sight.
Just remember Sunday: If your mom likes to fish, Sunday looks to be a grand day to be on the water for Mother’s Day.
Weather
It’s been a strange spring: Another cold front is predicted to move in late Sunday and bring us the best chance of rain for the next six days.
Until then, look for 10-to-15 knot south winds in the Lake Pontchartrain area and across the coast until late Saturday or early Sunday when the winds are predicted to shift to the southwest then the west and range from today’s 3-to-5 foot seas to 2-to-3 feet, then 1-to-3 footers late Sunday with a forecast of “a light to moderate chop” over inside waters.
The major rivers continue a slow fall: The Mississippi River will hit the 37-foot level at Baton Rouge by Monday, when the reading at New Orleans is predicted at 15 feet. For the first time in six weeks, the Atchafalaya River will fall below the 7-foot level at Morgan City when it hits 6.9 feet Monday. Remember flood stage there is at a 4-foot reading.
Freshwater
Even though the Atchafalaya River is falling, its slow recession continues to affect places outside the Atchafalaya Spillway levees like the Belle River-Lake Verret area and several of the bayous and canal systems south and east of Morgan City.
South winds will continue to swell water levels there, and the 3-to-6 inches of rain in south Louisiana last weekend has water from Bay Natchez into Lake Palourde at its highest in three years.
That’s why with south winds in the offing, the best action is going to be the back ends of canals throughout the Verret system. Canals on the east side of the lakes — Texaco, Crackerhead and those off Four Mile, Sherman and Cheramie bayous are holding enough panfish for a healthy fish fry for Mother’s Day. If you’re fishing the lakes, then find shell bottoms or hard bottoms between the trees.
Saltwater
Finding laughing gulls and fishing under these voracious birds has been the best tactic for catching speckled trout during the last week along the Central Coast mainly in the lower Barataria Bay are along with Caminada, Terrebonne and Timbalier bays.
The old tandem Shad Rig is a consistent producer, though you can rig soft-plastics in tandem and catch specks and white trout two at a time. Chartreuse is working in clear water. Try purple/chartreuse, too. Purple/white and strawberry/white works in stained water.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
