Fishing report for May 15, 2008

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: May 15, 2008 - Page: 10C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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What’s with this procession of weekend cold fronts?

For the four straight weekend, we’re going to have rain advancing a front that’ll bring north then westerly winds to south Louisiana into early Saturday morning. The worse part is its effect on the productive Central Coast.

West winds mean still-heavy freshwater from the Atchafalaya River discharge will get an additional push into the Caillou Boca, Lake Pelto, Lake Barre and Last Island areas and put a crimp in the action.

And, there’s the additional effect of dirty water coming from the opening of the inshore shrimp season.

Weather
Look for 15-to-20 knot southwest winds today to shift to the northeast Friday and Saturday, then 5-to-10 knots northwest Saturday night then 10-to-15 knot westerly winds by Sunday morning. Nearshore to offshore seas will run 2-to-5 feet through the weekend.

Look for lows in the upper 50s with highs in the 80s.

The major rivers continue on a slow fall: The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City is predicted to hit 6.6 feet Monday, six inches down in seven days, but still 2.6 feet above flood stage.

Freshwater
Still-flooded Henderson Lake is among the hottest bluegill holes in the state and folks are using the Butte Larose exit (off Interstate-10) landing. The trick is to find the spoil banks — banks of the dredged canals — and work crickets on weighted hooks on or near the bottom in 2-to-4 feet of water around these flooded banks.

Get a Henderson map so you can find the canals and the spoil banks.

Finding clear water is easy and lots of the 2-to-4 foot areas have water hyacinths covering the surface. (Most of the trees are in nine-foot depths and there’s 14-to-18 feet of water along the I-10 course). Drag the bottom with the crickets. Reports are of catches between 70-to-120 bluegills each day.

Bass are taking spinnerbaits and topwaters along exposed banks in the Lake Verret-Belle River and Lac Des Allemands areas.

On the north winds, water in these areas will be pushed out and that should awaken the sac-a-lait. Expect a strong bite Friday and Saturday on shiners and black/chartreuse or blue/white tube jigs.

Saltwater
Finding clear water is a must: Dirty water is cutting off trips from Vermilion Bay east to the Mississippi River.