Mid summer fishing out of New Orleans means warm water, moving bait, and fish that are ready to feed early in the day. Waterfowl Specialist Guide Service has been putting anglers on quality speckled trout throughout the marsh and sound just outside the city, with Captain Jimmy Corley running trips through some of the best inshore water in southeast Louisiana.
Water Conditions Around New Orleans
Recent rain and wind moved through the area and left the bayous and inner marsh a little murky while everything drained back out. Give those spots a little time to clear.
Out in the open sound, conditions have been much cleaner on calmer days, with good numbers of bait holding throughout the area.
Tide has mattered as much as anything else lately. An incoming tide pulling clean water in from the open sound has produced some of the best action of the day.
Speckled Trout
Trout fishing has been strong all through the marsh and sound this summer. Captain Jimmy Corley has clients on fish running 19 to 20 inches, some of the better numbers of the season so far.
“June fishing has been real well. We’ve been catching some beautiful trout, 19, 20 inches,” says Capt. Jimmy Corley.
Croakers are showing up heavy in the trout’s diet right now, a good sign that bait is stacked up throughout the area.
Redfish and a Little of Everything Else
Redfish have been mixing in with the trout on recent trips, and the bite has been anything but predictable. Some days it is sliding corks, other days the fish want it worked slow on the bottom, and a few trips have even produced fish suspended just under the surface on topwater.
Louisiana regulations only allow two redfish over 20 inches per angler, and the bigger ones are not even the best table fare anyway. Most oversized reds get a quick photo with the angler and go right back in the water, which keeps the fishery healthy for the next trip out.
Anglers are also tangling with jack crevalle busting through the sound this time of year. One angler hooked into one recently and fought it for a solid 30 minutes before finally getting it boatside, then needed a break of his own once it was released. Not a keeper, but one of the best fights inshore water has to offer.
Beating the Summer Heat
Water temperatures in the sound have climbed into the mid 80s, which pushes fish deeper and tighter to the bottom during the heat of the day. Captain Corley has been working 18 to 20 feet of water and keeping baits low to stay on active fish.
Trips are heading out early to beat the heat, with most days wrapping up well before the sun gets too high overhead.
What’s Working
Live shrimp and live croakers fished on a Carolina rig have been the most consistent producers this summer. Sliding corks and popping corks are putting baits in front of fish at different depths, and soft plastics fished under a popping cork are also drawing strikes on the right days. A few mornings have even produced fish on topwater before the sun gets high.
Ready to Get on the Water?
New Orleans anglers do not have to travel far for real marsh and sound fishing. Waterfowl Specialist Guide Service runs trips just a short drive from downtown, about 35 minutes to the dock, so a full day on the water fits easily into a weekend trip or a day off work.
Waterfowl Specialist Guide Service is also gearing up for the Fishing for Faith Rodeo this October, where every kid who fishes goes home with a rod, tackle box, and shirt.
Call (504) 258-4431 or book online at https://book.vallypro.com/p/waterfowl-specialist-guide-service to get on the calendar this summer.
Tight lines, New Orleans.