Speckled trout out in open water and redfish up against the shorelines.

That's the picture that Captain Ahab and I paint this week from Delacroix Island, where the weekend fisherman will catch trout and reds this Saturday and Sunday with both artificial lures as well as live shrimp.

“All they’re gonna hafta do, Frank, is find a relatively calm spot where they’ll have relatively clean water and maybe a flock of diving seagulls,” Ron “Captain Ahab” Broadus explains.  “Then simply fish under a popping cork and hold on.  Most of what you catch will be keepers, but be sure to measure any ones you feel uncertain about.”

Broadus says the increased activity is “not” the result of changing seasons, typically from summer to fall, when the usual environmental transition takes place.  He believes, instead, that the fish are welled up in isolated spots where they feed, sometimes veraciously, because of the lingering effects of the two major hurricanes that raked the lower St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes.

“Frank, those storms brought in so much clean water with them and consequently so much more fish that everything became totally rejuvenated,” Captain Ahab continued.  “We ended up with a flushed out marsh environment, much saltier water, plenty, plenty more baitfish, and lots and lots of newly deposited game fish—principally trout, reds, drum, sheepshead, and flounder.

“The old timers down here at Delacroix, Hopedale, Shell Beach, Ycloskey, and Reggio refer to it all as a shot in the arm, but logically it’s nothing more than good ‘refresher’ biology.  In other words, a fresh, new, happy habitat where everything thrives.  And that’s a boon to Southeast Louisiana fishermen, as well as our Southeast Louisiana bayous, lagoons, ponds, and marshlands.”

But back to the actual “fish-catching” for a minute.  Ahab and I both agree that sports anglers need to plan their trips in advance.  Then it is practically imperative that they fish early in the morning or late in the evening to take advantage of optimum weather conditions at those times of day. 

Next it is essential that sportsmen this week and this month understand that the species they catch will be finicky, to say the least.  They may want only a Speculizer right after sun-up.  But by 9 a.m. they’ll switch and take nothing but a live shrimp under a chugging cork fished 22 inches down.  Then close to noon they might even switch again and want only dead market shrimp “tipping” the end of a jighead that’s holding a new chartreuse sparkle beetle that’s being fished on the bottom. 

Confusing?  I hope to tell you it is!

But that’s “sportsfishing transition.”  It happens four times a year whenever one season fades into the following one.  And you play the game at these times according to Mother Nature’s Rules.  You can’t beat the old broad and you can’t finesse your way around her.  She’ll call the shots and she’ll see to it that you’ll consistently catch limit after limit.. . .but on her terms!

So what does all this mean to you, the weekender?  It means you learn to be versatile in executing your fishing technique and you willingly change it whenever you see that a change is warranted.  Further, it means that you don’t insist on “force-feeding” her fishes.  She’ll let them eat whatever they want whenever they want it.  So you’ll absolutely have to bring live bait, dead bait, and artificial bait with you on every trip you make.  I mean, that’s if you got your heart set on catching anything at all!

“Yeah, but Frank this stuff is only temporary,” Captain Ahab injected once again.  “Give it about two weeks and the marsh and water and fishing in general will be locked solid into another ‘pattern” for another quarter-year and it’ll be your turn again to fish on your terms.  Every successful angler knows that. . .and accepts it.”

So. . .when all is said and done, if you “go with the flow” by the end of every trip you’ll have a take-home fish fry to show for your efforts.  You’ll have trout, and redfish, and a bunch of puppy drum, and maybe a few croakers, and more than a dozen hardheads to cuss at.  And I can guarantee you that you’ll have an absolutely great time on the water. 

Finally, if you feel that you’d like to get out on the water with Captain Ahab and take advantage of his expertise in getting you to the primary fishing hotspots and showing you all the right techniques for catching ‘em,. . . simply call him at 504-914-6063 or 504-835-8398.  Of course, as always. . .it’s first come first served, even though he indeed does fish all fall and all winter long and essentially has no “off season.”

Now, next week I’ll attempt to put our Channel 4 “Fishin’ Game” schedule back on track by heading down to Golden Meadow (which according to the schedule is where I was supposed to fish today) if everything is “go” down there..  Hopefully, Capt. John Aucoin will be ready to get back to the chase.  So until next Thursday. . .

Tight lines and good times to ya,