Oyster reefs are key, according to guide
Although the fishing can be great when hard cold fronts pass, there’s nothing like the action in-between fronts. It just doesn’t get much better when you’re whacking the fish, and the temperatures are also pleasant.
When South Louisiana gets those mild winter days, Golden Meadow guide Capt. Troy Robichaux loves to fish an area hot spot.
“On the warmer days, you want to fish the flats of Catfish Lake and the Sulphur Mine,” he said.
When fishing those warmer weather areas, the veteran guide uses a popping cork with an old school H&H Sparkle Beetle.
One of the good things with Catfish Lake, Robichaux said, is the place can give up some respectable trout.
“Normally, (December) and January are two of the best months for Catfish Lake,” he said. “I’ve caught some of my biggest stringers of limits out of Catfish Lake in those months instead of in the summer.”
For people looking to have productive drifts in Catfish Lake, oyster reefs are key, according to Robichaux.
“It used to be littered with oyster reefs around that lake, but there are still some predominant points that stick off the eastern shoreline and the western shoreline of Catfish Lake.”
One of the things that’s important is to leave the trolling motor down, at least when you’re trying to locate fish in Catfish Lake.
“We find our fish by drifting with an electric motor,” he said. “I’ll start off at a spot that has been relatively good for me over the years, and I’ll drift down the bank with my trolling motor, and after about 300 yards if I don’t start picking up what I consider a significant amount of fish — 10 fish, 15 fish — I’ll move on and try another spot in the lake.”
Robichaux did point out anglers want to stick close to the shoreline, rather than in the middle of the lake when picking an area to drift.
