The perfect spot to find Golden Meadow specks

Oyster reefs in Catfish Lake typically hold nice specks, guide says

Golden Meadow guide and 4 Horseman cork owner Capt. Aaron Pierce does very well with speckled trout in two places this time of year: Catfish Lake and Bayou Blue.

Pierce said Catfish Lake is the main attraction area, and he mentioned the presence of oyster fisherman can really give anglers a great starting point in the wide-open lake.

“All the oyster guys have white PVC pipes marked everywhere,” he said. “I’ve been there for so long I know where they’re at, but if you’re a newbie, you can see the PVC pipes.”

Once you spot the pipes, you’re obviously in the right area, but Pierce said there’s one more thing you can do to make sure you’re over the fish-attracting oysters.

“You can tell if you’re on an oyster reef by bumping a jighead on the bottom. You can feel if it’s oysters or just mud,” he said.

Since the lake isn’t very deep, Pierce, a lot of times, opts for a cork.

“You can fish a jighead on the bottom, but a cork with an 18-inch leader is doing just as well,” he said.

Pierce likes throwing Matrix Shad, Vudu Shrimp and Cajun Lures threaded on light, 1/8-ounce jigheads under the cork,

“(The light jighead) pops the bait up more, and gives it more action,” he said.

Although he does not care about tidal direction in Catfish Lake, when focusing on Bayou Blue, Pierce makes a concerted effort to fish a falling tide.

“In Bayou Blue you want the outgoing tide draining the marsh, pushing that bait out, and you’re hitting those focal points,” he said.

The focal points can be found more toward the shorelines of the bayou, according to Pierce.

“You’re not fishing so much in the middle; you’re fishing those cuts and canals that are draining into Bayou Blue,” he said.

Pierce likes throwing soft plastics on different size jigheads in the bayou.

“I start off with ¼-ounce, but if I see they’re in the deeper water – 8 to 10-feet – then I might switch over to 3/8-ounce.”

About Joel Masson 177 Articles
Joel Masson is an avid angler who has fished South Louisiana his whole life. He lives in Mandeville and can be reached at Joel.masson19@gmail.com.