If conditions rule out fishing the beaches — or if the bite just isn’t on — plenty of action awaits in Timbalier Bay.
And that means fishing structure, whether it’s the satellite wellheads, oyster reefs or active oil-field facilities.
“It’s all about structure,” Pellegrin said. “Everything is about structure behind the (barrier) islands.”
That doesn’t mean every structure will hold trout every day. Pellegrin said you might have to bounce around to find active schools.
But don’t just pull up to a piece of structure, make a couple of casts and move on.
Instead, Pellegrin advised working all the way around the area to determine if there’s a sweet spot.
“Today they might be on the northeast side,” he said. “Tomorrow, they might be on the northwest side. You have to just fish and move around until you find a pattern.
“The best thing to do is get on the side (of the structure) and fish up and down and along the side. If you don’t find fish, move to the other side and do the same thing.”
It won’t take long to determine if trout are home and where baits should be placed.
“Do that until you find the pattern for the day, and now (every piece of structure) will be the same, as long the tide is the same, the water clarity is the same, everything is the same,” Pellegrin said.