If the trout were a little blue last week, they’ve got to be a little confused this week. What’s a trout, or an angler for that matter, to do when the daytime high goes from 70 degrees one day to 50 the next? Capt. Olden Rodrigue with Coastal Charter Services (985-856-6494) knows what he’s going to do. He’s been fishing the Sulphur Mine, and he doesn’t really care what the weather does.
“I’ve consistently caught some good trout out there all winter,” Rodrigue said. “We’ve limited every trip but one in my last 12 trips. And these fish are averaging about 16 to 18 inches. I’ve been sticking with the Sulphur Mine because I can guarantee a customer an awesome trip.”
Rodrigue says the Sulphur Mine has been so consistent because the water has stayed pretty no matter what the wind does. In fact, he hasn’t seen any bad water at all, and he could see 3 feet down in the water most every trip he’s taken.
“When the water is warmer, the fish have been around the edges,” Rodrigue explained. “And when it gets cold, they move out to the deeper water in the middle. I’ve just been tightlining an avocado Deadly Dudley all winter long. You’ve got to bump it on the bottom if it’s cold, but you can fish it a little faster on the warm days.”
Even though Rodrigue has been sticking with a tightline presentation, he did say that fishing the same plastic under a cork would work too, especially along the edges on the warmer days. And don’t be surprised if the trout hit under the cork out in the middle. Drop your bait down about 3 feet, and see what happens.
“Everybody knows about the pressure that the Sulphur Mine gets this time of year,” Rodrigue said. “It can get pretty bad on the weekends, but the week days are pretty good if you can get out there. Really, anywhere you go that has fish right now is going to have pressure, so don’t dismiss this spot just because of some extra boats on the water.”
For more information on fishing the Sulphur Mine, be sure to pick up the March issue of Louisiana Sportsman magazine.