Catfish Lake stacked with reds, trout

Hurricane Isaac impacts settle out, fishing is great, Golden Meadow

Courtesy of Capt. Vern Ledoux

Redfish are thick in the Dularge marshes right now.

After Hurricane Issac the marshes of Southeast Louisiana showed scars, and fish kills were being reported in various areas. Fishermen were hindered from getting on the water, but now that the situation has normalized it is time to get back on the water.

And, according to Capt. Vern Ledoux, specks and reds are in action in Catfish Lake.

"We launched from the public launch right next to the ball park in Golden Meadow and just went to my usual fall fishing spots," the Bayou Boyz Fishing Charters guide said. "I was surprised to catch them as far north as Catfish Lake."

According to Ledoux, live bait is not necessary for morning trout. Armed with tandem shad rigs and glow beetles with chartreuse tails, he stacked over 40 trout in his ice chest during the early morning bite.

"Later on in the day we chased some black drum and red fish,” he said. “The reds have not been biting on live cocahoes; we just used bait shrimp and caught our reds and drum."

The next day (Sept. 16), Ledoux went out to do some scouting with his wife in Bayou Blue.

"The marsh was a little torn up, but I saw a lot of shrimp and we caught about 30 trout," Ledoux said. "We just fished the moving water draining into the main bayou from the side ponds and bayous. The water looked really good.”

According to Ledoux, the trout are in a transitionary phase and his hopes are high for marsh fishing to heat up.

"Once it cools down, I'll switch from natural bait and start throwing a Top Dog and H&H (spinnerbait) for redfish," he said.

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