Redfish active on south side of Marsh Island, north side of Vermilion Bay, guide says
The Atchafalaya River level is good and the water conditions are right, but speckled trout have not yet arrived in Vermilion Bay in solid numbers, a guide side on Wednesday.
“Specks are on the slow side,” said Todd Semar, with Bulls-Eye Charters in Lydia. “They have a few small fish showing up. But the water is right in the bay, the fish just haven’t shown up yet.”
Last weekend’s windy weather also stirred up the water in the reefs south of Marsh Island, but Semar said conditions change rapidly and the bite could improve quickly.
“As soon as it calms down and clears up, you might catch a couple of limits with live shrimp,” he said. “Right now, that would be the ticket. I would make sure I have some live shrimp for specks.”
He did hear of some specks and white trout being caught at night on the main platform at Dry Reef. He suggested using live shrimp on a Carolina rig and pitching in and around the platforms.
“The air temperature is up right now, so they’re probably by structure in deeper water,” Semar said. “Any reef pad around Dry Reef probably has a few fish.”
For specks, he also would try the Trash Pile, The Cove, The Hammock and the end of Cypremort Point.
Redfish-wise, he suggested trying to find the cleanest water around Southwest Pass or in the reefs near Marsh Island.
“Pick a couple of reefs and bounce until you hit a school,” Semar said. “You’re going to probably catch four or five fish per reef. But you should catch them on your first couple of casts.
“If you don’t, you have to keep moving. Not far, maybe only a couple of hundred yards,” he said. “But because the fish aren’t moving, you have to sometimes.”
The bank along Marsh Island from South Point all the way to Southwest Pass is also a prime location for redfish.
“There are some real good grass beds there,” Semar said. “They will have redfish up against the bank right now on the high tides.”
He also suggested using cracked crab for redfish from the Avery and Commercial canals all the way to Four Mile Bayou.
The flounder are also starting to bite inside Marsh Island, Semar said.
“Fish the drains, the cuts and main bayous. You don’t have to fish in a lake,” he said. “You can use a cork, or a jig head with a piece of shrimp on the bottom, or on plastics.”
