DeAgano says fish are transitioning from winter, coming into flats on warmer days
Speckled trout are starting to appear in the Delacroix marsh, according to a fishing guide.
Capt. Ted DeAgano III, with Scales-N-Tales Charters, said he’s hearing reports now of some specks moving to shallower water as the air temperature slowly rises.
“Trout are starting to pop up in some of the inside areas in the flats during warmer days, coming out of the deep water,” De Agano said. “Drum and redfish are all along the banks, and not in the grass, but not far off the grass.
“We’ve been parking our boat about 30 feet off the grass, and that’s where we’ve been catching fish.”
DeAgano’s been using gold spoons and spinner baits for the reds, along with Berkley Gulp! swimming mullet and pogy, plus dead shrimp.
For specks, he suggested the old-fashioned chartreuse Sparkle Beetle.
“Right now, fish are starting their transition between winter fishing and coming into the early spring,” DeAgano said. “As I like to say, Easter is in the future, and normally our trout start showing up all through Easter.
“We should start getting loaded up.”
If you can get there, DeAgano recommended trying the conservation camp off Bay La Fourche and the oyster reefs off of Lake Campo between Lake Campo and Oak River Bay.
On the Hopedale side of Bay Eloi, he said rigs are holding large sheepshead, the occasional redfish and the occasional drum.
Bull reds are also starting to appear on outside edges and points.
“Normally, when I’m fishing for bull reds, I’ll throw the cast net for 3- to 6-inch mullet,” he said. “For bull reds, I’d try crabs and finger mullet right now.”
And unfortunately, he also cautioned that hardheads have already returned.
“They are back,” DeAgano said. “One of my boats that came in this weekend said he could catch sheepshead, but couldn’t find a way out of the hardheads.
“They’re two months early.”
