Speckled trout continue pushing in near Shell Beach

Guide says this week’s cool front lowered water temps by at least 5 degrees

Earlier this week, Capt. Jacques Laboureur made a speckled trout trip out of Shell Beach that almost didn’t happen.

The water was dirty and the north wind was howling after Monday’s cool front pushed through, and the guide who operates Jakamo South Fishing Adventures suggested to his customers that they reschedule the trip in hopes of better conditions.

“I told them if we catch five fish today, we’re going to have a good day,” he said with a laugh. “Well guess what? We made one stop and we absolutely whacked them.  I was fishing in the dirtiest, nastiest looking water and we just hammered the trout. It was ridiculous.”

One-hundred trout later, the group was done by 10:30 a.m., but he said that trip was the exception, not the rule – just yet.

Typically this time of year, Laboureur focuses on drifting over oyster flats in coastal bays like Coquille, Calebasse and Two Trees, or fishing deeper passes where bayous are dumping into larger bodies of water.

“Anything on the northern end of Robin, Coquille or Two Trees would be good,” he said. “If you see shrimp popping or birds, drift over that way.”

He’s been having success fishing live shrimp 2- to 3-feet under a popping cork with a No. 5 spit shot, but he said plastics are working, too.

Pre-front water temperatures were about 82 degrees; on Tuesday, his thermometer read 77 degrees. Winds are calming down all week, setting up for a solid weekend out of Shell Beach.

“All we needed was that one little pop to cool the water off and push more fish in, and hopefully I’m not jumping the gun, but seeing what I saw on Tuesday definitely has my interest,” he said.

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Patrick Bonin is the former editor of Louisiana Sportsman magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com.