Redfish piled up in Lost Lake, Four League Bay

Wintertime tips for easy limits out of Dularge

Now is the perfect time to target redfish in the lakes and canals south of Dularge – but knowing where to go and picking the right conditions are a huge advantage in locating a school of reds.

When a big cold front blows in, the water gets pushed out of the marsh and the reds school on the shallow banks of Lost Lake to warm up, according to Capt. Marty LaCoste with Absolute Fishing Charters.

I’ve personally had experience fishing the edges of Lost Lake, and found the redfish will get more aggressive in the afternoon when the water usually warms up but stays low – especially on the northern and eastern banks.

“If you find a cut when the water is falling out of the marsh into the lake, you’ll catch fish,” Lacoste said. “We’ll catch them in 1 foot of water. They’ll even bury themselves in the mud to stay warm.”

On the southwest corner of Lost Lake, there are multiple eddies where Rice Bayou begins. Lacoste said this is a good place to target redfish – and even speckled trout – on warmer days.

Dead-end canals litter the marsh in the area surrounding Lost Lake and Four League Bay, and also are good places to target reds when the water temperatures dip to the mid- to low 40s.

When it gets that cold, LaCoste said the redfish become lethargic.

“Reel super slow because the fish are sluggish and aren’t very aggressive. Just roll over them with your lure,” he said. “I would use a Matrix Shad. My favorite colors are purple haze, green hornet and shrimp creole with a quarter-ounce jighead.”

The great thing about the Matrix Shad is the trout will hit on it as well.

Lacoste recommends staying away from spinning lures and spoons during the winter – live bait is always nice to have on hand, but as far as lures go, save the active ones for the summer.

Lost Lake, Rice Bayou, Blue Hammock, Buckskin Bayou and Four League Bay are all good spots to explore year round for reds.

The trout, however, usually won’t bite until the water temperature is above 52 degrees.