High winds and rough seas can make fishing the beaches and rocks pretty much impossible, so what is the angler to do?
Fortunately, there is other action to be found.
“In June, the predominant winds are from the south and southeast, and anything over 10 mph makes it rough,” Capt. Keith ‘Herk’ Bergeron said. “That’s when we head to any of the more-protected areas like Manilla Village and Government Reef; Queen Bess, Independence Island and Dutch Island; and the structures and reefs in Barataria Bay like Hotel Sid and what we call the “Lighted” platform about ½ mile west of Hotel Sid.
“We fish those areas with the same baits and the same tactics, except I do tend to use a cork more in the shallow water, or if I Carolina rig I use a lighter egg sinker.”
Dutch Island is right behind Grand Isle, and offers good protection and produces some nice fish.
It’s very shallow on the north side because the island is disappearing and a lot of it is submerged just below the surface, so be sure you idle anywhere along that side.
The water bottom around Dutch Island has a lot of shells, so dangle live shrimp or croakers about 18 inches under corks, the captain advised.
“We do catch a lot of smaller trout around Dutch Island, many just over the legal size — but we also often catch trout in the 16- to 18-inch size,” Bergeron said.
A little south and west of Dutch Island in Caminada Bay is a big underwater oyster reef that consistently produces trout.
“It once was marked by white PVC poles, but my last trip out I noticed the poles were gone,” Bergeron said. “Maybe you can locate it on your depth finder. It’s in about 5 feet of water, and we fish it about 3 feet under a cork.
“You’ll probably have to anchor to hold out there.”
Queen Bess is one of those perennial hotspots everyone knows and everyone fishes because it continues to produce surprising amounts of fish year after year.
“It’s about 6 feet deep on the east side of the island and about 4 feet deep on the west side,” Bergeron said. “It’s a big island surrounded by rocks, and those rocks hold trout and reds.
“I look for any current lines, and fish around that.
Just get ready to have company.
“You may have to get in line with a bunch of other boats, because it is a very popular spot,” Bergeron said. “It’s so crowded I don’t even go there on weekends.
“If you go, be sure to bring live shrimp and fish about 2 to 2½ feet under a cork.”
