March is a very active month for bass fishing on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, as the fish are transitioning between spawn phases. That’s why Patrick Engerran of Albany has a calendar with “Bayou Lacombe” circled in red ink.
“There’s just something about fishing Bayou Lacombe in March,” he said. “Some of my heaviest fish came out of Lacombe this month.”
Right now, most of the bass are either spawning or about to do so.
“The fish are in all three stages with probably 60 percent of them being in the pre-spawn and spawn stage. Later in the month, you’ll see most of the fish moving into the post-spawn stage.”
Cover a lot of water
When fishing Bayou Lacombe in March, Engerran doesn’t get hung up on trying to spot beds.
“Most guys get caught up looking for actual beds,” he said. “Bayou Lacombe has that tea-colored water that makes seeing beds a little harder.”
Instead, the bass angler covers a lot of water, keeping an eye out for swirls on the surface that come from bass chasing bream off the beds. Engerran primarily targets dead-end canals in March but will also hit the main bayou.
“Dead-end canals are always the spawning hot spots due to less current and warmer water, but there are fish that spawn in the main bayou every year, so don’t overlook it for sure,” he said.
Engerran recommends fishing near the lily pads. The pads usually stem from hard bottoms, making the base of the plant attractive to bass when choosing a place to make their beds.
Set-up for the spawn
In March, Engerran opts for lures that allow him to cast while moving.
“I love covering water with a spinnerbait, vibrating jig, or a swim bait,” he said.
Since he makes all of his lures, Engerran customizes them to give off a lot of vibrations.
“I make all my baits so I make them thump harder than most vibrating lures,” he said.
As far as rods go, Engerran uses a heavy action rod made by Tangi Fishing Rods.
“The rod is a heavy-action composite blank,” he said. “It has a nice soft tip but lots of backbone — perfect for the braided line (Suffix 832) I like to use.”
While he primarily uses vibrating lures, he also has other lures ready if he hones in on a bed.
“I’ll always have a craw or a wacky worm tied on in case I see any beds or as a follow-up bait to any short strikers,” he said. “Bedding fish will sometimes roll on a moving bait or push it away from the bed with a closed mouth, so I like to have something I can drop right in the bed.”
Beware of the post-spawn
While March is his favorite time to fish Bayou Lacombe, next month is an entirely different story. Engerran recommends fishing Bayou Lacombe right now because fishing in April will be a completely different animal.
“April is my least favorite month because it’s so hard to pattern the bass,” he said. “They could be already back in their deep spots; they could be just coming off the bed, or they could be eating only one meal a day because they’re recovering from the spawn.”
