Hit the East and West Cote Blanche bays for redfish and black drum
The body of water spanning two bays from Point Chevreuil in East Cote Blanche Bay to Cypremort Point in West Cote Blanche Bay is a region worth checking out for plenty of late summer red drum (redfish) and black drum action.
Unlike east of the Atchafalaya River, these two bays are influenced by the rise in freshwater and its westerly flow each spring. In flood years, like the one just experienced this past spring, water levels rose to “moderate” flood stage, reaching 7 ½-feet in Morgan City.
None-the-less, as the saying goes, “what goes up, must come down,” where in years past by late July the water gets right going from less brackish (fresher) to more brackish (saltier) for excellent late summer drum fishing in this estuary.
Artificial baits
Franklin resident Bubba Charpentier is someone who fishes this region regularly and prefers to use artificial lures while at it.
“Usually at this time of year the water clears up from the spring river water coming down the Atchafalaya River and Wax Lake Outlet,” Charpentier said. “I use all artificial lures, and my favorite lure for redfish in this area is a gold body with black back Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in clean water. If the water is murky, you can use a Chrome Rat-L-Trap instead.”
Another one of Charpentier’s go-to lures when fishing East or West Cote Blanche bays is combining an H&H Redfish Spinner with a Deathgrip Jighead. To finish off the lure he adds a Matrix Shad Tiger Bait or Limbo Slice.
Where to fish falling tides
There are numerous locations across the region where redfish and black drum can be caught. In East Cote Blanche Bay there is Point Chevreuil, Burns Point, and the portion of bay situated between Jackson Bayou and the British-American Canal. It would be remiss not to mention the mouth of Humble Canal. The Humble is a well-known hotspot for good to great catches of drum.
In West Cote Blanche Bay, redfish and black drum anglers should plan to fish Point Marone, Cote Blanche Canal, and Ivanhoe Canal outlet.
Just north of Point Marone on the east side of West Cote Blanche Bay is Bayou Carline and Bayou Long. I’ve fished the mouth of both of these bayous with good success.
Finally, don’t avoid fishing around Cypremort Point itself. I’ve caught black drum here in past years while sitting on anchor enjoying the Gulf air.
Though fish can be caught in any moving water, it’s well known across the Louisiana coastline that a falling tide is best. This fact is true for all these locations in both the East and West Cote Blanche bays as well, and they are better when fished on a falling tide.
The case for dead baits
I regularly fish this region with my wife and grandkids for a couple of reasons. For one, these bays are easily accessible from boat launches at Burns Point and Cypremort Point. Second, when you have multiple younger grandkids in the boat, banging the banks with artificial lures is near impossible, therefore, dead baits are the order for the day. What’s more, late summer is the perfect time for dead baits like shrimp and cracked crabs.
There’s nothing like watching shrimp pop on the slick calm water where fish below are chasing them and birds above are diving for them.
“Fishing with dead bait is always a productive way to catch redfish and black drum in the area,” Charpentier said. “Fishing on the bottom will likely yield most fish, but you can also catch 30- to 36-inch redfish under a popping cork around points and rock piles.”
A number of years ago, while fishing West Cote Blanche Bay with the late Capt. James Elvis “Top Rod” Jeanminette, a tournament angler from Grand Marais, we were fishing with dead shrimp. However, those shrimp hadn’t been dead long.
I remember Jeanminette saying, “I gotta fish with a fresh shrimp. I don’t want none of those frozen, soft, stinky shrimp that fly off the hook when I cast.”
Jeanminette had his ways about him, but he wasn’t wrong either. When he and I fished together, we caught fish and never used an artificial lure. What’s more, those lessons weren’t lost with me. To this day I try to get the freshest bait available when I fish these bays, especially with grandkids.
Kid-friendly fishing
When fishing with bait shrimp, I’ll utilize two methods. When fishing deep water, like at the mouth of Humble, Ivanhoe, or British-American canals, I’ll use a simple single drop rig with a 1-ounce bell cast or pyramid sinker. For redfish and black drum, I’ll use a 1/0 Eagle Claw O’Shaughnessy hook.
Because I tend to fish with couples and grandkids, I have a mixture of open face spinning reels and closed faced reels. All of these reels are loaded with 12 or 15-pound Berkley Trilene monofilament in either a coastal brown or green color. The two line-weights have proven themselves handling heavy, deep running, red and black drum that often exceed the rated test weights.
Over the years, this set up of hooks, weights and tackle have demonstratively been reliable and effective landing fish. What’s more, it’s easy for small children to keep in the water.
The whole rig is heavy enough to get to the bottom on a falling tide, but light enough where they can actually feel the bite and kids get excited about it.
Use caution
The region isn’t without its peculiarities when it comes to conditions. Wind can present a problem at times during the summer months.
“It can be very rough on the bay shore with anything over 10 miles per hour out of the south to the northwest,” Charpentier said. “My preferred wind is an east or northeast wind to provide a bank line that isn’t wind-blown and beat up.”
During the late summer months, barring any tropical storm activity, these bays are often slick calm in the mornings. It isn’t until late morning or after lunch when Gulf breezes pick up, but even then, waves are typically light and comfortable.
When it comes to structure, there is plenty of it in both bays to fish. There are also grassy points and rock piles, notably along the eastern shoreline of East Cote Blanche Bay.
A word of caution for anglers new to the area. The western side of East Cote Blanche Bay has some submerged obstructions that have proven to be dangerous. Charpentier said to use caution when traveling this side of the bay.
“There’s a lot of underwater obstructions that can present a safety hazard for people that are not familiar with the area,” he said. “There are a few lines of old bulkheads that run between Point Marone and the Humble Canal. There’s also a long rock pile that is mostly underwater on the west side of the Humble going west for approximately .64 miles around 100 to 150 yards off the bank.”
There’s also an old bulkhead to the east of Johnson Bayou in East Cote Blanche Bay that runs to the British-American Canal that at times can be completely underwater. The point is to enjoy yourself, but use caution as you would in any region you’re not entirely familiar with.
Fishing piers
Lastly, if you’re without a boat, both Burns Point Park and Cypremort Point State Park have fishing piers for anglers.
Fishing in East and West Cote Blanche bays for saltwater fish tends to pick up later in the summer than some estuaries along the Gulf Coast. From August through December, it’s often on par with those estuaries east of the Atchafalaya River, with less pressure.
Whether you’re wanting to bang the banks with lures or fish the falling tide sitting on anchor, there’s more than one way to beat the Cote Blanche Bay drums. All you have to do is find your rhythm.
