During August, South Louisiana weather turns unbearably hot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean fishing must stop. Just look for deeper, cooler water.
“In August, speckled trout go into the larger, deeper bays and lakes,” said Eddie Berthelot, Jr. with Spots & Specks Charters (985-637-3177) in Golden Meadow. “I believe West Timbalier Island is going to be really hot this year. I’ve been catching some good fish in that area. We also fish the beaches of Grand Isle, Elmer’s Island and Port Fourchon Beach.”
Beaches look sterile but can offer many places where trout hunt. Specks get into small troughs between sandbars. Look for something different or bait.
“Most people watch for birds in the bays, but I fish the birds along the beaches,” Berthelot said. “Look for birds diving or nesting along the shoreline. If the birds are there, the bait is there.”
Big trout
For the biggest trout, fish live croakers or pogies on Carolina rigs or free lines. Live shrimp attract anything that swims in South Louisiana, including trout, redfish, drum and sheepshead. Throw soft plastics when the action turns as hot as the weather.
“In soft plastics, I like to throw white, because white shrimp are starting to come out in August,” Berthelot said. “Pink is another good color. In dirty water, I fish dark green, black or charcoal. Shrimp imitations under a popping cork, such as D.O.A. (doalures.com), Marker 54 (www.marker54.com), Egret Baits Vudu shrimp (egretbaits.ecwid.com) or Four Horsemen Boom Boom shrimp (www.4horsementackle.com) also work.”
More known for trout numbers, the area can produce some specks in the 3- to 6-pound range and occasional bigger ones. For big trout, fish Caminada Pass by Grand Isle, Four Bayous Pass (Quatre Bayou Pass) and the rocks near Port Fourchon.
“Sometimes, we fish the nearshore rigs in the Gulf,” Berthelot said. “We catch mangrove snapper and specks around the bigger platforms. For mangroves, we go about three to five miles out. Some white trout weigh 2 to 3 pounds. They will hit anything a speck will hit.”
Mangrove snapper love live bait, especially croakers. They will also hit pogies and live shrimp. Toss some chum pieces around the legs supporting the petroleum platforms. When mangroves come to the surface, drop a live bait on them, but hide the hooks from these smart fish.
Redfish on an upswing
The lakes, bays and surrounding marshes in this area always produce good redfish action. During hot weather, small ponds can overheat and turn hypoxic. Look for moving, cooling water. Fish the mouths of any drains on a falling tide.
“Redfish action should be good in late summer,” Berthelot said. “I believe redfish have been on an upswing for the past five or six years. I fish the marshes behind Golden Meadow and some marshes around Port Fourchon for redfish. In August, the reds start tailing a lot. For reds, I like to throw live cocahoe minnows or shrimp under a popping cork. A split-tail beetle in charcoal gray or Matrix Shad (matrixshad.com) plastics are good. I like spinnerbaits and spoons later in August and into September. For colors, I like darker colors, like charcoal.”
Berthelot also reported catching more flounder this year. While targeting redfish, he usually catches two or three flounder as bonus fish. Drag soft plastics along the bottom or fish live shrimp under a cork. Most flounder average about 1 to 2 pounds.
With live shrimp, anglers might also catch black drum or sheepshead. For sheepshead, look for anything with barnacles, like platforms or bridge pilings. Try fishing under the bridge crossing Caminada Pass to Grand Isle or around the rocks and jetties.
