Near the saltwater barrier south of White Oak Park, tidal movement influences bass activity in the fall.
When the tide is moving and taking shrimp and baitfish with it, fishing near the structure itself can be very productive — especially in early October.
Johnny Watkins proved this recently when he edged up to just north of the structure as the tide was pushing in.
Finding the eddies on the structure, he started casting an Egret Bait gold VuDu Shrimp. He was tight-lining it without a cork and moving the bait like a swimbait.
The first fish to strike was a small redfish that Watkins released.
“It’s not uncommon to find lots of good redfish here” he said. “They’ll push well north of the structure in October when conditions are dry.
“But here comes a bass.”
The second fish of the day was a 12-inch bass.
Watkins’ fall baits of choice in fishing near the structure include VuDu shrimp, Chug Bugs, Bandit crankbaits and ¼-ounce Stanley spinnerbaits.
“Most, if not all, of the bass you catch here will be small, ranging from ½-pound to 2 pounds,” he said. “But, on the positive side, you can catch good numbers when the tides, baitfish and shrimp are moving here.”
Shane Cormier agreed the saltwater barrier provide certain action if the right conditions are met.
“If you find the bait, you’ll find the bass there,” Cormier said. “You’re mainly fishing the bait here, and I will throw Chug Bugs, wacky worms, little Rat-L-Traps and Bandit crankbaits.”
The closest public launches include the Fitzenreiter Road Landing located north of Interstate 10 and west of Martin Luther King Highway, the launch at Sam Houston Jones State Park at 107 Sutherland Road in Lake Charles and White Oak Park (although a bit longer haul).