Heavy specks cruise the Lake Pontchartrain bridge waiting to be caught
For the next three months, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway will be one of the hottest spots in Southeast Louisiana for long, heavy speckled trout.
Capt. Sam Barbera, host of Louisiana Sportsman TV, is arguably the best Causeway fisherman in the state. He simply can’t get enough of the 24-mile-long twin bridges.
Unlike many casual Causeway anglers, Barbera fishes the bridges year round, but he says the action peaks when the winds settle down in April, May and June.
Fishing the Causeway is not complicated, but it’s humbled many a confident angler. You may not figure it out your first trip, but you’ll be a better angler once you do.
Barbera pays meticulous attention to the tidal direction when he’s on the water, and he makes subtle alterations to his fishing attack strategy to maximize his haul.
As a general rule, he casts past the bridge stanchions with 1/2-ounce jigheads teamed with various soft plastics, and bounces the lures back to the boat.
Nothing complicated there, right?
Check out the video below to learn the details of Barbera’s techniques for success on this complex but very productive fishery.
Still want more? The area will be featured in the June issue of Louisiana Sportsman.