Capt. Jack Payne can see his own version of a winter wonderland from his front porch. The owner of Sweetwater Guide Service and Marina, Payne poured his pay-to-launch ramp right at the intersection of Bayous Terre Aux Boeufs and Gentilly.
What Payne can see through the liquid lens of Bayou Gentilly are the inside waters around Delacroix Island where anglers can catch big trout and redfish all winter long without having to worry about the weather.
This magical maze of bayous, canals and bays has literally thousands of places to fish, and to hear Payne talk, just about all of them are as good as the next. Even though unfamiliar anglers can stumble upon a good box of fish, Payne thought they could more consistently catch fish by hitting 10 specific spots from Lake Batola to Oak River.
Rather than stack up all 10 spots in one small water body like Lake Batola, spreading out the spots gives anglers a better chance of catching fish no matter what the weather is doing. They range from shallow spots in Batola to deep spots in Oak River.
“That means you’ll be able to catch fish no matter if it’s really cold or really warm,” Payne explained. “And having 10 good spots in different locations means you’ll also be able to get out of the wind.”
To get to the spots Payne points out, leave Sweetwater Marina and head west in Bayou Gentilly. Just as you exit Bayou Gentilly into Little Lake at N29 41.511 x S89 47.379, turn south, and travel approximately a mile and half toward the isolated, ball-shaped oak tree in the distance.
“This tree is the opening of the Pencil Canal,” Payne said. “And from the Pencil Canal, you can easily get to Lake Batola or Oak River. If you fish all these spots, you’ll wind up making a triangle between these three areas.”
And don’t expect to catch a bunch of popcorn trout. Payne says the big trout that come from Black Bay during the summer are the same trout that have transitioned to these very waters. It wouldn’t be unusual to catch trout over 4 pounds, but a box of trout between 2 and 4 pounds tends to be the norm around Delacroix during the winter.
If you want to go exploring on your own, look for areas with clean water that offer a combination of deep holes with shallow flats nearby. Fish the deep water early and when it’s really cold, and move up on the flats later in the day and during the warming trends.
But why would you want to look for your own when Payne pointed out these 10 spots?
• No. 1: Pencil Canal
N29 41.511 x W89 47 379
Only 10 minutes from Sweetwater Marina, the mouth of the Pencil Canal is the first stop along Payne’s wintertime triangular route. This spot is easy to identify because it an intersection with four corners, there is a gas well on one corner, and a single, round oak tree grows on another point.
“This is a redfish and trout spot around all these islands,” said Payne. “Fish under a popping cork with either live shrimp, live cocaho or a plastic. Fish all four of these corners. You’ll have to deal with some boat traffic passing through, but it’s well worth your time.”
During a falling tide, trout and redfish from the surrounding cuts move into this intersection to feed on all the bait washing through. Although there are some shell spots around, Payne says most of the bottom is mud. It really doesn’t matter, though, because the four points are the main attraction.
“You can also move up into the little canal to the west,” Payne added. “There’s a good grass line in there that creates a wall. Fish move up and down that wall, and if you have your bait in there, they’ll eventually see it or smell it.”
• No. 2: Mouth of Bayou Batola
N 29 41.130 x W 89 49.124
After leaving the mouth of the Pencil Canal, Payne says to turn to your right at N29 40.281 x S89 47.368. This cut takes you on a straight shot over to Lake Batola, where you can continue on your triangular journey. The second stop is at the mouth of Bayou Batola where it meets Lake Batola.
“What you’ve got here is a shelf — a little hill where the bayou comes up into the lake,” he said. “It’s about 6 feet in the lake, but here at the mouth it goes down to about 10 feet. I like to fish under a cork, but if it’s not working, I resort to fishing the bottom. You can catch trout here until your hands fall off.”
Other than the trout, Payne says redfish and bass patrol the grass around the banks. Both respond well to spinnerbaits and gold spoons. But you could also catch a bunch of reds by fishing either live or dead shrimp under a popping cork.
“I like to drift fish this spot for the trout,” Payne added. “I’ll go up about 300 or 400 yards and float back with either tide. It really doesn’t matter if it’s rising or falling, but I do like falling better. When you drift, stay in the middle and cast back to either side. Plastics are good here, too — opening night and purple/chartreuse.”
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