Fish the stretch between Bayou Bonfouca and Goose Point
As the first cool fronts start rolling through Southeast Louisiana, anglers are starting to see the effects the cooler water is having on the speckled trout.
John Gibby of Mandeville has been fishing the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain between Bayou Bonfouca and Goose Point, and he said October consistently delivers some of the best speckled trout action of the year. But what is most appealing to Gibby is how close it is to his home in Mandeville.
“I usually fish the Hopedale/Biloxi Marsh area, and I feel extremely confident fishing there, but that’s a three-hour round trip for me, so you really can’t beat how close it is on the Northshore,” Gibby said.
After launching at the public boat launch at the end of Lake Road in Lacombe, it takes him only 10 minutes to find the action. The stretch of shoreline near the mouth of Bayou Lacombe has been producing quality trout for Gibby and other locals who know the pattern.
Target the eelgrass patches
Gibby focuses his efforts on patches of eelgrass, also known as Vallisneria, that grow in long strands reaching up to 6 feet in length. While the grass beds aren’t what they used to be before Hurricane Ida, they are making a comeback with strands measuring 4 feet long.
These underwater grass beds become magnets for both baitfish and the speckled trout that feed on them.
“These patches of grass are what to look for,” Gibby said. “If you look closely, you can see small silver baitfish tucked down into them — they must be feeding on microscopic stuff in the grass.”
The Mandeville angler has found success by scanning the surface for baitfish activity, then working those areas where the grass and bait come together. When he spots surface turbulence or jumping mullet over grass patches, that’s where he focuses his casts.
“I’m looking for submerged grass patches, and when I find them, I’m looking for gaps, Gibby said. “What I mean by gaps is you may have a dense pocket of grass that ends and another beginning a few feet away, or a patch inside the grass that is empty of grass.”
Setup
Gibby’s go-to setup is a 4-inch Z-MAN SwimmerZ Paddle Tail Swimbait tied to a fluorocarbon leader on a braid backer. As far as color goes, he likes the Smokey Shad color.
“Really, anything that looks like these silver baitfish will work,” he said.
For a weight, Gibby adds a 1/16-ounce sliding weight.
“It’s pretty much a Texas rig, but I’m fishing it like a jerkbait,” he said.
This combination allows him to work the bait just above the grass while still getting down to where the baitfish are feeding.
“Having the weight positioned towards the nose allows me to fish very slowly and perfectly mimics the baitfish you’ll find in those grass pockets,” he said.
During a recent October trip, Gibby connected with a 20-inch speckled trout by making a long cast into a patch of grass where he spotted trout chasing mullet.
“That drag was pulling,” he said. “After it flashed, I knew that it was a gator trout.”
Run and gun
The stretch of shoreline between Bayou Bonfouca and Goose Point is typically where you’ll find schools of specks working baitfish in October. But it can be a challenge finding the fish from day to day because of how fast the baitfish and shrimp relocate. It’s important not to devote too much time to one area if you’re not catching fish.
As the cool fronts continue to blow through, the specks will become more plentiful along the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain. October sets up perfectly for anglers willing to cover water and cast into the action. Follow Gibby’s pattern of targeting grass patches with active bait, and you’ll be positioned to catch a limit of specks only 10 minutes from the launch.
