Tim Ursin, a long-time Shell Beach charter guide, said April and May produced some great catches of nice-sized specks, but June is when the big numbers of smaller male trout show up.
“Most of the bigger fish we caught in April and May were fat females, full of eggs,” said Ursin, aka “Captain Hook,” who runs Escape Charters. “The smaller males show up in swarms this month, and what they lack in size, they make up for in numbers.”
Ursin said the MRGO Rocks have been big producers, evidenced by the sheer number of boats anchored along them every day. The rocks should continue to produce this month, he said, but the trout action should really ramp up in the big, outer bays, the ones on the fringes of the open water.
“I look for some good action in Lake Machais, Lake Calabasse, Two Trees, Fortuna . . . anywhere around points and reefs and broken-up grass islands,” he said. “I look for decent water, current lines and bait, and wherever you find that, fish there. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the ticket to success. You can probably catch some with plastic, too, but the waters are teeming with brown shrimp, and that’s what the specks and reds will be feeding on.”
Other options
Ursin (504-512-2602) said Bay Eloi is always a good bet in June when the conditions allow it. The big bay is peppered with wellheads and rigs to the east, and all are good places to find bigger fish.
“A lot of anglers will make the run out into Breton Sound on good-weather days and fish any of the barrier islands and the rigs scattered around out there,” he said. “The run is farther, so you’ll burn more fuel, but the reward is bigger trout and big reds, along with the usual array of sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, etc. Live shrimp or live croakers are the best baits, on sliding sinker rigs around the islands and wells and rigs, and you have to be prepared to lose some tackle to bottom debris and the toothy critters that always show up when it warms up.”
Ursin said anglers have another option: go farther east and fish the numerous reefs on the far east side of the Louisiana Marsh, in areas like Fishing Smack Bay, Lawson Bay, Shell Island Lake, Indian Mound Bay or any of the dozen other large bays out there.
“The possibilities over there are endless, there are just so many places to fish,” he said. “Look for the trout trinity of clean water, current lines and bait activity, and you should find the spot tails and specks. In June, your options are wide open.”
