Time to move out for Dularge trout

(Left to right) Ravin Andrus, Stephanie Leonards and Lambertina Odinet after a successful trip to Dularge.

If you fish in the Dularge area and are wondering where the fish have gone in June, read on. The fish have migrated out and are following the shrimp and looking for suitable spawning salinity. 

“In June, the fish will migrate out of the marsh to the ‘outside’ looking for the proper salinity for them to spawn,” said Capt. Lloyd Landry, owner of Outcast Fishing Charters (504) 912-8291. “You will have to sort through lots of short fish to find the ones you want to keep, but they are there.”

Follow the food

Veteran angler Greg Combel, who fishes out of Theriot, said by the time June rolls around, most of the fish are going to be closer to the Gulf, just before the oil rigs. 

“Look for them in places like Caillou Lake, Lake Pelto, and around Last Island,” Combel said. “As far as the consistency of catching trout is concerned, this area is great. You can go out from Cocodrie to Dularge and catch trout almost any day of the year. The fish will be on the inside in the winter and then will move out towards the Gulf as the summertime comes.”

Another likely place to find fish is around any oil rig that has shelves around it.

“I personally like to use a Mojo Shrimp under an Undertaker popping cork,” Combel said. “This combination accounts for most of my catches of both trout and reds.”

Using this combination makes sense because the fish are out in the outer lakes where the shrimp have moved. Use at least 20-pound test line for your leader that goes from your cork to the lure. This will prevent a big red from breaking your line. 

Consider using 20-pound braided line as your main line because it will not be damaged as badly should you drag your line over an oyster bed. 

Bass baits for reds

The fish move to the outer lakes looking for better salinity, but it is also where their prey has moved as well. The most important aspect of fishing in this area is that the trout will follow the shrimp, and in May they pour out of the tributaries into the outer lakes.

“I use Matrix shad soft plastics for trout and reds,” Landry said. “I prefer the color green hornet for reds and shrimp creole for trout. I also use bass creature-style baits for redfish because they resemble crawfish. I first started using bass style crawfish imitating baits because I find lots of crawfish in the stomachs of redfish as I am filleting them. There are many commercially available soft-plastic crawfish imitating baits. My personal favorite is made by the JaBoom Bait Company. Specifically, I use the Boom Bug in the cantaloupe color.” 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your bass lures when you are targeting the marsh. Large numbers of redfish fall victim to largemouth bass-style baits. You can either Texas rig or put them on the back of a structure jig. 

For both bait and a boat launch, use Falgout Canal Marina (985) 872-1636.