Speckled trout, redfish and more will fill the cooler
For sportsmen in Louisiana, November brings the first real cooldown that actually feels like fall. The leaves are falling and a lot of fishermen have turned their attention to the woods and hunting camps. But John Hardy of Shreveport has a different plan. He heads for Vermilion Bay.
Hardy has fished the bay and the reefs just south of Marsh Island all his life.
“It’s a great November hotspot when the weather gets cooler,” he said.
The reason the bay shines this month comes down to food. In the fall, speckled trout leave deeper water and migrate toward the bays.
“All the trout are moving inshore,” he said. “They’re moving from 20 feet of water into the bays and chasing the shrimp that are coming out of the bays.”
Where to go
Marsh Island sits between Vermilion Bay and the Gulf, so Hardy’s route is simple. He crosses the bay and runs out through Southwest Pass, the channel on the island’s west side. From there, he turns east or west and stays in 5 to 7 feet of water. The reefs sit south of Marsh Island to the east, while T-Butte and more reefs are a couple of miles to the west.
“Just look for the boats that are fishing,” he said. “In the fall, they’ll be covered up with boats and everybody will be catching fish.”
If you head west down the bank, you’ll pass the Freshwater Bayou Canal on your right. From there, Vermilion Block 16 comes into view.
The platform sits in about 8 feet of water and is surrounded by big pilings. Hardy said it’s one of the only platforms left in the area.
“In the fall, it can just be dynamite,” he said. “You’ll catch big trout, school trout and redfish. You just about can’t go wrong.”
Hardy’s setup
When targeting specks in the bay, Hardy keeps it simple. He throws a Marker 54 Shrimp or a Matrix Shad under a cork. Marker 54 makes two versions of the shrimp, the Jerk Shrimp and the Glide Shrimp. Hardy prefers the Glide, which has the line tied to the front of the shrimp.
For the Matrix Shad, he picks a pearl and pink color that imitates a small pogie. He uses a 7-foot rod spooled with 12- to 14-pound braid or monofilament. In the shallow water, he keeps the rig light unless the current is running hard. In that case, he opts for a heavier jighead.
Perfect conditions
Hardy’s ideal November day comes right after a front passes, when the high pressure moves in.
“It’s calm,” he said. “We’re looking for 1 foot of sea or less.”
And if there is any wind, it’s usually out of the north.
“A north wind is best because the reefs sit on the south side of Marsh Island and stay protected,” Hardy said.
He also watches the tides. For the new moon, he likes the three days before and the three days after. For the full moon, he likes the day before, the day of and the day after. Those are the days that bring the best tides.
Redfish and more
In addition to speckled trout, the area offers a few other species.
“You can circle Marsh Island from the interior, starting on the Vermilion Bay side and hit every cove, every canal, every nook and cranny,” he said. “You’ll catch a nice box of fish.”
Hardy said November is the month to make the run because December can go downhill fast. When the Atchafalaya River rises, muddy fresh water spills into the bay, and the trout bite can fall apart. So don’t wait. Go give it a try.
