The area has changed, but the fishing remains great
The Terrebonne Basin spreads across nearly 2 million acres with more than half a million acres of marsh ranging from fresh to brackish and finally salty bays and lakes connected to the Gulf of Mexico.
Names such as Lake Barre, Lake Pelto, Lake Felicity, Lake Raccourci, Timbalier Bay and other waterbodies once broken up by numerous grassy islands still appear on many maps, but multiple hurricanes, decades of saltwater intrusion and erosion took a severe toll. Now, everything runs together in a massive Terrebonne-Timbalier system between Cocodrie and Port Fourchon.
The bays average about 7 to 8 feet deep with some parts dropping to 10 feet deep. While miles of the marsh and many islands disappeared, the fish didn’t. This part of the state still produces some of the best speckled trout and redfish action anywhere.
“April is a great month to fish,” said Tommy Pellegrin of Custom Charters (985-851-3304, Facebook) who runs out of Cocodrie. “This area is more known for trout numbers than size. The biggest speckled trout ever put on my boat weighed about 6 pounds, but the area produced some in the 8-pound range. We normally get a run of bigger trout in April. Anglers might expect some 2- to 4-pounders.”
Island hopping
Some islands still exist. Last Island, or Isles Dernières in French, once stretched about 25 miles across the southern part of Terrebonne Bay and Caillou Bay. Some sections remain. Timbalier and East Timbalier Islands still separate Timbalier Bay from the Gulf. Remnants of Caillou Island still exist north of Timbalier Island.
“Caillou Island used to be a big island with a canal in the middle,” Pellegrin said. “The area still produces many fish, but be very cautious running where the island used to be. Hurricanes sunk some barges and scattered pipes and other metal objects. The bottom has loads of stuff on it now.”
Toward the east, Casse-Tete Island, also called Hatchet Island because it looks like a hatchet on a map, and nearby Calumet Island remain above water north of East Timbalier. Farther north, other grassy islands exist in Lake Barre, Lake Felicity, Old Lady Lake and Lake Raccourci near Leeville.
“Philo Brice Island still separates Lake Raccourci and Timbalier Bay,” said Kip Plaisance (985-637-7251, fishtidewater.com), who guides with his son Max for Plaisance’s Tidewater Charters. “Felicity Island in Lake Felicity is still there. On some maps, it’s called Four Nation Island because four nations of Native Americans lived on it in the past. In April, anywhere around Philo Brice Island or Four Nation Island would be good for trout.”
Old maps still show where islands once existed. Many washed away islands became reefs that hold fish. People who know where those old islands were can catch fish around them.
“I’ve been fishing here more than 33 years,” Plaisance said. “We lost numerous islands over the years. Some GPS mapping shows some reefs and what some islands used to look like.”
Trout won’t necessarily hold right on the reefs. Unlike structure-oriented fish, such as bass and redfish, trout like open water. Frequently, specks cruise 20 to 30 yards away from the reefs looking for bait. Cast in all directions around a reef to find the fish.
Live baits to plastics
In April, many anglers fish with live bait. A No. 4 treble hook makes a great terminal tackle for fishing live bait. In shallower water, try a free line. Add a small split-shot for extra casting heft, especially on windy days.
“We mainly fish with live shrimp or live minnows under popping corks,” Plaisance said. “I use a 1/0 kahle hook or a 1/8-ounce jighead under the cork. With live bait, we catch a lot of trout, but many other species as well.”
Any popular soft-plastic baits might also work. Throw a 3- to 4-inch trailer that resembles a shrimp or minnow. Experiment with different sizes, colors and depths. Vary the retrieve to see what works best.
“Often, we’ll get better trout with plastics,” Plaisance said. “When we get on a good trout bite, we switch from live bait to plastics. I like a Strike King Tidal Shrimp or a Marker 54 Shrimp on a ¼-ounce jighead in natural colors. When the bite slows down, throw a handful of live shrimp in the water to get them going again.”
Old wellheads
Besides the old islands, look for oilfield structures. For decades, petroleum companies established numerous wells in the area. Some remain, but many wellheads disappeared as the companies moved operations elsewhere. However, some structures remain visible in the form of pipes or pilings protruding from the water.
When constructing wellheads, oil companies placed rock and shell to make hard pads on the bottom. These old hard pads remain in place. Fish different reefs and wellheads to find specks and remember which ones typically produce the most fish.
“In Lake Barrie and Lake Felicity, we fish the old wellheads,” Plaisance said. “Most trout suspend in the water column. They want that bait at the depth where they suspend.”
Specks regularly hang about halfway to the bottom. For suspended specks, fish live shrimp on a slip cork. A slip-cork rig allows anglers to fish baits at varied depths without rerigging. A weight pulls line down through a cork until it reaches a pre-determined depth designated by the placement of a “bobber stopper.”
“With so much oil field junk everywhere, we can’t fish the bottom without hanging up,” Pellegrin said. “We need something that suspends bait off the bottom right in front of the speckled trout. The beauty of a sliding cork, we can fish 10 feet of water or 2 feet of water without rerigging. I’ll use my electronics to see where the trout are, especially if I’m fishing an unfamiliar spot. Find where trout want to suspend and all the fish will be at the same depth.”
Try to place the bait slightly above the depth where fish suspend. If uncertain, put baits about half to three-quarters of the way to the bottom. Speckled trout will move up and down to grab a live shrimp.
Diving birds
Specks regularly follow the shrimp and push them to the surface to cut off their escape. With keen eyesight and swift wings, birds quickly alert to the feeding opportunities. Look for birds diving to indicate feed fish schools.
“In April, the birds will start chasing the shrimp,” Pellegrin said. “We usually see a lot of birds on the north side of Timbalier Bay and up toward Lake Barre. When the birds are diving, fish a cork with a Berkley Rattle Shrimp in coastal candy color.”
of feeding specks or other fish beneath them. (Photo by John N. Felsher)
In the right spot, anglers can quickly load a boat with specks, but the action could end just as abruptly. After trout attack the shrimp schools, survivors scatter. Action can resume shortly thereafter some distance away. Keep binoculars handy to watch for diving birds. One or two birds diving might not mean much, but several excited, noisy gulls could indicate feeding fish.
As temperatures warm, speckled trout head closer to the Gulf. In late spring or summer, fish the barrier islands. When fishing a beach, always look for something different, perhaps a cove, point or pocket. On the Gulf side, fish Carolina rigs with live bait. Anglers can also fish some wellheads a short distance offshore for big trout, redfish and other species.
“Tidal movement is the key to catching trout,” Plaisance said. “I prefer a rising tide. When we’re on the inside with no tidal movement, we run south to the Gulf to catch that falling tide. As the tide rises, we follow it northward. The magic trio for trout is clean water, tidal movement and bait, but if I could only have one, it would be tidal movement. That’s a trout’s dinner bell!”
Bigger redfish
Anglers commonly catch redfish and specks in the same places with the same baits. Bigger redfish like bigger structures. For the biggest redfish, fish tight to the wellheads. Sweeten an 8/0 circle hook with half or whole cracked crab.
“On a calm day, we cruise the beaches by Last Island or Timbalier Island and see a lot of redfish,” Pellegrin said. “In really clean water, we’ll fish 4- to 5-inch soft-plastic artificials up in the pilings for redfish. When fishing big baits for reds, we’ll also catch some bigger trout.”
Mangroves grow around some islands. Anglers who know how to fish topwaters can tempt reds and bigger specks on top. Around those mangroves, also throw gold spoons or spinnerbaits. Those lures also work well in the marshes for redfish.
“If I want redfish, I fish the marshes,” Plaisance said. “In the bay, I’ll also get closer to the islands. Reds will be right on the banks. I look for them making waves and pushing bait. When we get some pods of redfish moving through, we can see them. Some better redfish spots are the marshy banks around Deep Lake, Lake Felicity and the Lake Raccourci.”
People can find lodging, supplies and marina facilities at Coco Marina in Cocodrie. See cocomarina.com or call 985-594-6626.
