The high Mississippi River began sending tons of sediment out into the waters surrounding Buras in March — particularly on the west side, where trout will move to Grand Isle and Barataria Bay.
So Buras anglers have to look to the east to catch specks this month, according to Cajun Fishing Adventure’s Capt. Ryan Lambert.
“April 1 marks the transition, and trout will come out of their winter holes, out of Delacroix,” Lambert said.
But don’t count on seeing a ton of pretty, clean water as you motor out. In fact, the closer you are to Buras, the muddier the water likely will be.
“It’s going to take a boat ride to catch trout this month,” Lambert said. “Most of the fish will be way out on rigs and islands, out of the river water.”
Exactly how far the river water extends depends on how long the river remains high.
But even if you find muddy water at the islands and rigs, you could still find trout. That’s because saltwater is heavier than fresh water, and specks can be ganged up in that salty layer beneath filthy Mississippi River water.
So Lambert spends a lot of time looking backward as he motors away from Buras on the way to areas like Lonesome Island, Stone Island, Battledore and the platforms in Black Bay.
“You have to watch your prop wash,” he said. “You’ll see that pretty, clean water boil up.”
Once he sees this happening, he begins looking for bait, and there should be plenty since the glass minnow spawn normally occurs this month.
And this veteran trout guide said the rising river can actually help anglers catch quick limits, once they find the right conditions.
“It’s going to congregate fish,” Lambert said.
So how will he fish such mud-covered waters?
He said it’s a time he uses a cork to dangle his soft-plastics below the river water. See the story on page 146 for details on how he maximizes this tactic.
But if he’s fishing shallow water — or finds an area that hasn’t been covered up by fresh water — he also tight-lines H&H grubs and Z-Man Trout Tricks.
And, of course, he’ll be looking for flocks of feeding gulls, too.
“The birds will start working especially by the latter part of the month,” he said.
And, once the Mississippi River begins to fall, fishing will get progressively closer to the landing.
“It doesn’t take long for trout to move back in,” Lambert said.
