One of the most underrated areas in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin is Lake Catherine. Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne receive a lot more pressure throughout the year, but Lake Catherine produces a lot of redfish this time of year, according to Capt. John Falterman.
“You can work the shorelines from the rocks all the way to Unknown Pass,” he said.
Falterman said what he throws to the reds depends on the skill level of the people he’s fishing with. If he’s with experienced anglers, he likes throwing ChatterBaits and spinnerbaits.
However, if he’s with clients, he likes throwing live shrimp under a popping cork.
Falterman hurls these lures in two different types of terrain.
“We catch them on the edge of the grass, and we catch them by the rocks,” he said.
As far as size on the reds, Falterman said they’re good eaters.
“Typically, they’re going to be slot reds,” he said. “We don’t catch that many overs in there.”
When fishing in Lake Catherine, a falling tide seems to concentrate the fish.
“You want to fish all those points and pockets,” he said. “All that bait is staying around there.”
Speaking of bait, Falterman said the redfish feed on a lot of fiddler crabs in that lake.