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Bayou Lacombe Spawn
 Keith Lusher
With the bass spawn heating up across the Northshore, anglers are finding success in most of the tributaries that draining Lake Pontchartrain. But for Patrick Engerran of Albany, he’s got one specific bayou circled in red — Bayou Lacombe. "There's just something about fishing Bayou Lacombe in March," he says. "Some of my heaviest fish came out of Lacombe this month."
Engerran, who has been fishing local tournaments for years, points out that most bass are either on their beds or preparing to spawn. "The fish are in all three stages with probably 60 percent of them being in the pre-spawn and spawn stage. Later in the month, you'll see most of the fish moving into the post-spawn stage." Unlike many anglers who focus on spotting beds, Engerran takes a different approach in Bayou Lacombe's tea-colored waters. "Most guys get caught up looking for actual beds," he says. "Bayou Lacombe has that tea-colored water that makes seeing beds a little harder." Instead, Engerran covers substantial water, watching for surface swirls from bass chasing bream off beds. While he primarily targets dead-end canals during March, he doesn't ignore the main bayou. "Dead-end canals are always the spawning hot spots due to less current and warmer water, but there are fish that spawn in the main bayou every year, so don't overlook it for sure," he advises. 
For equipment, Engerran uses a heavy-action rod made by Tangi Fishing Rods. "The rod is a heavy-action composite blank," he says. "It has a nice soft tip but lots of backbone — perfect for the Suffix 832 braided line I like to use."
While primarily using vibrating lures, he always keeps alternatives ready. "I'll always have a craw or a wacky worm tied on in case I see any beds or as a follow-up bait to any short strikers," he says. "Bedding fish will sometimes roll on a moving bait or push it away from the bed with a closed mouth, so I like to have something I can drop right in the bed.” Engerran points out lily pads as key indicators when targeting spawning bass. "Keep an eye out for lily pads growing along the shoreline. The pads usually stem from hard bottoms, making the base of the plant attractive to bass when choosing a place to make their beds." For March fishing in Bayou Lacombe, Engerran relies on lures that allow him to cast while on the move. "I love covering water with a spinnerbait, vibrating jig, or a swim bait," he says. As a custom lure maker, Engerran creates baits with more action than store-bought options. "I make all my baits so I make them thump harder than most vibrating lures," he explains. 
While March is his favorite time to fish Bayou Lacombe, next month is an entirely different story. Engerran recommends fishing Bayou Lacombe right now because fishing in April will be a completely different animal. “April is my least favorite month because it’s so hard to pattern the bass,” he said. “They could be already back in their deep spots; they could be just coming off the bed, or they could be eating only one meal a day because they’re recovering from the spawn.”
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I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
Look for the Northshore Fishing Report publication every Thursday in The Slidell Independent Weekly Newspaper!
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