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Causeway Bulls
 Keith Lusher
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain at 3 PPT (parts per thousand). The recovery of the lake has been incredible to witness and one of the last fishing destinations to be revitalized is the Causeway bridge. The bridge was once a speckled trout fishing destination in the Spring and Fall months. But with all the freshwater intrusion with the spillway openings a few years back, the bridge was non-existent on the “trout map”. Another favorite was the redfish bite that would occur every summer. The bridge routinely produced limits of redfish for those who jigged the pilings over the summer.
So when I received a call from Causeway angler George Patterson of Folsom, I was very interested in what he had to say. Patterson told me he had been catching big bull reds at the Causeway the last two days. I nodded in agreement because this WAS normal over a decade ago. Patterson invited me on a trip and I jumped at the invite.
We launched at Mandeville Harbor at 9:00 a.m. and headed across the lake past the 8-mile hump. Patterson pulled his 24-foot Fishmaster under the bridge and we began to cast in between the pilings using 1/2-ounce jig heads with 4-inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp in the New Penny color. “I’ve been having the most success casting past the pilings and working the bait back through the bridge legs,” he said. It didn’t take long for Patterson to lean back and set the hook on a big fish. Patterson started reeling quickly and then began to let the fish take drag. “I use 50-pound braid because I need that added strength to rip the fish out of the pilings,” he said. “If it gets around that piling the line will pop.” After a 5-minute fight, Patterson netted a 32-inch bull red and tossed it back because of the new redfish restriction that prohibits the harvesting of any redfish over 27 inches. We continued to fish the barnacle cover pilings and Patterson explained why the concrete produced fish. “Those reds are circling the piling looking for food,” he said. “Most of the fish I’m catching are coming right up against the bridge legs."
About 5 minutes later he set the hook and hauled in another bull red. I was beginning to think that I lost my redfish touch on the bridge when it happened. After casting up against a piling, I let the bait sink to the lake floor and went to bump it. However, it didn’t budge. My line moved sideways and I set the hook. I was lucky that the fish swam away from the bridge and out into the open water where wear it out a bit. Patterson started operating the trolling motor and followed after the fish. The drag screamed for over a little over 30 seconds and that's when I realized I had something special. I fought the fish for over 15 minutes with the fish taking line and me reeling it back. It made 4 circles around the boat which forced me to dip my pole underneath the trolling motor and the main motor several times. As the giant fish neared the boat, Patterson grabbed the net and I glided it into the net on the first attempt. We both grabbed the net and lifted the trophy over the gunwale.
It was a 42-inch redfish which was a personal best for me. The redfish was the highlight of the trip but more importantly, it was a clear sign that things seemed to be back to normal at the Causeway!
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 Keith Lusher
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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Ron Hindman of Slidell joins the NFR Studio to talk about his 11-pound trophy bass he caught in the West Pearl River
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