Jeff Bruhl November can be a bear of a month. Often cold fronts flush the marsh of water and muddy the rest of the area, too. So far, the fall around south Louisiana has been hot and dry. It seems everything is behind schedule. After the last blast of cool air came down from the north, the fishing improved. Let’s hope the fronts are mild and wet, but not too wet.
Northshore
Bass fishing has been tough on the Pearl. The West Pearl got low but stayed muddy. The east got gin clear. Anglers can run the marsh with a spinnerbait and catch fish but they are often scattered. Other spots like Lacombe and Liberty are loaded with marsh bass chasing shrimp. The bass are not tournament size fish but fun fish to say the least. Manchac area and rivers to the West have some good fishing when rivers are low. It takes about 11-12 #s to win most events around North Pass.
When summer stays this long, schooling bass are what makes the fishing fun. Finding a school of fish is easy if they are busting on the surface. If not, use Traps and jerkbaits to search drains and lower spots along the rivers for concentration of fish. Floating worms are still good, too. I find surface lures to be fair this time of year for finding fish. Surface plus are good when the schools pop up because the weight of the lures allows for long cast.
Basin
The BASS Open proved the fishing is good for the Atchafalaya Basin but size is not as good as past years. Cliff Crochet won the Open with 15# a day average. There have been a few events won this year with bigger stringers but not many. Punching is still a good option for the area. Greg Hackney proved a square bill crankbait is a hot bait to throw, too. The marsh areas south of 90 have the mother lode of marsh bass so head there for action. Spinnerbaits, light Texas rigs, and frogs are good starting points.
Lake Pontchartrain
The trout have shown up around eastern area of the lake. As you can see by the photo, some are very nice. From Bayou Lacombe to the lower areas of the Pearl River, school trout are there in numbers. For bigger fish, a run and gun approach on the shore line of the lake is where it is at. One common thread is grass beds along the shore. The trout are in eel grass and other vegetation near the shore and around bayous and drains. Here are a few tactics to try when mixing in a few trout with your bass.
Northshore
Bass fishing has been tough on the Pearl. The West Pearl got low but stayed muddy. The east got gin clear. Anglers can run the marsh with a spinnerbait and catch fish but they are often scattered. Other spots like Lacombe and Liberty are loaded with marsh bass chasing shrimp. The bass are not tournament size fish but fun fish to say the least. Manchac area and rivers to the West have some good fishing when rivers are low. It takes about 11-12 #s to win most events around North Pass.
When summer stays this long, schooling bass are what makes the fishing fun. Finding a school of fish is easy if they are busting on the surface. If not, use Traps and jerkbaits to search drains and lower spots along the rivers for concentration of fish. Floating worms are still good, too. I find surface lures to be fair this time of year for finding fish. Surface plus are good when the schools pop up because the weight of the lures allows for long cast.
Basin
The BASS Open proved the fishing is good for the Atchafalaya Basin but size is not as good as past years. Cliff Crochet won the Open with 15# a day average. There have been a few events won this year with bigger stringers but not many. Punching is still a good option for the area. Greg Hackney proved a square bill crankbait is a hot bait to throw, too. The marsh areas south of 90 have the mother lode of marsh bass so head there for action. Spinnerbaits, light Texas rigs, and frogs are good starting points.
Lake Pontchartrain
The trout have shown up around eastern area of the lake. As you can see by the photo, some are very nice. From Bayou Lacombe to the lower areas of the Pearl River, school trout are there in numbers. For bigger fish, a run and gun approach on the shore line of the lake is where it is at. One common thread is grass beds along the shore. The trout are in eel grass and other vegetation near the shore and around bayous and drains. Here are a few tactics to try when mixing in a few trout with your bass.
Jeff Bruhl A Vudu shrimp tight lined or slowly reeled around the grass line is a great way to catch fish. Bass and trout grab a shrimp as it falls into the channel. Often, shrimp are being chased by schools of bass and trout. Rip the Vudu out of the grass and let it fall.
Another tactic is to bounce a ¼ oz. jig head with a gulp Shrimp or other offering down the middle of the bayou. Besides trout, white trout and croakers will keep you busy.
For shore line trout, we have been using suspending baits like a mirrodine. The key to using a suspending bait is a rapid retrieve or long pauses in between jerks. Anglers should move often until they get a strike or find a good grass bed close to the shore. And I mean close to the shore. Often, strikes come with a few feet of the bank. However, grass beds off the bank is 3-4 ft. of water may hold big fish, too. Veterans Day is always the day to look for big trout along the bank.
Another tactic is to bounce a ¼ oz. jig head with a gulp Shrimp or other offering down the middle of the bayou. Besides trout, white trout and croakers will keep you busy.
For shore line trout, we have been using suspending baits like a mirrodine. The key to using a suspending bait is a rapid retrieve or long pauses in between jerks. Anglers should move often until they get a strike or find a good grass bed close to the shore. And I mean close to the shore. Often, strikes come with a few feet of the bank. However, grass beds off the bank is 3-4 ft. of water may hold big fish, too. Veterans Day is always the day to look for big trout along the bank.
