August is a tough month to fish. The heat can zap an angler’s strength and decision maker faster than a big bass can break the line. The good news is the fishing is often some of the best action of the year. Night fishing, early morning trips, or an after work tournament make summertime fishing fun.
MRGO
MRGO
Since the rock dam was placed at the end of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO or Mr. GO), the bass population has exploded. Although the size is not big, the quantity is more than enough to make up the difference. In the fall and winter, bigger fish are caught in the marsh around the Chef and Lake Borgne Marsh. For now, the rocks along the MRGO are loaded with dinks. It is a great place to take kids and inexperienced anglers for fun.
Flukes, floating worms, Vudu shrimp, and spinnerbaits are good lures to use. The bass are often tight to the rocks. Floating vegetation like duck seed or salvinia can be a problem when trying to get to the rocks. It is highly recommended to pick up a few H&H spinnerbaits. The rocks are not forgiving when it comes to casting skills. The H&H baits catch fish and are less expensive then $7 tournament baits. Vudu shrimp (Natural and Magic) are great but for the outer rocks or under a small cork for kids.
Northshore
Local rivers become a mud hole if local storms dump enough water into the system. Check river gauges or make a ride over a local spot to check water levels and color. Smaller waterways like Bayou Lacombe or Tangipahoa do not need much rainfall to stain the water. The Pearl River is divided into several branches near the lake which may become muddy if the West goes over 9.5 ft. on the Pearl River LA gauge.
As far as catching, the reports have been good across the Northshore. From areas in the west like the Tickfaw and Ruddock to the east (Pearl River), the action run the gambit. Weightless worms and flukes around grass beds, topwaters in pads, or flipping plastics into cover are a few options for anglers to try. A Havoc red shad worm on the Pearl River is a hard bait to beat for summer. Pop Rs, flukes, and frogs around Manchac are top baits for marsh areas.
Delacroix/Desallemands/Bayou Black/Marsh
The Delacroix bass bite is a tough one to figure out. There are plenty of bass around the lakes and bayous around Oak River area. A big stringer is what is tough to figure out. Redfish are plentiful so a trip to the marsh is not a bad option. Other areas are producing good numbers of fish. Weightless plastics are a top producer. Throw jerk shad and straight tail worms around the edge of a grass bed, near a drain, or point. Some anglers report catching 50-60 bass a trip in the marshes from New Orleans to Houma.
Venice
River had a small rise but has dipped back to five feet on the New Orleans gauge. A look up river show only a small rise if any for the next few weeks. The best time to go is in the afternoon when the tide is falling out. A few tips will help an angler find fish on a trip to Venice. First, the canes are often unproductive in some areas. Anglers should fish the deeper grass patches in the middle of a canal. Second, the best areas are near ponds where the water is cleaner and draining into a canal or bayou. Finally, the presentation should be slow. A Texas rig for deeper canals or submerged grass beds works better with a small sinker (1/16 or 1/8 oz.) and a slow, almost dead stick drag presentation. However, when the tide is right in Venice, bass become aggressive and strike just about anything. Delta Duck, Loomis, Johnson, and South Pass areas are just a few spots that hold fish. The size is coming back, too.
A watermelon fluke with a weight, slowly presented around isolated patches of grass has been the best tactics on my last few trips. I have not caught a fish punching or flipping canes during my last two trips. The other reports I have gotten are the cane action has not been that good. This will change as the water falls to about 3.5 ft. (NOLA). We do hear fishing hitting in the canes. The water is not low enough to pull the fish out of the canes to edge. The fall stretch looks to be very promising for Venice bass anglers.
Flukes, floating worms, Vudu shrimp, and spinnerbaits are good lures to use. The bass are often tight to the rocks. Floating vegetation like duck seed or salvinia can be a problem when trying to get to the rocks. It is highly recommended to pick up a few H&H spinnerbaits. The rocks are not forgiving when it comes to casting skills. The H&H baits catch fish and are less expensive then $7 tournament baits. Vudu shrimp (Natural and Magic) are great but for the outer rocks or under a small cork for kids.
Northshore
Local rivers become a mud hole if local storms dump enough water into the system. Check river gauges or make a ride over a local spot to check water levels and color. Smaller waterways like Bayou Lacombe or Tangipahoa do not need much rainfall to stain the water. The Pearl River is divided into several branches near the lake which may become muddy if the West goes over 9.5 ft. on the Pearl River LA gauge.
As far as catching, the reports have been good across the Northshore. From areas in the west like the Tickfaw and Ruddock to the east (Pearl River), the action run the gambit. Weightless worms and flukes around grass beds, topwaters in pads, or flipping plastics into cover are a few options for anglers to try. A Havoc red shad worm on the Pearl River is a hard bait to beat for summer. Pop Rs, flukes, and frogs around Manchac are top baits for marsh areas.
Delacroix/Desallemands/Bayou Black/Marsh
The Delacroix bass bite is a tough one to figure out. There are plenty of bass around the lakes and bayous around Oak River area. A big stringer is what is tough to figure out. Redfish are plentiful so a trip to the marsh is not a bad option. Other areas are producing good numbers of fish. Weightless plastics are a top producer. Throw jerk shad and straight tail worms around the edge of a grass bed, near a drain, or point. Some anglers report catching 50-60 bass a trip in the marshes from New Orleans to Houma.
Venice
River had a small rise but has dipped back to five feet on the New Orleans gauge. A look up river show only a small rise if any for the next few weeks. The best time to go is in the afternoon when the tide is falling out. A few tips will help an angler find fish on a trip to Venice. First, the canes are often unproductive in some areas. Anglers should fish the deeper grass patches in the middle of a canal. Second, the best areas are near ponds where the water is cleaner and draining into a canal or bayou. Finally, the presentation should be slow. A Texas rig for deeper canals or submerged grass beds works better with a small sinker (1/16 or 1/8 oz.) and a slow, almost dead stick drag presentation. However, when the tide is right in Venice, bass become aggressive and strike just about anything. Delta Duck, Loomis, Johnson, and South Pass areas are just a few spots that hold fish. The size is coming back, too.
A watermelon fluke with a weight, slowly presented around isolated patches of grass has been the best tactics on my last few trips. I have not caught a fish punching or flipping canes during my last two trips. The other reports I have gotten are the cane action has not been that good. This will change as the water falls to about 3.5 ft. (NOLA). We do hear fishing hitting in the canes. The water is not low enough to pull the fish out of the canes to edge. The fall stretch looks to be very promising for Venice bass anglers.
