Keith Lusher Lake Pontchartrain may be the toughest body of water to figure out when it comes to speckled trout fishing. The reason for this comes down to the fact that it isn’t actually a lake, but an estuary. The dictionary defines an estuary as: “A partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open water. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments.” The word “transition” is the sole reason for the inconsistent patterning of speckled trout for those who fish the lake, more specifically the Causeway Bridge. The 24-mile structure that links the South Shore to the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain has been known for producing trout in the spring and fall seasons, however the bridge has been a non-factor for over a year. Captain Andy Jones of Wicked Charters has been fishing the bridge regularly and jokes “I unfortunately could fuel an aircraft carrier with the fuel used in attempts to locate Causeway Trout. I have been reminded of this often by my lovely wife who also reminds me of the definition of insanity frequently.”
Andy Jones had to take a few seconds to stop and stare at his first trout caught off the Causeway in quite some time But Jones also says that there may be hope for the Causeway to once again be a popular trout destination for anglers. Jones and his wife Alana, made a trip recently to the bridge but admittedly thought it may be more of a joy ride than a fishing trip. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of fish. All of us that fish the bridge know it’s been less than desirable over the last year and a half for trout,” Andy says. They started there “boat ride” at the first call box on the west side of the bridge and trolled south. The conditions were perfect for trolling with winds out of the southeast and a light chop on the water. Andy had thoughts of trolling the entire bridge. “As I stared down the bridge contemplating how mad she would be if I trolled the whole thing, she suddenly screamed - Fish on! Fish on!” Jones says. The shocked fisherman scrabbled for the rod and began to reel in the fish. After a short fight he boated a 20” speckled trout. “After I recovered from my heart palpitations all I could do was stare at the fish and admire the familiar thickness and girth that these fish are known for.
Alana Jones is all smiles after NOT having to troll the entire bridge The wife snapped me out of it by asking ‘Are you going to put that back in the water or just look at that fish’? So I threw the green and silver Mirr-O-Lure back into the water and we continued to drag,” Andy says. The couple caught 2 more trout and missed another one before the winds picked up and forced them back to the launch and while the trip wouldn’t be considered a successful one for most speckled trout anglers, it’s definitely a great sign of things to come for those who fish the bridge regularly and appreciate the size of these fish. Captain Andy adds “Although they’re spread out, it looks like the trout could be making a push west. But overall this is a very good sign for us on the Northshore!”
Bayou Bonfouca Marsh Restoration
There is good news for those who fish the south end of Bayou Bonfouca in Slidell. The $28 million project to restore the lakes shoreline rim at the mouth of Bayou Bonfouca has come to an end. The shoreline was breached when Hurricane Katrina hit, subsequently, the freshwater interior marsh began eroding at a rapid pace. The project that started in the summer has hampered anglers who have been dealing with muddy water from the dredging and constant airboat traffic.
There is good news for those who fish the south end of Bayou Bonfouca in Slidell. The $28 million project to restore the lakes shoreline rim at the mouth of Bayou Bonfouca has come to an end. The shoreline was breached when Hurricane Katrina hit, subsequently, the freshwater interior marsh began eroding at a rapid pace. The project that started in the summer has hampered anglers who have been dealing with muddy water from the dredging and constant airboat traffic.
Crews work to refill sediment lost along the shoreline of Bayou Bonfouca at the mouth of the waterway.
George Nunez made a trip to Bayou Bonfouca to inspect the area and to try for a few bass. He was greeted by less than favorable water conditions when he launched at Bayou Liberty Marina. “The water at launch was so-so at best, and when I arrived at my go-to spot the water was down right nasty,” he says. He started throwing a Baby Brush Hog but all he could manage was a 2.5 lb. catfish. He decided to fish a different area. “I changed spots to an area in main bayou that is usually too grassed up to bother with, but the big freezes trimmed it down to nothing,” he says. George made a passes and had a few hits on the Baby Brush hog. “I knew something was there so I made another pass with a black and chartreuse triple tail jig on a gold spinner and that was apparently the menu for the day! I picked up 2-3 bass on every pass. Some right up against shore and others over what was left of grass bed,” Nunez says. As the wind picked up during the day George struggled with keeping the his boat away from the shore but with 9 bass in the box, he was too close to catching a limit of bass to quit. “I figured I had enough battery for one more pass and pick up #10,” George laughs. “I lost the first #10 when one in upper range of size jumped and spit hook. About 30 ft. down the shoreline the second #10 hit. I got him alongside the boat and he came off,” George says. By that time the trolling motor was slowing down and George was spending too much time off struggling against the wind so he decided to call it a day with 9 bass and 1 catfish. “It was nice to be out there without the constant flow of workboats,” George adds.
