Keith Lusher Jr It’s about that time! Water temperatures are dipping into the lower 70’s and with the rainy days we’ve been seeing lately, the speckled trout have moved out of the bayou’s and are now settling in on the 24-mile artificial reef known as the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. Todd Shultz of Mandeville made a trip to the bridge one morning and says the trout bite is early, but not too early. “We got our there at daylight but didn’t really start catching fish until the sun came up a bit. You want that sun to start coming out through the fog and it seems like that’s when they start biting,” Todd says.
"All of the trout we caught were in the 18"-20" range" Shultz and some friends found most of the fish 4 miles out from the North Shore and says the size of the fish are consistent with the trout normally taken from the bridge around this time. “All of the 22 trout we caught were in the 18”-20” range, so these are really fat fish we’re finding out here,” he says. The bridge is also known for producing quality trout when trolling, and Todd says he thinks the trolling bite should start picking up in the next few weeks. “I made a cast out the back of the boat and was dragging my lure and actually caught one, so that gives me reason to believe that the trolling bite should pick up soon,” Shultz says. An absolute must for fishing the Causeway is a trolling motor and Shultz warns “You’re not going to be able to catch fish out there without a trolling motor out there. You have to be able to stick and move out there,” He says. Shultz owns Dixie Trolling Motors & Outfitters in Mandeville and recommends the IPilot by Minn Kota. “I tell people all the time, If they want to buy a motor that does all the work, the Pilot is the motor to buy.”
Pumpkin Patch Still Open
Taylor Valois of Slidell has been sight fishing for redfish all summer with plenty of success. But with the recent trout bite going on, Taylor wanted to switch gears and take part in some action at the Great Wall on the Intracoastal Canal. Valois and his friend Ryan, headed out one morning only to find the trout fishing wasn’t what he expected. “Being that the day started with cloudy skies and a falling tide, I figured we would find trout easily,” Taylor says.
Pumpkin Patch Still Open
Taylor Valois of Slidell has been sight fishing for redfish all summer with plenty of success. But with the recent trout bite going on, Taylor wanted to switch gears and take part in some action at the Great Wall on the Intracoastal Canal. Valois and his friend Ryan, headed out one morning only to find the trout fishing wasn’t what he expected. “Being that the day started with cloudy skies and a falling tide, I figured we would find trout easily,” Taylor says.
Valois took advantage of the sun and slick water The team struggled to pick up a few trout and that’s when Taylor decided to see if the redfish were still back in the duckponds. “When I felt the sun shining on the back of my neck and the sight of the clear reflection of the sky on the slick water, it wasn’t even a decision to contemplate,” Valois says. Taylor and his friend made a run to a familiar duckpond along the ICW and started picking up what he likes to call, “Pumpkins and a Pumpkin Patch.” “Between the high tides and the the rain, I thought the pumpkin patch would be closed for the fall. I was wrong. Luckily I strapped the platform on my boat the night before so from that vantage point I could see three reds bedding on a pile of snot grass as I entered into the pond,” Taylor says. Every fishing trip is usually highlighted by a special moment and Taylor says that his moment was something he’ll never forget. “I sighted a beautiful copper top and pitched my lure 2ft in front of his nose, popped it twice, then let it drop only to see the parting of the red sea. I’ve never seen a redfish jump completely out of the water until today. When I got him to the boat I could see two other redfish following him,” Valois says. The team had there limit and left the fish biting. Taylor says all the fish were caught on Chartreuse colored Matrix Shad and Shu-Shu’s.
Veterans Day Reflection
For James Brasfield of Slidell, Veterans Day had a whole new meaning this year. James is a veteran himself and recently received the news that his cousin had been killed while on duty in Jordan.
Veterans Day Reflection
For James Brasfield of Slidell, Veterans Day had a whole new meaning this year. James is a veteran himself and recently received the news that his cousin had been killed while on duty in Jordan.
 James Brasfield shows off his bull red | “He was a brother in arms, patriot, father, and hero,” Brasfield says. On Veterans day, James reminded himself to take the time and do the things he loved and one of those things was fishing. James made a trip from land with his daughter around the Eden Isles area and ended up with a 17” black drum, and two redfish over 26”. James reminds everyone to “Stop and reflect, and do what you love because these freedoms are what the fight’s all about!”  |
