Keith Lusher NorthshoreFishingReport.com has release it’s fishing forecast for March and the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway has taken a toll on many fishing hot spots in Lake Pontchartrain. Numerous 1-star reports litter the forecast because of the muddy, fresh water that the Mississippi River has dumped into the lake. While spots in Lake Pontchartrain such as the Trestles and the Causeway have been a challenge to fish in March with chocolate milk colored water that has inundated the lake. However, fishing is still good ahead of the muddy water. Lake Borgne, the ICW, and Biloxi Marsh are still options for anglers looking for trout, redfish, and sheepshead.
As the freshwater slowly works through the lake and into Lake Borgne, it’s going to be all about freshwater fishing on the north shore as anglers are finding more success in the rivers and bayous that spill out into the lake. Bass and sac-au-lait reports are typical for this time of year with the sac-au-lait bite starting to improve more and more each day. The Tchefuncte River is starting to heat up and those crappie fisherman who have done their homework are being rewarded. Deep dead-end canals lined with piers and fallen trees are your best bet for finding the big slabs that the river is known for around this time of year.
Tchefuncte Sac-a-lait
Zack Liberto of Madisonville knows how to put bass, trout, and redfish in the icebox, but lately he’s been learning about catching crappie. After a few trips he says he’s hooked! “I have officially been bitten by the sac-a-lait bug and have targeted them exclusively for the past 5 months. I now somehow own more crappie rod and reel set-ups and tackle than my saltwater and freshwater stuff put together!” he says. Zack has been fishing the back of the Rice Field canal and having success but decided to try the main river for a change. He headed to some dead-end canals north of Highway 22 and says the fish are stacked up! “The majority of these fish were males that were holding tight to the bank on cover in 2' of water or less. The majority of the fish were males, jet black with bloody, torn up tails which is a good sign of things to come,” Liberto says. While most crappie anglers have transitioned over to strictly using corks, Zack says he’s having success tight-lining jigs as well.
I caught all of my fish using a black and chartreuse 3-tail grub either under a pegged float or tight lining,” he says. On his latest trip he caught a sac-a-lait that weighed 1.89 lbs. which is his personal best. Zack says he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “I have become obsessed with the challenge of trying to locate the pattern of those pesky fish and with the recent news of the spillway opening again - I guess focusing more on freshwater fish isn't a bad thing.”
As the freshwater slowly works through the lake and into Lake Borgne, it’s going to be all about freshwater fishing on the north shore as anglers are finding more success in the rivers and bayous that spill out into the lake. Bass and sac-au-lait reports are typical for this time of year with the sac-au-lait bite starting to improve more and more each day. The Tchefuncte River is starting to heat up and those crappie fisherman who have done their homework are being rewarded. Deep dead-end canals lined with piers and fallen trees are your best bet for finding the big slabs that the river is known for around this time of year.
Tchefuncte Sac-a-lait
Zack Liberto of Madisonville knows how to put bass, trout, and redfish in the icebox, but lately he’s been learning about catching crappie. After a few trips he says he’s hooked! “I have officially been bitten by the sac-a-lait bug and have targeted them exclusively for the past 5 months. I now somehow own more crappie rod and reel set-ups and tackle than my saltwater and freshwater stuff put together!” he says. Zack has been fishing the back of the Rice Field canal and having success but decided to try the main river for a change. He headed to some dead-end canals north of Highway 22 and says the fish are stacked up! “The majority of these fish were males that were holding tight to the bank on cover in 2' of water or less. The majority of the fish were males, jet black with bloody, torn up tails which is a good sign of things to come,” Liberto says. While most crappie anglers have transitioned over to strictly using corks, Zack says he’s having success tight-lining jigs as well.
I caught all of my fish using a black and chartreuse 3-tail grub either under a pegged float or tight lining,” he says. On his latest trip he caught a sac-a-lait that weighed 1.89 lbs. which is his personal best. Zack says he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “I have become obsessed with the challenge of trying to locate the pattern of those pesky fish and with the recent news of the spillway opening again - I guess focusing more on freshwater fish isn't a bad thing.”
