Lake Pontchartrain shoreline heating up Keith Lusher Jr
For those of you who enjoy fishing the sandy shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain, now is the time to get out there! The past few cool fronts that have passed through have lowered water temperatures considerably and anglers are taking advantage of the calm, clean, protected water that the northern shoreline has to offer. Speckled trout are patrolling the shoreline all the way from The Pearl River to Port Louis and the size of these fish is making up for a lackluster September in terms of size. Early morning hours seem to be the best bet for easily locating feeding specks. Mandeville angler John Watson recently made a trip out of Bayou Lacombe and says to locate the fish and put them in the boat while you can, “We were fishing the western shoreline as you exit Bayou Lacombe and it took us about 30 minutes to find some action on the water. My sonar was picking up baitfish all over and the surface of the water was exploding with shad. We started catching trout one after the other but that only lasted about an hour then as fast as it turned on, it shut off.” John also says he recommends not spending too much time in one area. “It seemed like it was an all or nothing kind of thing that morning. We hit about three different spots with nothing to show for it until we found the bait going nuts along the shoreline and that is where we really did well,” John said.
West PearlThe mouth of the West Pearl River and adjacent shorelines are teaming with school trout right now. Captain Chas Champagne says the trout haven’t shown up on the bridges yet so he has been chasing the seagulls near the West Pearl River. “We’re coming into the prime time of fall fishing for Lake Pontchartrain. The school trout are going crazy right now. The trout are pushing the shrimp up to the surface and the birds are diving on them so the birds will show you where the fish are.” Chas says when you find the trout feeding underneath the birds, make sure you keep your lure up near the surface where the fish are. “You don’t need to let your bait get anywhere near the bottom as the trout are chasing the shrimp on the surface.” Chas recommends using Matrix Shad in the Shrimp Creole color, rigged under a popping cork.
Seagulls diving on shrimp at the mouth of the West Pearl
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Tchefuncte River While mostly noted for its redfishing, Port Louis is now starting to produce speckled trout. Upon exiting the mouth of the Tchefuncte River, turn right and head down the western shoreline a little over two miles. When you see the power lines coming out of the rice fields, fish the shoreline all the way to cement bulkhead that jets out into the lake. This stretch of hard, sandy bottom provides good clean water and is protected from the north winds. Anglers are having success catching a mixed box of redfish and trout but some reports of anglers catching fish by trolling the shoreline are starting to surface. Matrix Shad Magneto rigged under a cork is the preferred method of fishing the shoreline right now. Scan the water’s surface for baitfish or shrimp popping. Diving birds are a dead giveaway for locating the trout.
 Forrest Green
The mouth of Bayou Lacombe has been producing consistent
trout, both white and specks. Moving water is the key so plan your trips around
the tides. The early morning bite has been outstanding at the mouth of the
Bayou and along the shorelines both east and west. Fishing from land is also an
option. Head down Lake Road and find an open spot early in the morning for a
mixed box of specks and white trout.
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