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Bayou Lacombe Crappie Comeback
 Keith Lusher
In southeast Louisiana, hurricanes are often used as benchmarks for those that have experienced the life altering effects of the storm. A change in location of residence or a job change are just some of the effects that a hurricane can have on our lives.
For anglers on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, Hurricane Katrina changed numerous things in the fishing world including the topography of the shoreline, destruction of cypress trees, and fish kills. There’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way since the storm but one thing that has taken time to return is the sac-a-lait population in Bayou Lacombe. Ray Miller says there’s no conspiracy theory here. He’s seen what the hurricane did to the crappie bite in Lacombe. “Before Katrina I used to catch a bunch of fish there and after the storm I didn’t catch one sac-a-lait in Bayou Lacombe for 4 years so there’s no doubt in my mind that it was the salt water wiped out the sac-a-lait population there,” Miller says. Forrest 
Miller points out cypress knees to target during the spawn
 Green holds proof of the improved sac-a-lait bite
Green has lived in Lacombe all of his life and is in agreement that the sac-a-lait bite was drastically affected by the storm. “I had some spots where I could catch sac-a-lait regularly and after the storm I couldn’t catch any in those spots. The bass came back quick, the perch came back quick, but those sac-a-lait have really struggled,” says Green.
The reason for this points to the tidal surge that pushed salty water into the lake and inundated the bayou. According to studies the highest salinity that crappie where observed in was 1.3 PPT (Parts Per Thousand). While bass and perch can survive in water with a salinity reading of over 8 PPT. When Katrina pushed through it pushed a wall of salt water nearly 10 feet high which changed the salinity of the shallow bayou which in turn, killed the freshwater dwelling crappie. But that was then, and this is now! Anglers are reporting the best winter they’ve seen on the bayou in over a decade and if winter is any indication of what’s to come, this spring looks to be stellar as far as crappie fishing goes. “I went out last week and caught some really quality white perch. I’m talking 10 to 11 inch fish and I’m catching 25 to 30 every trip so I’m excited to see Bayou Lacombe back on the map,” Green says. The Lacombe native has been keeping tabs on the sac-a-lait bite not only by making personal trips, but also by hearing second-hand reports from the area. “I hold a seminar every Thursday over there at Bayou Adventure and I have about 5 or 6 people that I’m teaching. They’re going out and catching 10-15 fish so I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing right now,” Green says. With the mild winter we’ve seen anglers are reporting eggs in the stomachs of the sac-a-lait that they fillet signaling what will possibly be an early spawn. Bayou Lacombe has plenty of wooded shoreline where these fish will lay eggs. Green says to target the shallows and dead-end canals where the water is not flowing. Micro-jigs rigged 2 feet under a small cork will work just fine Green says. “I’ve been using the Speck-Drum Triple-Tail jigs and the main color I’ve been having success with is the Bayou Sunset color which is in the pink family,” Green says. For those interested in learning more about sac-a-lait fishing on Bayou Lacombe Mr. Green offers a free fishing seminar on Thursday nights from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. at Bayou Adventure in Lacombe.
Tournament Results
17 teams showed up to fish the Pearl River Team Trails event on the Pearl River. First place went to the team of Chad Livingston and Eric Ciko who brought in a 5-fish bag that weighed 11.14 lbs. They also weighed the big fish of the day, a 4.9 lb. largemouth bass. Second place went to Ross and Reese Watkins who weighed in an 11.5 lb. bag of fish. 3rd place went to Jay Watkins with 9.12 lbs. |
 Keith Lusher
I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
Look for the Northshore Fishing Report publication every Thursday in The Slidell Independent Weekly Newspaper!
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