Keith Lusher Jr
Lake Pontchartrain is known for it's fantastic fishing along the iconice bridges. For years anglers have concentrated on the Trestels, Twin Spans, and Causeway bridges as their go-to places to fish. With all the attention that these bridges get I believe a lot of anglers are missing out on miles of great fishing right beneath their nose. There is 20 miles of prestine shoreline that stretches from the hwy 11 bridge and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. A sandy bottom loaded with eel grass is prime habitat for speckeld trout, redfish, and flounder. Within that strech there are four bayous that spill out into the lake: Bayou Castine, Bayou Cane, Bayou Lacombe, and Bayou Bonfouca. These bayous are jam packed with baitfish and more than often you'll find schooling fish in the mouths of these bayous. Below are 5 great spots to focus on when fishing the shoreline along the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Todd's Bayou
|
Launch out of Bayou Lacombe and head west along the shoreline for 2 miles until you reach Goose Point. 1.25 miles past Goose Point you'll find a gem of a fishing spot. Todd's Bayou meanders through the marsh for almost a mile. This bayou has features that the typical inshore fisherman will fall in love with. As the bayou spills out into the lake it offers a transition in depth. 2 miles of monotonous shoreline is interrupted by this overgrown tranasse and during a falling tide, the mouth can hold schooling trout and redfish. Upon entering the bayou you'll notice numerous flats and drop-offs around the bends which hold flounder. Keep on going down and you'll notice numerous cuts that spill into the bayou. Speckled trout and redfish use the points at the mouths of these cuts as ambush points. As you go further into Todd's Bayou you'll be presented with some fantastic duck pond fishing. These ponds won't be available during the winter with the low water levels but during the summer months, these ponds are full of water when southeast winds are prevalent.
a Todd's Bayou doormat is caught at the first big bend at the south end of the bayou.
|
A speckeld trout is caught in that same bend where the water drops from 2 ft. to 5ft.
|
Bayou Lacombe Duck Pond
|
The Lake Pontchartrain shoreline offers entrances to many duck ponds. This duckpond located near the mouth of Bayou Lacombe offers a somewhat deep cut that runs form the lake to the pond. At the mouth of this cut you should be able to take advatage of a falling tide. Cleaner water will pour out of the pond and with it, baitfish. Upon entering this cut you'll find redfish and trout during the summer months. Google earth provides an overhead view of the deeper sections of the pond. It's these deeper channels that the fish congregate. Cast anywhere else and your cork will be stuck in the mud! Be careful when entering this narrow cut from the lake. It's best to idle upon approach. During the winter months this pond will be inaccessible because of the low water.
|
|