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Trout in the Marsh
 Keith Lusher
The incredible speckled trout bite that we’ve been seeing here along the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain is still going strong. Anglers are taking advantage of the high salinity in the lake and clean water that seems to be sticking around long after hurricane season.
Forest Green of Lacombe says the fishing in the Bayou Lacombe area reminds him of what speckled trout fishing used to be a decade ago. “What we’re seeing now reminds me of how the saltwater fishing used to be in Lake Pontchartrain. The water is salty and it is reflected by the fish we’re catching!” The Lake Pontchartrain Conservatory keeps tabs on the salinity in the lake at the mouth of Bayou Lacombe and shows a parts per thousand reading of 4.0 which is much higher than last years reading of 1 PPT. But Green has a much simpler way to diagnose the salinity in the lake. “I can tell that the water is salty just by looking at the water that my outboard is churning up,” Green says. “The foam is thicker and the bubbles are smaller. That’s how it used to be here in Lake Pontchartrain!” 
Green works his way deep into a bayou along the shoreline near Goose Point
Green has been having success along the shoreline just west of Bayou Lacombe around Goose Point but says the conditions are so good that the trout are making their way back into the small cuts and canals that feed out of the marsh. “The trout are going to follow the bait and if the bait’s in the bayou, that’s where they’re going to be,” he says.
 Green swings a trout into the boat
In addition to the baitfish, the brown shrimp are still clinging to there comfy confines in the marsh grass. Mr. Green urges to keep an eye on the north winds to push them out. “We’ve been seeing southeast winds this month pushing water into the marsh allowing the shrimp to hide. When these fronts start coming and the water gets pushed out by the north winds, the fish are going to go nuts with the shrimp that will be pouring out of the marsh,” he says. Green admittedly loves fishing for specked trout in the lake but says marsh fishing is right up there on his list. “I like fishing the lakeshore with the grass beds and points but when I get back here with the current and the deep bends, that’s what I really love,” says Green.
The Lacombe native has made numerous trips this fall with his best trip coming after venturing into one of the bayous that wind deep into the marsh. He recommends using Speck-Drum Paddle Tails in the Bayou Sunset color on a 1/4 oz. jig head. Green talks about what to target when fishing the smaller canals that come out of the marsh. “The key is to find those bends in the bayou that are deep and fish the drop-offs where the flats meet the deep bends,” he says. “Those trout will run in those bends and wait for bait to drop off the flats.” With the cools fronts starting to be more regular, the trout should continue to be in the marsh as long as the bait is there and the salinity stays up. Green says there’s plenty of time left to make a trip to the marsh but warns about the waiting to long. “When it’s over, its like a light switch. Lights out!” Tournament Results A small group of 7 showed up to the Main Street launch to do battle on Bayou Lacombe. The water was high and clear with bluebird skies. None of the anglers were able to manage a limit of fish at the weigh-in. 
When it was all said and done Chris Basey took the win with 4 fish totaling 8 lbs. 14 oz. Chris also brought in the big fish of the day which was a nice 4 lb. bass. In second was find Jimmy Dorris with a four fish bag totaling 6 lbs. 15 oz.
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 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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Joe Picone joins the NFR Studio by phone to discuss the new improvements to the East Pearl River Boat Launch.
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The Marsh Martian Cory Labostrie joins the NFR Studio by phone to talk "Pushin' for Crabs" in Lake Pontchartrain.
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Dustin Touchet of Magnolia Outdoors joins the NFR Studio by phone to discuss his latest trip to Bayou Cane.
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Keith Lusher and Chris Basey review the past reports on NFR. Also introduce a new drawing for fishing reporters on the site.
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