We watched. We fished. And watched some more as the huge squall grew closer by the minute with sporadic bolts of lightning streaking through the rain-laden, slate blue clouds. Fish long enough in the bays of coastal Louisiana and you get used to this drill, particularly in late afternoons trying to squeeze in an evening trip after work.
Elvis Jeanminette is a 37-year fresh and saltwater tournament angler and former radio personality. His morning Top Rod Fishing Show helps numerous anglers make their plans before quitting time Friday afternoon. When we made our plans, it didn’t include having to outrun a torrential downpour at his friend Vic Segura’s camp on Cypremort Point.
We spent the evening riding out the storm with Segura, developing a plan B for Saturday.
“What we’ll do in the morning,” Jeanminette said as he paused to take a sip of a cold beer Segura treated us to, “is head to Southwest Pass. But you don’t have to meet me before daylight. Come about 10 or 10:30, and we’ll catch the tide right by the time we get out there.”
Jeanminette has no secrets he won’t share, and that includes where to and how to, which is rare for most guys who try to put weight on the scale. He is also President of Iberia Bass Club, a sanctioned club registered in the Association of Louisiana Bass Clubs. Jeanminette says clubs have value in that they teach ethics, sharpen skills and can be used as a stepping stone to compete at a higher level.
Knowing how to read the tide is something he places emphasis on whenever he meets someone who has never fished Southwest Pass, Vermilion Bay or Marsh Island in this part of the state.
Jeanminette explains, saying, “The tides go out and pull bait with it, and it’s like a Burger King. At least that’s what I like to call it, anyway. Part of reading the water is to know when the tides are falling, because on a rising tide you’re not going to catch as much. I’ve seen people make the mistake and go out there in the bay on a rising tide and fish for a couple hours and not catch anything. They get hot, sunburned and they’re done. So, I always say try and fish the falling tides – it’s better.”
Coastal fishing by and large is pretty much a shallow water proposition, occurring in less than 8 feet. Along shorelines and reefs, tossing baits in 1 to 2 feet depths is routine. And out of Southwest Pass, there are numerous reefs for boats that draw little water, equipped with a troll motor to sneak up on.
When the tide is falling and flowing over these reefs, redfish, black drum, and speckled trout all congregate bushwhacking bait fish, shrimp, crabs and numerous other invertebrates, gorging themselves. Simply put, it’s rare you don’t catch something under these conditions.
“In the bay, you’ll see bait popping all along the surface of the water,” Jeanminette said. “What’s happening is redfish and trout are getting ready to start feeding. They run the bait up out of the water because it’s the only place to go. And if you watch closely, every now and then, you’ll see a swale where the fish actually caught something.”
Another target fish found along sand and shell reefs out of Southwest Pass is flounder. Anglers quite often look for this delicious fish in shallow water and will see them doing what coastal anglers know as flipping when chasing bait. Flounder will chase minnows and shrimp and get into a feeding frenzy where it doesn’t take long to catch a bunch to make an appetizing meal.
Shrimp is the most common fresh bait and is the most widely available for anglers to use when fishing the coastline. Others will sneak up a shallow marsh bayou and throw a cast net and see what they come up with. Mullet, minnows, small crabs and shrimp sometimes will come in a well-tossed net.
Bull reds are often caught on cut mullet or with a piece of cracked crab fished on the bottom. As with any bait, it boils down to how you plan to fish live or dead bait. Shrimp is king when it comes to saltwater fishing.
Jeanminette will fish almost exclusively dead shrimp fixed to a 3/8-ounce jig head no matter what location he is fishing in the bays and marshes. There are numerous brands of jig heads such as Betts, Egret Baits, H&H and Offshore Angler; all are good. Egret Bait’s wedge-shaped jig heads are excellent for shell reefs or locations where there tends to be scattered debris that causes bait to become hung up.
A few considerations when choosing the right jig would be whether you plan to fish it right on the bottom, under a popping cork or where there is a strong current. When fishing in shallow shell reef environments, a 1/4-ounce jig under your cork tends to have less hang-ups than heavier jigs.
When fishing deeper locations such as bayous and canals that open into bays with strong currents, heavier 3/8 or 1/2-ounce jigs should be used. Redfish in these spots patrol the bottom, where a lightweight jig head would rise higher in the water column, missing fish targeted down low.
When targeting flounder, the way they bite is a consideration that many are taking notice of when choosing the right jig-head. Betts has come up with the ideal jig head called the Flounder Fanatic. The disc-shaped lead weight incorporates a hook that is set perpendicular to its eye, sideways if you will, where the flounder is able to bite it in a method that’s more natural to its mouth.
An excellent method for fishing redfish in shallow or deepwater is Carolina rigging a 1/0 Kahle hook using a 3/8 or 1/2-ounce egg-shaped slip sinker. The rig keeps the bait down on the bottom, is less prone to getting hang-ups on shell or debris-filled bottoms and lets the bait drift up off the bottom several inches. It also makes a shrimp look more natural when slowly reeling with a little twitching added for enticement.
Artificial baits are also popular for fishing the shallow reefs outside of Southwest Pass. With a lifelike body and paddle tail, Category 5’s Suicide Croakers are deadly on redfish and speckled trout. The baits are known to produce a lively action when used as a swim-bait, jerk-bait or attached to a spinner blade.
The 4-inch long soft plastics are textured and come in a variety of colors. The tiger bait color is one of my preferences. This bait is deadly when attached to a 1/4-ounce jig head combined with a popping cork while fishing beneath birds.
Another bait making a lot of noise along the Gulf in coastal waters is Egrets Bait’s VuDu Shrimp. The bait is pre-rigged on a 3/16-ounce jig head and can be fished under a popping cork or bounced slow off the bottom. The VuDu shrimp is a speckled trout killer, and the waters outside of Southwest Pass are prime locations for use of this particular bait.
First time anglers should check out hot spots in Southwest Pass: Box Car on the north end and Caldwell Reef on the south end.
To the west of Southwest Pass is Tete Butte Reef. To the east, two popular areas that are worth checking out are Diamond Reef and Pavy’s Reef.
Jeanminette also says that besides fishing popular reefs, anglers will want to fish trenausses (marsh drainages), little cuts along bayou banks and any grassy points along coastlines. One tactic he stresses is instead of fishing right on top of these locations is to fish between them because redfish patrol the banks outside of these locations.
Jeanminette said, “You’ll notice the swimming pattern of some of those fish is between drainages along the banks where you can catch a few fish. But, you’ve got to know the waters, because when the conditions are right – it’s on.”
Southwest Pass is dotted with oilfield structure and all fish, saltwater or freshwater, prefer structure of some kind. Most oilfield production platforms, active or not, typically have shell bottoms and are full of barnacles that attract shrimp, crabs and baitfish. Bait is what attracts predator fish to these locations.
One of the things to bear in mind about fishing the bays in and outside of the Pass is to not rush. Anglers shouldn’t hesitate to toss a baited line or lure at any of these locations when their gut tells them it looks fishy.
Mid-summer through December is the best time of the year to fish this region. During the spring and often into early summer, freshwater from the Atchafalaya River influences the salinity so fishing isn’t as productive.
Whether you are a local or first time visitor to coastal Louisiana, you might consider trying to head-em off at the pass – Southwest Pass that is…
