May 2016 Volume 17 • Issue 191 | Page 18

Marsh & Bayou’s Fishing Forecast Venice Inshore you’re looking for big redfish, they’re usually in the same spots where the trout are; and this will be the exterior bays and along the edge of the Gulf. It’s hard to Capt. Ron Price say exactly which places to fish them be- Fish Intimidator ( 504) 416-6731 www.fishintimidator.com cause there are so many. I like everything from Empire all the way to the end of Venice on both sides of the River. The Warming temperatures, less cold fronts, and biggest key is usually getting close to the love bugs coming out all mean one thing! It means Gulf. You can catch trout further inland the fishing is ready to explode. The trout will be but they won't be the same quality as the going into spawning mode and eating like crazy to ones further out. Shallow water rigs sev- build up their energy for their romantic time of year. eral miles out will also produce extremely The shrimp and baitfish will begin to show their good trout this month. I like the rigs in presence in large numbers in the bays and all along the Battledore Reef area all the way down the edge of the Gulf. We can always hope for a to block 69 out of Main Pass. If you’re looking to break the lower River to really get things going crazy; but even state record for with a high River, the tides will be enough to give us trout, then plenty of green water in which South Pass to catch lots jetty is num- of fish. The ber one on my list; key to good fishing this Berkley Gulp Shrimp however, you won't catch much of anything 9 month is to find out of 10 trips there! You will have to be dedicated good water and lots of baitfish. As a general note, and willing to give up numbers to play that game. the best trout fishing will be on the incoming tide, The islands that make up the Chandeleur Island and mostly near the end of the incoming tide. If chain will be red hot this month too, but they can get too crowded and people running their motors will ruin some great action. (I'm always amazed that someone will spend $70,000 on a boat and not know how to use their trolling motor once they get into fishing territory. It is rude and ruins it for everyone, so please be courteous!!!! ) The fishing style of choice for trout will be to use a popping cork with either a fake shrimp or plastic minnow rigged roughly 14 to 18 inches below the cork. I’ve found the corks with the brass beads under them work the best. I’ve started throwing the Mann's Reel'N Shad recently, and it is pretty impressive so far! I guess it’s an action the fish haven't seen yet and sure do like! I also like to twitch soft plastics off the bottom with a 3/8 ounce jighead. For the hard-core meat hunters who insist on a limit, live shrimp will always be hard to beat. Fished under a cork will be the most popular method. Keeper-size redfish will be found everywhere from this month on. They will be in back ponds, they will be in the bays, and they will be on the edge of the Gulf on the grass and cane points. The number one way to take them will be dead shrimp under a cork. I prefer, however, to use a Berkley Gulp Shrimp in the 3-inch size and only use dead shrimp when things get really hard. Other good baits will be spinner baits, half ounce gold spoons, and soft plastics twitched off the bottom.