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This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with Capt. Danny Hunter of New Orleans Best Charters. Capt. Danny brings a strong North Shore report from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, where the trout bite has turned on around the Slidell bridges, Lake Catherine, Lake Borgne, the MRGO, and the Biloxi Marsh. Andre’ also shares a firsthand Venice trip report that started with plans for red snapper and triple tail, but shifted into a protected-water redfish, sheepshead, puppy drum, and bull red trip when wind made the Gulf uncomfortable.
The big theme this week is that South Louisiana fishing is in a productive spring pattern, but flexibility is still the key. Trout are following shrimp and showing up around bridges, marsh edges, oyster reefs, and moving water, while Venice continues to offer multiple backup options when weather changes the original plan.
Conditions Recap
Across Southeast Louisiana, wind remains one of the biggest factors in deciding where anglers can fish comfortably. Capt. Danny described Lake Pontchartrain as seasonal and moody, especially because it is a wide-open body of water where wind can quickly change the plan. After dealing with rough weather and even a May cold front, the bite improved in a big way once conditions lined up.
The shrimp are beginning to move into the system, and that is one of the best signs for trout anglers. Capt. Danny said he found trout feeding on shrimp in the Biloxi Marsh, and birds have started working in areas such as Lake Catherine and the ICW. As more shrimp push in with east winds and rising water, the trout bite should continue to improve around the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
In Venice, the weather told a similar story. The original plan was to fish for red snapper and possibly triple tail, but sloppy Gulf conditions and seasickness concerns made protected water the better call. That adjustment led to a solid day of redfish, big bull reds, sheepshead, puppy drum, and a reminder that Venice gives anglers a lot of ways to save a trip when Plan A does not work.
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Trout Report
Capt. Danny Hunter of New Orleans Best Charters fishes the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Lake Borgne, the MRGO, the Biloxi Marsh, and surrounding North Shore waters. After a stretch of difficult weather, he found a strong trout bite that included limits and quality fish around the train trestles and other nearby areas.
Capt. Danny said one of his first strong trips produced a three-man limit, followed by another excellent trip with a grandfather and two grandsons who caught big trout. Another group boxed 60 trout, showing how quickly the spring bite can turn on when the fish settle in and conditions improve. After another round of wind and storms, the pattern changed again, forcing him to move from the bridges to areas around Lake Catherine and, later, across Lake Borgne toward the Biloxi Marsh.
One of the best recent trips came when Capt. Danny, a friend, and another captain stopped at a spot they had all passed many times but had never fished. The area had a little deeper water and rock on the bottom, and it immediately produced. They ended up catching 45 big trout from that overlooked stop, which reinforced one of the most important spring lessons: do not ignore small structure changes, deeper holes, rock, and current just because a spot is not obvious.
The shrimp movement is another major part of the pattern. Capt. Danny said he had trout spit up shrimp while fishing oyster reefs in the Biloxi Marsh, and he confirmed that shrimp were already present in that area. For North Shore anglers, the challenge is often getting across Lake Borgne safely when the wind is up. As those shrimp continue moving west and north with the water, he expects the fishing closer to home to keep getting better.
Gear mentioned in this section included marine matting recently added to Capt. Danny’s boat. He said the matting has made the deck quieter, easier to clean, less slippery with fish slime and water on the floor, and has also helped freshen up the look of the boat.
To book a trip, visit New Orleans Best Charters or follow Capt. Danny Hunter on Facebook.
Venice Fishing Report
Andre’ Savoie’s Venice report started with a familiar spring setup: red snapper season had opened May 1, social media was full of dock shots, and the plan was to run offshore, catch snapper, look for triple tail, and possibly finish with redfish. Once the boat reached Southwest Pass, however, the rough water made it clear that the day would need to change.
The crew did catch a few red snapper, including some keeper fish, but the sloppy conditions made it uncomfortable to stay offshore. Rather than force the original plan, the captain shifted to protected water on the east side of the river. That decision turned the trip into a successful inshore day, with redfish caught around ponds, points, moving water, and protected cuts.
One of the best areas was a pond with a small island and current moving through the points. That setup produced big bull reds and showed why Venice captains pay such close attention to cuts, drains, and water movement. The trip also included a run behind Port Eads, where the group explored ponds, shoreline structure, and classic South Louisiana scenery that many anglers never see unless they fish deep in the river passes.
The trip ended around the South Pass rocks, where the boat was able to tuck into comfortable water while waves crashed over the outside of the rocks. That area produced puppy drum, sheepshead, catfish, and a huge bull red. The contrast between the darker, copper-colored marsh bull reds and the lighter gray bull red caught near the rocks also offered a good look at how fish can reflect the environments they live in.
The Venice takeaway is simple: expectations are great, but flexibility makes the trip. Not every snapper opener turns into an offshore limit, and not every plan survives wind, seas, crew comfort, or changing water. But in Venice, anglers often have enough options to still put together a memorable day.
