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This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with two reports from the Houma area that highlight productive fisheries away from some of Louisiana’s most heavily pressured destinations. The episode starts offshore from Cocodrie with Capt. Jerry Menard of Grocery Isle Sportfishing, who covers yellowfin tuna, deepwater bottom fishing, slow-pitch jigging, and the unusual reef species he targets on long runs toward Green Canyon and farther west.
Andre’ then moves inshore with Captains Joshua and Caleb Moser of Reel and Feel Charters. The father-and-son team fishes out of Dularge, where they are finding consistent redfish in extremely shallow marsh water while speckled trout remain available around barrier islands and shallow Gulf structure.
The common thread in both reports is access to productive water with less fishing pressure. For Jerry, that means committing to long offshore runs for tuna and specialty bottom fish. Around Dularge, Joshua and Caleb use a shallow-draft boat to reach marsh ponds and drains that many larger bay boats cannot comfortably fish.
Conditions Recap
Mid-August heat is fully established across the Houma, Cocodrie, and Dularge areas, but anglers still have several strong options. Offshore, Jerry reports that yellowfin tuna fishing has been productive, with multiple recent trips producing double-digit numbers of yellowfin before a more difficult trip still finished with five fish. School-size tuna are also holding around offshore floaters, while the long-run bottom fishery continues to offer grouper, snapper, tilefish, and other deepwater species.
The distance from Cocodrie to many of Jerry’s preferred offshore grounds helps reduce fishing pressure. Productive bottom areas can require runs of 60 to 70 miles or more, while some specialty trips take anglers much farther west. Jerry said that distance is part of what protects the fishery because fewer boats are willing or able to make the run.
Closer to shore, the Dularge bite is split between two different zones. Speckled trout are primarily holding outside in shallow Gulf water around barrier islands and oil and gas structure, while redfish are concentrated inside the marsh. The trout bite has been less predictable, with strong days mixed with days that require more searching, but redfish have been much more consistent.
Moving water remains one of the biggest factors for Dularge redfish. Joshua and Caleb are finding fish around drains, pond edges, grass lines, and other places where an incoming or falling tide creates current. Early mornings can provide sight-fishing opportunities, while stronger tidal movement later in the day can concentrate fish even when they are no longer easy to see.
Cocodrie Offshore Report: Capt. Jerry Menard
Capt. Jerry Menard fishes from Coco Marina in Cocodrie and runs Grocery Isle Sportfishing. His offshore program includes yellowfin tuna, swordfish, red snapper, grouper, amberjack, queen snapper, and a collection of less-common deepwater fish that he refers to as exotics.
Jerry readily acknowledges that Venice offers more tuna options and quicker access to deep water, but Cocodrie provides something he values just as much: room. He prefers fishing away from crowded areas and will make long runs toward Green Canyon and farther west to find less-pressured water. The same distance that makes these trips more demanding also reduces the number of boats working the bottom.
Yellowfin tuna have been the most requested target lately. Jerry uses the same general live-bait approach that is productive elsewhere along the Louisiana coast, and he does not leave the dock for a serious tuna trip without a large supply of live bait. His recent trips have produced strong numbers of yellowfin, and he expects school-size tuna to remain an option around the floaters through the late-summer pattern.
For anglers interested in bottom fishing, Jerry changes targets largely by changing depth. Shallower deepwater structure can hold red snapper, scamp, and yellowmouth grouper, while deeper areas can produce yellowedge grouper, queen snapper, golden tilefish, fireback grouper, marble grouper, Kitty Mitchell grouper, and other species rarely encountered on a typical snapper trip.
Because some of these destinations require exceptionally long runs, Jerry also offers extended offshore trips. When the run can stretch well beyond 100 miles, spending more time offshore allows the crew to devote more of the trip to fishing instead of using most of the day simply getting to and from the grounds.
Slow-Pitch Jigging for Louisiana Offshore Exotics
Jerry normally approaches deepwater bottom fishing with a full selection of live bait, squid, cut bait, and artificial options, but he said jigs are often underrated for the exotic reef species he targets. In some situations, the better-quality grouper and other deepwater fish respond more aggressively to a jig than to conventional bait.
A trip with the crews from Johnny Jigs slow-pitch jigs and JYG slow-pitch jigs changed Jerry’s opinion of the technique. He initially did not want to make a long offshore run without traditional bait, but the group produced grouper consistently on jigs and convinced him to add far more slow-pitch tackle to his own arsenal.
For this style of bottom fishing, Jerry described surprisingly light tackle, including 20-pound braided line with approximately a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and compact slow-pitch equipment from brands such as Daiwa, Accurate, and Shimano. The setup can look more like light inshore tackle than a traditional offshore bottom-fishing outfit, but the technique allows anglers to work deep structure efficiently without the constant physical effort associated with faster jigging styles.
For blackfin tuna around the floaters, Jerry also mentioned using a hammered diamond jig. Dropping the jig through the upper portion of the water column can produce fast action when blackfin are stacked around offshore structure.
Dularge Fishing Report: Reel and Feel Charters
Captains Joshua and Caleb Moser of Reel and Feel Charters fish the Dularge area southwest of Houma. Their home water lies west of much of the Cocodrie fishing area, toward the marsh between Houma and Morgan City, giving them access to a large system of shallow ponds, drains, grass, lakes, and bayous.
Redfish are their specialty, particularly sight fishing in extremely shallow marsh water. Their boat, a 22-foot Blue Wave, draws roughly six inches, which allows them to reach ponds and grass-lined areas that become difficult for deeper-draft bay boats. Joshua said that when anglers want the full shallow-water sight-fishing experience, keeping the crew small can be important because added weight changes where the boat can go.
The Dularge location also gives them relatively quick access to the Gulf when speckled trout move outside. Joshua estimated that they can reach the Gulf in roughly 20 minutes, allowing a trip to combine marsh redfish with trout when conditions cooperate.
Dularge Speckled Trout Tactics
Right now, Joshua and Caleb are finding speckled trout around barrier islands and shallow oil and gas structure outside the marsh. Much of that structure sits in approximately 10 to 15 feet of water and can hold trout throughout the summer pattern.
Their preferred approach is artificial rather than live bait. One option is an Egret Baits Vudu Shrimp or another artificial shrimp. They also regularly fish a plastic cocahoe minnow on a jig head. If the trout become especially selective, they may switch to live croakers, but live shrimp are not a major part of their normal program.
The extreme August heat is another reason they prefer artificials. Keeping live shrimp healthy in a baitwell becomes increasingly difficult as water temperatures climb, while plastics allow the crew to keep fishing without worrying about maintaining fragile bait throughout the day.
Shallow-Water Dularge Redfish
Inside the marsh, redfish have been the more dependable target. Early in the morning, Caleb often looks for sight-fishing opportunities in shallow ponds. When the sun gets higher and the tide begins moving, he shifts attention toward drains, the back ends of ponds, and other areas where water is flowing through the marsh.
The two primary redfish baits are a cocahoe minnow on a jig head and a weedless gold spoon. Their specific spoon recommendation is a quarter-ounce Johnson Silver Minnow in gold. Joshua said the quarter-ounce size is important in the shallow grass because a heavier half-ounce spoon tends to bury into the vegetation and collect weeds.
Caleb fishes the spoon with the rod tip high enough to keep it above the grass. When the lure begins to pick up vegetation, a quick pop of the rod can often clear the weed guard and keep the spoon working. The goal is not necessarily a long retrieve. In many marsh ponds, the productive opening may only be a small pocket beside a grass edge, and that short window is where the redfish are patrolling.
The technique is also workable for anglers who do not have much experience with artificials. Caleb said he will spend a few minutes during a slow period showing clients where to cast, how high to hold the rod, and the proper retrieve speed. Once they understand the presentation, even inexperienced anglers can quickly become effective with the spoon and soft plastics.
Looking Ahead
For the next couple of weeks, Joshua and Caleb expect the Dularge pattern to remain similar. Redfish should continue to provide the most consistent action in the marsh as long as there is enough tidal movement to keep water circulating through the ponds and drains.
The offshore trout pattern is more likely to change as September approaches. Joshua expects the outside trout bite to slow during the transition out of summer, followed later by a different group of trout moving back into interior waters as temperatures fall. Redfish should remain available through that transition and may begin showing more frequently in larger lakes as conditions cool.
Anglers fishing Dularge in late August and early September should also be aware that tournament activity can temporarily increase pressure in the marsh. Joshua and Caleb said redfish tournament boats working banks at high speed can disturb grass and change the productivity of individual spots for a period of time.
For Jerry’s offshore program, late summer remains a strong time to target yellowfin and blackfin tuna while taking advantage of weather windows for longer bottom-fishing runs. The biggest takeaway is to match the trip to the crew. Some anglers want the action of tuna fishing, while others are willing to travel farther and fish longer for the chance at unusual grouper, queen snapper, tilefish, swordfish, and other offshore species.
