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This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with two reports shaped by unusually low water from Venice to Hopedale and Shell Beach. The episode starts with Capt. Louis “Rok” Rossignol of Venice Guide Service, who says the Mississippi River dropped early, cleared up quickly and brought an early taste of the fall redfish and speckled trout pattern to Venice.
Andre’ then heads to Hopedale with Capt. Chris Faler of Southern Outdoor Bowfishing. Persistent west winds have pushed an extreme amount of water out of the marsh, forcing redfish and sheepshead away from nearly empty ponds and toward deeper shorelines, canal mouths, pockets and other areas that still hold enough water.
The common theme this week is that low water can create excellent fishing while also creating serious navigation hazards. In Venice, the low river has pulled fish close to the river and concentrated them around clear water, grass beds, flats and moving current. Around Hopedale, anglers need to abandon normal late-summer assumptions, locate deeper water and be extremely careful when traveling through areas that may be much shallower than usual.
Conditions Recap
Late-summer heat remains intense across southeast Louisiana, but the water is behaving differently in the two areas covered this week.
In Venice, the Mississippi River fell several days before Rok’s recent run of trips. As the river dropped, the water cleared enough for anglers to see flats and other bottom features once the sun came up. Redfish and speckled trout responded by moving closer to the river and into areas that often become productive later in the fall. Instead of making long runs toward the Gulf, Rok says anglers targeting reds and trout may be running past the fish if they travel too far.
Around Hopedale and Shell Beach, roughly six weeks of persistent west wind have pushed water out of the marsh. Some ponds are nearly empty, and shallow canals may have wide mud flats along both banks. Summer thunderstorms can make the remaining water muddy, which adds another layer of difficulty for bowfishermen who need visibility. Chris says the best opportunities are in deeper canals, along sloping shorelines and around pockets and pond mouths that retain water and moving current.
Venice Fishing Report: Capt. Louis “Rok” Rossignol
Capt. Louis “Rok” Rossignol fishes from Venice Marina and targets redfish, speckled trout and other inshore and nearshore species throughout the lower Mississippi River Delta. His recent trips began just after the river made a sharp drop and the water cleared.
That clean river water has made it possible to cruise through canals after sunrise and visually identify flats, grass and current lines. Rok has been setting up near the edges of those flats and fishing live shrimp beneath a popping cork. When a spot has moving water and active fish, he expects a bite quickly. If several anglers can cast for about five minutes without a strike, he would rather move and check the next flat than wait for inactive fish.
The redfish have not always been gathered in large schools, but the pattern has been dependable. One flat may produce three quality reds before the action stops. On another recent trip, Rok found a grass bed at the end of a partially blocked canal where redfish attacked the cork almost as soon as it landed. Two anglers caught the eight redfish they needed in a matter of minutes.
Mobility has been important because Rok uses the first part of a trip to determine how close the fish are to the river, how far they have moved toward the Gulf and which combination of depth, grass and current they prefer that day. His Yellowfin bay boat allows him to cover different sections of the delta quickly, cross the river and change areas when the first pattern does not produce.
Low River Starts the Venice Fall Pattern Early
The most important part of Rok’s report is how early the seasonal transition appears to have started. Speckled trout are already being caught near the Jump, an area that normally becomes more productive when the river falls during autumn. He is also finding redfish close to the river and inside the canals rather than far outside.
Rok believes the low river is allowing clear water and saltwater species to move into the delta ahead of the normal schedule. The result is a fall-like pattern during the final stretch of summer. For anglers focused on redfish and trout, his advice is to begin searching close and avoid assuming that a longer run will produce better fishing.
Local rainfall could cause a temporary bump in the river, but Rok expects the broader low-water pattern to continue into September unless major weather farther north changes the river. He plans to return to a heavy fishing schedule during the second week of September and expects the fall bite to be underway.
Remembering Terry “Papa Smurf” Migaud
The Venice segment also includes Rok’s remembrance of Terry “Papa Smurf” Migaud, his longtime mentor and fellow member of the Hell Divers Spearfishing Club.
Rok began diving with Migaud in 1982, shortly after losing his father. Migaud became a father figure who helped teach him both the technical side of spearfishing and lessons about right and wrong. The two dove together for more than three decades, competed in rodeos and traveled together with their families.
Among Migaud’s most memorable catches was a 407-pound sand tiger shark that held a Louisiana state record for several years. The fish was so large that workers on an offshore platform had to use a crane to lift it onto the crew boat.
Migaud died at age 82 following a heat-related illness. Sixty-five people attended a Hell Divers meeting held in his honor, reflecting the influence he had on generations of Louisiana divers. Rok’s stories offer a look at the history and close relationships behind the state’s spearfishing community.
Hopedale and Shell Beach Bowfishing Report: Capt. Chris Faler
Capt. Chris Faler has operated Southern Outdoor Bowfishing from Hopedale for approximately 16 years. He primarily runs nighttime bowfishing trips but also offers inshore fishing and occasional seasonal offshore trips.
Chris says persistent west winds have been the defining condition around Hopedale and Shell Beach. A strong west wind pushes water out of the Louisiana marsh, and the long duration of the current pattern has created water levels far below what anglers would expect from a normal tide prediction.
When a pond holds a little water, redfish may wait at the mouth or along the edge for enough water to return with bait. When the pond is nearly empty, those fish relocate to deeper canals, shoreline drops and other areas that hold more dependable depth. Chris recommends concentrating on slopes, rocks, deeper pockets and current-swept shorelines instead of spending time in ponds that no longer have enough water to support fish.
Water clarity can change quickly. Afternoon thunderstorms and runoff can turn shallow water muddy, making bowfishing particularly difficult. Success has required knowing which areas stay deeper and where clean water is likely to remain after wind and rain alter the marsh.
Low-Water Navigation Hazards
The extreme low water is more than a fishing challenge. Chris recently responded to help a stranded boat near the American Bay area, where river sediment from the diversion has created an extremely shallow and firm mud flat. Even his airboat could not pull the boat free, and the passengers had to be removed while the boat remained stuck for several days.
He recommends avoiding that area until higher water returns. Anglers should also use caution throughout the marsh because a route that was safe during normal water can now cross exposed or barely submerged mud. Some canals may have 10 to 15 feet of mud flat extending from each bank.
Chris relies on an airboat and Gator-Tail motors as a backup when an outboard cannot move through the shallowest stretches, but conventional boats do not have that option. Boaters should reduce speed, monitor water depth and avoid assuming that yesterday’s familiar route is still passable.
Redfish and Sheepshead in the Low-Water Marsh
Despite the difficult conditions, Chris is seeing good numbers of redfish. In many areas, one redfish is a sign that several others are nearby. He often sees groups of three or four fish and has encountered schools of five to 10.
When anglers locate one redfish, Chris recommends slowing down and thoroughly working the surrounding water. The rest of the group may be within approximately 50 yards on either side of the first fish, particularly around the back of a pocket or near the mouth of a pond.
Extremely shallow water can reduce the amount of refraction a bowfisherman has to account for, especially when a redfish’s back is above the surface. However, those fish may feel the boat’s first wake and race past at high speed, making the shot more difficult than the shallow depth suggests.
Chris is also seeing an unusually large number of sheepshead for late summer. The volume reminds him more of the February and March spawning period than August. He considers fresh sheepshead excellent table fare and recommends preparing the thinner fillets soon after the trip.
Moon Phases and Earlier Bowfishing Trips
Shorter days are beginning to improve the schedule for nighttime bowfishing. Chris recently moved his customer meeting time to approximately 7:15 p.m. and expects to move it closer to 7:00 p.m. as darkness arrives earlier. That allows anglers to begin fishing sooner than they could around the longest days of summer.
He has also noticed major differences in redfish behavior as the moon changes. During the recent fuller-moon period, fish appeared more prevalent and less nervous. Around the new moon and early crescent, he found them more frantic and likely to run before the boat reached shooting range.
Chris emphasizes that this is an observation from years on the water rather than a fixed rule from a solunar table. The useful takeaway is to pay attention not only to tide height and wind direction but also to how fish are behaving under the current moon phase.
Looking Ahead
In Venice, the early fall pattern should continue as long as the river remains low and clear. Redfish should stay available along flats, grass beds and moving-water edges, while speckled trout continue moving close to the river and into traditional fall areas. Anglers should begin their search close and move frequently until they determine the day’s preferred combination of depth, current and cover.
Around Hopedale and Shell Beach, deeper water remains the safest and most productive option while west winds continue draining the marsh. Chris expects the broader wind pattern to begin shifting over the next four to six weeks. A return of easterly or southeasterly wind would push water back into ponds and redistribute fish, although anglers will still need to watch weather conditions closely during the heart of hurricane season.
Until water levels improve, boaters should approach unfamiliar flats conservatively, avoid the shallow American Bay diversion area and focus their fishing on channels, drops, rocks, pond mouths and current-swept shorelines. Bowfishing departure times will continue moving earlier as daylight shortens.
