Powered by RedCircle
This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with two very different offshore and nearshore reports from the lower Louisiana coast. The episode starts in Venice with Capt. Paul Miller, who explains how he targets tripletail around rigs, weed lines, pilings, and other structure while also mixing in cobia, red snapper, mangrove snapper, and tarpon.
Andre’ then talks with Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle about a specialty deepwater trip out of Port Fourchon with Down the Bayou Charters. The group targeted queen snapper, grouper, dog snapper, and other uncommon reef species before landing and releasing a Cubera snapper estimated in the 100-pound class.
The common thread in both reports is that trophy fishing requires commitment. Capt. Paul is covering large stretches of water and adjusting to weather, river influence, and fish movement, while Chris describes a quality-over-quantity deepwater approach built around heavy tackle, persistence, careful fish handling, and releasing rare trophy fish when they are strong enough to return safely.
Conditions Recap
Summer heat is fully established across Venice, Port Fourchon, and the lower Louisiana coast, but the nearshore and offshore bite is offering anglers several strong options. Capt. Paul said his Venice season began with good tripletail and red snapper fishing, slowed for a stretch, and then improved again. His more recent trips produced better cobia action, a 31-pound tripletail, and one day with approximately 12 tripletail landed.
Weather and water conditions continue to determine which direction anglers should run from Venice. Paul does not rely on one side of the Mississippi River or one depth range. He has caught tripletail from very shallow water to structure in roughly 50 or 60 feet, and he watches for signs that an area is alive, including shrimp boats, pogie boats, bait activity, favorable water, and manageable wind. A productive area one day can be less effective the next, while anglers running in the opposite direction may find an entirely different bite.
Red snapper remain available, but shark pressure can make it difficult to move fish from the bottom to the boat. Paul has been combining snapper with tripletail or cobia rather than dedicating every trip to one species. Farther offshore from Port Fourchon, the specialty reef bite is less about numbers and more about patience. Chris said anglers may need to work through barracuda, sharks, and other unwanted bites while waiting for one of the large Cubera snapper or grouper that dominates a particular rock pile or reef complex.
Venice Tripletail Report: Capt. Paul Miller
Capt. Paul Miller divides his year between the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Venice. He generally fishes around Ocean Springs from winter into early summer, then shifts to Venice from July through the end of the year. During the Venice portion of his season, tripletail are one of his main targets, along with cobia, red snapper, mangrove snapper, and occasional tarpon.
Paul believes Venice creates an unusually productive tripletail environment because freshwater from the Mississippi River meets deep Gulf water across an area filled with oil and gas structure. Weed lines, rigs, pilings, and other floating or fixed objects create feeding and holding areas. He sees similarities between tripletail, cobia, and mahi-mahi because all three species often relate to structure and concentrated food, although they do not always position themselves the same way.
Tripletail tend to hold extremely tight to structure. Cobia may also sit close to a rig or piling, but they are more likely to move farther away while feeding. That difference affects how Paul approaches each target. On small pieces of structure, too many anglers casting at once can be counterproductive because the productive zone may be very limited. On a long rig, a line of pilings, or another large structure, several anglers may be able to work different sections without crowding the same fish.
Paul’s recent tournament trip showed the size potential even when the overall bite was not wide open. During the 2026 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, his clients landed approximately 11 or 12 tripletail over three days, including a 32-pound fish that finished second and another fish around 24 pounds. After the rodeo, the bite improved further, producing another tripletail around 31 pounds and a high-volume day with roughly a dozen fish landed.
The tackle recommendation from Paul is heavier than many anglers expect for tripletail. He uses a heavy rod with approximately 80- to 100-pound line and a leader around 100 pounds, sometimes increasing the line or leader strength depending on the target and structure. The goal is not simply to land an average fish in open water. It is to stop a 30- or 40-pound tripletail, or a much larger cobia, before it reaches a rig, piling, barnacles, or another sharp obstruction.
Hook strength is equally important. Paul recommends a large-gap hook with a heavy enough wire or shank that it will not straighten under heavy drag. He also warns anglers to inspect the hooks on bucktail jigs because some are not built to stop a large cobia around structure. Heavy line can also help recover a lure when it catches a barnacle-covered piling, reducing the number of times anglers have to break off and retie.
Live shrimp remain an effective sight-casting bait for tripletail, especially when a fish is holding close to a small target. Paul also recently introduced the Primo Fish Pliers, a fishing tool with an integrated hook-removal feature. Anglers can learn more about Paul’s charters and his seasonal Venice schedule at CaptainPaulMiller.com.
Venice Cobia, Snapper, and Tarpon Outlook
Cobia and tripletail frequently overlap in the same general areas, but Paul said tripletail are more commonly encountered in shallower water. That is not a fixed rule, and both species can appear from close to shore to deeper structure. His approach is to evaluate the area in front of him rather than assume a specific depth or side of the river will produce every day.
Many of Paul’s customers choose two primary targets for the day. A common plan is to focus on tripletail or cobia first, then add red snapper. The transition can be efficient because productive snapper water may be only a short run from the nearshore structure he has already been checking. He generally prefers solid eating-size snapper rather than spending the entire day searching for the largest fish available.
Paul said some of his snapper locations are loaded with fish, but sharks have been a major problem. He often fishes around 100 feet, although some areas range much deeper. Because he is using a bay boat and combining multiple species, he balances depth, conditions, shark pressure, and the amount of time customers want to spend fighting fish from the bottom.
Tarpon are the wildcard for the rest of late summer. Paul is especially interested in targeting them on open afternoons and off days, and he recently hooked a very large tarpon while tripletail fishing when it ate a shrimp beside the boat. The challenge is that Venice tarpon fishing can require long runs and repeated repositioning. The fish may be 30 miles from the marina, and if the first group is not there, anglers may need another long move to locate them.
That mobility is part of what makes Venice productive and demanding. A boat running east and another running west can finish the same day with completely different results, even though both return to the same marina. The most consistent anglers are the ones who remain willing to change sides, change species, and keep searching when the first plan does not come together.
Port Fourchon Exotic Reef Report: Chris Vecsey
Chris Vecsey, a manager at J&M Tackle in Orange Beach, makes one or two trips each year to fish the Port Fourchon area with friends from the tackle industry. The group regularly fishes with Joey and Noah of Down the Bayou Charters, whose offshore program includes traditional table fish and specialized trips for uncommon deepwater species.
The most recent trip produced queen snapper, blackfin snapper, scamp, marbled grouper, and other reef fish. The group is especially interested in species they jokingly call the “weirdos,” including fireback grouper, marbled grouper, large dog snapper, black grouper, and Cubera snapper. These fish do not usually provide the fast action anglers expect from a large school of red snapper. A productive rock pile may hold only a few dominant predators, so the day becomes a deliberate search for one exceptional bite.
Chris said anglers must be willing to keep sending baits down and work through barracuda, sharks, and other interruptions. The group also tried jigging but did not get a Cubera bite on a jig during this trip. That does not mean the fish will not take one, but the successful Cubera approach required soaking the right baits in the right zone and staying committed long enough to get a trophy fish to respond.
Chris also mentioned Jig Pro Tackle rods, jigs, plastics, and related equipment, noting that the company focuses heavily on slow-pitch jigging and has continued expanding its product lineup. The company’s owner could not make this year’s trip, but several members of the regular group still traveled to Port Fourchon. For the larger reef predators, Chris emphasized that presentation is only part of the equation. Anglers also need tackle capable of surviving the initial run toward rocks, ledges, rig legs, and other structure.
Down the Bayou Charters has developed a reputation for finding these specialty fisheries while still putting conventional table fare in the fish box. Chris said Joey and Noah continue searching for new opportunities rather than fishing only the most popular species. That willingness to invest time in less common targets is why anglers interested in a trophy Cubera, large black grouper, or unusual deepwater snapper should work with a crew that has already learned the area and the necessary techniques.
To plan an inshore, offshore, or specialty reef trip from Port Fourchon or Grand Isle, visit Down the Bayou Charters.
100-Pound Cubera Snapper Catch and Release
The group caught two Cubera snapper during the trip. The first was estimated at approximately 50 to 60 pounds. Chris was on the rod for the second fish, which was estimated in the 100-pound class. The fish was brought aboard long enough for a quick set of photographs, then prepared for release while it was still strong and moving well.
Chris said large Cubera snapper and black grouper require extremely heavy tackle because the fight begins around hard structure. Unlike a tuna that can run through open water, a Cubera will look for a ledge, rock, or obstruction capable of cutting the line. The setup must hold the fish immediately and keep it from gaining enough line to reach cover.
His gear description included heavy braided line, a long, heavy monofilament topshot, strong knots or crimps, and terminal tackle built for maximum pressure. Every connection is tested when a large snapper turns toward the reef. The tackle also needs abrasion resistance because the line may contact rocks, rig structure, or other sharp surfaces during the fight.
After the photographs, the crew attached the Cubera to a descending device and lowered it slowly. They watched the fish during the descent and saw it swim down with strong tail movement. Chris said the crew would have harvested the fish if it had not been capable of a successful release, but both Cubera snapper were in good condition and returned to depth.
The decision was also practical. The group already had queen snapper, blackfin snapper, scamp, and other high-quality fish for the table. A very old Cubera can have coarse meat and may be more likely to contain worms, so there was little reason to keep a rare trophy fish when better eating fish were already aboard. Chris follows a similar approach while swordfishing from Orange Beach, generally keeping only what the group plans to use and releasing the rest.
Looking Ahead
Tripletail, cobia, snapper, and tarpon should remain central to the late-summer Venice pattern. Anglers should be prepared for long runs, changing weather, and different conditions on opposite sides of the river. Signs of bait and active commercial boats can help identify productive water, but no single area should be treated as an automatic destination.
For tripletail and cobia, the major takeaway is to match the tackle to the largest fish that could appear and the structure it may immediately use. For Port Fourchon’s specialty reef fish, anglers should expect fewer bites, heavier equipment, and a longer grind. These trips are built around the possibility of one fish of a lifetime rather than a quick limit.
The episode also reinforces the value of careful release practices. Having a properly sized descending device ready before a deepwater trophy comes aboard gives the crew a better chance to photograph the fish quickly and return it to depth while it is still strong.
