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Welcome to this week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report, the weekly local fishing report for New Orleans, Venice, Grand Isle, and everywhere in between. Host Andre’ Savoie mixes a little South Louisiana culture with on-the-water intel, featuring Robbie Carter from Louisiana Nutria Fest and veteran delta angler Shawn Wells. Robbie breaks down why Nutria Fest has become one of the most unique conservation-minded weekends in Venice, and Shawn shares a very timely early spring trout pattern developing in Lafitte, including tide timing and the baits that are producing right now.
Conditions Recap
Late-winter conditions are still bouncing around, with foggy mornings, warming afternoons, and tide windows doing most of the heavy lifting. Across the coast, you can feel the shift toward spring: mullet are showing back up in places, and when the water starts moving (especially on a falling tide), the bite can go from quiet to wide open in a hurry. If you’re making longer runs, plan around visibility and prioritize safe navigation when fog settles in.
Venice Report: Louisiana Nutria Fest with Robbie Carter
This week’s first stop is Venice, where Andre’ ran into an atmosphere that felt more like a festival weekend than a typical dock scene: big boats lined up, fish getting cleaned, music rolling, and the world-famous nutria toss drawing a crowd. Robbie Carter explains how Louisiana Nutria Fest has grown into a multi-day social gathering built around a serious goal: raising awareness about nutria as an invasive species and the damage they cause to Louisiana marsh and wetlands.
Robbie describes the mix of events that make the weekend what it is, including hunting, live music, cook-off food (yes, nutria jambalaya and chili), and crowd favorites like the nutria toss and nutria cornhole. He also notes how teams compete hard, entry fees drive cash payouts, and sponsorship support helps add even more prize value and attention to the conservation message.
If you want to follow the event and keep up with dates, updates, and media, start here: louisiananutriafest.com.
Lafitte Report: Early Spring Trout Rush with Shawn Wells
Shawn Wells reports a very fishable early spring setup in Lafitte, especially for anglers looking to mix trout and redfish without running way down the coast. His best action has been on a falling tide late in the cycle, close to the changeover, when fish feed hard before things slow down after the tide turns and starts rising.
Shawn’s read is that trout are showing back up in places that were slower immediately after the cold events, and he’s encouraged by the quality of fish in the mix. He also points out that mullet are back around the area (mostly smaller “finger mullet” size), which lines up with the forage profile he’s trying to match right now.
Gear and bait notes from Shawn: he’s been leaning on artificials and “messing them up” on soft plastics that match mullet tones. The specific baits he called out were Ghost Minnow in House Money and the Salt Strong Polk County Tweaker. The big takeaway is to stay near the bottom when fish are set up deeper, then capitalize when the tide begins to fall and the bite turns on.
Practical Lafitte logistics: Shawn typically launches at the Lafitte harbor marina when he wants full amenities, and he notes it’s a convenient option for fuel, ice, breakfast, and facilities. If you’re fishing closer to the inside areas, there are also simpler launch options depending on where you plan to start your day.
