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This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with two reports focused on getting closer to the water in Southeast Louisiana. The episode starts with Harold Wilcox, who shares a detailed Venice wade fishing report built around speckled trout, redfish, clean water, salinity, bait, and safe island fishing.
Andre’ then talks with Jerry Cottrell of JBF Kayak Charters, who breaks down Louisiana kayak fishing, statewide tournament action, Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club events, and how kayak anglers find trout, redfish, and flounder in smaller water that many boaters run right past.
The big theme this week is that Louisiana anglers do not have to fish the same way every trip. Wade fishing gives anglers a quiet, hands-on way to target trout around beaches, islands, and sandy bottoms, while kayak fishing opens up overlooked marsh water, bayous, ship channels, and launch-accessible areas across the state.
Conditions Recap
Around Venice, Harold Wilcox says the key wade fishing ingredients are clean water, higher salinity, bait, and a bottom that is safe enough to walk. He looks for sandy bottoms, beach washouts, island edges, and areas where trout can feed in clearer, saltier water. The Mississippi River level continues to play a major role, because fresh water can push trout farther out toward higher salinity areas.
Weather is just as important as the bite. Harold stresses that anglers heading toward Breton Island, Curlew, Freemason, the Chandeleur Islands, or other open-water destinations out of Venice need to think about the ride back before they go. Wind direction, thunderstorms, lightning, and available shelter all matter, especially when fishing islands many miles from the marina.
On the kayak side, Jerry Cottrell says trout are still moving toward the beaches and surf, but the migration has felt a little late. He is still finding fish “up” along bigger bayous, main waterways, ship channels, and the larger travel routes that lead trout toward summer beach patterns. Redfish and flounder remain part of the kayak tournament mix, and smaller, overlooked waters continue to produce for anglers willing to slow down and read the current, bait, and structure.
Venice Wade Fishing Report
Harold Wilcox has spent years fishing Venice and the surrounding Southeast Louisiana islands, and his favorite way to target speckled trout is by wade fishing. He says trout are his main focus, though redfish often show up while he is throwing the same baits. His approach starts with finding cleaner water, enough salinity, bait, and a bottom that allows him to safely fish on foot.
Harold points to areas around South Pass, Breton Island, Curlew, Freemason, and the Chandeleur chain as examples of the kind of water that can set up well for wade fishing. Not every island is ideal for walking. Freemason, for example, can be difficult because of shell and steep drop-offs. On the other hand, sandy bottoms, beach washouts, and island edges can give anglers a chance to get out of the boat, walk the water, and make long casts to trout that may be feeding in shallow, clear conditions.
For gear, Harold likes to start early with topwater plugs, then switch to suspending twitch baits as the sun rises. Jigs remain a major part of his wade fishing program, especially when he wants to cover water and feel the bite. He mentions Egret Baits Vudu Vixen, Matrix Shad Green Hornet, and Death Grip-style jigheads as productive choices. He likes the durability of the Vudu Vixen and the ability to go heavier with jigheads when he needs to cast into wind, fish deeper water, or deal with current.
Harold fishes casting reels with braid and a lighter leader, often using 30-pound braid with a 20-pound mono or fluorocarbon leader. The lighter leader lets him break off bull reds or jacks quickly if he is in the middle of a short trout window. His goal is to spend more time catching trout and less time fighting fish that can burn up valuable bite time.
Sharks are part of the conversation any time anglers talk about wade fishing the Louisiana coast. Harold has had sharks take trout off his line and even bite fish on a stringer, but he says the actual history of shark attacks along the Louisiana coast shows the risk is low when anglers use common sense. He now prefers a fish basket in many situations because the trout stay alive and sharks have not targeted it the same way they can target a traditional stringer.
Harold’s biggest safety point is weather. He watches wind direction closely and thinks about how the ride home will feel if conditions build. A north or east wind may be manageable on the way out if it gives him a following sea on the way back, while a building west wind can create a much harder return. He also emphasizes planning around thunderstorms and knowing where to find shelter before a storm appears.
For anglers who have never tried wade fishing Venice, Harold says it can be a great way to fish with kids or newcomers. Some anglers will stay focused on trout, while others may end up splashing around and enjoying the water, but either way the goal is the same: have a good time and learn a different way to fish Louisiana.
Louisiana Kayak Fishing Report
Jerry Cottrell of JBF Kayak Charters checks in from the Louisiana kayak fishing world, where tournament season, club events, and summer fishing patterns are all part of the report. Jerry is also involved with Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club, a statewide kayak fishing community that hosts tournaments, fish outs, and events designed to help both experienced anglers and newcomers get on the water.
Jerry recently fished a statewide catch-photo-submit tournament called Dawn to Dusk, a 16-hour event where anglers could fish across Louisiana and submit measured fish through a tournament app. The bag included trout, redfish, and flounder, which forced anglers to think carefully about how they rigged their kayaks, how much tackle they carried, and how they targeted multiple species in one day.
Kayak fishing requires a personal system. Jerry says that once an angler gets past the early learning curve, the kayak starts to feel like a cockpit, with every rod, bait, tool, and tackle box placed within easy reach. Some baits and setups are species-specific, while others work across trout, redfish, and flounder. That organization is part of what makes kayak fishing effective, especially when space is limited and every decision matters.
Jerry says trout are moving toward the beaches and surf, but he feels the transition has been a little late this year. Instead of finding all the trout already thick in the surf, he is still catching fish along bigger bayous, main waterways, ship channels, and the natural migration routes that lead toward the beach. These areas act like highways for trout as they move from interior marshes toward summer patterns.
One of the big advantages of kayak fishing is that anglers do not have to make the same runs as powerboats. Instead of launching at a major marina and running long distances, kayak anglers can use safe launch points closer to the water they want to fish. That makes it possible to work smaller water, subtle current seams, marsh edges, and areas that boat anglers may pass over at speed.
Jerry also talks about the community side of kayak fishing. Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club hosts tournaments, but it also puts together fish outs where anglers meet at a launch, fish together, cook, share information, and help new people learn the sport. He says the Facebook group is often the best place for new anglers to ask questions about where to launch, how to rig, what to bring, and how to get started.
For anglers interested in booking a kayak trip, Jerry provides the kayaks, gear, bait, tackle, ice, and fish cleaning. His goal is to make a kayak charter feel as easy as a traditional guided trip, with the only major difference being that the angler is sitting closer to the water and learning a more hands-on way to fish.
To learn more, follow Jerry Cottrell on Facebook or visit JBF Kayak Charters.
