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Welcome to this week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report, the weekly local fishing report for New Orleans, Venice, Lafitte, Hopedale, Grand Isle, and everywhere in between. Host Andre’ Savoie checks in with two respected local captains to cover two very different bites that are both heating up: Capt. Danny Hunter of New Orleans Best Charters breaks down the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and bridge trout timing, and Capt. Brett Ryan of Offshore Sport Fishing Charters with Captain Brett Ryan explains what’s driving the early run of giant yellowfin tuna out of Venice and how the fishery is changing.
Conditions Recap
Across Southeast Louisiana, the spring switch is trying to flip early. In the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, warming water temperatures are bringing trout back toward bridge structure, but late cold fronts can still slow the progression for a few days at a time. Down in Venice, bait is starting to show more consistently in the passes as the river warms, and the offshore scene has been dominated by big yellowfin feeding on tight bait pods, with heavy weekend boat pressure playing a real role in how the bite unfolds day to day.
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Report: Capt. Danny Hunter, New Orleans Best Charters
Capt. Danny Hunter describes Lake Pontchartrain bridge fishing with a simple phrase that explains a lot: it is “seasonal and moody.” His point is that the bridges can be excellent when the system is right, and frustrating when key ingredients like water quality, stable weather, and bait movement are off. In spring, Danny says the fish “show up” and those bridges can be “pretty good,” especially as the water gets cleaner and saltier.
When it comes to where to start, Danny says the train trestles consistently earn first look. “I find that the trestles tend to… produce a little bit more than the other two bridges,” he explains. He still catches fish on other bridges, including Highway 11, but he’s had “better luck fishing the trestles” overall. His advice is practical: if you are trying to stack the odds in your favor on a short window, focus your effort where the bite is most likely to set up first.
Seasonal movement matters too. In Danny’s experience, summer typically pulls trout out toward saltier spawning areas around the Chandeleur Islands and nearby oyster reefs, and then fall can be hit or miss depending on how weather patterns line up. He shares a rule of thumb he’s heard from captains with deeper bridge experience: you need “three good cold fronts” relatively close together to push bait out and get the bridges setting up like they often do. When those fronts are spaced out and warm weather keeps bouncing back, the classic fall bridge bite can stall and fish may show better elsewhere, including around Seabrook.
Danny also calls out a real-world factor many anglers run into this time of year: bait availability. He says it can be difficult to get live shrimp locally, and that shortage is one reason some guides avoid booking much in late January and February. When he can get it, he likes having live shrimp on board because “everything eats live shrimp,” and it helps less experienced bridge anglers get tight faster and stay confident when the bite is finicky.
One reason this fishery remains so appealing is the convenience. Danny talks about how you can be fishing quickly without a long boat ride, which makes the Pontchartrain Basin a rare option for after-work or half-day trips that still have real trophy potential when the timing is right.
Venice Offshore Report: Capt. Brett Ryan, Offshore Sport Fishing Charters with Captain Brett Ryan
Out of Venice, Capt. Brett Ryan says the seasonal transition is underway and conditions are starting to look more like spring. He’s seeing more life showing in the passes and notes that river temperatures have been climbing fast compared to last month, which helps set the table for bait to move and stack closer to home. That bait movement matters because it’s tied directly to how Venice’s yellowfin tuna fishing tends to shift as spring develops.
Brett also addresses the question a lot of anglers are asking right now: why are so many giant yellowfin, including fish over 200 pounds, showing up early? His view is that these big fish have “always been there,” but modern capability has changed what anglers can consistently do with them. He points to better overall technology and advancements that make it more realistic to capitalize on opportunities that used to be hard to convert. Instead of just seeing tuna blow up in open water and moving on, more boats are now focusing on open-water schools and feeding events, and more anglers can stay in the game longer when a true giant is hooked.
Boat traffic is another big theme. Brett describes a weekend scene where “89 boats” were working a relatively small area, and he says pressure like that can turn a bite from wide open to scratchy even when the fish are around. He also shares a simple Venice planning tip that rings true for anyone who has launched into a busy weekend: if you’re trying to pick the best day to fish Venice, “not on a Saturday” is a good place to start.
Looking ahead, Brett expects the story to keep evolving as bait continues moving inshore and conditions stabilize. He also touches on how snapper are showing strong signs of health around common offshore areas, giving crews another productive option when conditions or tuna behavior force a change of plans.
