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This week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report features host Andre’ Savoie with Capt. Mike Gallo of Angling Adventures of Louisiana and Capt. Chris Faler of Southern Outdoor Bowfishing. Capt. Mike shares a late-April report from the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, the Rigolets, and the Biloxi Marsh, where bridge trout and marsh redfish are both giving anglers good options. Capt. Chris brings a Hopedale and Shell Beach-area report from the bowfishing side, with plenty of redfish in the marsh, trophy alligator gar after dark, and trout beginning to show up around rocks and oyster beds.
The big theme this week is that South Louisiana is sliding from a spring pattern into an early summer setup. Trout are getting more dependable around bridge structure, rocks, and oyster beds, redfish are still spread through the marsh, and moving water remains one of the biggest keys to finding feeding fish.
Conditions Recap
Across the Louisiana Delta, wind and weather are still deciding where anglers can safely fish, but the bite is strong when captains can work around the conditions. In the Slidell and Lake Pontchartrain area, Capt. Mike Gallo said trout fishing has been productive around the bridges, especially early in the morning before boat traffic and noise start slowing the bite.
In Lake Pontchartrain, trout are showing up around the train bridge, Highway 11, the Twin Span, and other bridge structure. Capt. Mike said anglers are catching plenty of quality fish, with trout from 19 to 21 inches showing regularly and some fish pushing over 22 inches. He said the area has benefited from several uninterrupted spawning seasons on the east side of the Mississippi River, and anglers are seeing the results now.
Redfish remain steady in the Biloxi Marsh and around the Hopedale marshes. Capt. Mike recently boxed 10 redfish with a group from Arizona despite a shortened trip and windy conditions. Around Hopedale, Capt. Chris Faler said the grass is coming in strong, which is starting to shift some redfish out of the backs of choked-off ponds and toward points, choke points, and areas with better water movement.
The trout bite should keep building over the next couple of weeks. Capt. Mike expects Lake Pontchartrain to remain productive for a little longer before the bite shifts farther east toward Lake Borgne and higher-salinity summer spawning areas. Around Hopedale and Shell Beach, Capt. Chris said trout are already showing up on rocks and oyster beds, especially when there is good tide movement early in the day.
Lake Pontchartrain And Biloxi Marsh Fishing Report
Capt. Mike Gallo of Angling Adventures of Louisiana fishes out of the Slidell area and works from the Rigolets Marina area. His operation covers a wide range of water, including Lake Pontchartrain, the Biloxi Marsh, the Rigolets, and seasonal areas farther south and east depending on weather and time of year.
Capt. Mike said the Biloxi Marsh redfish bite has been good, even when the wind makes anglers work for them. On a recent trip with visitors from Arizona, the first stop produced catfish, which told him it was time to move. His rule is simple: if they catch three hardheads, it is time to go. After relocating, the group put 10 redfish in the box in roughly an hour and a half to two hours.
Those reds were mostly smaller slot fish, in the 18.5- to 22-inch range, but the action was steady. Capt. Mike said the group had to leave early to make a flight, and he felt confident they could have finished their limit if they had more time. For the younger anglers on the boat, it was their first time catching redfish, which made the trip a success even without finishing the full box.
When he is not chasing redfish in the marsh, Capt. Mike has been focused on trout around Lake Pontchartrain bridge structure. The train bridge, Highway 11, the Twin Span, and nearby bridges are all part of the current pattern. He said trout can be close to the bridge legs at times, but they may also slide farther off the structure depending on current, pressure, and time of day.
Capt. Mike said the trout are hitting soft plastics and live shrimp when shrimp are available. One of his biggest tips is to pay attention to current speed and sinker weight. He may rig anglers with half-ounce, three-quarter-ounce, or one-ounce sinkers to figure out how fast the fish want the bait moving. Even when all of those rigs are near the bottom, the difference in weight changes the speed of the presentation, and that can make a big difference.
He also said anglers should not sit too long in one spot without results. If a bridge area is not producing after 15 minutes or so, he recommends moving 50 yards, changing direction, fishing with the current instead of against it, or making another small adjustment until the pattern shows itself.
Boat pressure is another major factor. Capt. Mike said the early bite can be strong before daylight and right after sunrise, but once boats begin stacking up around the bridges, the bite can slow quickly. On busier days, he may relocate from one bridge to another to get away from noise and pressure.
Looking ahead, Capt. Mike expects Lake Pontchartrain trout fishing to stay good for at least another couple of weeks, possibly three. As summer approaches, he expects more trout to shift east toward Lake Borgne, the outer islands, and higher-salinity areas where they prefer to spawn.
To book a trip with Capt. Mike Gallo, visit Angling Adventures of Louisiana.
Hopedale And Shell Beach Bowfishing Report
Capt. Chris Faler of Southern Outdoor Bowfishing fishes out of Hopedale, about 30 minutes outside New Orleans. His operation offers bowfishing trips, rod-and-reel trips, and combo trips that let anglers fish during the afternoon and then turn on the lights for several hours of bowfishing after dark.
Capt. Chris said recent rain and weather have made timing important, especially on booked weekend trips. On a recent bowfishing trip, he watched the radar, waited until the weather pushed through, and left later in the evening. That move paid off. The group harvested seven redfish and two alligator gar over five feet long.
Alligator gar are a major draw for his customers, and Capt. Chris said trophy gar are on the bucket list for many bowfishing anglers. While Louisiana does not always produce the same giant gar as Texas, a five- to six-foot fish is still a serious target and a memorable part of a South Louisiana night in the marsh.
The redfish report from Hopedale is encouraging. Capt. Chris said the marsh grass is coming in healthy, and that is beginning to change where some redfish are holding. Instead of focusing only on the backs of ponds, he said anglers should pay close attention to points, worn-down cuts, choke points, and areas with stronger water flow. Those areas are holding more of the redfish he is seeing right now.
From the bowfishing platform, Capt. Chris gets a clear look at the marsh that daytime anglers often do not see. He said bowfishing has helped him better understand water movement, shallow ponds, drop-offs, bottom changes, and how fish relate to points and drains. That nighttime perspective has also helped him become a better rod-and-reel captain because he can see how the marsh really lays out beneath the surface.
For rod-and-reel anglers around Hopedale and Shell Beach, Capt. Chris said trout are starting to turn on. The rocks are producing fish, and he has heard of catches in the 40- to 50-trout range. He said anglers do not always have to throw right against the rocks. Fish can also be caught off the rocks, including with baits set around three feet under a cork.
Oyster beds are another key part of the developing trout pattern. Capt. Chris said this is the time of year to start checking those beds, especially first thing in the morning with good tide movement. If there is no tide, he recommends focusing on redfish or sheepshead until the water starts moving again.
For visiting anglers, Capt. Chris said the combo trip is a strong option. Groups can leave in the afternoon to target trout and redfish with rod and reel, then fish another three or four hours after dark under the lights. For anglers who have never experienced South Louisiana bowfishing, he said it is a great way to see the marsh from a completely different angle.
To book a trip with Capt. Chris Faler, visit Southern Outdoor Bowfishing.
