Redfish are Fired Up in Louisiana!

I honestly don’t remember the last time we had a cold front this close to Memorial Day this week’s late season cold front certainly shook things up a bit in the marshes of Delacroix. It was certainly a week that put our New Orleans Red Fishing skills to the test.

We have been catching our fish mostly on the fringe areas of the marsh where big open bays lead out to Breton Sound. Shrimp are the food of choice for hungry redfish and just about the only way we can get them to bite is with live shrimp under a pippin cork. The cold front dropped water levels and pushed fish off the bank but as the water rises back to normal levels, those same fish will start to cruise the banks again.

One thing that is right on time this season is the bright orange redfish that gather in the shallow flats all around Delacroix. So much of the marshland that existed before Katrina was turned into large shallow lagoons. These places are key for finding some fun sight fishing action. Try to look for shallow 1-2 flats off of deeper 4-6 foot channels. Fish will move up onto these flats throughout the day. As a Louisiana fishing guide, this is one of my favorite ways to target redfish.

With the summer patterns now taking effect, book your New Orleans Fishing Charter with us soon. Summer is such a cool time to catch redfish cruising in shallow ponds and we have them figured out. The southern heat cranks up pretty good in the middle part of the day, so we try to leave the dock as early as we can to fish in the most comfortable part of the day. Tracking the fish everyday helps us to offer our customers this luxury. You won;t have to go looking for fish and spending the coolest hours of the morning on the chase. We have them dialed in and we will take you right to the action.

Captain Randall Shaw

Louisiana Fishing Charters

Delacroix, LA

www.la-charters.com

No Better Time to Catch Redfish!

As the earth continues to tilt our hemisphere towards the sun, we have longer daylight hours and temperatures rise along with those changes. In many ways, these annual patterns signal changes for the inshore species we catch. Speckled trout will move to the outer edges where our marshes meet with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Slot sized redfish will remain in the marshes but their positions will change relative to tides and changes in wind direction.

Right now in Delacroix, the trout are a little bit ahead of their normal pattern for this time of year. We have been catching them on the outside for quite some time now. Live shrimp at the rigs and exterior islands is the ticket. Our customers have enjoyed going after the spawning trout on their Louisiana charter fishing trips.

The redfish have been a bit of a head scratcher lately. We had some cold fronts a couple weeks ago and the northwest winds associated with those fronts pushed water levels pretty low. There hasn’t really been a strong enough southeast wind to push the tide back up yet. What this did to the redfish is pretty interesting. Typically we can find reds stacked up in the grassy ponds stretching all the way back towards the Mississippi River. However, when the tide fell out this left the shallow ponds with little water and plenty grass. When this happens the grass sucks the oxygen out of the water and the extra exposure to the sun helps the grass grow up even thicker so many of our redfish ponds were left unfishable lately because the grass is too thick.

To find redfish we had to search the outer edges of the marsh where it opens up into big bays. From there you can find current points and oyster reefs and pick off your redfish. Once the tide gets back to normal it should fill up the shallow ponds again and we will see reds start to trickle back in. These are some of the aspects of Louisiana fishing that you have to pay attention to be successful.

If you’re looking for a New Orleans fishing charter this summer we can show you a good time and put you on plenty fish.

Capt. Randall Shaw

Louisiana Fishing Charters

la-charters.com

Springtime Redfish in Delacroix is on Point!

Right now in Delacroix, Louisiana the redfish are more aggressive than the security team on a United Airlines flight. The annual transitional movement of bait around the marsh has these fish fired up. The water is clean in many areas due to a strong Southeast wind last week and that makes the fishing a whole lot easier. This is the kind of Louisiana charter fishing that we live for.

We are finding fish along the broken edges of large bays and lakes. Since it has been so windy lately we are positioning our boats so that we can cast with the wind. I like to find a good windblown island and have my customers cast out about 10-15 yards off the island. We are using Boat Monkey Float corks because they create so much action on the water’s surface. Sometimes the fish like a lot of popping action and sometimes they like for the bait to sit still. You will just have to try different techniques until something works better than the other.

The key to locating the fish is obviously clean water. Another thing I am looking for is patches of milfoil grass. Redfish love to use the milfoil as an ambush point for minnows,crabs, and shrimp. Once you find an area you are confident in be sure to sit for at least 10 minutes. I have noticed that it’s been taking a while for the schools to notice the action of the popping corks. Once they do however, we have been catching on average 10 redfish on each island, so be sure to fish for a while once you get a few bites.

Another thing to consider if you’re coming to Delacroix this week is that gnats have made their annual appearance. be sure to bring a good gnat repellant such as Cajun Mist or Amber Romance. The typical OFF for mosquitoes is really not the best spray for gnats and those little suckers can ruin a fishing trip in a hurry if you don’t protect yourself against them. New Orleans red fishing can be a lot more enjoyable if you take this into account.

As the wind continues to lay down, fishing should stay consistent. If you’re coming down to Delacroix and need lodging be sure to check out our Pelican Roos Lodge and Fishing Cabins. Our accommodations are unmatched by any other place in Southeast Louisiana. And if you want to try a redfish guide Louisiana style, we can help you with that as well.

Captain Randall Shaw

Louisiana Fishing Charters

www.la-charters.com

504-669-1263

The Red Drum Fishing in 2017 is Off the Hook!

I think there’s a common misconception that Louisiana charter fishing has it’s best months in May and June. While May and June are just about sure bets, this year March and April have been beyond expectations. It most likely has something to do with the warm winter we had. Since water temperatures never really dropped to really cold levels, the fish have started their transitions early this year and they are actively feeding as they do that.

What’s driving the redfish boom right now is the big influx of schools of mullet into the marsh. They are leaving the open Gulf and heading into the marsh. The hungry redfish follow behind. We recently caught the biggest redfish on my boat ever. The fish came in at 42 inches and weighed over 30 pounds. This is no doubt a fish that spends most of its time in the open Gulf, but has followed schools of mullet into the marsh. If you are coming to Delacroix to fish, look for the big schools of mullet and you will find the redfish.

Although the fish are making it easy for us, we never get too comfortable. We actively track and follow these schools of fish to give our clients the best chance possible at having a successful day of fishing. We have noticed that schools of trout are already on the outside edges of where the marsh turns into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. You can come to New Orleans redfishing but we can also target trout when they are biting. That’s why we stay so active on the water- so we can be tuned into what the different fish are doing at any given time.

It’s a good time to be a Louisiana fishing guide. The weather is still mild and it hasn’t gotten to be brutally hot yet. Fish are actively feeding and higher salinities have many areas with very clean water right now. Delacroix is on fire and we can’t wait to take you.

Captain Randall Shaw
Louisiana Fishing Charters
Delacroix, LA
www.la-charters.com
504-669-1263

Memories that last a lifetime, Redfish that never disappoint.

Do me a favor please. Slow down your thinking for a second. Stop worrying about the tasks ahead of you. Stop worrying about your job, your obligations at home, your social media news feed. Stop thinking about all of that just for a few seconds. Now. Picture yourself on a boat. Not just any boat, but a nice, clean bay boat with plenty of room. You are out in the Louisiana marsh on a with a Louisiana charter guide from Louisiana Fishing Charters.

Your best friends or your family is with you. They are smiling. In front of you the sun is rising over the tall marsh grass and the whole scene is resemblant of something from the African sahara, only in this sahara there is plenty of water to go around. Just as you are taking a deep breath to appreciate the beauty of this scene, the fishing rod in your hand bends over as if the top end is going to go straight in the water.

On the other end of your line, a mighty redfish is fighting for his life. He’s strong and mean and doesn’t want you to win the fight. The folks around you are also experiencing the same thing. Your captain is coaching you through this experience and everyone on the boat is grinning ear to ear. After a fun fight, you see your captain reach for his net. He dips it into the water and scoops up the biggest, bronziest Louisiana redfish you have ever seen. He lugs the big red into the boat and in that moment you feel complete. You thank your redfish guide Louisiana style with a high five and that beautiful redfish goes in the ice box for you to take home and enjoy at your dinner table.

Excuse my poetic license, but here at Louisiana Fishing Charters, this is an everyday occurrence. The thing about it is, we never stop appreciating scenes like this. That’s why we became charter captains. We love this stuff and the places we fish. We don’t ever take that for granted. And truly, seeing our clients experience this for the first time, or having them come back to experience this again, keeps it fresh for us and that’s why we do this. If you’re coming to New Orleans red fishing is just a phone call away. Give us a call and let us take you on the fishing trip of a lifetime.

Captain Randall Shaw
Louisiana Fishing Charters
Delacroix, LA
www.la-charters.com
504-669-1263

Beautiful Redfish, Spring Fishing in Louisiana

Man what a Spring it has been so far. We had some prevalent Southeasterly winds for a while there. While it did raise overall water levels in the marsh and spread fish out, it also pushed in a lot of clean water with higher salinity. It’s so fun when you can get a good look at the redfish in that cleaner water and they turn a beautiful bronze color with the extra exposure to the sun.

I’ll be the first one to say that the spring patterns have started early this year. We seem to be running a month ahead of schedule. If you are coming to New Orleans fishing should be on your list of things to do for this Spring.

What typically happens in the Spring is that redfish start to transition from the interior marshes to the outer bays. Since we spend so much time on the water we are able to track them as they move around. They won’t be in one place for long but as a Louisiana fishing guide it is my duty to figure out where they are on any given day.

I recently had a father and two sons on board. We enjoyed some super comfortable weather and the redfish were coming in the boat all day long. To locate them I try to find pinch points where they might be traveling from one bay to the next. As is normal in the springtime, we get quite a few windy days, but our bay boats are built for comfort and fishing so we don’t have any problems dealing with the wind. Honestly, windy days can be awesome and some of the most comfortable of the year. You might even have to bring a jacket if you fish with us this Spring!

The bottom line is that you should not wait to book your trip. Now is the time. The fish have started early and it will only get better from here. If you’ve ever wondered what fishing trips New Orleans has to offer, give us a call and book yours now.

Captain Randall Shaw
Louisiana Fishing Charters
Delacroix, LA
www.la-charters.com
504-669-1263

Focused on Exceptional Fishing Experiences

Now that my twin sons have been born, it’s time to get back to the business of catching fish. Having my first two children has been an eye opening experience and it has made me even more determined to offer the most professional charter service Louisiana has to offer. I look down at those two little guys and I know for sure that I have to work hard to make their lives great. I am very blessed.

Now let’s talk about redfish. I have been a Louisiana fishing guide for long enough now to know the habits of redfish. My favorite thing to do for my customers is to find big schools of redfish in the marshes of Delacroix. I like to fish schools because my customers can often catch a few at a time. It’s a cool feeling to watch people experience this for the first time. There’e lots of hooping and hollering as everyone’s rod is bent over fighting these mighty redfish. They really are at the top of the food chain when it comes to hard fighting inshore species.

One of the details I also pay attention to is the wear and tear these redfish put on my equipment. When you are a redfish guide in Louisiana you have to have equipment that can stand up to the long fights these fish put up. When my rods and reels get to the point that they can’t handle it anymore, I get new ones. The last thing we want here at Louisiana Fishing Charters is for a client to lose the fish of a lifetime because our equipment is not up to par.

The fishing will only get better from here on out. If you book now, you can still enjoy some of the milder weather before the heat of summer starts to kick in. We are ready and waiting and so are the redfish.

Captain Randall Shaw
Louisiana Fishing Charters
Delacroix, LA
www.la-charters.com
504-669-1263