The Louisiana marsh is fishing the way it should in July. Redfish are stacked on the interior ponds and shorelines, and speckled trout have moved to the outside beaches, passes, and platforms for the summer.
What’s Hitting
Redfish are the marsh staple, stacked on the interior ponds, shorelines, and oyster bars. Speckled trout have pushed to the outside — the beaches, passes, and nearshore platforms — where the cleaner, saltier water holds them. Flounder are on the drains and drops, and black drum are on the bars.
Where to Find Them
Work the interior marsh ponds and shorelines around Delacroix, Hopedale, and Venice for reds. Trout hold on the outside beaches, the passes, and the nearshore rigs and platforms. Flounder set up on the drains, and drum on the oyster bars.
Tides & Conditions
Water is warm in the mid-80s, so early morning is prime before the heat and the afternoon storms. A moving tide is key — the falling tide pulls reds and bait to the pond mouths and drains. Light morning wind opens the outside trout run before the sea breeze. Shrimp and pogies are thick through the marsh and along the outside beaches, and the falling tide that pulls that bait out of the ponds and through the drains is what fires up the redfish. The outside trout are keyed on the shrimp and small baitfish holding in the cleaner, saltier water near the passes and platforms.
Tackle & Tactics
For marsh reds, throw a gold spoon, a soft plastic on a jighead, or cut bait along the shorelines and drains. Outside trout eat a live shrimp or croaker under a cork, or a soft plastic worked over the shell. Flounder hit a Gulp on a jighead near the drops.
Local Intel This Week
The Delacroix, Hopedale, and Shell Beach ramps serve the eastern marsh, with the Venice Marina and Cypremort Point ramps covering the delta and western reaches. Reds are concentrating in the interior ponds and shorelines, trout on the outside beaches and platforms. Always check current FWC/state and federal regulations and open seasons before keeping any fish — bag and size limits change through the summer.
This Week’s Tip
When the summer heat has the marsh water hot and low, focus your redfish effort on the deeper cuts, drains, and the shade of the shorelines during the middle of the day. The fish pull off the baking shallow flats into slightly cooler, oxygen-rich moving water, and that’s where you’ll find them concentrated.