The Louisiana coast is in outstanding late-spring form. The marsh is loaded with redfish and speckled trout, the first tarpon are showing, the tripletail are floating around the buoys, and the offshore fishery is strong. From Delacroix to Venice, late May is a great time to be on the water in the Sportsman’s Paradise.
Inshore excellent
Redfish are the cornerstone of the marsh fishery right now, and the bite is excellent. Pole or trolling-motor the shallow ponds, oyster bars, and shorelines and look for tailing and pushing fish — a gold spoon, a soft plastic, or a live shrimp under a popping cork gets eaten, and a clear, calm morning gives you a shot at sight-casting. Speckled trout are stacked on the flats, the points, and around the inside structure; a popping cork with live shrimp or a soft plastic is the standby, and the bigger trout are mixed in. Black drum and sheepshead round out the inshore mix around the structure.
Tarpon and tripletail
The first tarpon of the season are showing in the passes and along the beaches as the migration arrives — the program builds through June and July, but late May puts the early fish on the radar. Tripletail are floating around the crab-trap buoys, the weed lines, and any structure on the surface; idle along and pitch a live shrimp right to them for one of the best-eating fish in the marsh.
Offshore strong
Offshore, the snapper and the pelagics are running well around the rigs and the deeper structure for the boats making the run. Speckled trout fishing around the nearshore rigs and platforms is also strong, with the bigger fish holding tight to the structure. Pick the calm days for the offshore and rig-fishing runs.
- Redfish: shallow marsh ponds and bars, spoons and corks
- Speckled trout: flats, points, and the rigs on corks and plastics
- Tarpon & tripletail: early tarpon in the passes, tripletail on the floats
- Offshore: snapper and pelagics around the rigs
Where to focus this week
Delacroix, Hopedale, and the Biloxi Marsh are the heart of the redfish and trout fishery, with the inside ponds and the MRGO shorelines producing on the higher water. Venice and the passes are where the early tarpon are showing, and the nearshore rigs hold both trout and snapper for the boats running out.
A gold spoon or a soft plastic on a quarter-ounce jighead is the go-to for marsh reds, and a popping cork with a live shrimp or a Vudu shrimp covers the trout on the flats and around the points. For the rig trout, a heavier jighead to get down alongside the structure makes the difference.
Conditions
Fish the marsh early before the heat and the afternoon storms, and pick the calm, clear mornings for the sight-fishing. The moving tide turns on the trout around the points and rigs. South Louisiana in late May is hot and buggy — come prepared with water, sun protection, and bug spray.
Looking ahead to June
The inshore reds and trout hold through June, and the tarpon fishery ramps up in the passes and along the beaches as the month progresses. The offshore and rig bite stays strong on the calm days. Expect hotter, buggier conditions, so fish early and carry plenty of water and bug protection.
Regulations reminder: seasons and slot limits change through the year. Confirm the current rules with your state agency before you keep a fish.
On the water this week? Send your photos and details through our reader report form — the best submissions run in next week’s report.