Every year my brother (Bear) and I make the pilgrimage to the vast marshes of the Mississippi River Delta a short drive outside of New Orleans. Fly fishing is usually my preferred method of targeting the monster redfish in Louisiana! One of my favorite trips to guide is certainly the post spawn breeders that are fattening up inshore before they drop back to the bays and near shore waters in the spring.  

By monster and breeders we are talking about mature fish over 30 inches. The Mississippi River plays a major part in the delta fishery! One of the keys is planning a trip to the marsh is watching the river…. go when the river levels are low unless you hire a guide. As the state attempts to rebuild the marshes more and more diversions are being built to divert water from the river to the marsh! This pushes fresh silty river water over the marsh dropping its sediment as it flows towards the gulf. A key to finding large schools of redfish and areas the hold fish is water clarity and salinity! Thankfully the marsh is a brackish environment with saltwater pushing in with the tide…. Fishing in-between the diversions is a great way to find fish. 

These salty areas hold fish, bait and are great areas to find the oysters that further filter the water making for prime sight fishing! Louisiana is a true year round fishery but the prime breeder season just so happens to fall in the fall when we are in a transition period in the Keys.   This transition offers a chance to get back to our Cajun roots and distant families for Thanksgiving! How perfect the biology and holidays line up! Many of our longtime clients book way in advance to make sure to have a spot on the boat each fall. 

The weather, however, is never perfect, presenting the flexible angler the same opportunity to be successful with conventional tackle. So on the tough overcast days I suggest picking up a bait caster or spinning rod. Gold spoons and Marsh Works spinnerbaits are my go-to baits. The best colors are whatever you happen to have but black, purple and white are always in the boat in mass! By being flexible and fishing the tackle the conditions dictate success is always possible!