Herald-Guide Outdoor Report

Specks bite BIG in Grand Isle

Hunter McDonald is pictured catching speckle trout at the rocks in front of Grand Isle.

If it’s speckle trout you have been waiting to catch this summer, head to Grand Isle now! Last week my son Hunter and I made a morning fishing trip to the island.

The conditions before the Fourth of July weekend were exactly right for reeling in specks.

The water temperature was in the 80s, the tide range was 1.5, high-tide was at 8 a.m., and the wind was variable from the west under 5 mph.

We filled out our float plan and left it with my wife. It was a calm Thursday morning around 6 a.m. when we left Boutte. We hoped to be in Grand Isle within two hours.

The ride was not crowded on Highway 308. On any early pre-dawn trip, hundreds of truck and trailer rigs head out to fish the daybreak conditions.

When we launched the Kenner VX at Bridegside Marina, I could see birds hitting the water at the end of the pilings that marked the channel from Bridgeside Marina to Caminada Pass.

Any speck fisherman will tell you, "That is where I want to be, now!"

After talking to Buggie, the owner at the marina, he recommended fishing the end of the rocks in Caminada Pass.

Plenty of specks were caught the day before on plastic. Hunter cranked-up the 125 ph Merc and we headed out.

I rigged up a tandem rig of a 2-inch chartreuse and avocado bettles. When we reached the end of the pilings, I could see birds diving on shrimp with specs popping the water.

We were within 200 yards of the marina. The water had changed from high to an out going falling tide

We fished the rocks going to the gulf. We picked up a lot of small trout with an occasional keeper. The water had a clear light green appearance.

When we reached the end of the rocks, the action had slowed a lot. It was 10:30 a.m. and we decided to head for the rock pills on the front side of the island.

Between the sixth and seventh set of rocks heading east, we dropped the anchor. Immediately, I hooked a double in the 20-inch range. Hunter asked me about the old fashion shad rigs? I told him, "At one time, 30 years ago, shad rigs was the bait of choice when casting and retrieving." He tied one on and the fun began.

He started catching doubles and we soon had our limit. By 1 p.m. were catching and releasing just for fun.

We picked-up the anchor and headed toward the state park and later rode by Fort Livingston.

We took the waterway on the backside of the island to see improvements made after Catrina and Gustave. We reached Bridgeside Marina around 2 p.m. and called it a day. Couldn't think of a better way to spend a Thursday with Hunter.