Lake Cataouatche has produced good catches of bass and catfish in recent weeks.
Last week I had an opportunity to fish with the harbor master of Pier 90. We went out on a bright blue bird day and fished the cuts along the north shoreline of Lake Cataouatche and the Gulf Canal in the Salvador Management area.
While wetting a line, we both were amazed at the amount of ducks and poule d’eau in the area. To any duck hunter, watching ducks fly overhead while fishing is a joy.
Blue wing teal buzzed the boat in unison several times and gallinules and coot swam by.
Then came the tapping of a large blue catfish at the end of the line.
After setting the hook, the big blue catfish would try to rip the rod out of your hand. The current in the Davis Pond Diversion has been running around 2,000 cubic feet per second. This keeps enough fresh water from the Mississippi River flowing through the marsh.
Many bass and catfish gang up in the cuts. Earthworms on the bottom will produce good catches of catfish. Rig a ¾ to 1-ounce weight at the end of your line and come up about 10-12 inches on your line and tie a sharp # 3 hook with a short leader. This will keep the bait above the weight and just off the bottom.
You can also Carolina rig your line.
Bass can be caught on rattletrap in the bloodline color or the chrome with the black back. The watermelon/red metal flake baby brush hog and June bug worms have also caught good numbers of bass.
Sac-a-lait are still biting in the Lake Des Allemands area. The canals producing fish are Knights Bay, Stump Canal, Humble in the Lake, and the Providence Canals. The best time to fish is when the south winds push the water up into the canals.
Fishing gets tough when a northern wind blows the water out. Slow your presentation down, fish deeper, and try fishing with shiners. The best colors for sac-a-lait have been the blue/white, black/white, black/chartreuse, red/white/chartreuse and the pink/white under a cork 6-18 inches deep.
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