Powered by RedCircle
Welcome to this week’s Louisiana Delta Fishing Report, the weekly local fishing report for New Orleans, Venice, Lafitte, Hopedale, Grand Isle, and everywhere in between. Host Andre’ Savoie checks in with two respected local captains to cover two very different bites that are both heating up: Capt. Danny Hunter of New Orleans Best Charters breaks down the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and bridge trout timing, and Capt. Brett Ryan of Offshore Sport Fishing Charters with Captain Brett Ryan explains what’s driving the early run of giant yellowfin tuna out of Venice and how the fishery is changing.
Conditions Recap
Across Southeast Louisiana, the spring switch is trying to flip early. In the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, warming water temperatures are bringing trout back toward bridge structure, but late cold fronts can still slow the progression for a few days at a time. Down in Venice, bait is starting to show more consistently in the passes as the river warms, and the offshore scene has been dominated by big yellowfin feeding on tight bait pods, with heavy weekend boat pressure playing a real role in how the bite unfolds day to day.
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Report: Capt. Danny Hunter, New Orleans Best Charters
Capt. Danny Hunter describes Lake Pontchartrain bridge fishing with a simple phrase that explains a lot: it is “seasonal and moody.” His point is that the bridges can be excellent when the system is right, and frustrating when key ingredients like water quality, stable weather, and bait movement are off. In spring, Danny says the fish “show up” and those bridges can be “pretty good,” especially as the water gets cleaner and saltier.
When it comes to where to start, Danny says the train trestles consistently earn first look. “I find that the trestles tend to… produce a little bit more than the other two bridges,” he explains. He still catches fish on other bridges, including Highway 11, but he’s had “better luck fishing the trestles” overall. His advice is practical: if you are trying to stack the odds in your favor on a short window, focus your effort where the bite is most likely to set up first.
Seasonal movement matters too. In Danny’s experience, summer typically pulls trout out toward saltier spawning areas around the Chandeleur Islands and nearby oyster reefs, and then fall can be hit or miss depending on how weather patterns line up. He shares a rule of thumb he’s heard from captains with deeper bridge experience: you need “three good cold fronts” relatively close together to push bait out and get the bridges setting up like they often do. When those fronts are spaced out and warm weather keeps bouncing back, the classic fall bridge bite can stall and fish may show better elsewhere, including around Seabrook…