Guide Capt. Triston Elston in Venice frequently catches his largest speckled trout of the year during the fall when water from the Gulf of Mexico flows into the lower Mississippi River.
Todd Masson
The term ‘relief’ has several definitions that appear unrelated, with one of the strangest being “a variation in height compared to the surrounding land.” South Louisiana lacks such relief; it is as flat as Bangladesh, with the only height variation being the levees built by humans along both sides of the Mississippi River, which prevent overflow during spring floods that overwhelm homes and cause insurance companies to suffer losses.
Saltwater Flows Up the Mississippi to New Orleans
Due to the area’s flatness, the water in the Mississippi does not naturally flow into the Gulf of Mexico; it must be pushed upstream by gravitational forces. However, autumn is typically dry across much of the continent, resulting in inadequate water flow to sustain the river’s levels and keep back the Gulf waters.
At the Bird’s Foot Delta of the river, salty green water takes advantage of this situation, making its way as far upstream as New Orleans, sometimes endangering the city’s drinking water. This surge of salty water brings fish that are not typically found in rivers—redfish, flounder, and many speckled trout. The riverside structure protects water clarity, leading to pristine conditions with visibility usually measured in feet, even after significant wind events associated with autumn cold fronts.
Flounder gather at the Mississippi River Birdsfoot Delta in astounding numbers.
Todd Masson
Usually, the river begins its annual decline in the summer months, and by September, it is below the 5-foot mark at the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans. This allows the passes and the river downstream of Buras in Plaquemines Parish to teem with redfish that come in to feast on estuarine bait species that have spent the year growing in nutrient-rich waters, unharmed by predators.
Flounder also aggregate at points, drains, and edge walls in numbers that often seem unbelievable. While this species is typically caught incidentally by anglers in South Louisiana, during the autumn months at the river’s mouth, they are often intentionally targeted.
Fall Fishing for Speckled Trout in Louisiana
In September and most of October, redfish and flounder dominate the scene, but in autumn, particularly in low river years, speckled trout also make their appearance just as children start selecting their Halloween costumes. The speckled trout set up along deep ledge walls in high-current areas, ignoring their full bellies to continuously forage for food. Although the techniques to target them can be quite specific, they are among the easiest fish to entice to bite.
Frequent anglers typically employ double-rigged 3/8-ounce jigheads paired with soft-plastic paddle tails; at times, they switch to 1/2-ounce heads when currents run particularly swift. Double hookups are common, and many fish caught rank as the largest specks of the year, reaching up to 25 inches and weighing as much as 5 pounds.
A Thriving Seatrout Bite in the Mississippi River
Last November, my fishing companion Justin Bowles and I ventured to a ledge in the Mississippi River near the well-known port of Venice, encountering extraordinary action. We cast downcurrent and worked our baits up the ledge, which appeared to host a school of speckled trout numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands.
I opted for a double-rig setup, while Bowles chose a drop-shot rig anchored with a 1-ounce bell sinker. Our baits hit the bottom and were met with bites almost immediately. We were only about five minutes away from Venice, which remained in our line of sight during the entire outing. The water below us was clear, green, and pristine. In the autumn conflict between the Gulf and the river, it was evident the Gulf had triumphed in every battle.