Made it back down there this last weekend. Got some big reds in the marshes on topwaters, spoons, and jigs, and a few in the passes in deeper water on crabs. All lived to fight another day, while keeping a few trout to eat.

Nothing like those big reds on heavy bass tackle. Thanks for posting.

How was the trout bite? We usually try to avoid the big Red bite we want the 17 to 18” ones.

Never been to Grand Isle. We go out of Venice, Cocodorie or Calcasieu. I definitely want to be to Grand Isle. I think we are also going out of Shell Beach in late October this year.

Love to catch monster Redfish on topwater baits.

Trout bite was great. Popping corks/curly-tail jigs and topwaters accounted for most, with a lot even coming on 6" spoons. Probably 300 between 5 of us over 3 days. BUT - all small. The limit there is 12" and my buddy was in disbelief when he saw a guide come by and looked like they were keeping 10" fish. We try to just keep 14" inchers so we probably kept 9 - 10 over those 3 days.

I hear Calcasieu has much better sized trout, but I've mainly caught smaller ones there as well (could've been the time of year I fished it).

I prefer Grand Isle over Venice because you actually have a beach, stores, restaurants, etc. Not a ton, but lots better than the Venice area. Never been to Cocodrie, but my buddy has always done pretty well there.

Venice for offshore, Grand Isle for inshore. Glad you had a good trip.

Agreed

Venice fish from this year. Solid ones. Probably average 17”. 50 fish two man limit.

One year in the fall at Cocodorie we had 15” average. Another year 1 in 20 was over 12”. Seems like when you are in the < 12” school trout that can be all there is. Got to look for a bigger fish school.

Shell Beach will be good in October. The shrimp migration starts and it will turn on. I grew up fishing Shell Beach/Hopedale and just started going back down there a few years ago.

On the way in you should stop at Today's Ketch in Chalmette, they have great oyster and softshell crab po boys.

Looks like a good trip! I will say, that mug in the orange camo pattern shirt hasn't gotten any better over the years.

Not nice. True, but not nice!