Coming from Dallas and want the best fishing at the shortest drive mainly looking for Big Reds. In April-May. Any body fish all these spots or more then one looking for some help.

Oh I have a 22 foot Kenner center console and can get out on the beaches and short oil rigs in good weather.

I would say Port Arthur, Hackberry is a little bit further than Port Arthur and you have to buy the out of state license. Not too bad for a one day saltwater in LA. I prefer hackberry, just because the family is there.

Venice is great, but a good distance if you are pulling a boat.

Venice is one of those places that you don't just accidentally run across. The fishin' is awesome, though. It's just a long ways from Dallas for sure...with a boat...in New Orleans traffic... I'd say worth the trip anyway. I've made the run out of Venice on the Mississippi, cut down Pass D'Loutre, across a little bay (name?), and fished where you can see the breakers on the Gulf, and the big reds were stacked in there like chord wood...big spotted tails cutting the top of the 2' deep water, eating anything they got their eyes on. It was my one and only trip, and it was worth the brain damage getting there for sure. The slot limits are a little wider in La. also.

1. Venice is an absolute amazing fishery. You have to know where you are going though. Pass A Loutre is silted in and is loaded with sand bars...and unless you know where you are going you are in for a bad day. Red Pass and Tiger Pass are easy runs to the gulf, but the trout aren't as big as the east side of the river. You can still load up on reds and dink, but keeper, trout. You can keep 12" trout. I would suggest a guide the first couple of trips to learn how to get around. Cons, April/May = long boat runs to the prime fishing areas on the east side.

2. Hackberry is closer and a great fishery - Monster trout, but not as good as Venice IMO.
3. Grand Isle - smaller trout but still a great place to fish. You can launch and be fishing a spot a few hurdred yards from the ramps and catching fish. Makes it nice for quick afternoon trips.

Thats what I am thinking. If i am already on the road for 7 hours why not continue on for another 3 to the best spot. Especially if I am going to be staying for a couple of days.

Another option would be to stay in Sulphur, Louisiana travel down HWY 27 and launch in Cameron, Louisiana (down Jetty road) at the public launch. You can fish the jetties about a 1/2 mile south, rigs and platforms not too far out and you can go north into the Big Lake area. Save you all the driving time and give you more fishing time. Watch the weather forecast as if they have a lot of rain and wind it will muddy up.

Port Arthur, Sabine Lake broke all the records on the redfish cup last year, If interested i can hook you up with a local who guides on the side, top-notch. I cut my teeth on that lake and it's surrounding marshes.

+1 for Sabine Lake.

Quacktastic, You are exactly right about Pass A'Loutre being silted up...We spent 3 hours stuck on a sand bar in Feb08 waiting on the tide to come up a little, and then had to use an E-Tec to dredge our way out even at high tide. Then we went and wore out the reds, so a little pain for a lot of gain for sure.

Yup and if the wind comes up out of the south too much, you have 2 choices: 1. head up the channel and take the first left ( west) that leads into West Cove. You can catch fish along the way in that feeder channel. 2. Relaunch north on 27 under the Ellender bridge that crosses over the intercoastal. Fish from there all the way up into LNG.