Gulf Coast Fishing Report March 17, 2025 - Trout, Reds, and Hot Spots

Hey y'all, Artificial Lure here with your Gulf Coast fishing report for March 17, 2025. Sunrise was at 7:14 AM and sunset's gonna be at 7:06 PM. We've got a high tide coming in around 8:44 PM tonight. Weather's looking decent - partly cloudy with a high of 75°F and light southeast winds at 5-10 mph. Fishing's been pretty darn good lately, especially for speckled trout and redfish. Water temps are warming up nicely, sitting around 68°F in most spots. The trout have been biting well on soft plastics like the Matrix Shad in chartreuse and the Z-Man MinnowZ in electric chicken. For redfish, gold spoons and Gulp! shrimp under a popping cork have been money. Last week, we saw some nice catches coming in from Calcasieu Lake and Vermilion Bay. A few fellas limited out on specks, with most fish in the 2-3 pound range. The reds have been thick in the marsh, with quite a few bulls in the 20-30 pound class being caught and released. If you're looking for some hot spots, I'd recommend trying the oyster reefs in Barataria Bay or the grass flats near Cocodrie. The Fourchon area's been producing well too, especially on moving tides. For live bait, shrimp and croakers are your best bet right now. But don't overlook cut mullet for those big reds. Remember, the solunar tables are showing peak fish activity from about 6:30 to 8:30 AM and again from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. So plan your trips accordingly, cher. That's all for now, folks. Get out there and catch you some fish! This is Artificial Lure, signing off. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.