Late November Slam: Trout, Reds, and Drum on the Louisiana Gulf Coast

Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, November 26 report for the Louisiana Gulf Coast—Venice, Barataria, and the marshes from Calcasieu to Breton Sound turned on overnight with a big November cold front. As of 7:47 am this morning at South Pass, we saw a high tide of 1.8 ft, with a strong falling tide due this evening at 7:01 pm, swinging an impressive 0.6 ft drop. Today’s tide coefficient sits very high at 96—so currents and water movement are prime, which means it’s a banner day for aggressive feeding. Sunrise hit at 5:59 am and sunset is set for 7:48 pm, so dawn and dusk will be your money times for big bites. Weather is classic late-November: temps have dipped into the 40s at daylight but should rise to the upper 60s by afternoon, with northwest winds blowing 10 to 15 knots, bringing clear air and pushing salty water into the marshes. Marine Weather says expect cloudy skies early, clearing midday, and no major precipitation today—ideal for inshore and nearshore action. Fish are on the feed. According to Louisiana Sportsman, speckled trout are thick along deeper reefs and bridges in Lake Pontchartrain, oyster beds in Calcasieu, and the east side of Barataria Bay. Trout are smashing topwaters pre-sunrise—think MirrOlure She Dog or Rapala Skitter Walk—then plastic shrimp or paddle tails under popping corks later in the morning. Redfish are solid in the marsh drains, especially on falling water; gold spoons and live shrimp are a sure thing, but cut mullet or crab will stick bull reds at Grand Isle and the Delta jetties. Recent catches reported heavy trout limits out of Hopedale and Empire, with boats averaging 25–40 per trip, sizes from 14" to 20". Venice and the Pass yielded mixed bags: reds to 30” and drum, with flounder up on sandy edges and inside cuts. Flounder is best on slow-rolled Gulp! Swimming Mullet or Matrix Shad, worked right along bottom on a jighead. Hot lures: - Vudu Shrimp and Z-Man DieZel Minnow paddle tails on 1/4–3/8 oz jig heads for trout and reds - Chartreuse or natural-color soft plastics for popping cork rigs - Gold spoons, especially Johnson Sprite for daylight redfish hunts - Topwater plugs at dawn for specks Best bait: Live shrimp or croaker for trout; cut mullet or crab for bull reds; finger mullet for flounder. If you can’t get live, dead shrimp will still produce. A couple of local hot spots: - The rocks at Grand Isle State Park and the rock jetties at Caminada Pass—always reliable for trout, reds, and the occasional sheepshead. - The marsh drains and bayous dumping into Barataria Bay—fish here two hours before and after a falling tide, position yourself to drift a cork or spoon down-current for best results. - South Pass and the Delta’s outer beaches—tarpon might be gone, but big reds and drum will be moving through cuts and passes chasing bait. Don’t forget: This time of year, fish are responding to the aggressive water movement. Key is to match your leader size to water clarity—a lighter 15–20 lb fluo This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.