Louisiana Late Fall Inshore Bite: Specks, Reds, and More on the Move

Artificial Lure here reporting from the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, where the November bite is still red hot. Today’s sunrise tipped the marsh at 6:42 a.m. and sunset’s expected at 5:15 p.m., so we’ve got plenty of daylight for chasing trout, redfish, and more. The weather this morning is classic late fall — cool and breezy, mid-60s at dawn but edging to low 70s by mid-afternoon, with light southeast winds and some cloud cover favoring a strong inshore bite. Tides are running good and high, with the morning low around 8:20 a.m., followed by a solid high pushing in near 5 p.m. at Calcasieu Pass, according to Tides4Fishing. That high tide this afternoon brings moving water and turns on the bite, especially at the mouths of drains and along marsh edges. Add in a waxing gibbous moon and high solunar activity all day, and you couldn’t ask for better fish movement. Fishing reports all along the Louisiana coast have been positive this week. According to Louisiana Sportsman, catches have been consistent for speckled trout and redfish in the central and western marshes, and there’s a solid bite for sheepshead and drum at the rocks and passes. Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes in particular have given up full boxes of trout and slot reds. Anglers working the oyster reefs or drifting the deeper cuts over grass are doing especially well, and the best bite has been late morning through late afternoon as the water warms a few degrees. For baits and lures, folks are having the most luck on live shrimp under a popping cork, as usual this time of year. Strike King’s Saltwater Ploppin Cork really wakes them up in that stained water. If you’re more into artificials, soft plastics in chartreuse or opening night on 1/4 oz jigheads are a killer combo right now, especially with a steady twitch. Topwater action is slowing down as the water cools, but gold spoons and paddle tail swim jigs are still turning some heads in shallower ponds and along the grass lines. Don’t sleep on cut mullet or fresh market shrimp if you’re targeting redfish or black drum, especially around points and drains with moving water. Recent catches have been impressive: slot reds in the 18”-27” range, nice stringers of specks averaging 15”-20”, and a smattering of larger trout over shell bottoms in deeper channels. Drum up to 10 lbs are popping up along the rocks, and sheepshead are thick at the bridges and jetties. For hot spots today, keep your eyes on: - **Cameron Jetties and Calcasieu Ship Channel**: The outgoing tide swings baitfish against the rocks, drawing both big trout and bull reds through the midday feeding window. - **Cocodrie Marsh edges and oyster reefs**: Midday to sundown, trout and reds are hanging tight to grass lines and shell points, taking both live bait and plastics. - **Bayou Black and adjacent ponds near Houma**: Plenty of redfish action in the stumps and drains; find an intersection with moving water and soak cut mullet or crack a plastic along the edge. Remember to match y This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.