Fishing report: Joe Macaluso column for July 19

Familiar song rolls on coast

Coastal fishermen are humming the same simple tune for the fourth consecutive week: The bonus is that freshwater anglers are finding it to be a catchy song.

All together now: Get a rod, get a reel. Find live bait and come back earl-ee. Look for clear water, find the right tide, hook up live bait and haul ’em up the side.

OK, so Paul Simon won’t claim it, but for south Louisiana anglers, it’s a hit. Word is go before sunrise, and avoid the chance of afternoon storms because folks across the southern parishes are catching a lot of fish.

Weather

The same, except for southwest and west winds through Saturday, but mostly 5-10 knot winds and near calm to 2-footers nearshore and offshore in the mornings and after the late-day storms clear. The drawback to this weekend will be that we’re fishing “between the moons.”

The coast

Live shrimp tops the charts when it comes to catching speckled and white trout, redfish, flounder and, if you’re around the Pontchartrain bridges, small black drum.

The trick is to go early. Launching before first light and heading out when there’s enough light to run safely to your favorite spot has been the best way to take limits.

Crabs are moving in the surf, which means bull redfish will be in the passes along the Central Coast on the falling tide.

If you’re working the beaches on a rising tide, then live croaker and 3-6 inch long live pogeys appear to be the best offerings.

Lots of reds are showing up in the Lafitte area. Frogs and swim baits are working along and over the grassbeds in The Pen, and Gulp! Shrimp under a cork are producing limits of reds and small specks on the south end of Little Lake.

Breton Sound and oil/gas platforms in areas east of the Mississippi River are producing limits of specks on live shrimp early in the morning. After the tide runs, expect the ladyfish and hardhead catfish to show.

Reefs behind Grand Isle east to Four Bayous are loaded with specks of all sizes.

Freshwater

The hottest bass spot this weekend is launching out of Venice and heading to one of the passes. Jeff Bruhl’s Wednesday trip produced loads of 2-3 pound bass near Grand Pass, Tiger Pass and Batiste Collette.

Bruhl reported working around and under willows in Grand Pass with a spinnerbait to find the bass. Once located, flipping watermelon red lizards and other soft plastics produced bass after bass until storms chased them to Batiste Collette.

The bass have left the ponds for the cooler water in the main channels of the passes and around points where canals and run-outs enter the passes.

In the Atchafalaya Spillway, sac-a-lait are holding in deeper water around brushpiles and the deeper ends of grass beds.

Old River sac-a-lait are on the ends of piers in the late afternoons. Use soft plastics for bass.