Macaluso’s fishing report: Weekend conditions improved

What last week’s cold front took away, this weekend’s weather will give back. But only until Sunday, because another cold front is due in here Monday morning, and we’ll see a return of stronger winds and heavier seas.

From the catches in the Atchafalaya Spillway and the Pearl River in the past two days, it appears the cold front didn’t adversely affect water temperatures.

And the front helped push redfish and some trout into the marsh bayous and canals in the Pontchartrain Basin.

What’s more, conditions will be comfortable to go after yellowfin and blackfin tuna and amberjack that have been showing up in big numbers in offshore waters.

A note about the coast: When the winds die, gnats have declared open season on fishermen.

Weather

Look for light westerly winds into Friday and southerly winds Saturday and early Sunday before shifting to the west and increasing to 5-15 knots inland and along the coast. Expect light sea conditions through Sunday and a slight chance of rain Saturday through Monday.

Morning lows will be near 60 and afternoon highs near 80 with cooler temps early next week.

All rivers are running low and, for the most part, clear.

The coast

Heavier speckled trout continue to live in open-water reefs and the beaches along the Central Coast and in Lake Borgne. Most of the best catches are coming on a variety of soft plastics (on a jighead or under a cork), and there has been some topwater (She Dogs) and jerkbait (Long As) action on the reefs and the beaches into the early afternoon.

Most of the action in Lake Pontchartrain is coming near the south shore along the Causeway. Trout are showing up there more than the north shore area, and there have been scattered trout catches at Seabrook. Some trout are showing up the bridges spanning the north and south shores, but there are more drum and flounder there than trout. Plastics on a heavy jig are working in the lake.

Redfish are working in the bayous, canals and rivers on the east side of the Mississippi River. Bull reds are inhaling topwaters and large hard-plastic lures along points where there’s clear, moving water. Small trout have made the move in here, but not in the numbers we’re sure to see later this month and into December.

Tuna continue to hover under offshore shrimp trawlers. Use chum to find them.

Freshwater

Solid bass stringers came from the Atchafalaya Spillway and points south of U.S. 90 since Saturday, which means the push of north winds helped trigger a feeding spree we haven’t seen in these spots since falling water levels after springtime floods began to recede. Chartreuse/white spinnerbaits with gold blades were the trick. It looked like a single larger blade produced bigger fish.

Sac-a-lait catches picked up in those areas, too, on shiners and black/chartreuse and blue/white tubes. Old River sac-a-lait best in the afternoon.