Calcasieu Fishing This weekend!! Guidance
 

Not so good.
Caught 1 trout a few drum and about 30 Croaker.
Met a guy who told me to try a orange floater and put a gulp shrimp on it. Chartuse??
I dont know what i'm doing wrong, cant seem to catch like the rest of the guys out there.
I fished fresh water all my life and can catch brem and sac a lait all day long. But this salt water is throwing me for a loop.
I tried different hook sizes and stuff. Still cant get the big reds, trout or flounder.
Guidance needed... Thanks everyone.

you in the military ??

You caught 32 fish! You can eat those croaker! I guarantee for every one good report you see on here, there are 50 or more trips that will not be posted! Looks like you are starting on the right foot. I am proabably going Wednesday afternoon to Prien Lake if you wanna go.

RGR.
I cant on weekdays. I wish.
You have a picture of your fishing rigs?
I heard good things about those gulp shrimp.

You need to go with someone and watch how they rig up. Dead shrimp will catch fish but you have to pick thru the unwanted fish. I like to use a live finger mullet or a cocahoe for redfish. Or you can throw a spinnerbait or spoon, but i like watching that cork take off or disappear.

Specks all I have been using is a Jerk Jr. since I tied one on last year. Haven't tried the Gulp yet but going to on wednesday for some flounder. There are tons of different ways to fish, you can even tie on a rat-l trap and throw and reel and it will produce. Throw on 2 jigs a foot apart cast and reel, that will catch also. A TON of fish have been caught on gold spoons, before any soft plastics ever came about, but its just whatever you have confidence with. Good luck and keep asking questions the only dumb questions are the ones not asked and the ones "W" ...:grinpimp:

chart swimming mullet for flounder
Topwater early morning
sand eels or jerk jrs afternoon
topwater evening

Got it.
You guys are experts.. haha
Ok so I put a 1/2 oz weight on with a 12" leader and throw far as i can with a cut squid or shrimp.
Let it go to bottom, and feel a dot, dot dot.. zing.. and its always a catfish or croaker.
The Croakers are usually about a foot or smaller and ocassionally something worth keeping.
I try to fish 10 - 20' deep.
Is that about right.
And I will try the suggestions you say, but where do you get those bait from.
Mullet and stuff.

You are targeting primarily 'bottom fish' with that set up. And that is what you are catching which is fine. Fish in a little shallower water closer to the banks for redfish and try an oyster reef or some sort of structure for trout. Get that map like Ckinchen said, it is an excellent resource

Ok. looking online now.

I think you are going to want less weight for your sinker if you are going to catch trout. If you fish under a cork like a Cajun Thunder which is already weighted, maybe a small split shot is all you want on your leader line under your cork. When I fish carolina rig, unless I am in the gulf where there is a ton of current, I am usually using a 1/4 once sinker. If you are on a reef with clean water (see the previous post about west wind), live shirmp under a cork is hard to not catch fish. These guys will give you a hard time about using bait but don't worry about that for now. Learn the fishery first and you can "upgrade" to other bait later.

Got it.

This weekend was ROUGH!!! (at least Saturday was) Don’t sweat it.

You really just need to go fishing with someone that can show u what to do.

x2

i got the perfect place, and the perfect time of year for it. just like you, i grew up freshwater fishing and it took me a while to figure out how to catch. but, i found this place by accident one night messing around in september. go to the seawall downtown lake charles where the steps are at night. fish the far left hand side for best results. popping cork and live pogie or shrimp. cast net for your bait. throw against the wall for shrimp, and out further for pogie. sometimes they're not they're, but even on slow days i've walked away with a trout or 2. that spot is night time only. the only time you ever do any good during the day is right at sunset, sometimes schools of reds or trout or both will run the pogie in early. it is a really good shore spot if fished correctly.

Solid advice there, Casey. But, I never worry at all what other people think about what kind of bait I use! Who cares?? They sure as heck ain't buyin your bait! It's your time on the water, use what you like!

Live bait is king in most places and will almost always outfish artificial plastic baits, whether some people admit it or not, that's the truth. If you want to catch em and put meat in the freezer with consistency, throw live bait. If you want to try and trick em and maybe catch, maybe not, toss plastics. :work:

I'm reminded of a phrase that was told to me when I was a kid, fishing for snook in Florida, by an old salty dog in a local tackle shop. He said "match the hatch, son." Meaning, throw something closely resembling what the fish's main forage is. What matches the hatch closer than live bait?? Nothing! And lets not forget that almost all artificial plastic lures are designed to imitate some form of live bait! ;)

If you come down Sulphur way, come on by the Tackle Box and ask for me. I'll be more than happy to show you some spots on the map, help ya get rigged up right and get ya the info you need to be more successful at catchin fish, that's my job! My favorite part of my job is helping people and giving useful info to help them get fish in the boat! :)

Are you using monofilament leaders or steel? Stay away from the squid.

what is your schedule like for fishing?

Dont give up man ,it takes some time but you will get it. Your already off to a good start just by being on here.

So. Jchief.
you say no squid, ok.
I got a box of them things, maybe 3 lbs for like 4 bucks.
Been using the same block of squids for a while.
I just cut them in small pieces. Works like a champ.

yeah what are you using for your 12" leader?? Also fish shallower water along grass shore lines if looking for reds.

if you want to catch trout stay away from squid...If you want to catch catfish with the occasional drum or redfish keep using it

all you u need to catch trout


1/4oz plan jig head and sparkle beetle....out fish any bait on the water....

10lb test line ,,,

Exactly
 

This is what I was getting at. It will catch fish, but drum, croaker, etc more likely to eat it than trout or reds.

Chas hit the leader part I was talking about.

What kind of boat do you fish out of? What is your schedule like for fishing?

After rereading Chas post. What are you using for a leader?

Well. I got some of those 12" shiney steel leaders with a num 3 circle hook.
put a piece os Squid on it with braided 50lb line.
Figured that would hold anything.
i took some advice from ckunkin yesterday and removed the big weight and put a 1/4 oz on there. caught alot of croker but no reds.
i must of hit a nest of croaker, cause they were biting the squid each throw, 2 sec after hit water.
I try to fish as much as I can but mostly on weekends im free.

meaux, i posted my last horror story with catfish.
Them jokers will stick the crap out of ya.
trying to avoid them like the plague.

Okay, do away with the steel leaders. Reds will eat with the steel and some trout, but not near as many as would mono. Also, fresh dead or live shrimp would be a better choice or live finger mullet.

I would suggest you try a glow gulp 3" shrimp on a 1/8 oz lead head and a popping cork about 2.5' deep. Pop the cork about every 5 seconds with a quick snap of the wrist. You are trying so simulate a fish hitting on top of the water with the cork.

You work 8 - 5, 5 days a week? Off on weekends or weekdays?

Some of the guy's here would probably bring you fishing if you are avaialble when they go and they have an opening on the boat. I post when I have an opening all the time.

What kind of boat you got?

You sound about like me rookie, made few trips but only come back with about 3 fish between the three of us, looks like some good advice here on this thread, even though I have not done to good yet I am hooked on this fishing, I had fished freshwater all my life also but this is so much better.

Good luck, keep posting your results and I will do the same, hopefully we can get this figured out.

Bret:cheers:

just started myself have learned a lot and give that credit to the two guys above jchief and kenner 18 thanks to both of these guys

just started my self i have to give credit to the guys above jchief and kenner 18 catching now your right there is a difference in fishing and catching i like catching

Ok what kind of fish are you trying to catch , reds,specs,flounder or just anything ? What kind of boat are you fishing out of and where are you fishing?

I have a 15' Astro Fiberglass bass boat.
Not much, but my little 75 moves swift at 45 tops.
I work during the week but weekends im off, when I dont have a "honey doo" list to complete.
I try to catch redfish(favorite) or something big enough to eat.

just like the thrill of the bite.
something about the unknow pull.
is it a redfish, is it a catfish(most likely) is it a flounder..
is it a little crab pulling at the bait.
excitement of it really.
plus they taste good.

yep...switch to 20 lb mono leader instead of steel. Use jig head and sparkle beatle "W" showed. Or use fresh dead or live shrimp like jchief said. Switching to those things should greatly improve your chances.

And I can't beleive this hasn't been mentioned yet, but if you happen to come across a flock of birds working the water. Use your trolling motor! Don't crowd someone if they are already fishing the birds. Throw that sparkle beetle in there or a sand eel. Usually trout under the birds, easy targets.

Rgr that.
20lb mono leader.
havent seen those in wal mart or anywhere.
I have to check out sports academy or something.

The don't sell them. Make your own out of fluorocarbon.

Maybe it just me......but I don't every use a "leader". I tie all my baits directly to the 12 lb mono line that I use.

When I catch several fish, I carefully check the line near the bait to see if it has any "nicks". If I feel a bad spot, I cut off a little bit of line and re-tie.

I do the same

Ahh.
Ok So I made some leaders last night.
What I did was tie my braided line to a swivel and then tie the mono to that about 2'.
Then tied the hook and weight on that.
Made about 4 of them.
Will try bright and early sat morning. popping coik(sp) every 5 seconds with jig or skrimp. hope i catch dinner this time.

Did you forget the cork?

I do the same thing , but Im starting to use the leaders more. I use 50 lb flourocarbon because it is tough and nearly invisible in the water. I found when you get in the fish you dont have to stop and re-tie as often or worry about breaking off. I had one leader on a cork I fished for over a year before I had to re-tie .

yeah i like the flourcarbon leaders made by vanish. You can find them at academy in a little spool of about 50yards i think. Its about 10 bucks but worth every penny. I had mangroves rub against rigs and it still wouldnt break. Better abrasive resistant than braid i think. Use 25lb flouroleader on every saltwater outfit that i have

the corks i have, kinda clip on.