Help with Grand Isle trip 11/17-21

[zthomas]

I’m planning a trip with my father Nov. 17 to 21 to Grand Isle. We’ll be towing my rig (a 21’ offshore CC) 12 hours down from western Arkansas and fishing that Fri, Sat and Sun.

Any help with where and how to fish offshore would be great, but specifically where to find live bait (around rigs?), how to catch tuna around the shrimp boats (trade for bycatch for dead bait? Freeline live baits? Troll feathers?), and how to find and catch AJs. Also, if anybody can recommend a good fishing/rig chart and/or a good, helpful tackle shop in Grand Isle. (We’re launching and staying at Bridgeside.)

I’ve done a lot of offshore fishing on the west coast and in Mexico, so I know basically what I’m doing offshore, but this is only my second trip ever to the Gulf, so I could definitely use some tips. Last time was windy and snotty, so fingers crossed we catch the weather right this time. If not, though, is there some inshore fishing around there I can do from a deep vee, or is that something that really requires local knowledge and/or very shallow draft?

[calcutta37]

21 ft boat might be pushing it you will have to go far for those fish.

[latravcha]

A 21 foot boat is a little small to be in the gulf this time of year, but if you insist head south east about 40 miles from grand isle to the West Delta field. One of my favorite spots in the field id WD143 28.66165° / -89.55148° Most of the rigs in this are just on the ledge of the canyon and offer decent tuna action. My first pass would be trolling around the platform with a couple of deep divers and rigged bait. If you really want to piss WD143 off go on and troll under the bridge connecting the A and B platform. They don’t like it but I usually pick up a couple of fish when we do this. After that try jigging on the up current side of the platform. Keep in mind theses platforms have sub sea systems that stretch out several hundred yards form the platform. If this does not produce you should be able to find a few trawlers working the edge of the canyon. If not there are several floaters about 10 miles east of WD143.
If you are not dead set on grand isle I would go out of Venice instead. a longer ride by car but the majority of the ride to the canyon will be in the protected waters of the Mississippi river only problem is the river can be foggy this time of year. Once you are past the pass you only have 18 mile to some great fishing. Start off trying the midnight lumps 28°37’84'' north and 89°33’18'' west. Don’t know if the yellow fin have showed up yet but should have plenty of black fin. If they don’t have a lot of boats in the area start off trolling over the lumps with a couple deep divers and rigged bait. You should pick up a couple of who. After that try anchoring off on top the lumps (very easy to find on bottom reader) you will need about 600' of rope and about 30' of chain. Start a slick with cut pogies and free line a couple of hard tail off the back. You can also try using diamond jigs starting about 50' below the surface working your way down. If the lumps don’t produce move on to a few of the rigs in the area. This time of year we do pretty good on MC365 28.60096 / -89.3113 and the surrounding platforms.
Whatever you decide remember a 21 foot boat is a little small to be running the gulf this time of year.

[Dink]

Go out of Venice. You have radar?

[Ray]

The subsea wells from WD-143 are about 68 miles from them.
There will soon be diving and construction in that area.
They will be setting a new platform and catwalk.
When they do that, they will be requesting a 2 mile CPA.
If you have no VHF or don't have it tuned into Ch 16, you will
be getting a visit from the USCG. Be sure to have it turned on.
WD-143 is a manifold platform. At times, they have up to 300K
bbls/day going thru it. It is a very high priority platform for US
Military protection.

[eman]

Got bigger cahones than me to make a winter gulf trip in a 21 footer.

[zthomas]

Thanks for all the help and the numbers! I'm definitely not going to push it going out. If it's ugly, we stay on the beach.

Latravcha, when you say deep divers, are you talking something like an X-Rap or a lipless plug like a Marauder (or something else).

Also, can you catch hardtails during the daytime? If so, are they around the rigs or where?

Any chance we'd find amberjack closer in than 40 miles?

Thanks again!

[Opinions_Vary]

out of bridgeside you're in aj water about 25 miles offshore 180-200 ft deep 40 miles offshore and you are in 400+ ft of water. make circles around platforms starting 100 yards or so off and look for fish on your sonar, pay attention to depth and make your drops there. If you don't see too many blotches off of the platform then they might be holding tight to the structure pull up close and drop close to the platform. You can buy a box of pogey's at bridgeside... pretty much anything will hit that... Drop to the bottom of the platforms for grouper. use no less than 8oz weights or you won't get past the snapper, and then good luck... as for hard tails start fishing for them at the first set of rigs out of grand isle with sabikis. Hope this helps

[DUCKGOGETTER]

Originally Posted by eman

Got bigger cahones than me to make a winter gulf trip in a 21 footer.

X2

[skeeter77346]

Some other Grand Isle ideas for you +/-.

If you want to catch finger mullet or pogy there is typically bait rafted up behind the island and I have marked one spot that seems to always have bait if you are good with a cast net. 5 mins from Bridgeside Marina.

On the fishing spots, like guys say 21 ft could be an issue, but do not ignore the near rigs off of GI in 50 to 60 ft of water, or off of Port Fourchon. You can wear your crew out on the Mangroves, Redfish and Lemon Fish within sight of land.

We fish 65 to 80 braid and 30 to 60 lb flouro, depending on how line shy the fish are. Small circle hooks and no weight unless the current is ripping, then only as little weight as necessary. The reds and big white trout are frequently on the bottom though.

We rarely tie to a rig anymore, as we pull up to a rig, then throw some chopped pogy as chum and simultaneously free line the finger mulet or cut pogy and pay out line continuously with the chum ball you just threw. Just slowly drift away with the chum. You will get 'Thumped', Hook up and repeat process. Or tie up to the rig if you prefer.

Run and gun, rig to rig until you get on the fish you want.

Also hit the Fourchon jetties on the channel side or the beach side.

On the inshore stuff, you can fish the reefs behind the island, or up the Barataria waterway around Queen Bess Island, Independence Island Reef, or behind the old fort on the east side of Barataria pass and points east towards 4 Bayou pass.

Bridgeside will have the maps and bait, etc.

Also consider an inshore guide for one day to get the hang (some local knowledge) for that part of your trip.

Good luck.

[Garfish]

Originally Posted by eman

Got bigger cahones than me to make a winter gulf trip in a 21 footer.

Agreed.

[zthomas]

Thanks again, all. Great information. Can't wait to get down there.

[zthomas]

Well, looking at the weather it looks like we aren't going to be heading offshore. So now I'm thinking maybe we'll just hit Big Lake instead. We're going to be fishing inshore anyway, and BL is four hours closer. Thinking of staying at Spicer's in Hackberry.

Any BL tips? I've never even seen a speckled trout, let alone caught one, but I guess it's time to learn. On the other hand, I do pretty well at catching spotted bay bass and corvina in California and Baja, and it seems like that's pretty similar--fishing mainly 3 and 4 inch plastics close to the bottom on 1/4 and 3/8 oz heads. Is that about right? If I was going to buy a handful of topwaters, what should I get?

[SaltERedneck]

you got the jig heads right. patrol the inshore fishing reports and you will see a number of useful bait selections. skitterwalk topwater, spook, she dog, all work. user preference.