When people ask me when my favorite time of year to fish South Louisiana is, fall fishing is always high on my list.
As a fishing guide here at New Orleans Style Fishing Charters, I get to spend a lot of time watching how our marsh changes throughout the year. When summer starts giving way to fall, water temperatures begin to cool, bait becomes concentrated in different areas, and redfish and speckled trout start changing their patterns.
For anglers looking for a New Orleans fishing charter, fall can be an exciting time to get on the water.
Whether you’re an experienced fisherman looking for a hard-fighting Louisiana redfish or you’re visiting New Orleans and want to experience your first South Louisiana inshore fishing trip, there’s a lot to like about fishing the marsh in the fall.
Why Fall Is One of My Favorite Times to Fish South Louisiana
One of the biggest changes I look for in the fall is the transition in water temperature.
During the hottest part of summer, fish can be spread throughout the marshes, bays and deeper water. As temperatures begin to cool, I start paying closer attention to the shallow ponds, bayous, drains, cuts and other areas where bait becomes concentrated.
This is where fall redfish fishing in South Louisiana can get really exciting.
Louisiana fishing reports and guides have long documented strong fall redfish activity around the Barataria Estuary and Lafitte area, particularly as redfish move into shallow marsh habitat and feed heavily on shrimp, minnows, baitfish and crabs.
And when the bait starts moving, I start looking for the predators.
That’s when things can get interesting.
Fall Redfish Fishing Around Lafitte and Barataria
One of the areas I spend a lot of time fishing is the marsh system around Lafitte and Barataria.
The Barataria Estuary gives us an incredible mixture of shallow ponds, bayous, marsh drains, cuts and open-water areas. That variety gives me options when conditions change.
Fall is particularly interesting because redfish often move into shallower water as temperatures cool. In some areas, they can be found in extremely shallow marsh ponds where they’re actively feeding.
Sometimes I can actually see the fish.
Other times, I see the signs they’re there.
A nervous school of bait.
A wake moving through shallow water.
A sudden explosion on the surface.
Birds working over bait.
Or water draining out of a marsh pond.
Those are the clues I’m looking for.
Why Moving Water Matters
If you’ve ever fished with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about moving water.
It’s one of the things I pay close attention to when I’m trying to locate redfish and speckled trout.
A falling tide can be particularly productive because water leaving shallow marsh ponds can carry shrimp and baitfish through small drains and cuts. Predatory fish can position themselves around these areas and take advantage of the food being swept out with the current.
I don’t necessarily need a huge channel.
Sometimes a small drain through the marsh can be exactly what I’m looking for.
The key is finding the combination of water movement and bait.
When those two things come together, I start paying very close attention.
Fall Speckled Trout Fishing
Redfish get a lot of attention around here, but I never overlook speckled trout.
Fall can provide some excellent opportunities for Louisiana speckled trout, especially when shrimp and other bait are concentrated around marsh drains, bayous, reefs and other areas where fish can feed.
One of the things I enjoy about fall is that the fishing pattern can change quickly.
A location that produced fish during one part of the season may not be nearly as productive after the water temperature, wind or tide changes.
That’s why I don’t like to fish the same way every day.
I’m constantly looking at the conditions and adjusting.
If the trout are feeding on shrimp, I want to imitate what they’re eating.
If they’re chasing baitfish, I’ll adjust accordingly.
If the wind makes a particular area difficult to fish, I’ll look for protected water.
That’s part of being a fishing guide.
The Tide Can Make a Big Difference
When I’m planning a South Louisiana fishing trip, the tide is one of the first things I look at.
I don’t believe in simply showing up at the same spot every day and hoping the fish are still there.
The tide changes.
The water changes.
The bait changes.
And the fish respond.
Louisiana fishing experts have repeatedly highlighted falling tides and marsh drains as important areas to investigate because the outgoing water can funnel shrimp and baitfish toward larger channels.
That doesn’t mean every falling tide is automatically going to produce a limit of fish.
Fishing doesn’t work that way.
But it gives me another piece of information I can use to build a game plan.
What I Look for When I’m Scouting for Redfish
When I’m running through the marsh, I’m not just looking at the GPS.
I’m looking at the water.
I’m watching for wakes.
I’m looking for bait.
I’m watching the surface.
I’m checking water clarity.
I’m paying attention to the wind.
And I’m looking at how the tide is moving through the marsh.
Redfish can sometimes make themselves surprisingly easy to locate.
A big redfish pushing a wake through shallow water is hard to miss.
Other days, they’re more difficult.
That’s when experience comes into play.
I’ve spent enough time fishing these South Louisiana marshes to know that sometimes you have to move around and put the pieces together before you find the pattern.
What Can You Catch on a Fall New Orleans Fishing Charter?
Redfish and speckled trout are two of my primary targets during the fall, but they aren’t the only fish that can show up.
Depending on the conditions and where we’re fishing, we may also encounter:
- Redfish
- Speckled trout
- Black drum
- Flounder
- Sheepshead
- Other inshore species
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about South Louisiana inshore fishing.
You never know exactly what is going to eat your bait.
You can leave the dock with a plan to target redfish and end up having a completely different day once the fish show us what they’re doing.
And I’m okay with that.
Fall Fishing Is About More Than Catching Fish
I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living doing something I genuinely enjoy.
But one of my favorite parts of being a fishing guide isn’t necessarily catching the fish myself.
It’s watching my customers catch them.
I’ve had experienced anglers in the boat who have fished all over the country.
I’ve also had beginners who were holding a fishing rod and trying to figure out Louisiana marsh fishing for the first time.
I’ve had fathers bring their kids.
Friends come down for a guys’ trip.
Families spend a day on the water together.
And people visit Louisiana specifically because they want to experience our fishing.
Every trip is different.
That’s what keeps it interesting for me.
What I Tell Customers Before a Fall Fishing Trip
The first thing I tell people is to come prepared to have fun.
The second thing is to understand that we’re dealing with nature.
I can control the boat.
I can control our preparation.
I can use my experience to choose where and how we fish.
But I can’t control the wind, tide, weather or whether the fish decide they’re hungry that morning.
That’s fishing.
My job is to give you the best opportunity possible.
If conditions change, we adjust.
If the fish aren’t where we expected them to be, we go looking.
If we find them, we stay with the pattern as long as it lasts.
That’s how I approach every trip.
Book a Charter in New Orleans
If you’ve been thinking about booking a fall fishing trip in South Louisiana, I’d love to have you aboard.
Whether you’re specifically looking for redfish fishing in New Orleans, want to chase speckled trout, or simply want to experience Louisiana inshore fishing for yourself, fall is an exciting time to get out on the water.
I’ll do everything I can to put you in the right areas, teach you what I’m seeing and make sure you have a great time along the way.
You don’t have to be an expert fisherman.
You don’t need years of experience.
Just bring yourself, your family or your buddies and be ready for a Nawlins good time.
I’ll handle the rest.
Come fish South Louisiana with me this fall.
Capt. Jason Shilling
New Orleans Style Fishing Charters LLC
