Louisiana’s nickname is The Sportsman’s
Paradise. No place deserves that name more than Delacroix does. A short
thirty-minute drive from New Orleans is a bass Mecca known as Delacroix.
Delacroix combines the best of Louisiana’s fresh and saltwater fishing.
Bass fishing is a year-round experience
in the marsh of Delacroix. Although a map is part of fishing in the
marsh, great trips start as close as the launch and continue throughout
the vast areas of canals and lakes in the Delacroix area. From Lake
Leary to Oak River, any point or channel can possibly produce bass.
The key to wintertime patterns is to find areas with deep water nearby.
The marsh of Delacroix is a vast maze
of pipeline canals, rivers, lakes, bays, and bayous. From this area,
an angler can travel hundreds of miles through the south Louisiana
marsh to the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River. From Venice to the
Atchafalaya Basin, an angler can fish months and never see the same
stretch of water again. However, staying close to the launch or roadside
is as good as a 30 mile boat ride when fishing for pleasure. Many Louisiana
anglers still use the Cajun canoe called a pirogue to catch a few fish
for the frying pan.
On the day I ventured to Delacroix along
with my Auburn buddy Kenny Johnson; we stayed in the Lake Leary area
searching the deep-water channels for wintertime bass. In cold water,
bass will suspend on the drop-offs close to the bank. Drifting lizards
and worms down the drop-offs with the outgoing tide produced a quick
limit. Even though the bass only averaged a pound and half, it was
fun catching several dozen bass on a single trip. Five fish stringers
weighing about twenty pounds are often the winning weight for local
tournaments.
Baits
used in Delacroix are simple in technique and standard in style. Lizards,
creature baits, and spinnerbaits usually produce quality stringers
in the marsh. Yum Lizards in black with blue tails, Yum Hawgtail Hula
Dancers in June bug, and Yum Ribbontail in red shad are all example
of plastics that will catch fish in grass and channels of the area.
Rig the plastic as a Texas rig or split-shot rig. Cast the bait close
to bank. Slowly work the bait down the drop-off. The tide will carry
the bait into deep water. Bites will feel like a snag or dish rag without
the added tap of the fish taking the bait. In the winter, bass are
not aggressive when they strike. Set the hook when any pressure or
change is felt.
Spinnerbaits slow rolled from shallow
to deep water often produce fish. A commonly used style is a single
blade ˝ ounce bait with a number four gold Colorado blade. Instead
of a skirt, place a grub with a purple body and white tail such
as a Deadly Dudley Jr. on the hook. The key to this technique is
a sustain
contact with the bottom. Slow lifts of the rod will engage the
blade and cause the lure to drift with the tide. Yet again, strikes
will
be soft.
Once the water warms in the spring,
switch to topwater baits for a fun outing. Baits like Crazy Shads,
Devil’s Horses, or Zara Spooks are heart-pumping lures that produce
in warming water. Work the lures around points, stumps, or other
structure. Delacroix bass love topwater baits. Often groups of
shad or shrimp
are primary targets for bass. Topwater lures imitate dying shad
or fleeing shrimp. Always keep your eyes and ears open for surfacing
fish.
Another added bonus when fishing the
Delacroix area is the abundant saltwater species. It is common to catch
redfish and speckle trout while fishing for bass. Oak River, well known
for its fantastic winter speckle trout fishing, holds redfish, flounder,
and bass. While searching an area for bass with a spinnerbait, do not
be surprised to add a few saltwater species to your catch.
With miles of first-class fishing and
year round access, Delacroix is bass fisherman’s dream. The next time
you are ‘passing a good time’ in New Orleans, do not forget your
fishing pole.
Jeff Bruhl is a member of the Louisiana Outdoors Writer Association, pro angler, and a pharmacist. His website, www.marshbass.com, covers freshwater fishing across Louisiana and the gulf coast. Each Saturday morning between 5-7 am CST, a bass fishing report can be heard on the Outdoors with Don Dubuc Radio Show (www.dontheoutdoorsguy.com) on 870 AM from the New Orleans station. Jeff has made numerous television and radio appearances on shows like Paradise Louisiana, The Big Fish, and ABC26.com. From tips on youtube.com to weekly reports on his website, his articles and reports provide tips and tactics for bass anglers in the sportsman paradise. Jeff’s sponsors include Abu Garcia, Xpoint hooks, Bud Light, Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Power Pole, Stanley Jigs and Spinnerbaits, Skeeter, Dockside Marine, Rat-L-Trap, and Berkley. For more information about fishing in Louisiana, drop Jeff an email at jeff@marshbass.com.
