Chris Ginn

Look for flocks of diving birds to find quick schooling action this month.

Calcasieu Lake has sweetened recently due to excessive rainfall, but that doesn’t mean the fishing has totally shut down. In fact, Captain Erik Rue with Calcasieu Charters (337-598-4700) says the trout fishing has been excellent so far this month.

“Catches have been mostly schooling-sized fish caught under birds,” Rue said. “That’s typical for October, and fairly easy limits are the norm for this time of year when the winds are down and the conditions are favorable.”

Spotting schooling fish is pretty easy if you have a set of binoculars with you in your boat. Use them to scan the horizon for actively feeding sea gulls. Approach the schools from upwind, and shut off your main engine at least 150 yards away. From that point, drift or troll in toward the feeding activity.

“Actually, you can catch reds and specks in the same schools,” Rue explained. “Most anything you throw in to the breaking action will draw some aggressive bites. When the schools sound, be prepared to wait it out a few minutes and they will often return to the surface after locating more shrimp or baitfish.”

This schooling action is triggered by hoards of baitfish and shrimp migrating from the marshes to the open water. The nearly nonstop feeding action occurs the entire month of October and spills over into November, as well.

“Another great option is the fantastic redfishing that can be found in the local marshes and along the shorelines of the lake,” Rue added. “Working spoons or jigs along the shorelines adjacent to bayous or drains will produce plenty hard-fighting reds and nice-sized flounder as well.”

And don’t forget about the flounder in the passes as the weather cools in the coming weeks. Rue recommended fishing jigs on the ledges, points and drop-offs for some vicious strikes from flatfish averaging 2 to 3 pounds.