From north to south, anything might bite in the Calcasieu Estuary
Birds fly north when temperatures heat up, but fish in the Calcasieu Estuary migrate toward the southern end of the system to find cooler temperatures in deeper waters, especially speckled trout.
The Calcasieu Ship Channel, a deepened and straightened version of the old Calcasieu River, runs 40 miles from the Port of Lake Charles to the Gulf. Dredged to about 40 feet deep, the channel connects with several smaller lakes before cutting through Calcasieu Lake.
Known locally as Big Lake, Calcasieu Lake anchors the southern end of the estuary. The shallow, oyster-studded lake averages about 5 to 6 feet deep. The Intracoastal Waterway bisects the Calcasieu Ship Channel just north of Hackberry and flows into the Sabine River north of Sabine Lake on the Louisiana-Texas state line. Sabine Lake also provides excellent fishing.
“In August, trout usually stay on the south end of Big Lake around the bigger reefs or in the channel between the lake and the Gulf,” said Brian Hanchey with Louisiana Backwater Charters, (337-660-6594, louisianabackwatercharters.com) who runs the only lodge directly on the channel. “The South Chenier Reef and Jack Lawton Reef are good places to fish. In the channel, people fish north of the pilot station, around Monkey Island and north of the ferry.”
You can’t go wrong with shrimp
For trout, look for clean, salty water with abundant bait and some tidal movement. Smaller trout primarily feed upon shrimp. Anglers catch trout on live shrimp under popping corks, on free lines or jigheads bounced along the bottom. Artificial shrimp also work.
“Live shrimp is always a good bait anywhere in the Calcasieu Estuary,” said Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service (337-598-4700, calcasieucharters.com) in Grand Lake. “When fishing the channel, green water with bait popping is always worth stopping to fish. Also pay attention to the shrimpers. Shrimpers follow the shrimp every day and so do the speckled trout.”
In late summer, also watch for diving birds. Trout chase shrimp and other prey to the surface where sharp-eyed birds instantly spot any activity. When schooling specks get in a feeding frenzy, they hit anything, but not every diving bird means an easy trout limit.
“In August, we often see bird action,” said Tommy Adams of Fishing Tom Guide Service (318-675-9114, www.fishingtom.net), who runs lodges in Sulphur. “If we see more birds sitting on the water rather than flying, they are probably around gafftops. If birds are constantly flying and picking shrimp, they are more likely around trout.”
Big specks
Schooling trout tend to run smaller, but larger trout and reds could lurk just beneath the feeding specks. Both the Calcasieu and Sabine systems have produced double-digit trout in the past. Anglers could still catch a 10-pound trout anywhere in either system on any cast.
“This summer, we caught some trout in the 25- to 27-inch range,” Adams said. “They were about 5 to 8 pounds. For bigger trout, we bounce 4 Horsemen Tackle Boom Boom Shrimp with 1/8-ounce leadheads along the bottom. We work the bait actively because the bigger trout are usually deeper than the smaller trout.”
Larger trout want more substantial meals. Big specks regularly hang in deeper water. While small trout chase shrimp, larger trout feed mainly upon mullets, menhaden, pinfish, croakers and other finfish, including juvenile trout. Big trout and giant redfish frequently follow under schools of smaller trout, eating any specks they can snatch.
“For bigger trout, live mullet becomes a very good option in August, especially when ladyfish eat all the shrimp in late summer,” Rue said. “To catch an 8-pound trout in August, people would most likely need to fish a live mullet in the lower part of the channel or around the jetties.”
At the end of the ship channel, parallel rock structures jut into the Gulf, marking Calcasieu Pass. Jetties also line Sabine Pass to the west. These jetties provide great habitat for many species. In the summer, the rocks hold good numbers of big specks.
“In the summer, I fish the Cameron jetties,” Rue said. “When the tide is good and the water is green, the jetties hold fish. Look for cleaner water on the leeward side of the jetties. During really strong tides, try to find some eddies. During slow tides, fish about a boat length off rocks.”
Bull reds
Besides trout, anglers might also catch huge redfish, gargantuan black drum and possibly other fish, such as bluefish, Spanish mackerel, maybe tripletail. Sheepshead always stay around the rocks, feasting upon barnacles, shrimp, crabs and other morsels.
“In the summer, no telling what we might catch,” Adams said. “Spanish mackerel come around the jetties in August. Sometimes, we see tripletail. Jack crevalle are prevalent at that time.”
To catch bull reds, use live croakers, mullet, whole crabs, crab halves or cut fish. Crabs and crab halves also attract massive black drum. Fish these on Carolina rigs. Use just enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom.
“Many bull reds stay around the jetties and in the channel in late summer,” Hanchey said. “When the current pours through the channel, I fish outside the jetties. In light current, I fish inside the jetties. We’ll catch ladyfish and cut them up for bait. Redfish love them! We fish ladyfish chunks on Carolina rigs with a ½-ounce egg weight and a 5/0 kahle hook.”
Bull redfish spend most of their lives in the Gulf, but in late summer, immense schools of spot-tailed giants come closer inshore to spawn. They terrorize baitfish and anything else edible.
“In August and September, we see schools of 300 to 400 bull redfish running along the edge of the beach,” Hanchey said. “By the pilot station, people catch many big redfish on incoming tides. They also hang around the Marker 56 area and the Nine-Mile area in the channel.”
When bulls get in enormous schools, they devour everything and hit anything that crosses their noses. For the most exciting action, toss large topwater baits just in front of the school. Pop them once or twice and hang on!
“In the past few years, we’ve seen many more bull reds, not just around the jetties, but in the lake,” Rue said. “It’s nothing to catch a 25-pound redfish in Calcasieu Lake.”
The beaches
Anglers can catch big trout along the beaches east and west of Calcasieu Pass. These beaches also hold redfish and other species. Anglers might also catch some pompano along the beaches. Many anglers wade the public beaches casting for trout or place large rods in holders waiting for reds to bite. Big meaty baits could also interest sharks.
“The rocks, the beaches and closer rigs hold trout in August,” Hanchey said. “Usually, we’ll fish a little off the beach. We start in about 5 to 7 feet of water throwing soft plastics towards the beach. Sometimes we throw topwaters, depending on how calm it is. We throw Down South Lures, Lil’ John’s, Boom Boom Shrimp and Marker 54 Shrimp.”
Nearshore platforms in the Gulf hold a tremendous variety of fish. For trout, fish waters out to 30 feet deep with jigheads sweetened with soft-plastic trailers. Around the platform legs, fish shrimp or crab pieces for sheepshead. People might also catch cobia, maybe even a king mackerel.
“Trout suspend around the platform legs, but occasionally, they stay just off the bottom,” Rue said. “Some jack-up rigs 5 or 6 miles south to southeast of the jetties and a few rigs 10 to 12 miles east and west about 5 to 6 miles off the beach produce good fish.”
Always watch for cobia or tripletail hovering under any floating weeds or flotsam. Tripletail commonly hang under crab trap buoys and anything floating in tide lines about a mile from shore. Farther out, anglers might spot cobia. When moving, troll spoons for Spanish mackerel or bluefish.
Late summer spots
Sometimes, sportsmen don’t need to travel that far. During dry summers, saltier water pushes far up the estuary and people catch trout off the Lake Charles seawall. The old Calcasieu River channel once snaked through Prien Lake.
“In late summer, the northern estuary often stays salty past Interstate 10,” Adams said. “We fish Prien Lake in late summer. The old river channel has some deeper water where currents make eddies. Trout get in those eddies because the current keeps bait circulating through them. We fish live shrimp under popping corks and let them flow through the eddies.”
Marshes surround much of the system. To the west, Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/sabine) conserves nearly 125,000 acres of wetland between Calcasieu and Sabine lakes. South and east of Big Lake, the East Cove Unit of Cameron Prairie NWR (www.fws.gov/refuge/cameron-prairie) preserves nearly 15,000 acres of marshes.
Weirs block access to several bayous, but even when blocked, the weirs by Grand and Lambert bayous usually provide good fishing. The marshes produce good redfish and flounder action, but people fishing with live shrimp might catch more than a dozen species, including largemouth bass.
Whether fishing marshes, the channel or in the Gulf, no telling what might bite on any summer day.
