On This Water

Doctrine · not a honey-hole list

Seasonal fundamentals

When a coast, a type of water, and a fish actually line up. If you elected Texas on the list, this page opens on Texas — Seychelles stays off the board until you ask for it. Filter by region, method or habitat, and species. The year bar is peak versus present. Limits cite TPWD and FWC — verify before you keep one.

Louisiana

Louisiana — river, marsh, and the birdfoot

Wind and the Mississippi move more water than the printed tide.

Venice is the birdfoot — South and Southwest Pass, ponds on the west bank, bulls in the throats, school reds and trout inside, tarpon in the heat on the south passes. Grand Isle is a different desk: one inhabited barrier island, Caminada, Barataria, a state-park surf. Calcasieu is the Texas-border cousin under LDWF rules — same fish, different bag, not Sabine Lake. Reds are 4 a day, 18–27, none over 27. Trout are a slot. Flounder typically close Oct 15–Nov 30. Do not put a Texas tag on a Cameron fish.

July. Birdfoot tarpon if you already know the water. Night and first-light reds. Trout in the lakes.

July · peak

What is actually on

    TarponMangrove / gray snapperRed snapperTripletailKing mackerel
Peak Present Off

Closures

No coast-wide harvest closure on the board. Still verify before you keep a fish.

Nothing lines up.

That filter combination is empty — wrong coast for the fish, or the fish is not present in July. Clear the filters.

Want this week’s weather on top of the doctrine? Read the Saturday Letter.