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.

Type

Jetty / rocks

Granite, pilings, passes. Midday is legal — sheep face the tide and pick. Fall jetty bulls are a Texas event, not a rumor. Flounder sit the sand drains on the outgoing. This is spinning-rod country with a short, ugly leader if you insist on a fly. Do not invent a wreck as a honey hole. Named structure only, and the fish still have to be in season.

Venice Grand Isle Calcasieu

July · peak

What is actually on

Tarpon

Mangrove / gray snapper

Red snapper

Tripletail

King mackerel

Peak Present Off

Closures

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

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

Present JulyLouisiana

Thermal window

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52–88°F · best 62–82°F

Texas and Louisiana main event. Tails in flooded grass, wakes on shell, winter schools on mud, bulls in the passes. Keys: backcountry only, not oceanside. Boca Harbor yes. Jupiter is a snook desk.

Fly. 8-weight. Crab or shrimp on bead-chain for tailers. Gold spoon when the wind wrecks the fly. 20 lb near oyster.

Spin. Weedless gold spoon, paddle, or soft plastic. Heavy spoon or big paddle for the fall jetty bulls.

Leads the brief on Venice, Grand Isle, Calcasieu.

Louisiana. Louisiana: 4/day, 18–27 in slot. None over 27. No harvest in federal waters. Charter captain/crew bag is zero. Verify LDWF.

Official source

Mangrove / gray snapper

Lutjanus griseus

Peak JulyLouisiana

Thermal window

—

68–88°F · best 74–84°F

The snapper that will live in a Texas jetty and a Keys creek. Schoolies on structure. Bigger fish on the wrecks. Not a yellowtail.

Fly. 7–8 wt. Small baitfish along the shade line. 16–20 lb near the roots.

Spin. Live shrimp or a small jig under the mangroves and on the rocks. Night on the lights is legal.

Louisiana. Louisiana: verify LDWF snapper rules. Not a Texas bag.

Official source

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