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.

September. The marsh exhales. Reds and trout come back up. Flounder start to think about the passes.

September · peak

What is actually on

    RedfishMangrove / gray snapperCobiaTripletailKing mackerelSpanish mackerel
Peak Present Off

Closures

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

King mackerel

Scomberomorus cavalla

Peak SeptemberLouisiana

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Thermal window

66°90°

70–86°F · best 74–82°F

Texas and Florida summer kings. The beach and the first wrecks. Not a trout. Not a wahoo.

Fly. 10 wt. A long baitfish on the first color change. Wire if you are tired of bite-offs.

Spin. Troll or a live bait on the beachfront and the wrecks. Summer Gulf.

Louisiana. Louisiana: verify LDWF king mackerel.

Official source

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