Southern Way Charters - Venice Louisiana Hosted Trip Report

Southern Way Charters – Venice Louisiana Hosted Trip Report – October 13th – 17th:

When people think of Louisiana, more times than not you’ll hear stories of New Orleans, Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. When anglers think of Louisiana, more times than not you’ll hear stories of monster redfish, vast marshes and some of the best coastal fly fishing in the world. With Louisiana comes diverse culture, history, music and food including Cajun and Creole dishes. It’s fly fishing opportunities follow the same diverse make up with a plethora of angling opportunities for anglers of all types. Anglers have been flocking to southeast Louisiana’s vast ecosystem for many years and for good reason; it truly is a unique place and simply one of America’s most impressive saltwater fisheries.

Southern Way Charters - Venice Louisiana Hosted Trip Report Redfish

The Mississippi River Delta is the seventh largest river delta in the world and covers around 3 million acres of land. It is home to an estimated 40% of the coastal wetlands in the lower 48 states. This coastal area is the nation’s largest drainage basin and drains about 41% of the contagious United States into the Gulf of Mexico at an average rate of 470,000 cfs! Remember, the South Fork of the Snake during the summer season is around 13,000 – 15,000 cfs. This region is simply one of our national most productive and important natural and ecological assets that consists of natural levees, barrier island, forests, swamps and fresh, brackish and saltwater marshes. Everywhere you look, you see life! Shrimp, crabs, mullet, menhaden/pogies are found within every nook and cranny of the Mississippi River Delta. With that abundance of life/food, comes jumbo sized redfish that reside in the coastal marsh flats, lagoon, bayous and Gulf of Mexico.

While sight fishing for redfish is normally correlated to tailing fish and flood tides during the warmer summer months along the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta is a different story. During the fall months, large redfish venture out of the Gulf of Mexico after spawning in offshore schools and move into interior marshes. As water temperatures start to drop, baitfish and other food sources, followed by behemoth redfish, come in search of some warmer water inshore. As the weather continues to cool and winter begins, sediment in the water around the delta drops leaving it crystal clear and prime for sight casting and fly fishing opportunties. As in any freshwater or saltwater destination, weather patterns play an expected role.

Located near the southeastern tip of Louisiana, just where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, is the town of Venice and the Venice Marina. Nicknamed the “Sportfishing Capital of the World, Venice is about 90 miles/2 hour drive from New Orleans and is the jumping-off point for some of the finest redfish fly fishing adventures in the United States. Surrounded by vast marshes and close to several barrier islands, anglers are smack-dab in the middle of some of the finest fishing habitat that redfish, black drum, sheepshead, jacks, speckled trout and alligator gar call home.

The “Sportsmans Lodge” is a 110 foot houseboat located in the Venice Marina complete with WiFi. The lodge comes complete with a large great room and wide flat-screen television social area that is perfect for groups and those not wanting to miss any sporting event – especially during the fall season. The bar is stocked with complimentary beer, wine and liquor and available for on a help yourself basis. There’s also an outdoor seating area featuring another wide flat-screen television that the perfect place for morning coffee or cocktails at sunset. Southern influence and cajun flare are featured in every meal that completes their complimentary breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack offerings. No one goes hungry! We even included a shrimp boil one evening on the back of the house boat as the offshore fishing boats returned to the marina. Upstairs are 8 individual staterooms with a variety of bedding arrangements and private and semi-private bathrooms and serviced by a central air conditioning system. The lodge is the perfect base camp for any fishing journeys to the Mississippi Delta area and the guides picked us up right on the back dock each morning.

Any saltwater angler knows that the southern Louisiana Mississippi Delta region breeds big aggressive redfish. Both the food sources available as well as the vast amount of habitat, including the Gulf of Mexico, creates a massive biomass and unique fly fishing venue. In one day we found ourselves in miles of countless shallow bays, expansive mudlfats in the Gulf of Mexico, multiple ponds and never ending miles of canals and channels. Boat runs from the lodge ranged from 20 minutes to an hour and we even found ourselves running out the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico – the terminus of one of the greatest rivers in North America! It was clear that our guides had no issue in moving around to find the fish based on water and weather conditions for the day.

Our guides, wasted no time in showing us opportunity at redfish in all different water types. Sight fishing options reined supreme whether we found single fish cruising in ponds or shallow water areas or schooled fish out in the Gulf of Mexico. Casting and shots varied in degree but were never demanding. Water in the Mississippi Delta isn’t crystal clear which gives anglers time to get their location and shot dialed as well as create the need to get the fly a close to the fish as possible. While Redfish might not be as super challenging as other saltwater gamefish pursued with a fly rod like permit, bonefish and tarpon; they provide a unique and fun complexity of needed angling skills and capitalization on fishing opportunities like no other. Add in their aggressive feeding habits during the fall fishing season and you have a match made in sight casting saltwater fly fishing heaven.

Travel to and from Southern Way Charters – Sportsman Lodge is as easy as it comes. Since you are not leaving the United States and no need to Passports, Immigrations or Customs operations, domestic flight options are plentiful to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport from all major metropolitan cities. Shuttles as well as rental cars are available and the drive from New Orleans to Venice is quite simple. Our guides even carried all their own equipment and flies for our use, so you could even bypass lugging all your gear and equipment around through your travels. New Orleans’s deep history and cultural experiences including the World War II museum, world famous restaurants and cuisine, and the colorful nightlife and live music of Bourbon Street welcome anglers and non-anglers on the beginning or ending portions of their journey as well as during poor weather periods. There is simply something for everyone in the city of New Orleans. All in all this Louisiana Mississippi Delta Redfish fly fishing adventure truly caters to beginner and expert anglers alike and a welcome fall or early winter fly fishing option. Especially since you are not committed to a standard 7 day / 7 night destination travel fly fishing package. We’d recommend you join us for our trip next fall to see it for yourself – we don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

If your interested in fishing for Redfish in southern Louisiana please contact WorldCast Anglers for more information. Be sure to stay updated on the WorldCast Anglers Hosted Destination Offerings!

Michael P. Dawkins

WorldCast Anglers President

October 13 – 17th, 2024

Southern Way Charters – Venice Louisiana