Venice, popularly known as “The End of the World” is one of the southernmost towns of Louisiana. With the Mississippi River converging with the Gulf of Mexico, Venice turns into one of the finest spots for sport fishing, both onshore and offshore.
If you are looking for a relaxing fishing experience to bring in some fish for home or looking for a more adventurous fishing trip to land a record-setting trophy fish, then Venice is the place to be when in Louisiana. Be it redfish, tarpon, sailfish, or tuna you will find them all lurking in the waters of Venice.
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Weather
Weather patterns in Boothville – Venice varies based on the time of year. From late December through February cold fronts will drop temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit but after a few days, temperatures will rise back to the 60s Fahrenheit until the next cold front comes.
March brings pleasant warm weather that lasts till the end of May. June begins the hot summer months that last through August. During this time, it is common for temperatures to rise to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Afternoon thunderstorms are common during this period.
September brings the first signs of relief from the heat. From the end of September, temperatures typically remain mild in the 70s and 60s Fahrenheit through October and November with a few cold fronts dropping temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fishing in Boothville – Venice
In the fishing world, Boothville-Venice is a mecca for both offshore and inshore anglers. Located at the bottom of Plaquemines Parish, it is the southernmost fishing destination in Louisiana. Venice – Boothville provides easy access to both the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing opportunities are endless when you get to Boothville – Venice and you won’t go home without a story to tell.
Boothville-Venice can be accessed via New Orleans in a couple hours’ drive down scenic Highway 23. There’s plenty of access to accommodations and no shortage of places to stay and eat once you get there. We have a team of dedicated charter captains in Boothville – Venice that can take you offshore fishing for species like yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and cobia or inshore fishing for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder.
The top five fish of both the offshore and inshore categories have been listed below. Their fishing seasons and their most effective fishing techniques are also described.
Yellowfin
If you could somehow bottle and sell the thrill of hooking and landing a big yellowfin tuna, you’d be a millionaire. It’s the desire for that adrenaline rush that brings anglers from all over the world to Louisiana to chase Yellowfin in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The yellowfin is a raging bull in the water and will never give up a fight. It is not uncommon to catch several 80-100 pound yellowfin on a single trip with one of our charter captains. You better bring a few coolers or be prepared to ship some meat home because yellowfin tuna is a fine-tasting fish raw or cooked. You will truly have the experience of a lifetime on your Yellowfin fishing trip in Louisiana.
Where to find Yellowfin Tuna in Louisiana
Yellowfin are an offshore species and typically can be found once you reach the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. One of the best places to find a captain for Yellowfin Tuna is Venice.
Yellowfin fishing is good year-round in Louisiana, but the best months are considered February and March as well as August through October.
Technique:
Most of our charter captains will tell you the two best ways to catch yellowfin tuna are the chumming and live bait methods. Chumming consists of cutting up dead bait and throwing the chunks into the water. The captain will hook one of the chunks to your line and drop it into the water with the rest of the bait.
The live bait method consists of hooking live fish and pulling them behind the boat to attract schools of hungry tuna. Our charter captains are some of the best in the world at performing these methods and they can take care of all the work while you enjoy the fishing.
Wahoo
You’ll be waiting anxiously for the captain to yell “Fish on!” when you come wahoo fishing in Louisiana. Wahoo are bullets in the water and with their sleek design, they can reach up to 60 mph. They are not afraid to hit a bait going full speed stripping the drag from the captain’s reel. When they do this, you better grab the rod like you mean it because the fight will be on.
The wahoo’s white meat is a crowd-pleaser at any barbecue or cookout so be ready to bring home plenty for you and your friends and family when you book one of our charter captains on a wahoo fishing trip.
Where to find Wahoo in Louisiana
The best wahoo fishing can be found in 200-400 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. The best times of year for wahoo fishing is January through the end of March. Our captains know when and where to catch Wahoo, so give them a call and see if you can get set up for a trip.
Technique:
Our captains like to catch wahoo while trolling artificial diving baits behind their boats. Up to 4 baits are dropped down to various depths and the boat is used to pull them at a steady speed. The captain and his deckhand keep a keen eye on the rods and when a wahoo finally smacks a bait, the game begins. It is not uncommon to hook up with multiple wahoo and our captains can help talk you through the mayhem.
Cobia
If you came down to Louisiana and just caught cobia all day long, there’d never be a shortage of fun. They are powerful and put on a cool show as they jump and splash their way through a fantastic fight. They may look kind of like a big catfish but don’t let that fool you- they won’t come to a landing net easily. Cobia are also a fine fish to eat and our charter captains can recommend more than a few ways to prepare them.
Where to find cobia in Louisiana
Cobia are structure-oriented fish. They can be found around oil and gas rigs as well as on reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Typically they can be found close to shore without having to travel too far.
Cobia can be caught year-round but the best months to fish for them are August, September and October.
Technique:
Cobia are caught near reefs or structures by jigging plastic curly tail lures or by dropping live bait to the bottom. Our charter captains know exactly how to target cobia and can help get you set up on a trip.
Blackfin Tuna
A smaller compact version of the Yellowfin Tuna can be found in the Blackfin. They are schooling predator fish and will not hesitate to hammer a live bait or piece of chum. They put up an incredible fight and can be an awesome addition to your offshore fishing trip.
Technique:
The technique for catching blackfin is the same as yellowfin.
Where to find blackfin tuna in Louisiana
Blackfin can be found in the same areas as yellowfin tuna.
Dorado
The Dorado may be the coolest-looking fish on this list. Its shiny skin is a bright mix of yellow, blue, and green and makes for quite the sight when you hook up with one in the Gulf of Mexico. They are not afraid to jump and splash as you fight them to the boat and they can be abundant during an offshore fishing trip. Our charter captains enjoy putting their clients on mahi mahi and they know exactly what to do to target this cool species.
Technique:
Dorado is caught by trolling a ballyhoo bait fish along rip lines and floating vegetation. They smack the bait and you better hold on tight as they are hard fighters. Our captains have this technique mastered and can put you on these fish while you enjoy the trip.
Where to find Dorado in Louisiana
Dorado fishing in Louisiana is best in the summer months. They typically can be found once you reach the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Redfish (Red Drum)
Hard, tough, and scaly, the redfish will test your upper body strength when you get one hooked. They are voracious eaters and will take almost any bait you put in front of them. One of the coolest things about catching a redfish is seeing their bronze bodies and spotted tails flash as they break the water’s surface on a spectacular fight to the boat.
It’s a common occurrence to catch 15-20 pound redfish on an inshore fishing trip in Louisiana. When you do hook up with one of these redfish, it is highly advised that you hold on tight to your rod and let them strip the drag strip from your reel. Your charter captain will help get you through a fun fight with a Louisiana redfish.
Where to find redfish in Louisiana
The redfish is a mean fighter that can be caught anywhere on Louisiana’s coast from shallow interior ponds, coastal bays, and deep passes leading out to the Gulf of Mexico. Redfish can be caught year-round in Louisiana and one of our charter captains can put you on them.
Fishing Technique:
Redfish can be caught in a number of ways in Louisiana. You can swim a bait such as a spinnerbait or gold spoon along a shoreline or you can suspend live or dead bait under a cork. Fly fishing for redfish is a growing sport in Louisiana and you get to see the fish you are casting to.
Speckled Trout (Spotted Trout)
Speckled trout are the filet mignon of the inshore waters in Louisiana. There is not a finer tasting fish than the “speck” and Louisiana’s liberal catch limit of 25 per person will send you home with plenty enough for a fish fry.
Speckled trout are typically schooling fish and usually, where there is one there will be others. A keeper-sized trout can range anywhere from 12 to 24 inches. A Louisiana charter captain can help you find a school of hungry trout and oftentimes can put you in a spot where you catch them on every cast.
If you are not looking for fish to eat and a trophy-sized trout of 5 lbs or more is your goal, Louisiana offers some prime trophy trout fishing areas as well.
Where to find speckled trout in Louisiana
Fast attacking speck action can be found year-round along Louisiana’s coast. They typically school up in shallow coastal bays and along the bridges around Lake Pontchartrain in the fall, winter, and spring. In the late spring and summer, speckled trout will move to outer coastal areas and barrier islands during their spawning season.
Fishing Technique
Specks can be caught in a number of ways. Schooling specks are typically caught using either plastic or live bait suspended under a cork. In the warmer months, they can also be caught using a topwater bait which makes for an intense scene to see them explode on the water’s surface.
In colder months specks are caught bottom fishing in deeper bayous and canals. Louisiana charter captains stay in tune with what the fishing are biting and they can take care of all the lures and techniques you will need to have speckled trout success.
Flounder
Don’t let the strange look of the flounder fool you- they are fun to catch and good to eat. Both of the flounder’s eyes are on one side of its body. The top side is olive-brown with white spots and its bottom side is white. They swim along muddy or sandy bottoms and oftentimes hold still to ambush their prey.
A good flounder weighs anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds and puts up an impressive fight. They are a great addition to an inshore fishing trip and our charter Captains always enjoy adding them to the day’s catch.
Where to find southern flounder in Louisiana
Southern flounder can be found all along Louisiana’s coast. They begin moving to offshore waters in the fall to spawn, but a Louisiana charter captain can help find them any time of the year.
Fishing technique
Flounders are not picky eaters and will take any live or dead bait you put in front of them. This could be shrimp or crab as well as a porgy or croaker.
Flounder can also be caught jigging a plastic swim bait along sandy or muddy bottoms. A Louisiana charter captain knows how to target flounder and can help you get some of those flat, tasty fish in the boat.
Black Drum
A close cousin of the redfish the black drum is known for its hard-pulling action. They are thick-scaled bottom feeders that tend to stay near the water’s bottom and around shorelines and structures. It is very common to catch a 20-25 pound black drum on an inshore fishing trip in Louisiana. Catching a fish like that will make for a tough fight and a cool photo, but it is best to release them when they get this big.
Smaller drums from 16-26 inches are good to eat and Louisiana offers a 5 fish per person limit. A Louisiana charter captain can put you on some fun black drum action and can also recommend the best ways to cook them.
Where to find black drum in Louisiana
Black drum can be caught all around inshore estuaries as well as in the deep passes leading out to the Gulf of Mexico.
Fishing technique
Typically drum can be caught by dropping a dead shrimp or crab into the water’s bottom. They are also caught while fly fishing for redfish. It is a fun thing to see a huge black drum and cast a fly to it. A Louisiana charter guide knows where black drum hang out and can put you on them as part of an inshore fishing trip.
Bass
Most commonly known as a freshwater species, the largemouth bass is also a resident of inshore coastal Louisiana. The locals often call them “marsh bass” and these bass typically do not grow to large sizes as they would in a pure freshwater environment. However, they are voracious eaters and will smack a lure even harder than their freshwater cousins. They are good to eat and will make a nice addition to an inshore fishing trip.
Where to find Largemouth bass in Louisiana
Most inshore coastal areas hold a population of largemouth bass. The best areas to fish for largemouths will be grassy ponds and bayous in the coastal estuaries.
Fishing technique
Largemouth bass will eat just about anything but the coolest way to catch them is by swimming a bait such as a plastic cocahoe, gold spoon, or spinnerbait. It is very common to catch redfish and bass on the same lures and a Louisiana charter captain can take you right to the action.