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Planning first trip to Venice, trailering boat up for offshore fishing. Doing some research on-line and reading some other posts. Which time of year would be better - end of March or end of May? Would like to go for tuna, wahoo, snapper, AJ, grouper, dolphin, etc. Are the tuna still in the area through March? Seems like February is the best time for them. Also, two more questions: (1) is fog more of a problem in March vs. May? (2) does full moon shut the bite down up there? The week in March that we could go is a full moon. Thanks for any replies!
Personally, I'd go the end of may. The weather is normally much more stabil allowing you more options to fish.
March: The lump "normally" turns off by the end of march and the tuna are slightly scattered; not to mention that the sharks and kings are thick on the lump. Wahoo are still around. Grouper and AJ's are a sure thing this time of year provided that you can make it to the proper spots. And finally it would be a little early to fish tuna at night at the floaters.
Late May, the rips are moving in, whihc means dolphin, wahoo, tuna, marlin. Every year somewhere between June 4/5 and June 20 the rip moves in really close while the river is still moving enough to produce a good line and the fishing goes off. The end of may is still slightly early for the best run of bull dolphin, but the night tuna fishing is better. Combine this with the snapper season being open and the trout fishing picking up and you just have many more options of what to fish.
I have been fishing there for over a year. I would not advise you to go w/o a charter captain. They nomarlly charge 250 or so a day(in your boat). I think it is well worth the investment as you have already invested a lot. Aside from safety, they usually know were the fish have been.
After several charters I started going by myself and even then there is very little support for "newcommers". You will mostly be left to guess where to go, what to do, ect.
If you are interested I can refer you to a couple.
ezlimitz4 - 2/28/2005 7:11 AM
After several charters I started going by myself and even then there is very little support for "newcommers". You will mostly be left to guess where to go, what to do, ect.
terry i wholeheartedly disagree with that
good fishing info for the area is readily available in a large number of places
-rodnreel.com fishing reports
-calling venice marina hotline, or just asking to speak to the harbormaster
-go down the night before and talk to the charter captains
-go down the night before and hang at the bar at cypress cove & talk to the sport fisherman
no way anyone should ever spend that kinda dough fishing out of venice and not take advantage of the resources for info that are out there. i find the fishing community there more than enthusiastic about pointing folks in the right direction
Where are you coming in from? I tend to agree with Cgrand, but my opinion may be jaded as I grew up fishing there. I will say that the people at Venice marina tend to be more helpful in terms of telling you where the bite is, especially if you are in a outboard powered boat, but Cypress Cove is nicer. Overall, any of the charter captains on any given day can be either really helpful or blow you off, but that is normal for most places.
Depending on how long you are going to be there, hiring a captain for one day may not be a bad idea, for both fishing and safety. Also keep in mind that running the river in late may is much easier than march: less chance of fog, less trash floating down the river, and less current.
I am sure that you are correct. I tend to be less aggressive about asking the questions you mentioned.
Please don't think I am saying that the people thier are less then friendly, I do not mean that at all! I just have not had anybody run up to me and tell me where the fish are, but I have not run up to anyone and asked them where the fish are either. I might casually comment on a nice catch and mention that I am going to be out the following day kind of leaving the opening for the skipper to comment on where they caught thier fish. Of course sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. It is nothing more then I would expect.
Further, now that I have started typing, I like the challenge (if you will) of doing as you said in part, going on rodnreel.com, checking the terrafins, hiltons, ect. and trying to determine if I can find the "right" spot.
Clearly that is already done in J/F/M as most people fish the lump. But still it is crowded as well. That said, on my last trip I intended to skip the lump and try mars or other points as the maps showed a lot of warm/blue water out there.
I think we are on the same page mostly with different methodology.
I still would not recommend someone with no experience in that area drive thier boat down there with the intention of going offshore w/o a local guide.
It's JMHO and it doesn't matter to me other then I don't like hearing about someone that got hurt because they hit a hazard that is mostly known but for people new to the area. Like the break on the east side of south pass. Hey, I understand there has been more than one boat to hit those rocks and they were not all boaters-come-lately.
Regardless, people will do what they will do, I know I do. Don't you?
If I were to venture there with my trailerable boat. I have a lot home work DONE! I'd check those Notice To Mariners for that area, a for the past couple of months, and make notes on your charts as suggested by the changes or conditions noted in NTMs. I'd talk to the weather people by phone or face to face for the perdictions on the time I'd be there. All my CHARTS would be NEW. I know them like the back of my hand. The $250.00 bucks for a local guide to make a couple of runs down the river and back again would be the cheapest insurance you can buy. When you make those runs, I'd be entering waypoints for any and all changes in the channel, take lots of notes. Hire a guy that talks a lot about what he's doing. SAVE YOUR ROUTES ON THOSE SAFE TRIPS. An intravert isn't what you want on a piloting trip. One priceless item down there would be a computer hook up so I could down load the weather and SSTs every chance I get. Make sure your chart plotter's maps are right on the money. When bad things happen to a stranger in a strange place it just seems to roll down hill from there. Best of luck if you go, but be careful.
I now have a few friends there and sometimes I ask where they have been fishing and sometimes not. The thing is, most of the guys that I know are Charter Guys and I respect the fact that they are trying to make a living. They don't need competition in an area when they have 4-6 guys on thier boat that paid some hard earned $$ for a chance to fish those waters.
Combine that with the fact that there are an increasing number of boats down there, me being one, that are "learning". I have recently started taking some guys fishing just because they have more experience then I do in that area. I don't ask for any $$$ and I know that I am just better off having someone else with me that has more exp. Hey, they are making a contribution by way of thier exp in local waters and fimiarity with methods used on the waterways.
If you thinking about trailering a boat down there, what channel do you listen to when leaving Cypress Cove or Venice? What is the body of water called on the way to the river from those two "ports"? What channel do you listen to for traffic heading up/down river? What do you need to look for that extend out into the river on either side of s/w pass to increase the flow in the main channel? The answers are readily available on some of the places mentioned earlier in this thread but if you don't know at least the answers too these "simple" Q's, then there is no way I would advise you to be on that waterway.
Aside from knowing the hazards. I have the latest software and there is a note to the effect that it does NOT note all hazards. Hey, the friggin hazards change daily.
Regardless, since I just had a less then positive experience I may sound overly cautious, but in reality and after two trips to the hospital due to incidents last year, and the recent grounding of my boat, I don't think I have been cautious enough.
This from someone that has a couple hundred hours logged down there in the last year and 15yrs on the ocean sportfishing. I've done a lot of foolish things (in retospect), no need for someone else to make similar mistakes.
all good advice
terry i didnt mean to imply that you were "disparaging the natives"!
my method is to keep it simple:
-if i want to fish the east (MP blocks), i run baptiste collette...deep, wide and well marked
-if i want to fish the west (WD blocks), i run tiger or red passes...once you run them a dozen times you know exactly where & when to turn
i NEVER run the river, ever...no need to and it's just too much risk for me in a small boat. if i want to fish the 7 mile/12mile rigs or S pass blocks, i'll run tiger then down to the mouth
i NEVER run at night, and NEVER in the fog
i have seven or eight good spots that are safe to run to, and can usually salvage a box of meat no matter what...not because i'm that good, but because the variety of species available make it so
I would go the end of May, without a doubt, for all the reasons already stated - generally better weather, snapper season is open, much greater shot at dophin, and I actually do better on tuna that time of year as opposed to on the lump. I rarely catch a yellowfin on the lump, but rarely fish in the late spring, summer, or early fall without catching yellowfin. From my experience, the only fishing that might be better in the winter is wahoo and grouper, and they can still be caught in May. I, too, rented an onboard captain when I started fishing there over a year ago. I have put 300 hours on my motors in the last year fishing down there, and have learned quite a few things, but still have a lot to learn. I do run the river at night and in the fog - not by plan, but by necessity. I much prefer south pass if navigating in fog or at night, but will also run southwest pass and the main river. I don't like tiger pass at night or in the fog. You can catch fish without taking a guide, but I would recommend one at least one day - especially if you have never live baited or chummed for tuna. To find out if they are biting, and where, refer to rodnreel. com, or post on this site. There are a number of us who regularly fish down there, and will respond when asked. The charter captains are quicker to tell you where they are not biting than where they are biting. If you have a nice looking 18 year old daughter, get her to talk to the charter captains. Also, if you are attempting to tie to an oil rig to bottom fish, put her on the bow of the boat to throw the rope, and one of the rig hands will usually come down and catch the rope from her - just a few little fishing tips I have learned down there in the last year.
cudacat - 3/4/2005 2:22 PM
If you have a nice looking 18 year old daughter...put her on the bow of the boat to throw the rope, and one of the rig hands will usually come down and catch the rope from her - just a few little fishing tips I have learned down there in the last year.
just be careful them boys don't snatch her up there...
WOW! Thanks for all of the detailed and very helpful info and insight! I was just on-line and ordered the Hilton's Offshore Atlas and their paper chart for Venice. Also going to order the C-MAP chip for that area for our plotter. We were planning on chartering a couple of days to get the feel of things up there, but the suggestion of running our boat with a local captain is a much better idea. The only charters we have done were on vacations too far to trailer, so we didn't think about the option of having someone run our (new) boat. Been fishing Florida west coast and trailer to east coast and Keys for past 15 years, but this will be a whole new experience. We have decided to go the end of May - it won't get here fast enough!! That will gives us more time to continue researching and get very familiar with the charts, etc. THANKS AGAIN!!
The end of May and the first of June is thed best fishing in Venice. The Blue water is only 7 to 20 miles out of South Pass and it has Marlin, Wahoo, Tuna and Dolphin feeding. The rigs are loaded with Red Snapper, Grouper and Amberjack.
Good fishing. If you need any other information are places to stay in Venice give me a call at 225-279-3800 or email strikezonecharter@hotmail.com
Wow - I had recently been wondering about the same thing & fishin-gal beat me to the question. Lots of great info there. I'm fairly new to both this board & the area. I grew up fishing, & have done a fair amount of different types of fishing, but have been totally out of it for almost 10 yrs. I recently bought a 20' Edgewater CC and was wondering what the concensus is on Wx & whether a 20 footer would have a good shot at getting offshore in May. I check out rodnreel from time to time & it sounds like the Lump tuna months (Jan Feb) are generally a little snotty for a small boat, not to mention the fog issue without radar. Anyhow, any general thoughts on my 20' out of Venice feasibility would be appreciated -
Thanks
you have a myriad of options with that boat
i run my little 19 all over the place down there
here's some good reachable spots:
-run out tiger pass, run to WD 79A...heavily fished but you can usually find snapper/grouper/cobia/triggers. about 150' of water, 25 miles out the pass
-run out tiger pass, run south to the southwest pass lighthouse, anchor at the east jetty, and bottom drop for the biggest redfish you'll ever catch
-run the river down to south pass, hit the 7 mile & 12 mile rigs; snapper/grouper/amberjack/cobia
-run baptiste collette to the main pass rigs...in order MP41 is about 50' of water, 18 miles out; MP 60's are about 120' of water, 25 miles out. "city rigs" are 250' of water, 35 miles out. good fishing at all of those, and you can quickly get to a safe place if need be.
if it's flat or small seas, run the river to south pass, run to the rip...could be anywhere from 5- 35 miles out (check around before you run blind), troll the weedline for dolphin, wahoo, etc...
last resort...it's blowing and sloppy, fish inside for trout/redfish/flounder
Thanks for the spots Cgrand,
I figured there would be a good mix of venues accessible w my boat, just wasn't sure about offshore- glad to hear folks in the same league get out there every now and then. I'm thinking of going down for a few days in May in hopes that at least one of those days will be nice enough to get to the blue water. Any recommendations on lodging?
cypress cove marina's motel is the nicest, closest to a launch, and easily the most expensive. make a reservation well in advance
at venice marina, there's fishing, inc's houseboat, it's clean, right there at the launch, and includes breakfast
outside of that, you'll be up the highway in venice, about 4 miles from the launches. lighthouse lodge, venice inn, etc. some are habitable, some are pretty gross
Would you recommend keeping the boat in the water, or keeping it on the trailer? We are used to loading/unloading and have it down to about a 4 minute process. I am worried about the river staining our new boat....with our "old" boat, we left it in the river over 4 days in Steinhatchee, FL, and it stained the gelcoat a rootbeer color. With a buffer and hard work, it came out - don't want to be doing all that with our new baby. Also, which ramp/launch do you suggest for a 28' with outboards? One last question while I'm at it - is the tuna permit needed in La? THANKS!
totally your preference
i'd leave a 28' boat in the water if it were me
either marina would be fine
i find the folks at venice marina friendlier and more accomodating, and the parking is much, much better
cypress cove has a more facilities (bar/restaurant)
what i do is launch at venice marina and get bait, ice, etc there
clean fish at venice marina, then motor over to cypress cove for dinner and beer
re the tuna permit...yes, for yellowfin. not needed for blackfin
Also, if for some reason you do stay up the road at one of the other places, see if you can leave the boat at the marina, and/or unload all of you crap into and out of your hotel room every night. May not be as bad as it was in the 94-2000 period, but nothing was safe and a pad lock on a walkaround cabin didn't matter. Hell we had stuff stolen with the boat parked right outside of our room one time at the Venice Inn. I have even heard of some rods getting stolen around Cypress Cove, but here people tend to leave things more in the open and much more inviting. Overall, however Cypress or Venice are much more secure.
Venice, LA 
I'd check those Notice To Mariners for that area, a for the past couple of months, and make notes on your charts as suggested by the changes or conditions noted in NTMs. I'd talk to the weather people by phone or face to face for the perdictions on the time I'd be there. All my CHARTS would be NEW. I know them like the back of my hand. The $250.00 bucks for a local guide to make a couple of runs down the river and back again would be the cheapest insurance you can buy. When you make those runs, I'd be entering waypoints for any and all changes in the channel, take lots of notes. Hire a guy that talks a lot about what he's doing. SAVE YOUR ROUTES ON THOSE SAFE TRIPS. An intravert isn't what you want on a piloting trip. One priceless item down there would be a computer hook up so I could down load the weather and SSTs every chance I get. 
Make sure your chart plotter's maps are right on the money. When bad things happen to a stranger in a strange place it just seems to roll down hill from there. Best of luck if you go, but be careful. 
