Hopedale, LA, Oct. 22, 2022

Poling along in search of redfish

Hopedale, Oct. 22, 2022

Water Temperature: ~ 74 F

Water Clarity: Bad, with a few spots that were a little better than bad.

Water salinity: did not check

Temperature: ~ 78 F for high

Moon: 1/8^th waning

Launch: slipped the Hobie Compass in about 7:30 a.m., out at 5 p.m.

Water covered: ~ 10 miles

Other fishers: Kevin A.

Gear: 8-wt fly rod with a spoon fly, 6-wt fly rod w/ a shrimp fly, light spinning rod with a Voodoo shrimp for trolling.

Kevin and I headed to the ponds, checking a few cuts off the canal for speckled trout. No trout today. We got to a big pond, and he went right, and I went left. I went up a little bayou off the pond and eventually got to some shallow water that had some visibility. I spooked several fish and then had a chance at a redfish about 40 feet away. I hooked up and thought it would be a quick battle, but the fish was resistant. I got the net under it and then realized it was larger than I thought. It was a bit over 28” and stout. I released it and went looking for more. I met Kevin and he had the same luck – an oversized redfish, and then the conditions declined. We would have to look elsewhere.

Kevin and I made the upwind trek to a more distant pond in hope of finding clean water. We were moving toward the leeward end when a mud boat came past and beat us to our destination. They did not stay long but did their best to stir things up. Frustrating! It was about 1 p.m. and Kevin needed to head back in. I put in a few more miles and tried a couple of new ponds, but the water was dirty there too. Along the way, I got a small bass, a needlefish, and another undersized redfish by blind casting.

I’m not sure why the water has been so dirty lately. It is likely due to multiple factors. The submerged weeds are dying out, and they usually afford protection from wind and the influx of dirty water. I know that shrimp trawlers stir up the mud, and that sweeps into the bayous and ponds with the tide. The tides have been running high and are pushing over the weed beds that remain. The wind also stirs the mud from the bottoms of open ponds. Until the general quality of the water improves, it will be good to time fishing trips with a falling tide. The water that is flooded into the grasses along the shore is filtered, so when it drains out the clarity improves. Water clarity is key for fly fishing in general and is required for sight fishing. Days like today are made for the anglers who use bait and depend on a fish’s sense of smell to direct feeding behavior.