Anyone fish Venice Louisiana?

Planning a trip there this fall. I was hoping someone that’s been there could share some of there experiences with me.

RipTide salt and pepper plus smoke gold halo mullets and sardines

Mullet

bigpike, I’ve been to Venice a half dozen times, usually in June. What kind of info you looking for?

I’m going to assume having a boat is key. Do I trailer my own or rent if rentals are reasonable. I’d be fine with an old pontoon as long as the engine was sound.
Safe place to camp?
I’d like to stay at a state park campground and feel ok about going into new Orleans for a couple nights without getting my stuff stolen.
Guide? Should I get one the first day to show us the ropes. If so can you reccomend one.
Anything you can add would be fantastic.

Thanks

bigpike wrote:

Guide? Should I get one the first day to show us the ropes.

Guide will get you dialed in fast. I found a lot of similarities to the back sloughs of the miss up here in our pools. Fish move and relate to some channels and others can be the dead see. I had a buddy down there for a few years, so I had a local contact. I don’t know any guides there

We did a spring break trip down there two years ago. We booked two days with Mike Frenette out of Redfish Lodge and he totally wore my son and I out catching giant reds. It didn’t help that I was in a boot after a recent ankle surgery, but we had a blast. There’s a ton of water down there, so I’d highly recommend a guide at least for your first day.

We had a really good time with Walter Heathcock who runs Fin Twisters Guide Service. Caught a lot of redfish and trout.

I fished a lot down there when I lived in MS. Definitely get a guide for a few days (Regardless of location), but especially in Venice. I never ran across anybody that rented boats down there so I would plan on bringing your own. Venice has a ton more navigational hazards in comparison to Hopedale/Shell Beach or Cocodrie/Dularge. With the river constantly changing sand bars, etc it’s not the easiest navigation, and you can get yourself in trouble.

Mike Frenette is a helluva guide, but to be honest, I have run into very few guides who are bad fishermen.

Venice definitely is the redfish capital, but with the more difficult navigation in your own boat, I would look into going to Dularge/Cocodrie or on the east side near Hopedale. I fished out of Shell Beach the most often, and unless the water is really low, it’s hard to get into trouble. That time of year, fishing should be dynamite, and you shouldn’t have to run very far.

Don’t get hung up in buying 100s of baits. 99.99% of the time I was using either a 4 horseman popping cork with a 2-3 foot section of 30lb fluoro with a 3/0 Octopus hook and shrimp, a johnson silver minnow in gold, or a Strike King Redfish magic spinnerbait. When they are hungry, they’ll eat anything.

Captain Devin has killer blogs and YT videos. A ton of information to consume – https://www.lafishblog.com/blog/

Thank you for contributing and those who PM’d. I’m getting a much better direction on this trip.
Please keep adding. I dont think I can have enough information for a successful trip!