Artificial Lure here, checking in for your October 29th Gulf of Mexico Louisiana fishing report. Sunrise sparked the day at 7:16 AM and sunset will close out at 6:23 PM. We’re in what locals call a “post-front lull,” with clear skies and a light north breeze. Temps are starting in the mid 60s and topping out near 77 by early afternoon. Water clarity is above average across the marshes thanks to these cooling winds and recent cold snaps, setting the table for some hot fishing.

Tides are fairly weak this morning—the tidal coefficient in Cocodrie is hovering around 34, which means slow current, low amplitude, and gentle movement on the flats. The best action still comes with moving water, so fish dawn and dusk around the outgoing or incoming pushes. Slack tides midday could slow down the bite, so time your trip accordingly.

Speckled trout are the headline catch right now. They're stacked up on oyster reefs, bridge pylons, and channel edges from Lake Pontchartrain down to the southern bays. Early bite is all about topwater lures—think MirrOlure She Dog or Rapala Skitter Walk—to call up aggressive fish before the sun gets too high. Soft plastic paddle tails like Z-Man Trout Tricks under popping corks are deadly once that light rises. According to Louisiana Sportsman, kayak anglers and waders are pulling limits of trout in the shallows, especially near Grand Isle and along marsh drains.

Redfish are running strong, cruising the grassy shorelines and drains. The falling tide is best—those reds pile up near points looking to ambush shrimp and mullet. Gold spoons and chartreuse paddle tails are the ticket. For live bait, you can’t beat live shrimp fished tight to structure, or fish cut mullet on bottom for bull reds at the jetties near Venice and Caminada Pass. Louisiana Sportsman highlights Grand Isle's beaches for bull reds right now—these beasts are running big, with some pushing past 30 pounds.

Inside the bays, flounder are making a fall showing around sandy, current-swept pockets. Slow-roll a Gulp! Swimming Mullet or a DOA Shrimp right on the bottom. Blue catfish are firing up in the deeper river bends in Atchafalaya spillway—cut bait or shad is the best bet.

Offshore structure and drift fishing have been solid. Anglers using GPS waypoints and new sonar are seeing great catches: red grouper, vermilion and mutton snapper, porgies, and triggers. Live pinfish, cigar minnows, and squid-tipped Fusion bucktail jigs fished on fluorocarbon leaders are pulling a mixed box. Best drift speeds sit right around 0.8 knots—slow and steady for heavier hookups. That’s the modern drift game: set a digital waypoint and glide over ledges for big hauls.

Recent catch reports out of Grand Isle and Venice show strong numbers—shore anglers and boaters both getting limits on trout with occasional trophy fish over 20 inches. Bull reds are thickest at the jetties, as noted by Gulf of Mexico Louisiana Daily Fishing Report. Flounder and sheepshead are showing up as the water cools, and bass anglers in the spillway are finding fall shad patterns just firing up.

For bait, morning topwaters for trout, shrimp and mullet for reds, and cut bait for catfish are all working. Artificial paddle tails, jerkbaits, and gold spoons lead the lure game. DOA Shrimp and Berkley Gulp! remain favorites on the tide changes.

Local hot spots:
- Grand Isle beaches and jetties: bull reds, big trout, flounder.
- Venice marsh drains and passes: reds, specks, sheepshead.
- Atchafalaya spillway: big cats and fall bass.
- Caminada Pass and bridge pylons: trout, reds, mixed bags.

That’s your October 29th rundown from the Louisiana Gulf—weather is prime, fish are biting, and if you work those tides right, you’ll fill the cooler and the camera roll. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for tomorrow’s tips.

This has been a quiet...