Lafitte Green Trout and Perch Plentiful for Weekend Fish Fry!
Frank Davis / Fishing Expert

If you take an opinion poll, you'll quickly learn that even though most fishermen are still catching big numbers and full limits of speckled trout and redfish, some of us just can't seem to resist taking a trout and red break and going after "the fish of the season"---bass (a.k.a. green trout) and bream.

As I write this I do so to remind y'all that there are a whole lot of these two species feeding fast and furiously right now (which is just in time for a really good weekend fishin' trip!) in just about every freshwater pond, lake, and lagoon. . .and especially in Lake Cataouatche.

"Bass are striking blue and black two-tone plastic worms on a bullet-head jig," Capt. Mike Helmer, Thursday's Fishin' Game guide, freely admitted to my TV crew as we pulled away from C-Way Marina just after daybreak this morning. "Bream, on the other hand, which most fishermen down here refer to as perch, are feeding on almost anything--worms, crickets, market shrimp, mini-jigs and just about everything else that appears edible."

Helmer noted that the bass, none of which will win any tournaments for size, are aggressive, however. The majority of their population in Lake Cataouatche seems clustered right on the edge of the grass that practically covers the entire acreage of the lake (except for a few boat-ways that delineate unrestricted passage through the vegetation mats).

"In spite of the minor obstruction to lake access, the average weekend fisherman should have no problem whatsoever half-filling an ice chest with the little critters!" Capt. Phil Robichaux, my host for Thursday's trip, chimed in. "Just about every single one of them is hiding deep within the midst of the hydrilla. A 32nd-ounce beetle spin or a 32nd-ounce leadhead jig baited with a tiny piece of market shrimp and fished under a small weighted cork will help you catch yo'self a whole mess of 'em Saturday and Sunday. But remember this--bring along an oversupply of tackle (jigheads, hooks, mini-spins, and weighted corks). Because the best action will be on ulltr-light tackle rigged with 4-pound-test line. And you're essentially guaranteed that the grass snags will break off tons of tackle in the course of the trip."

Early morning and late evening are the prime times to fish bass, mainly because lake and pond waters are cooler early and late and the reduced lighing during those periods provides a tad more cover than can be found during mid-day angling. Then, once the sun rises in the sky, once the temperature approaches 90-plus, and once the bass fishing slows down, it's time to put away the heavy stuff and the plastic worms and switch over to "perch-jerking."

"I mean, this is the perfect fishin' trip," Capt. Mike noted. "Bass and bream both in the same place! I'll take that every day of the week!"

"And three times on Sunday!" Capt. Phil picked up the montra. "And the great part of it, Frank, is with any kind of luck at all you should get in all the fishin' action you want and still be back home before the heat index does you in! That's my kind of fishing!"

Now, if you don't know your way around massive Lakes Cataouatche and Salvador, and you want to take advantage of the outstanding fishing going on in that area right now, feel free to give Capt. Mike a call. His number’s are 504-329-8005 or 504-689-7200. He'll take you right to the spot where they were biting yesterday. . .and you'll be into the action right from the get-go. Oh--and this is "kid fishing" at it's finest. Wanna create a new "fishin' buddy?" Put a kid on a pack of perch!

Next week it's back to saltwater once again. My fishing team and I will head "down the bayou" to Cut Off and Golden Meadow and make a mid-summer trip with Capt. John Aucoin. I can hardly wait for that to happen! And I promise to tell you how and where to catch 'em the minute I get back on the dock. So until next Thursday. . .

Be careful and courteous out there. I wish you tight lines and good times,

Frank Davis.

If you want to see exactly how to clean and cook these little perch for a home-style fish fry, watch "Frank In The Kitchen" Tuesday morning on the AM Morning News, starting at 6 am. But right now, you can see how he cleans them by going to Frank's videos on the Frank Davis page.