Lake P Troll vs. NMR Silverwonders
- Stanley Fink
- 11 hours ago
- 7 min read
TEAM JO-JO:
Here's a quick recap of your Friday & Saturday fishing narrative:
Friday (Workday Prep):
I helped Big Alex retrieve and return his boat to his condo — always good karma helping a fellow boater.
Big Rudy had landlord duties, juggling tenants moving in and out (never a dull moment).
A trip was tentatively planned for Saturday, but the destination was still undecided — either Delacroix or Lake Pontchartrain.
You deferred to Big Rudy for the final call after he checked tide, weather, and other critical fishy variables.
Friday Night:
You got back home late (around 10:30 PM) after a full day with Big Alex.
Big Rudy checked in — and when asked, “What’s the verdict?”, the answer was “Lake P”.
Decision made: Lake Pontchartrain trestles, trolling style aboard the Bay Flat Jr, looking for some NMR Silverwonders.
Saturday (Today):
Meet-up time was set: 5:00 AM at the point, ready for action.
Mission: Troll the trestles with the hopes of bagging a few of those elusive summertime Silverwonders.
SIGNS:
· Perfect
· Long day Friday
· Up at 4 AM for our 5 AM meet up at the pointe
· Bunny rabbit crossed me path on Rats Nest Road, plus saw (3) sitting long side road, this a very good sign
· No oats in parking , none waiting to launch, this is not a good sign
· Big Rudy waiting for me
· Quick load of gear
· One pull Yamaha Nightmare Machine started right up, another good sign this be
· Off to the trestles to start our morning of Lake P Trolling along trestles
CONDITIONS:
· Perfect
· Wind, S.S.2 4-6 mph
· Water status / conditions: little ripples, flat calm
· Sky, sunny & clear
· Temp, mild, warm, hot, hottest, little red button popped out
· Water level, down 6-8”
· Water Temp , 85.5 F
· Salinity, 1.8
· Specific Conductance 3360
· Pressure, 31.2 R
· Water clarity on a scale of 1-7, 5 plus
· Mississippi gauge: 9.49 ‘ falling
· Caernarvon Outfall: 795 ft3/s
· Tide, falling turn and started to come in perfect it be
· Peak tide, 02:39 L .26’
· Peak tide, 16:05 H .75’
· Major Feed Time: 08:45 / none
· Minor feed time: 07:11 / 21:15
· Tidal Coefficient: 48
· Fish Activity
· High Activity
· Boats out and about, 20 plus
· ONEOFTHEPACK’S REPERTOIRE OF TECHNIQUES / STRATEGIES
· Be safe.
· Have fun.
· This is me daily therapy for ALL me aliments.
· Put some run time on the Bay Flat Jr and the Yamaha Nightmare Machine
· Gather Intel for future trips, and to share with fisherperson, (on Facebook) to help assist them in their choice of areas to fish, lures to use and presentation of same to the elusive Silverwonders.
· Catch what catch can.
· Learn what learn can.
· See if NMR big girl still around
· Find strike zone along trestles
· Have a challenge on how many Lakes P Troll rigs we could lose before we ran out
· Find a spot # with the seven fundamentals / criteria of catching:
1 WIND AT YOUR BACK: (Wind a none factor this day, perfect it be)
2 MOVING WATER: (Tail end of a falling tide, start of rising tide, tide predictions where way off)
3 WATER CALRITY: (A 5 plus still a little sandy looking)
4 HOLDING FISH: (North of mile marker 174, west side of trestles trolling north caught (10), had to move to east west side trolling north due to many boats out, caught (3)
5 PATIENCES: (Bites over by 7:30 to &;45, after that is was very slow action, but we stayed out till 10:30 just trying to prove the bites did not stop.)
6 SKILL: (Lake P Troll technique / presentation)
7 LUCKS: (None wind day, perfect it be)
· Oneofthepack’s repertoire of Techniques / presentations:
· Anchor up cast & retrieve slowly along the bottom, with a twitch every now and then, tight lining…………………………………DID NOT TRY
· Drift with the wind cast & retrieve (DWWC&R)……………DID NOT TRY
· Oak River Troll (ORT)……………….Did not try.
· Reverse Oak River Troll (RORT) ………..DID NOT TRY
· Oak River Skim (ORS) ……………DID NOT TRY
· Cork ……..DID NOT TRY
· Lake P Troll (LPT)…………….All fish caught with this technique / presentation..
· Drop shot: Did not try.
· Dead bait……None
· Live bait………………None
· Oneofthepack ‘S repertOIRE of LURE DU JOUR:
· 3” H&H Purple Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head with gold hook……………Did not try
· 3” Chartreuse Glow Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook………….Did not try
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook……………Did not try.
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 3/8 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 1/2 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY
· Salt Strong Power Prawn (added 10-25-24) matched up with: Did not use:
§ 1/16 oz:.
§ 1/8 ox:
§ ¼ oz. jig head :
§ 3/8 oz. jig head :
§ Tandem Rig:
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with 3/4 oz. round lead head w/ 2 trailers, ……All fish caught with this rig / lure/s.
· Tandem rig, ¼ oz. round H&H jig head with gold hook, matched up with Matrix Shad Lemon Drop …..Did not try.
AREAS / SPOTS / NUMBERS ON THE MAP FISHED:
Lake P trestles, west & east side of trestles, trolling north & south doing Lake P Troll technique.
OUR REWARDS:
· Lived too fish another day.
· (13) NMR Silverwonders
§ Missed 2 reeling in
§ Missed 4 strikes.
§ Caught (1) double a Silverwonder & a hardhead got them both in Bay Flat Jr.
· (4) Flounders
· (1) Puppy Drum
· (1) Hardhead
· (1) clump of grass
· (10) Hang ups, lost 4 Lake P Trolling rigs, Big Rudy & Oneofthepack out , (I had (16) made up went through in no time) of pre-rigged Lake P trolling rigs, we both need to get busy and make some for our next rip.
· Had calm seas.
· No rain
· Only 27 boats out and about
· Lessons learned:
§ Weather & tide prediction never right
§ They have a few NMR Silverwonders hanging around the trestles.
§ Need to pre-rig some more trailers assemblies, so that when we lose a rig, all we must do is use swivel snap, and connect to ¾ oz. jig head, a lot faster than trying to make one in open water.
§ Me inventory getting low on ¾ oz. jig heads.
§ Set point for red button in me belly button set at 10:30 AM before it pops out, and it be time to come in.
§ Dave’s Outboard Mobile Marine Service, (504-650-1539) did excellent work on Big Alex’s boat. And it was very reasonable on the wallet too, recommend him highly!!!
· Best fishing trip of my life, until the next one.
FISHERPERSON OF THE DAY:
Big Rudy caught first Silverwonder, had 3 in boat before me got one, led the Flounder, and grass division, provided the snicker bar, and the sport drink, but me think me might have edged him out.
Oneofthepack had a flounder, a double hook up, (Silverwonder & catfish), dominated the drum category, and even think me lead the Silverwonder division too, me think me edge out Big Rudy today, but me know it wont last he to good a fisherperson for sure.
SUGGESTIONS:
🎣 Team Jo-Jo’s Lake P Trestle Fishing Theory & Options
Option #1: Anchor Up / Spot Lock on a Your Known Hot Spot
Examples: Mile Marker 173–175, steel piling sections, fire breaks, etc.
🎯 Techniques
Live Bait
Drop shot
Carolina rig
Sliding cork
Free line (Oneofthepack favorite – stealthy & natural drift)
Artificial
Single rig
Tandem rig
Drop shot
✅ Pros
Focused presentation, especially good when the bite is concentrated in a small zone.
Great for new anglers learning the structure.
❌ Cons
Limited coverage: you’re hoping fish come to you.
How long is it too long to stay without action?
Tide & wind may push bait away, leaving your spread untouched.
Option #2: Trolling Motor Creeping Along Trestle
Slow drift/push parallel to the bridge with controlled motor movement.
🎯 Lure Options
Single rig
Tandem rig
Drop shot (especially near pilings or eddies)
✅ Pros
Still targeted but covers more water than anchoring.
Good feel for what part of trestle is holding fish (north/south).
❌ Cons
It can be difficult if the wind/tide is strong or inconsistent.
Still relatively slow coverage compared to full-on trolling.
You may zigzag and miss strike zones unless focused.
Option #3: Lake P Troll Technique / Presentation
This is the power move — maximize coverage, identify strike zones.
🎯 Rig Options
Lake P Troll rig (ask Gus at Gus’s Tackle for the Team Jo-Jo sample!)
Rattle Traps
Other deep-diving crankbaits
✅ Trolling Directions
East or West side of trestle
Northbound or southbound
Zig-zag from Hwy 11 bridge to along trestles
✅ Pros
❌ Cons
Boat speed control is critical (use drift sock or trolling motor assist)
Trolling into the current/wind may be challenging
Requires more gear and setup knowledge – but worth it
💡 Oneofthepack Pro Tip:
Once you locate the Silverwonders using the Lake P Troll method, double back and either drop anchor or slow troll that productive zone — milk it while it’s hot.
🛠️ Where to Gear Up:
👉 Gus’s Net & Tackle on Hwy 433
Ask for the Team Jo-Jo Lake P Troll rig sample
He’s got what you need to set up right the first time
🧠 Final Thoughts
Don’t get stuck in a single style. Cycle through all three options based on time of day, water clarity, wind/tide, and fish activity. The Lake P Troll technique should be added to every serious angler’s toolbox — it’s a fish-finder, not just a technique.
PONDER OF THE DAY:
"The fisherman knows that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."
Q&A:
What is your favorite presentation technique?????
TEAM JO-JO’S future stratagem:
Delacroix trip Monday if all goes well, until then :
Good Fishing
Team Jo-Jo & Oneofthepack
釣り先生
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