Reds are coming Delacroix Way

TEAM JO-JO:

Trip Report – Friday 8-15-25

After our last adventure on 8-13-25, Big Rudy & Oneofthepack were still grinning like kids leaving the candy store — except our candy store is a little muddier, a lot wetter, and comes with fins. We were a bit “physicked out” (Team Jo-Jo lingo for both worn out and fired up), but we knew the cure was simple: get back out there.

We didn’t waste much time. By Thursday night, the text thread started heating up. We needed a third to round out the crew. That’s when the hook was set on Big Don. The message was short and sweet:“You want to go chase some Redwarriors?”

It barely hit the satellites before his reply came back: “yessum.” That’s Team Jo-Jo commitment — no hemming, no hawing, just rod-ready in seconds.

With the crew in hand, our target locked, and our spirits high, we planned a return trip to our personal Disney World — Delacroix Island. This place has everything: rides (Bay Flat Sr. at full throttle), characters (all three of us included), and, if we’re lucky, some unforgettable shows starring Redwarriors and Silverwonders.

The game plan was simple: hit the water early, dance with the tide, and see if the fish were in the same generous mood as Wednesday. But in fishing, like in life, there are no guarantees.

The only thing we knew for sure. Time was about to tell…

SIGNS:                                      

·         Rest up Thursday.

·         Meet with Big T-Doc, to review his fishing rods presentation for tomorrows Team Jo-Jo Fishing Curriculum Session. Big Ron & Big Penny stopped by to review same to. We also reviewed CCA’s upcoming Banquet. Afterwards we went to eat at Jos Italian restaurant.

·         Busy day it be.

·         Got to bed at midnight.

·         Up at 3:30 Am for our 4:30 Am meet up at out aboded.

·         Met up with Big Don at Waffle House in Chalmette for 5 AM

·         Check point Alpha water level in canal at junction up 6-8”

·         Check point Bravo, tide in Reggio slack, BF net up.

·         Reaching the home of the Bay Flat Sr she be looking ready to go.

·         Yamaha Dream Machine hit lady she be fired right up.

·         No need on board no stops, we got off to Team Jo-Jo spot # 21 to start our day.

CONDITIONS:

·          Perfect

·         Wind, W.S.W.2-3, S.W. 2-3, W.N.W. 6-8 mph.

·         Water status / conditions: flat calm

·         Sky, overcast nice it be.

·         Had a little shower, not much, but had thunderstorms all around us?

·         Temp, mild, warm.

·         Water level, up 8-6”

·         Water Temp , 87.6 F

·         Salinity,   1.2

·         Specific Conductance  2280

·         Pressure,  30.11 R

·         Water clarity on a scale of 1-7, 3 minus

·         Mississippi gauge:  5.1’

·         Caernarvon Outfall:       684      ft3/s

·         Tide, tail end of rising, stop, slack, turned around a started falling.

·         Peak tide, 07:15 H 0.66’

·         Peak tide, 16:55 L 0.23’

·         Major Feed Time:  none / 22:01

·         Minor feed time:   11:27 / 22:31

·         Tidal Coefficient:    62

·         Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

§  Moon age 28 days

·         Last quarter:        8/16/25

·         New  moon:         8/23/25

·         First quarter:       8/31/25

·         Full moon:           9/7/25

·         Fish Activity

·             High Activity   

·         No bait at spot # 21 , no mullets

·         Boats out and about,  none in area we be fishing.

·      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 Sr and the Yamaha Dream 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 we could have a repeat of Wednesday trip.

·         Bring home some Redwarriors for petite Lucy & her new kitty.

·         Find a spot  # with the seven fundamentals / criteria of catching.

·         Check out & scope some other areas to see if they are holding any fish and how conditions are, re, type bottom, channel locations, depth of water.

1 WIND AT YOUR BACK: (Wind not a factor, keep us cool)

2 MOVING WATER: (Tail end of rising, slack, turned and started to fall perfect it be, but Redwarriors not at home at spot # 21, no  bite in 3 hours.)

3 WATER CALRITY: (A 2 plus looked sandy, but it seems fished did not mind)

4 HOLDING FISH:  (Team Jo-Jo’s spot # 6 (31) Redwarriors in about 40-45 minutes, on, on, on)

5 PATIENCES: (This criterion proved itself today, we waited for the tide to fall, 3 hours not a bite, had to move on, it was a good move)

6 SKILL: (Tight lining Matrix Shad lures along bottom in the strike zone, strike zone was maybe a 3-foot diameter, not in it, no fish you get.)

7 LUCKS: (Thonderstoeasm all around us we do not get wet, going to spot # 6)

·      Oneofthepack’s repertoire of Techniques / presentations:

·         Anchor up cast & retrieve slowly along the bottom, with a twitch every now and then, tight lining…………………………………All fish caught this technique.

·         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)…………….Did not try.

·         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……………All fish caught with this rig /lure.

·         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, ……Did not try.

·         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:

Spot # 21, spot # 6 (31r), stopped fishing at 10:30, caught all fish in about 45 minutes.

OUR REWARDS:

·         Lived too fish another day.

·         (0) Silverwonders

·         (31) Redwarriors

·         (1) Croaker

·         ((2) Gaff Tops\(6) Hardheads

·         (3) Crabs

·         1 Bushel of grass

·         (3)tangled lines, cutting line type.

·         Sinkers bars, thanks Big Rudy

·         Meat sticks thanks Big Don

·         With all the thunderstorms, it was a mild temperature, and we did not get wet.

·         Lessons learned:

§  Redwarriors not at home spot # 21, fished for 3 hours not a bite, we waited for tide to stop turn and start falling.

§  On the ride out I asked Big Don do you notice anything, say he no bait in water, last time we had 1,000s of mullet in Pencil canal, but today not one.

§  Water clarity was a little off too.

§  Patients was the need  of the day, after 3 hours no bite, decided to head over to Team Jo-Jo’s  spot # 6, BINOG it was on, on, on, on.

§  After 3 hours without no bite, we reached spot # 6 around 9;40, by 10:30 we had (31) Redwarriors, and were on our way back to Bay Flat Sr homeport.

§  Matrix Shad Lemon drop still the lure of choice for the Redwarriors.

§  My new pole that Gus Net & Tackle gave me to replace the one I broke, works well, it goes a workout today.

·         Best fishing trip of my life, until the next one.

FISHERPERSON OF THE DAY:

We had so many coming in Bay Flat Sr from all angels, hard to keep up with score, me just say it was a tie today, we all get the honors today.

SUGGESTIONS:

Captain’s Log – Lessons from the Tackle Box

The best item in your tackle box is patience — it saved us today. Fishing is all about being in the right place at the right time.

Another essential item in your tackle box is knowledge, built from time on the water and truly knowing your fishing area.

One more item in your tackle box is a diary of your trips — a record that helps you figure it out, trip after trip.

PONDER OF THE DAY:

"Fishing is not just a hobby; it's a state of mind."

Q&A:

Do you think that having a photo of a fish on your dating profile is “obligatory” or silly? 

TEAM JO-JO’S future stratagem:

Nothing planned, but we do have Team Jo-Jo Fishing Curriculum Session at Fatty’s Seafood, Sunday opens for a trip, until then!

Good Fishing

Team Jo-Jo & Oneofthepack

釣り先生

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