venice area help

[dpage70]

Me and a buddy are thinking about a trip to the Venice area for some red fishing. We're planning on going in Jan, Feb or March. The plan is to get a guide for the first day and we're thinking about renting a boat for the rest of the time there (probably another 3 days). We live in Ky. so it's a pretty good haul to get there so we're not going to show and fish for a day, then head home, and neither of us can afford a guide for 4 days. That's where the boat rental thinking is coming from. Yeah I know the delta is a weird place that changes every day and you can get in trouble if you don't know what you're doing. So i guess my questions would be is renting a boat actually rational thinking? Can anyone tell me a place that rents boats? I'm having trouble finding places online. If there is a place that rents boats are they cheap enough to justify going that route rather than how much it would cost in gas to pull one down there? Also what about lodging? It doesn't necessarily have to be in Venice, just somewhere down near there. Sorry for all the questions we're just trying to figure out what we can do and not do. Thanks for any help

[WPC3]

There won't be any place that will rent you a boat in venice. Going with a guide is the only way to have a successful trip if you are not familiar with Venice. Venice is an awesome place to fish but for someone unfamiliar to the area it can also be a disaster. I personally know Venice very well and still have almost slept in the marsh twice from being stuck.

[90xpress]

first thing to try is to get on thehulltruth.com and go to the gulf coast section. They have a lot of guides and locals on that page that can help you. Once you find that page look up a guy they call Capt. Hoop. He is a guide who does trips on his own boat and on peoples personal boats.

[jcdogfish]

WPC3?

If you go south in grand pass(I think that's what it is called, its the pass east of tiger pass) can you still turn by the camps and cut through the big island and come out in the river. I'm wondering if its silted in or blocked off. For me, the river is the worst part of venice fishing. That saves a few miles of running the river. I need to get down there to look at a couple of places (if they are still there)but need to pick a day where the tide is bottomed out in the morning with a good high tide later. That way if I get stuck I know water is coming before dark. Exploring trimmed down and running slow won't get you in too much trouble, its when you think you know where you are going and where you want to go but you are wrong or misjudged the tide. When we fished off the river a lot we used to have a stick somewhere around the openings to mark the water level. If you got stuck, when you got out you moved the red ribbon up on the stick. That way you could look for the ribbon on the way in, and if you didn't see it you were good to go.

[BStrick]

WPC3?

If you go south in grand pass(I think that's what it is called, its the pass east of tiger pass) can you still turn by the camps and cut through the big island and come out in the river. I'm wondering if its silted in or blocked off. For me, the river is the worst part of venice fishing. That saves a few miles of running the river. I need to get down there to look at a couple of places (if they are still there)but need to pick a day where the tide is bottomed out in the morning with a good high tide later. That way if I get stuck I know water is coming before dark. Exploring trimmed down and running slow won't get you in too much trouble, its when you think you know where you are going and where you want to go but you are wrong or misjudged the tide. When we fished off the river a lot we used to have a stick somewhere around the openings to mark the water level. If you got stuck, when you got out you moved the red ribbon up on the stick. That way you could look for the ribbon on the way in, and if you didn't see it you were good to go.

When I was a kid I would secretly take those ribbons off and put it on the tm so me n dad would look cool

[jcdogfish]

There were some instances where someone screwed around with them,,,,,outcome was not pretty. I don't do all that shallow running stupid stuff anymore

[WPC3]

Jerry you cannot run that anymore unless the water is really high. You can however run down grand pass and cut across Zin Zin bag into the first spillway if you are fishing down river around joseph bayou that is the route I take unless there is a hard south wins. Zin Zin can get pretty rough. The river is not bad to run as long as you use common sense and take your time. Trying to haul ass in the river is a huge mistake. The wave from big boats and ship travel for miles and seem to hit you sometimes out of no where.

[jcdogfish]

Thanks Willie, I grew up swimming in the river but I still don't like it down there. Like you said, you wonder where some of the waves come from.

[Stewy]

sent you a PM

[dpage70]

I appreciate the info guys. If guides are the only way to go if you aren't familiar then what do people normally about several days of fishing? No way everyone that comes down there can afford a guide for 3-4 days or are driving 14 hours in some cases just to fish 1 day and drive home. I'm sure both happen but there's no way that's the norm.

[jcdogfish]

If you want to get a guide for a day and fish several days you will probably have to pull a boat down. Weather in jan-feb can be either 30 or 70 degrees. Wind can be an issue with fronts. I think if you told a guide what you want to do you can find one that can put you on a few spots to fish. May not be his best spots but if the weather and water levels cooperate you can have a great trip. Remember, the river down here can be 3/4 miles wide + with lots of big ships/barges/work boats etc. Delacroix may be a better option depending on the weather. especially if you get behind a cold front. There you can get in the deep bayous and scratch up some specks deep if the redfish don't cooperate. If you time it right and get the right weather you will be tired catching after a few days. Im sure a few guys here could drop a couple of pins for you. Tons of water down here that can change daily.

[Wendy lou]

Your best bet for information like that is to call Venice Marina, they can get you lined up with a good guide, lodging, and boat rentals

you need to be careful running the Mississippi River rogue waves from the gulf roll up the river and you can get in trouble quick if not watching, also you can have fog show up out of no where in winter months, and some very BIG ships run the river

[Wendy lou]

I run the river
i fish pass a loutre and catch bass and reds on bass baits

junebug culprit worms and lunker lures

also catch both on Johnson silver minnow gold spoons with chartreuse single tail grubs

[BayouBiggin]

Im with Willie on Zinzin Bay... Its the best way to get way down river as long as the wind isnt blowing 30mph... Zinzin can tun into Toledo style waves quickly!!

[jcdogfish]

You jumping back in SW pass by the rock jetty? Where are you jumping in zinzin? Looks like that might be a good place to spend the night...........

[gamblerB]

I have been wanting to learn that route through zin zin bay. My question is where do you exit grand pass and are there a lot of sand bars leaving that pass?