Full Day St. Bernard Louisiana Fishing Charter
When you're looking for a serious fishing adventure without any surprises on your bill, Captain Thomas has you covered. This full 8-hour charter in St. Bernard's prime waters gives you everything you need for a top-rated fishing experience - fuel, live bait, ice, and fish cleaning are all included. No hidden fees, no last-minute add-ons, just pure fishing from sunrise to sunset. Whether you've been working these Louisiana waters for years or you're picking up a rod for the first time, you're going to love what these marshes and nearshore waters have to offer. The boat holds up to 3 anglers, so you'll have plenty of room to work without bumping elbows.
What to Expect on the Water
St. Bernard Parish sits right where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf, creating some of Louisiana's most productive inshore fishing grounds. You'll be working a mix of shallow marshes, deeper channels, and nearshore structure where fish stack up year-round. The trip starts early - Captain Thomas knows the best bite times and will have you on the water when the fish are most active. With 8 hours to work with, you'll hit multiple spots throughout the day, adjusting tactics based on tides, weather, and what the fish are telling you. The boat comes equipped with quality tackle, but feel free to bring your favorite rods if you've got them. Live bait is provided and makes a huge difference when targeting these species - nothing beats a fresh shrimp or finger mullet when redfish and trout are being picky.
Tactics and Techniques
The beauty of St. Bernard fishing lies in the variety of techniques you'll use throughout the day. In the shallow grass flats, you'll work topwater plugs and soft plastics around structure, watching for redfish tailing in skinny water. When targeting speckled trout in the deeper cuts, live shrimp under popping corks is deadly effective. For black drum and sheepshead around pilings and rocks, bottom fishing with crabs and cut bait produces consistent results. Captain Thomas reads the water like a book and will put you on the right technique for each spot. The marsh fishing here requires local knowledge - knowing which passes hold bait, where the drop-offs are, and how the tides move fish around. You'll learn to read bird activity, water color changes, and current lines that indicate where predator fish are feeding. The gear is matched to the conditions, from light spinning tackle in the shallows to heavier setups when working structure for bigger drum and sheepshead.
Species You'll Want to Hook
Redfish are the crown jewel of Louisiana inshore fishing, and St. Bernard waters hold some real bulls. These copper-colored fighters average 20-30 inches but can push well over 40 inches in these nutrient-rich waters. Fall and spring offer the best action, when reds school up in massive numbers. What makes them so exciting is their aggressive strike and bulldogging fight - they'll make screaming runs toward structure and test your drag system. Look for them tailing in shallow water or busting bait in the open marsh.
Speckled trout, or sea trout, are the bread and butter of Louisiana fishing. These silvery predators love the grass flats and drop-offs throughout St. Bernard Parish. They're most active during cooler months, with winter producing some of the biggest specimens. A good trout will go 3-5 pounds, but the marshes here produce plenty of "gator trout" pushing 7 pounds or more. They're incredibly light biters, so you need to stay sharp, but when you hook one, they'll jump and shake like a largemouth bass.
Black drum are the heavyweights of the inshore scene, with mature fish reaching 30-50 pounds in these waters. They're most active in spring when they move shallow to spawn, but you can find them year-round around structure. What's exciting about drum fishing is the sheer power - these fish will test every knot and put serious pressure on your equipment. They're bottom feeders, so you'll be fishing crabs and cut bait near pilings, rocks, and shell reefs.
Sheepshead are the technical challenge that keeps things interesting. These black-and-white striped fish have human-like teeth and are notorious bait stealers. They school around any hard structure - docks, pilings, and rock piles. The trick is detecting their light bite and setting the hook before they spit the bait. A good sheepshead runs 3-5 pounds and makes excellent table fare. They're most active in cooler months when they move inshore to spawn.
Summer flounder round out the mix, particularly during warmer months when they move into the shallows to feed. These flatfish are ambush predators that bury in sand and mud, striking at passing baitfish. Louisiana flounder can reach impressive sizes, with fish over 5 pounds not uncommon in St. Bernard waters. They're sight feeders, so clear water and live bait produce the best results. Finding them requires working sandy bottoms near grass lines and channel edges.
Time to Book Your Spot
This full-day charter delivers serious value for anglers who want a complete fishing experience without worrying about extra costs. With fuel, bait, ice, and cleaning all handled, you can focus on what matters - putting fish in the box. Captain Thomas knows these St. Bernard waters inside and out, and with only 3 spots available, you'll get the personal attention that makes the difference between a good day and a great one. The fish are here year-round, the captain knows where to find them, and everything's included in the price. Don't wait too long to secure your dates - the best fishing days fill up fast, especially during peak seasons when the redfish are schooling and the trout are biting.