Sun’s just coming up over the Gulf, and if you’re like me—Artificial Lure, proud Louisiana angler—you’re either already on the water or itching to get there. Today, August 15th, the Gulf of Mexico and its Louisiana marshes are in prime fishing form.

**Weather & Tides:**
Forecast calls for mild winds out of the southwest, around 5 knots, and seas calm at just a foot or less—ideal for small craft whether you’re skiffing the marsh or running out of Venice. We’ll see a mix of clouds with a passing shower possible, but no big storms in sight. Sunrise hit at 6:13 AM, and sunset will be at 8:03 PM, giving us nearly 14 hours of daylight. Tide coefficient is riding high at 79, with high tide at 2:10 PM and low just after midnight, so expect stronger currents and active fish, especially around marsh edges and bay passes according to Tides4Fishing.

**Fishing Activity:**
Redfish are thick as thieves in the grass flats and oyster beds out Venice way. Locals are calling them “Louisiana pumpkins” for their color and fight this time of year. Plenty of recent reports show anglers putting double-digit reds in the box before lunch. Speckled trout are chasing bait in the back bays early and late, especially around channel markers and deeper oyster reefs. FishingBooker charters out of Lake Charles and Venice are reporting solid catches: multiple anglers limiting out on trout and redfish most mornings. Flounder are showing up on sandy bottoms in Lafitte and Barataria with a handful caught gigging at night.

In Lafitte, Captain Jason Shilling says his guests are filling coolers with specks and reds, with bonus black drum and sheepshead showing up on cut bait along the bayou. Out of Lake Charles, charter guides are reporting drum and flounder mixed in with the trout and reds—early trips are producing best, especially on days with moving water.

**Best Lures & Bait:**
For redfish, bring live shrimp or crab under a popping cork, and don’t ignore a Gulp! swimming mullet worked tight to the marsh grass. Matrix Shad soft plastics in “shrimp creole” color on a 3/8-ounce jighead have been reliable for trout, especially at first light or just before dusk. A live croaker or finger mullet will get the bigger trout to bite—Captain Troy Wetzel says the fall mullet run brings hot action, so if you can get your hands on lively mullet, rig it under a popping cork and hang on tight.

Cut menhaden and mullet are good bets on bottom rigs for black drum and sheepshead, and don’t forget gigging for flounder after sunset—find a sandy pocket and use a strong light.

**Hot Spots:**
- South Pass near Venice for reds and big specks in the morning when tide is moving.
- Barataria Bay edges and marsh drains—look for outgoing tides pulling bait, and the gamefish won’t be far behind.
- Calcasieu Lake near Lake Charles, where guides are finding reds stacked along oyster bars and trout around deeper cuts.
- Lafitte’s winding bayous for mixed bags, especially drifting live shrimp near grassy points.

**Tips from Locals:**
Start early, beat the heat, and pick sunrise or sunset for best trout bites. On high tide days, fish tight to grass and oyster beds for reds. If that tide’s swinging, anchor up near a drain or channel mouth—fish stack up when water moves hard.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s report! Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up with the latest in Louisiana fishing, and may your lines be tight and your coolers full.
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