Surf fishing GI

Walk out through the first trough. Walk parallel with the beach.

Make fan casts into the first trough, straight ahead of you, and out into the 2nd trough.

Keep moving and look for subtle differences along the beach and water line that will indicate a drain. Fish will stack up in these areas as well as where you find small holes with deeper water in small areas.

Look for birds diving and pockets of mullet and/or shrimp.

I like to throw suspending hardbody baits (i.e. mirrodines, catch 2000s) in the summer along the beaches. Big female trout are aggressive during the spawn and are vision hunters.

Of course keep some jig heads and soft plastics on hand. Topwater for the early mornings.

Get a float basket with a long rope not a stringer.

Updates regarding the beach restoration can be found here: LINK /

For your soft plastics, I’ve have great success using the down south lures in opening night and frozen smoke.

1/4 oz pink jig head with a shrimp creole matrix shad bumped along the bottom as you reel in.

Good luck.

All I ask is to not leave bait and dead catfish on the beach.

Vette, No chance we leave anything behind, our crew always keeps it clean.

I can distinctly remember a few things from my youth on the Island:
- picking up tar balls and gafftop catfish skeletons along the beach.
- catching hundreds of specs (any size, before creel and size limits) and white trout
- catching a flounder or two every fishing trip
- Daddy’s Money
- the restaurant just across the bridge that was written up in Southern living
- catching as many crabs as one wanted in the surf on a trot line tied off to cinder blocks, suspended by milk jugs featuring a dozen or so turkey neck strings
- walking out on the beachside jetties; fishing and crabbing from them
- pulling our own shrimp/crab net seine in the surf (looked like a tennis court net)
- many more

Grandpa’s camp was on Smith Street, still there holding up well. He bought it in the early 80s. We once literally took 10 days leave from Okinawa Japan to Grand Isle for summer vacation.

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I can distinctly remember a few things from my youth on the Island:

- the restaurant just across the bridge that was written up in Southern living

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What restaurant was that?

Thanks, I've been to that restaurant a few times at Cigar's Marina. I don't remember the name either...

We always called it cigar’s when I was a kid. I believe Katrina cut it out.

Live shrimp under a cork also free lining shrimp. The water is deepest between the rocks in the surf. There are parking spots for beach access along the road on Grand Isle. I like the one at elm st. Because the rocks are further out and the water is deeper. We usually do good there. On days when the surf is rough the back bay holds alot of fish too. You need a boat or kayak for that. Alot of trout along the rocks in the back side of Grand Isle. Good luck ??