Artificial Lure here, and I’ve got your Gulf of Mexico New Orleans fishing report for Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

We woke up to warm muggy air with sunrise at 6:33 a.m., and we’ll see sunset at 7:17 p.m. Paris Road Bridge’s tidal coefficient sits high at 76, so you’ll find **strong currents and bigger swings between high and low tides today**, making for prime fish movement. The morning’s tide has already been up, but expect another high around midday—plan your casts around those changes for best results according to tides4fishing.com.

Weather offshore is steady with west winds hitting 5 to 10 knots and seas right at 2 feet—manageable for skiffs and bay boats, good news for those working the outer marsh or venturing to Breton Sound. This afternoon, clouds are brewing and there’s a fair chance for a thunderstorm after dark, so anglers are hitting it early as marine.weather.gov forecasts.

Fish activity is peaking at dawn and again in late afternoon. This weekend saw **solid catches of speckled trout and some big bull reds**, especially at the passes and shell reefs east of town. Local charters and guides are reporting “a ton of fish,” with some boats limiting out before lunch according to recent reviews at Captain Experiences.

Best bets for tackle: Specks and slot reds are smashing live shrimp and croaker under a popping cork. If you’re tossing artificials, go with **matrix shad soft plastics in “lemon head” or plum color**, and keep a micro crankbait handy for finicky trout—as H8 Bait Creek Squeaks recommends, smaller profile crankbaits with snappy action are triggering bites near grass lines. Topwater in calm slicks at sunrise drew heavy hits. For reds in shallow ponds, gold spoons and gulp swimming mullet in new penny color put several in the boat.

Don’t overlook crappie-style soft plastics like Bobby Garland’s Itty Bit Mayfly—Crappie Dan notes these versatile baits in new colors, and they’ve fooled some fat white trout and drum hanging around marsh points lately.

**Hot spots** this weekend:
- Chef Menteur Pass and the bridges are stacked with trout at the deeper ends during incoming tide.
- Shell Beach and Bayou Bienvenue, especially where moving water pours through.
- The Rigolets for redfish action as moving tide pulls bait and crab across the flats.

With the tidal swings up and fish chasing bait hard before this afternoon’s storm, now’s the time to get out, drift a few live shrimp or throw a lemon head jig for a quick box. Keep an eye on that sky, and work those transition zones between open bay and marsh for most consistent bites.

Thanks for tuning in to your local fishing report. Hit subscribe to stay dialed in every week, and may your next catch be a big one!

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