A-Rig Success on the Tchefuncte River
Winter has arrived on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and bass anglers are targeting deeper water in the main rivers and bayous. Covington angler Jason Pittman has been fishing the Tchefuncte River and has recently found success using his Alabama Rig.
On his latest trip, Pittman found himself fishing 43-degree water temperatures on the Tchefuncte River following a cold snap. Instead of covering shoreline grass or dead-end canals, he went straight to the deepest holes he could find, targeting bass that had grouped up to ride out the cold. “It doesn’t get cold often here in south Louisiana,” Pittman said. “But when it does, I like to find those deep holes where I know the bass will be grouped.”
Pittman positioned his boat along the shoreline and made long casts toward the middle of the river, where the depth dropped into 18 feet. He threw a Yum Flash Mob Jr Alabama Rig with five white four-inch Mister Twister Sassy Swimmers, each rigged on light 1/16-ounce jigheads. The lighter heads are key in Louisiana’s shallow river systems, allowing the rig to fall naturally and stay in the strike zone longer without constantly dragging bottom.
Pittman says the rig’s strength in winter is its ability to mimic a small pod of baitfish rather than a single target. In cold water, bass are often more curious than aggressive, and Pittman has found the rig consistently pulls fish up off the bottom. Once one bass commits, others often follow. “They were grouped up pretty good down there,” he said.
Slow retrieves are critical at this time of year. Pittman lets the rig pendulum down to depth before crawling it back just fast enough to keep the swimbaits kicking. He throws the heavy multi-hook setup on a stout rod with 20 to 25-pound fluorocarbon, giving him the backbone needed to handle winter fish that often bite deep. Pittman ended the day with a limit of bass with the largest topping out at 3 pounds. The highlight of the trip came when he was able to sling two bass onto the bow at the same time.
When cold fronts push water temperatures into the 40s, Pittman says the Alabama Rig shines brightest. “That A-rig fools them every time,” he said, especially when bass are stacked up and waiting for an easy meal.
Eden Isles White Trout
January is usually a slow month for white trout, but the neighborhood canals of Eden Isles have been producing an unusual winter bite. Slidell angler Mark LeBlanc has been spending his afternoons fishing from both the dock and the boat and says the action has been steady. On recent trips, LeBlanc has been catching anywhere from 15 to 25 white trout by focusing on canal intersections where current and depth changes concentrate fish.
“I normally think of white trout as a warm weather deal,” LeBlanc said. “Seeing them stacked up this time of year definitely caught me off guard.”
LeBlanc has had his best success keeping things simple. He recommends fishing straight down with a drop shot and using whatever bait is easiest to get. Cut bait has been the most consistent producer, but live and dead shrimp have also worked when the bite slows. “If you can get it in front of them, they will eat it,” he said.
Along with the white trout, a handful of speckled trout have been mixed in, giving anglers a chance at a quality fish even while targeting numbers. Several of the specks reported this week stretched past the 20-inch mark, a good sign for anyone fishing the canals during the winter months.
With cold weather pushing fish deeper and tighter to structure, Eden Isles continues to be a reliable option when rough conditions keep anglers off open water.
Upcoming Tournaments
Pearl River Team Trails will hold its next tournament at Crawford Landing on February 13. For more information, call Charles Dauzat at 985-960-3260.
The Pearl River Challenge 2026 season kicks off on January 24 at the East Pearl River. The season will run from January to November and will be held on every third Saturday of the month. For more information please contact Lee Hillman at 985-352-3522.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com. Contact Keith at [email protected].)
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