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4 Amazing Trophy Fish You Can Catch in Louisiana

Are you considering doing some Venice Louisiana fishing? For a trophy fisherman, you’ve come to the right place.

Known as the “Gateway to the Gulf”, you are sure to have the experience of a lifetime fishing in Venice.

But do you know what you can catch here? Of the trophy fish available, do you know the most effective fishing methods to increase the chances that you’ll reel one in?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 4 amazing trophy fish you can catch when fishing in Venice, Louisiana.

And when you’re ready to book a trip to catch some of these trophy fish yourself, contact us.

Venice Louisiana Fishing- A Hotspot

It’s safe to say that Venice Lousiana Fishing is a hotspot during all 4 seasons of the year.

But if you have a specific fish in mind, it might depend on the month you plan to fish here, too.

For example, wahoo are best caught in the early spring months.

Fishing for yellowfin tuna or swordfish? You can do that pretty much year round.

The 4 trophy fish we’ll cover in this guide include swordfish, yellowfin tuna, red snapper, and wahoo. Each description comes with tips to reel one in!

#1. Swordfish

Swordfish are known for being two things: a significant achievement for any serious trophy fisherman, and being a handful to reel in. They start at about 100lbs and go up from there.

What makes reeling in a swordfish so difficult is their dogged nature, fast movement, and ability to sink down to 2000ft of depth in the ocean. Even in prime swordfish areas, this means the best anglers can sometimes struggle to find or reel them in.

You’ll need big pieces of bait and a line that can sink into deep waters to catch one of these.

But if you’re coming to do some Venice, Louisiana fishing, you can’t do much better than reeling home a swordfish. This guide walks you through one man’s journey, with a step-by-step recap of how to catch a swordfish.

#2. Yellowfin Tuna

The approach for yellowfin tuna might be a little different, but a lot of the big game trophy fish tips still apply. They usually weigh between 60-80lbs and taste good just about any way you cook them.

One: you’ll need good-sized bait. Bluerunners are probably your best bet. Make sure you get some extras because the way you’ll be fishing for yellowfin will undoubtedly draw the attention of sharks.

If you checked out the Bluerunner link above, you’ll see that there are really two approaches to reeling in yellowfin tuna when fishing in Venice, Lousiana:

  • You can chum with live bait. This will help bring tuna to the water’s surface, which eventually will lead to at least one sinking teeth into a hooked line. If it’s an active tuna area, you’ll know quickly where they are; there will be ripples behind your boat as they fight over the food.
  • Throw out chunks of cut bait. Unlike with the swordfish, yellowfin tuna will come to the surface if they are active in that area.

You won’t be disappointed if you find yourself filling the cooler with yellowfin!

#3. Red Snapper

The biggest red snapper you’ll find probably weighs upwards of 30-40lbs. In all likelihood, you’ll be reeling in some smaller ones weighing below 10lbs, too.

But red snapper are beautiful fish, and they taste pretty darn good, too.

Like a smaller version of the swordfish, expect the red snapper to put up quite a battle when you try to reel it in. Obviously less weight is to your advantage, but their strong, head-shaking techniques won’t make for an easy experience, either.

They can be found at depths of 50-60 feet, but they tend to dwell in strong currents. As such, you’ll want strong lines and heavy rods that can handle the task.

For baits, dead Cigar minnows or cut fish should do the trick. And honestly, red snapper isn’t found as frequently outside of the Gulf of Mexico. This means Venice Lousiana fishing is the place to be for these beautiful animals!

#4. Wahoo

Wahoo: fun to say, and hard to catch. That about sums up your experience with this fish down in Venice, Lousiana.

Wahoo are fast. How fast? 60mph through strong current waters fast. This means that your best bet for reeling in wahoo is high-speed trolling.

And if you’re going that fast, you may need to use bait that will catch their attention. Colorful, bright lures are just one suggestion for catching wahoo when you’re Venice, Louisana fishing.

These fast, powerful fish tend to feed mostly in the early morning. There’s about a 30-45 minute window each morning where wahoo goes wild.

Suffice to say the old adage “the early bird catches the worm” can also be applied to catching wahoo.

Ready To Reel ‘Em In?

Venice, Louisiana fishing is a metropolis for trophy fisherman looking to reel in big game. Whether you’re after swordfish, yellowfin tuna, red snapper or wahoo, a trip down to the Gulf of Mexico should be next on your list.

Depending on what you want to catch, you’ll need to take slightly different approaches.

For a big and powerful fish like a swordfish that sinks down deep in the water, you’ll need big bait and some strength to boot.

Expect yellowfin tuna to find you when you start chumming. And buy some extra, because some sharks might find you, too.

Red snapper may be small, but it will put up a fight. Don’t overestimate their size and make sure you have strong rods and good lines.

And last, wahoo aren’t just fun to say. They are fast, powerful fish. You’ll want bright lures and a speedy boat if you’ll be bringing wahoo home that night.

At the end of the day, you can’t really go wrong with Venice, Louisiana fishing. If you’re ready to go, take a look at our availability for charter fishing. We’re ready to help you reel in some big fish!