Lost among the thousands of tragic stories coming from August’s record rain and floods is the effect on fish and fishermen.

There have been virtually no reports from the Florida Parishes rivers from the still-high Amite River east to the Pearl River.

And with the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River getting rain that caused the August floods and water coming from rainfall from the entire Mississippi drainage, catches in what usually would be a productive bass and sac-a-lait holes in the Atchafalaya Basin are, at best, average to below average.

Maybe that’s why the Denham Springs-based Junior Southwest Bassmasters decided to head to Bob’s Bayou Black Marina for its September event Saturday. There's no doubt the group of youngsters and their adult “guides” wanted to get back on the water after the floods washed away their August tournament.

With 20 young anglers in the field, a low number for the group because the flood relocated many of its members, club leaders Jim and Cindy Breaux reported their most successful catch of the year from waters “east and west from the launch.”

In all, there were nine five-bass limits, one of which did not make the top three in one of the three age-group divisions.

“And we had another first,” Jim Breaux said. “Every youngster in the tournament weighed at least one bass in the tournament. In six years of the club’s existence this is the first time that has happened.”

Despite a south wind and rising water, the bass reacted to spinnerbaits, frogs, worms and “creature” baits, and several fishermen said “punching grass” produced the bigger fish.

Alex Heintze had the top stringer, 10.24 pounds, among the youngsters and won the 15-18 age group, and shared the spotlight with Hayden Staley’s winning 7.61 pounds in the 11-14 group and Caden Sellers’ 8.22 pounds atop the ages 7-10 fishermen. Evan Maddie, second to Heintze, caught the big bass, a 3.44 pounder.

Along the coast

Fishermen should take note of the four-tide days coming on the change of seasons. The state’s eastern and central coastal waters rarely see four relatively strong tides during a day, but that is more common when summer turns to fall and winter turns to spring on the calendar.

What it means is that water will move most all day during these periods and fishermen can take advantage of extended feeding periods for speckled trout and redfish along the barrier islands, at the passes and in the interior marshes.

Noted, too, are the first reports of flounder moving in the Pontchartrain Basin. While there were several report of jack crevalle moving in the MRGO during the past week, there are enough redfish and flounder there and along “The Wall,” to make for an interesting trip.

Flounder movement is early. Usually flounder move into the MRGO, Chef Pass and The Rigolets in late September into early October and remain until the first days in November.

This is timed with the abundance of white shrimp in the Pontchartrain Basin, the overall abundance of food, and the increased in water salinity, which also accounts for the move of the jacks into the MRGO.

Live shrimp, market shrimp and imitations like the Gulp! Shrimp and the VuDu Shrimp are top choices for taking flounder, redfish, trout and even largemouth bass at this time of year in Pontchartrain waters.

There was also a couple of reports of redfish working the northern end of The Causeway.