Double-rigging for Redfish
Keith Lusher 06.10.24
Fishermen are always trying to improve upon their techniques. Here in South Louisiana, it’s often about quantity over quality. Corey LaBostrie of Lacombe, LA, fishes Bayou Lacombe which is located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. LaBostrie admits that the bayou is a source of food for him and his family. “I’m always trying to make groceries when I go fishing, especially when I’m catching redfish,” he said.
On his latest trip to the marsh Labostrie was fishing from his canoe and decided to use a double rig. “I was using a Coconut Chrome colored Speck-Drum Tripletail,” LaBostrie said. On the bottom of the line, he tied on a 3/16 Big Eye jig head made by Z-Man. About two feet about that he tied on a #2 drop shot hook. “This rig has caught so many fish through the years. I love it,” he said.
LaBostrie began fishing in a duck pond. He was casting into a canal that connected the duck pond to the main bayou.
After a long cast near the shoreline, he began jigging the double rig on the bottom. That’s when he felt an abrupt stop to his line. LaBostrie set the hook hard and began reeling the fish in. The fish had other plans as it made a hard run that stripped drag from his reel for about a minute. “For a minute I thought it was going to spool me,” LaBostrie said. He battled the fish and managed to net the monstrous fish using his right hand while he pulled the big redfish near with the other hand.
The redfish measured 29 inches. “Man, that felt good to net that fish and haul it into the boat,” LaBostrie said. “What a fight.” After tossing the fish in the box, LaBostrie set the hook on another redfish. As he was reeling it in he felt it tug really hard. “I had one redfish on the top lure and another jumped on the bottom lure,” he said. LaBostrie finished off his 5-fish limit in no time and headed back to the house to clean the fish and fry them up.
LaBostrie recommends the double rig for those who are looking to put fish in the boat faster as the double rig opens up the opportunity to catch two fish at one time. For those looking to catch redfish, LaBostrie said these fish should be plentiful all month and into June. he recommends looking for deep channels that lead back into the marsh. “Find the moving water and the reds will be they’re feeding,” he said.
