If you’re an avid saltwater fisherman here in the United states, you’ve most likely seen some of the pictures in circulation on social media of the 200lb class yellowfin tuna, 100lb wahoo, swordfish, and beautiful grade of bottom fish species caught down in Venice Louisiana. In this article we explore the in’s and out’s of the Incredible fishery Venice Louisiana has to offer especially during what the locals like to call “big fish season”.
Time of year/target species:
Venice, Louisiana has earned the nickname “ Tuna Town USA” for a very obvious reason. At any given time of year a healthy grade of yellowfin tuna can usually be caught in and around the oil rigs, drill ships, platforms and lumps. During the winter months of February and March the boats in Venice are geared for what they call “ big fish season”. In this period of time it's not uncommon to see multiple 100lb class yellowfin tuna airborne as they crash schools of nervous baitfish, making for some of the most impressive blowups on the water. It's common for this time of year that while trolling for wahoo, every single rod in the spread starts screaming in unison with healthy wahoos on the end of each rod. It's this special time of year that anglers can cross trophy sized yellowfin and wahoo on the same day off their angler bucket list.
Weather:
When planning a trip to Venice Louisiana paying attention to the weather is critical.The weather between February and March can be quite unpredictable. Weather monitoring systems such as Windfinder and the NOAA Marine Weather Forecast can help give anglers an idea of how the weather will look for their trip. Your captain will know what conditions are doable and when it's best to reschedule.
Gear:
When gearing up for a trip down to Venice Louisiana, Eat My Tackle has everything needed for success when targeting large yellowfin tuna and wahoo. You’ll need at least a 50w class reel and at least a 80-100 lb class rod for the majority of the large tuna and wahoo fishing. Another factor to take in account while gearing up for a trip to Venice would be how your reels are spooled. Some captains will tell you the sharks are so bad, they’ve had to beef up all of their tackle when targeting these large fish, just to keep them away from the Taxman (sharks). Some spool their large reels intended to target yellowfin tuna with 130 lb braid connected to a topshot of 130lb mono, changing out varying sizes of fluorocarbon leaders as needed. Other captains will tell you that 100lb braid with a top shot of 100lb mono is your best bet.
Picking the right charter outfit:
When picking a charter outfit to book there’s multiple different factors to take into account when picking a charter outfit to book. Crew size is typically limited to up to 6 people for most trips. The boats being run out of Venice are typically fast outboard boats such as Contenders, Freemans, Invincibles, Yellowfins, and a few other types of high performance fishing vessels. A few great options as far as charter outfits go are: Offshore Sportfishing with Captain Brett Ryan, Relentless Sportfishing Charters with Captain Joey Davis, Super Strike Charters with Captain Willy B., Gulf of America Outfitters with Capt Marty, Voodoo Sportfishing, Tripletail Charters with Capt Blake, Intensity Offshore with Captain Blake, and many more hardworking world class fishing charter outfits.
Where to stay/what to bring:
There’s a few different options for lodging when you get down to Venice, Louisiana. One of the most popular accommodations while visiting Venice for a quick fishing trip is the Cypress Cove Lodge, located steps away from the world famous Cypress Cove Marina. Other great lodging options are the Lighthouse Lodge and the Venice Inn Motel.
When down in Venice Louisiana, especially during the big fish season in the Months of February and March, food options can be limited. Once down in Venice make sure to bring plenty of food and water for both your time on and off of the water.
As far as what to wear, dress comfortably and warm. Coverall gear such as Grundens or Sitka with layers of warm clothing underneath are your best bet to stay warm while cruising 30 kts+ on these high performance outboard boats in the months of February and March.
What to expect:
Expect sore arms, memories for a lifetime, and epic catches of tuna and wahoo to fill your coolers to the brim! 