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CHARTER FISHING WITH LOUISIANA'S BEST CAPTAINS
Take Me Catchin':
Take Me Catchin':
Why Charter Fishing?
Local Experienced Guides
Many of our guides have grown up in the areas that they explore with their customers. A lifetime of experience allows them to keep their customers on the fish.
Licensed & Insured
Every guide you find listed on this website is verified to be legally licensed to offer charter fishing trips in the state of Louisiana. The state requires charter captains to provide proof of liability insurance to obtain this license.
Equipment & Techniques
While providing all of the equipment for a wonderful day of fishing, our captains also understand the importance of being flexible and adaptable to changes in conditions or the needs of their clients.
Stress Free
Nothing could be easier. Just show up, step in the boat and leave the rest to us!
WHAT'S BITING...CATCHIN' REPORTS
Dularge Sheepshead!
We had Mike and GROUP Contractors down and it was a little bumpy but not enough to keep us from doing the big sheepshead thing. Thanks Capt Marty for …
2025 Is starting off Great
2025 in Cocodrie is starting off great with plenty of trout for your enjoyment. Late winter and spring are super times for trout and larger reds and d…
TESTIMONIALS
Cap. Travis is the best. Down to earth. Low key. Very accommodating. Asked what we wanted to catch. Put us on the trout right away. Catching two at time. Never seen fish so thick in water. Moved on to the bull reds and limited out almost immediately. Caught some more trout on the way in and had cooler full of cleaned and bagged fish by 2pm. My second trip with him was the same. Great guy awesome drummer. Besure to find out where he's jamming.
I have fished with Reelin Good Charters many times and always had a great time. I cannot imagine fishing with anyone else.
Tell us all about your trip. Your responses help inform our captains on how better to serve customers and improve their charter experience. Oh, and you will be entered to win a FREE Louisiana Charter Fishing trip.
Sheepshead
- Appearance
- Body has lightly colored background with vertical black bars on sides and prominent teeth, including incisors, molars and rounded grinders. Sheepshead have dorsal and anal fins with strong, sharp spines
- State Record
- 21.25 pounds, Wayne Desselle, 1982.
Black Drum
- Appearance
- Black drums have a heavy, oblong body with an elevated back.They often have 4 or 5 wide vertical black bars set against silver-gray body, though coloration differs based on habitat and age. Possess a blunt nose and whisker-like barbels under their chins.
- Habitat
- Black drum prefer sandy or muddy-bottomed waters. Larger drums are often found near oyster reefs. They swim anywhere in the Gulf, from brackish waters to near-offshore waters.
- State Record
- 79.50 pounds, Dylan Gonzales, 2007
- Fishing Tips
- When fly fishing, try to stick with gold or copper coloring in the summer time, using 2/0 hooks. Clams or crabs make good live bait.
King Mackerel
- Appearance
- King mackerel have two dorsal fins. The first is often folded into the back groove. They are olive-colored on the back fading to silver on the sides, and white underneath.
- Habitat
- These subtropical fish tend to stick to depths of 40 to 150 feet. Larger-sized mackerel are often seen nearshore at mouths of lagoons and harbors, or near oil platforms.
- State Record
- 82 pounds, W. D. Lamb, 1980
- Fishing Tips
- Drifting or trolling with small, stripped baits work best. King mackerels will take spoons, jigs, and casting lures as well. When trolling, chumming can help bring the fish in. Use porgies (menhaden), squid, or shrimp for bait.
Bluefin Tuna
- Appearance
- Bluefin tunas have a large, torpedo-shaped body that is nearly circular in cross-section. The fish is dark blue-black on the back and white on the lower sides and belly. On live bluefin, colorless lines alternate with rows of colorless spots on the lower sides. The second dorsal fin is reddish brown.
- Habitat
- Bluefin tuna are most commonly found in deep offshore waters.
- State Record
- 1,152 pounds, Ron Roland, 2003.
- Fishing Tips
- Yellowfin and blackfin tuna are more popular, but bluefin tuna can be caught if you find the right school moving through.
Greater Amberjack
- Appearance
- Bluish-brown backs with amber-colored striped down the length of the side. A dark stripe extends diagonally through each eye. Very similar in appearance to other jacks; can be differentiated by its more elongated body shape and smaller number of gill rakers (20 or less, while lesser amberjacks have as many as 25).
- Habitat
- Generally found offshore near structure like reefs and oil platforms, in waters up to 300 feet deep.
- State Record
- 139 pounds, Bill Weldon, 2009.
- Fishing Tips
- Use mullet, squid, or porgies as bait. Chumming is effective, though be advised that this will attract other species as well. For big greater amberjacks, you may have to venture out to the Mississippi Canyon.
Blue Marlin
- Appearance
- The blue marlin is a large pelagic fish with an elongated upper jaw that forms a spear. They have a pointed dorsal fin with no dark spots. They are black to blue on the back and silvery to white below.
- Habitat
- These popular gamefish live in open ocean waters in the temperate and tropical parts of the Atlantic and the Gulf. They prefer clean blue waters and feed on fish and squid.
- State Record
- 1,018.5 pounds, Linda Koerner, 1977
- Fishing Tips
- There are many methods used to troll for these pelagic fish. Lures, dead natural baits and live baits are the most common ways. Anglers troll at various speeds, dragging the bait behind the moving boat and enticing the strike while on the move. Teasers and dredges are an important aspect of attracting these fish into your spread. Catching a blue marlin is often considered a pinnacle in one’s fishing experience.
Swordfish
- Habitat
- This highly migratory species move to warmer waters in the winter, and cooler waters in the summer. Can be found at depths over 2000 feet, and as shallow as 300 feet or less.
- State Record
- 310.0 pounds, 1980.
- Fishing Tips
- Swordfish favor deeper waters during the day, so prepare to go as deep as 2000 feet to catch them. You may need weights of at least five pounds to get your bait down far enough. Nighttime is when swordfishing is at its best because they swim much higher in the water column (no deeper than 300 feet). Use mullet, mackerel, or squid as bait.
Red Snapper
- Appearance
- Red-orange in color, fading towards the underside. Can be distinguished from similar-looking snappers by their pointy anal fin and red eyes.
- Habitat
- Can be found in depths anywhere from 30 to over 600 feet, but most commonly in between 50 and 300 feet. Small to medium-sized snappers stick to heavily-covered bottoms, like reefs, wrecks, ledges, and oil platforms. As they grow larger, they tend to prefer more open water.
- State Record
- 50.25 pounds (also an IGFA all-tackle world record), Capt. Doc Kennedy, 1996.
- Fishing Tips
- Red snappers like to feed off the bottom, so be sure to get your bait down deep enough. Minnows, sardines, and squid work best for live bait, and chunks of bonito or amberjack help as well. Chumming is a common practice to get snappers off the bottom and closer to the surface.
Gag Grouper
- Appearance
- Gag groupers have a mottled gray coloration with varying patterns of box-shaped markings.
- Habitat
- Generally swim in depths between 60 and 250 feet, but they can be found as deep as 500 feet. Younger fish stick to nearshore waters and bays, while older gag groupers are more offshore, commonly found near bottom cover like rocks, reefs, and oil platforms.
- State Record
- 74.43 lbs., Abel Ceja, 2013
- Fishing Tips
- Get live or dead bait down to the bottom. Jigging can produce as well.
Spanish Mackerel
- Appearance
- Green in color along the back and silver on the sides, with golden-olive spots. Has a pronounced black spot on the front of the dorsal fin.
- Habitat
- Prefer shallow waters (no more than 80 feet) with sand bottoms. Found in coastal nearshore waters like estuaries and bays.
- State Record
- 10.56 pounds, Mike LeBlanc, 1972
- Fishing Tips
- For live bait, use minnows or shrimp. Trolling or drifting are the preferred methods, so long as it’s a fast retrieve as these are quick-striking fish. Spoons work best among artificial lures.
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