Arguably, Venice, Louisiana has become the tuna capital of the southern USA. The yellowfin tuna fishery is very robust, and catches of 8 to 10 big yellowfins is not uncommon, with fish ranging upward into the 200-pound category, but most being 40 to 80 pounds (they catch a few blackfin as well). We at Hunt Nation know tuna fishing – they are tough fish, fighting far above their weight class, making arms burn, backs cry out, and sweat stream!! You earn every single tuna, every single time! But oh, man, those tuna steaks are to die for!!
Just in case your back and arms give out, they will take you for swordfish, marlin, wahoo, amberjack, grouper, snapper, mahi-mahi and much more. They run a 39’ Contender with triple 300 horsepower Yamahas. One of the best offshore fishing platforms in existence, in our minds. Extremely fast and stable and lots of fishing room. The boat features our favorite electronics, Garmin Marine with navigation, satellite weather, radar and extreme fish finding capabilities.
“Five of my friends and I had never fished out of Venice before and were in search of the summer yellowfin. Many of us had vessels of our own and had years of offshore experience in the gulf and Atlantic, so I can assure you…you’ll be very impressed with this operation. The boat is just right for 4 to 6 anglers and can handle a pretty tough chop. The Capt. wasn’t afraid to cruise 30-40 knots to the fishing grounds, which meant more fishing for each angler. He was very professional and made sure we were hooked up as often as we wanted to be! 24 hours of fishing can wear any angler out, but time flies fishing with him and his mate! They were real sportsman and eager to see that we all caught our fill! We will definitely look to them the next time we come down. Worth every penny!“
The mighty Mississippi is the lifeblood of this area, dumping tons of high nutrient value forage into the ocean and the coastal marshes. The good news is that the continental shelf starts falling away into over 5,000 feet of water within about 15 miles of the coast, meaning great pelagic fishing with short run times.
Throughout the year, various migratory pelagic species and reef fish make their homes near the structures of oil rigs. The oil rigs are a habitat which attracts an array of bait fish, which in turn lure in the predator species such as tuna, wahoo, and marlin. Closer in around the shallower rigs, you find trophy red snapper, grouper, cobia, and amberjack. Many different species can be caught year around. They offer a variety of fishing options and will structure your Louisiana fishing charter to target whichever species you desire. Yellowfin tuna fishing is the star of the show in Venice (biggest fish are caught late-September thru March, if weather is favorable), but they have many more species to catch as well. Offshore fishing produces the best variety of fish from June thru August. The cooler-water periods of late-summer thru early fall/winter are generally best for the bigger specimens, but weather is also a bigger factor that time of year.
One of the favorite areas is the Midnight Lump, also known as the Sackett Bank, a mineral formation located about 20 miles off the Mississippi River Delta. This 2.9 square-mile area is an ideal feeding ground for big tuna and other species of fish. During many times of the year, you will find some of the best fishing in the world here. From the surface, the Midnight Lump looks like open water but, on the ocean floor, there is an array of salt and mineral formations ideal for holding big fish. The gulf currents push bait fish up against the Lump and create an ideal feeding environment for giant tuna, wahoo, snapper and a variety of other species. GPS tracking has made fishing the lump much easier over the past five years. However, locating the site is one thing, fishing it properly is another. Changing currents and weather patterns make one section or side of the lump more productive and it takes an experienced captain and crew to find the fish. Your Captain has been fishing around Sackett Bank for many years and has experience finding big fish in all conditions. Whether you are looking for big tuna or the excitement of catching a voracious mako shark, he will make your Midnight Lump fishing experience a success!
Another hard fighter is the Amberjack. As a fish prevalent over offshore reefs and wrecks, amberjacks provide clients with an excellent opportunity in fighting a big fish when the other fish are reluctant to come out and play. Amberjacks are known to many as “the hard-fighting fish,” “the tough man’s fish” or “the sea donkey.” These fish are fun to hook into and can grow to well over 100 pounds and will put up a heck of a fight in the water – so much so that you had better have a group of guys ready to reel, as it may take some time bringing these fish on board!
INSHORE FISHING:
In addition, a nice break from the rigors of the offshore fishery, is doing the awesome inshore fishing for reds and speckled sea trout (limit 25 per day per person), plus big jack crevalle and the occasional shark. Limits are very generous and taking a bunch of fresh trout and redfish home, along with perhaps tuna and red snapper, makes for an awesome trip. You can fish up to 4 from their 24 foot bay boats, but for maximum rod time we suggest 2 or 3 to a boat as you will be casting and extra room helps. Be ready, a big red is a tough critter! Reds have a slot limit of 5 per person between 16”-27”, plus one trophy over 27”.
2023 PRICES (subject to change without notice until deposit received)
OFFSHORE: $2,200/day for up to 6 people, plus fuel (averages 200 gallons per day to get you to the best locations possible). For a group of 4, figure approx. $800 per person per day (multi-day discounts available). All tackle/bait is provided.
INSHORE (24’ CENTER CONSOLE BAY BOATS): $1,100/day for up to 4 people (but 2 is ideal). Fuel is included on inshore trips. All tackle is provided, but if you wish to use live bait, that is extra.
LODGING: Lodging is not included, nor are meals, but they do have lodging available (they have a houseboat or a hotel nearby). They will pick you up right from the houseboat in the morning, and you can head to a nearby restaurant/grill for fresh seafood and cold beer at the end of the day. The run to the fishing grounds offshore starts with a 20 mile ride down the mighty river, then offshore, while you sit in comfortable bean bag chairs.
