MRGO Long Rocks is a great destination for inshore anglers wanting to try their hand at catching a limit of speckled trout. But where is this fishing hot spot located? How can you get there safely and what's the best way to fish it?
Those questions are what this guide answers, as well as links going to other articles on this website with more information. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let's begin:
Everything You Need To Know To Fish The MRGO Long Rocks For Spring Speckled Trout
There's a lot for you to learn, so we'll keep this simple and detail the following items:
Why are speckled trout feeding at the MRGO Long Rocks?
Speckled trout begin spring inside of the marsh, where it is "fresher" and the salinity much lower. This is fine, because speckled trout can tolerate salinity so low that it is nearly fresh! They were "inside" because that is where they rode out the winter pattern. But they cannot remain there the rest of the year!
This is because they need saltier water in order to spawn, about 15-17ppt, and will make their way from the "inside" of the marsh to the "outside" where that saltier water is. As specks make their way toward the outer coast of Louisiana, they tend to pile up at the MRGO Long Rocks for a place to rest and eat.
This explains why the Long Rocks aren't particularly abuzz with speckled trout in December: their needs have them eating somewhere else. It is the alignment of the necessary conditions and circumstances that cause them to be at this hot spot.
The best time to fish this hot spot for speckled trout is from April to June.
Why are the Long Rocks so great for speckled trout?
If you were to look at a map of Louisiana's coast, you'd see that there are many locations that appear to be "good" to fish. But not all of them produce fishing action like the MRGO Long Rocks do. Why? Well, because it provides what trout need during that time of year:
Because of the MRGO's unique structure, speckled trout have a tidal highway they can take to their summer spawning grounds and deep water to hide in when the weather gets bad.
Plus, the rock piles (aka riprap) offer excellent cover for demersal finfish like violet gobies, cocahoes, and small croakers, so there's plenty of food for them to eat.
This stretch tends to be the most productive.
The MRGO Long Rocks isn't anything that is new...
This spot is nothing new and, that it turns on in spring, isn't a secret either. If this weren't the case everyone and their mom wouldn't show up every year. So, spoiler alert: this spot is a community honey hole. When the word inevitably gets out (like it does every year), it will only be a matter of time before the place is pressured by the Flotilla and the trout go somewhere else.
Knowing that the MRGO Long Rocks turn on is easy, but catching limits every time isn't.
But, if you keep reading this guide, you will learn the tips and tricks to making the most of the this fishing spot, even when it gets crowded.
And one way I do that is by changing how I fish MRGO Long Rocks, bringing in limits of speckled trout and leaving them biting. It's a little different than what most inshore anglers utilize, and could even take a little bit of practice to get right. The best way to really explain my method is by looking at the "traditional" method used by most anglers when they visit this fishing hot spot.
While not widely used, the methods I employ to catch speckled trout on the Long Rocks stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Traditional Methods of Catching Speckled Trout at the MRGO Long Rocks
Typically, boats anchor along the length of the rocks, about a casting distance away, and try their luck by chunking live shrimp under a cork. Some do use soft plastic lures like Berkley Gulp Shrimp or Matrix Shad, otherwise that's pretty much it. While this does work, it is not the most effective way to put limits of trout in the boat.
Why is that fishing with a cork and live shrimp is not the best way to catch speckled trout at the MRGO Long Rocks?
If you know my brand at all, then you know I generally recommend foregoing the use of live shrimp (for these many good reasons) and instead fishing with "artificial lures".
But, the two main reasons I recommend not using live shrimp are:
Somebody reading that just had a brain aneurism, so don't get me wrong: There is no doubt in my mind trout would love to eat shrimp. But tons of shrimp aren't regularly flowing through there on their migration to the Gulf. If they did, we'd see shrimp boats with wing nets catching them, but we don't. Instead, we see them dragging the bottom of the ship channel, away from the rocks.
So, if the #1 forage aren't shrimp then what is?
Speckled trout are feeding on finfish like violet gobies and croakers that live on or near the rocks, not unlike their winter pattern. Look below to see a croaker that a trout at the Long Rocks spit up after being caught.
Since croakers abound at the MRGO Long Rocks, that's where speckled trout are looking to get a meal.
That's why they're on the rocks in the first place, and why they're not looking in open water 20 yards from the rocks, but in shallow water right on the rocks.
It's important to know what speckled trout are feeding on not because we want to use that as bait, but because it tells us where we need to be casting our bait.
A cork really isn't the best way to put bait where it needs to be, because your main line only directly affects the cork while the leader line hangs limp under it.
You just can't get the same presentation as a jig does at the MRGO Long Rocks. Now, does this mean you won't catch fish at all with a cork? Not at all. And if you do fish with a cork, then you should tie it like I do in this guide.
A cork rig like this is a great way to fish MRGO Long Rocks, but nowhere as effective as a jig on casting tackle.
You'll still catch fish using a popping cork, you just won't catch as much as you could throwing a jig. This leads us to the less traditional way proven to yield a higher catch.
Less Traditional Methods to Fish MRGO Long Rocks For Speckled Trout
I've taken an approach based on power fishing: using a trolling motor and artificial lures to cover a lot of shoreline. Here are two combos used to fish MRGO Long Rocks:
Jigging Combo
- Reel: Daiwa Tatula 80 8.1:1
- Line: 12lb Stren Fluorescent Blue Monofilament
- Rod: St. Croix Avid-X 6'4", a medium power, extra-fast action casting rod
- Lure: Black Platinum Golden Eye 1/8 oz jighead dressed in Ultraviolet Matrix Shad
While this isn't the exact same brand names listed above, it is a similar power, action, length combination great to fish MRGO Long Rocks.
Suspending Bait Combo
- Reel: Daiwa Tatula SV 8.1:1
- Line: 12lb Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon
- Rod: Daiwa Tatula Elite Seth Feider Jerkbait Rod
- Lure: Mirrodine 17MR in Shad pattern
Jigs do most of the catching, but suspending baits tend to bring out the bigger girls whenever we fish MRGO Long Rocks, as you see below.
Techniques You Want To Use To Fish MRGO Long Rocks
In the video below you can see exactly how I "get the skunk out of the boat". While you watch, note these things:
- No anchor, just trolling motor.
- Speed up the trolling motor when the bite slows down.
- Slow down when the bite speeds up.
- Hands are free with use of a foot-pedal, cable-steered trolling motor.
Here you can see us catching our limit of trout and then playing catch and release for a little bit at the MRGO Long Rocks:
Notice that we are casting to the MRGO Long Rocks and working the bait back to the boat. By "to the rocks", I mean literally hitting them with the jighead, swimming it back until it's clear of shallow snags and then begin reeling slowly or jig it back.
Does this really matter if you are going to fish MRGO Long Rocks?
Only if you like catching limits of speckled trout. Remember, trout are feeding on finfish against the rocks, so that is where they are looking. Yes, you may catch a trout halfway to the boat, but that fish was probably following the lure before deciding to commit to it.
The Final Result
This fishing knowledge, combined with these lures, tackle and techniques, yielded a little more than 300 speckled trout over the course of four fishing trips in May of 2018 to fish MRGO Long Rocks. Not bad.
And in April of 2019 we did the same thing with minor adjustments, catching a limit of 50 speckled trout before 9:30am on the 28th, then catching another 25 before leaving them biting. So you see the knowledge in this article will work on your next fishing trip. It has stood the test of time and is exactly what I use whenever I want to fish this hot spot. I've even successfully applied the same strategy in places like Grand Isle.
What's the best way to get to the MRGO Long Rocks?
Hopedale Marina is the closest launch to the Long Rocks, with the Spoil Canal being the fastest route.
Be warned! The Spoil Canal is a tough customer, leaving anglers stranded or worse. It can be difficult to navigate, so be sure to watch this video of how to safely run the Spoil Canal. After that, you can always take this route around the Rock Dam to get into the MRGO and head southeast to the Long Rocks.
Where do fish go after they leave this fishing spot?
They leave for nearby islands, rigs and oyster reefs. You can also find them in tidal highways in places like the East Biloxi Marsh.
But how do you find the productive fishing spots and the non-productive ones? There's a lot of water out there and not all of it holds biting fish!
Finding biting fish from scratch is what I specialize in, and over the years I discovered a process to doing that exact thing. I've successfully applied that process across Louisiana's coast from Slidell to Venice to Vermilion Bay.
I'll show you how I catch boxes of speckled trout when I fish MRGO Long Rocks or anywhere else!
Eventually I realized that this process could help people catch fish, so I produced it in a series of 50+ videos totaling about 12 hours of watching. Imagine if you could sit down and learn everything I know. That's exactly what you'll find in these videos.
I compiled them into a membership called LAFB Elite. Thousands of anglers have enjoyed it and had great things to say about their experience, whether they're fishing the MRGO Long Rocks or somewhere else.
Excellent Experience
Inshore Fishing 101 is amazing, I’ve been able to add to so much to my knowledge base after completing it.
The way Captain Devin breaks down fishing concepts so they are easy to understand, as well as the optional quizzes, I was able to learn a lot more about finding and catching fish than if I were to watch YouTube videos or read magazines.
Very well done, Devin!
Terry Abreo
Mississippi Angler Learning Louisiana Waters
The courses inside LAFB Elite, especially Inshore Fishing 101, are very complete. There's a lot of information in them, so I recommend taking it slow and using what you learn out on the water.
Otherwise it will leave your brain exploding with knowledge. But it all does make more sense when you get out on water and see it happen before your eyes.
The difference is that with Devin's courses you'll know what to look for and what to expect. This makes fishing more productive.
Robbie Larson
Mississippi Angler
LAFB Elite Explains The "Why"
If you’re new to inshore fishing, or just looking to understand the “why” when things happen, LAFB Elite is worth the money and time invested into the courses.
The amount of information in the courses is huge.
Also the community is filled with people who mostly have the same goals in mind, so when you ask a question you get good information, not some dude giving you some generic or wrong answers.
Daniel Giglio
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Angler
But there's more than just catching fish at MRGO Long Rocks! Inside LAFB Elite I also share how to avoid dangerous hazards to navigation that could destroy your motor or worse. Do you really want to risk becoming another casualty on the water?
I learned this the hard way so you don't have to.
Additionally, when you join LAFB Elite you gain instant access to my exclusive fishing community. There you'll be able to ask questions and get help planning your next fishing trip, as well as enjoy detailed fishing reports posted by like-minded anglers. We've even had some MRGO Long Rocks reports posted lately!
To learn more about LAFB Elite, please watch this information video or hit the orange button below.
Tight lines, and thanks for visiting my website! I hope you enjoyed this guide to fishing the MRGO Long Rocks and, if you did, please let me know in the comments section below. I love it when people take time to visit and commenting is a great way to let me know you've been here!
Thanks Peter! I’ll publish to YouTube when I can, but for now it’s easier to make great content here on LAFB. So be sure to check back. Also, I see that you’re a member of LAFB Elite. Be sure to check out the reports for the MRGO Long Rocks in the Community. You may find this one interesting.
Love all the videos
Glad you enjoyed it! If there’s something else you’d like to see, I am all ears!
Fabulous how-to article. Fantastic graphics. Thank you!
Thanks!
Yeah, I hope it cleans up more, but it is what it is.
One day the river will go down and stay down.
When it does, the fishing will only become better.
Thanks for commenting!
Glad to hear that it is beginning to clean up out that way. Tight lines