Canoe fishing recommendations?

Can anyone help me out? I?m new to fishing and I?d love to find some scenic locations to put my canoe or kayak in and start. I also enjoy wildlife spotting and chasing around gators. I think I want to get into catfishing, but not sure, I fished a lot when I was a kid but didn?t have much of a method.

I should add I’m in New Orleans, so within an hour or two would be great.

bayou st. john....irish bayou.....city park

Maurepas Swamp north of Laplace. You can put your canoe in the water under I-55 north of Laplace. From New Orleans, take the US-51 exit off I-10 (first Laplace exit) and take a right onto US-51 and just go up the road a ways and they'll be a number of spots on the left side where you can park and launch.

I’ve had some pretty good luck catching a lot of small blue cats around the pier 90 area. It’s an easy paddle just a couple mins from launch. We get a ton of bites on bottom with small piece of dead shrimp but they are hard to catch. If you find them biting and use a small perch style cork with long shank perch hook and light rod with bait set about 6” off bottom it’s way more effective. Dead shrimp and night crawlers work well. Sometimes catch 50 to 100 but about 12-13” long. They are the best eating catfish. Pier 90 is a easy drive from anywhere in southeast. Across Huey p bridge about 5 miles on left. The mouth of Lake Cataouatche is really good but a 3 mile paddle. Try around the intersection 150 yards south of launch for an easy trip.

Ya could also try the Tchefuncte or Cane Bayou,both on the NShore.Tchefuncte is extremely scenic and offers a lot of secluded ox-bows to get away from the crowds but be wary of week ends when no place is secluded!!!

Mandevillian

I've fished from the bank there before, didn't catch anything though. What should I be fishing for?

What do you catch in cane bayou? Have you ever fished big branch marsh? I enjoyed paddling out there last week.

MrPowerful,Tried to respond earlier via I Phone but reply did not go through!!Here is the gist of what I was telling ya-Cane Bayou offers a smorgasbord of fish with predominantly bass and perch,most goggle-eyes,in the Northern section,some sac au lait as well and the mouth and heading East towards Goose Point might yield some mighty fine reds,specks,flounders,but the wild card is the fresh water dumped by the recent Spillway Opening!!In 2016,post Spillway Opening,I managed a very fine red and bigger blue catfish,both on Berkely Gulp,Swimming Mullets,chartreuse.The Big Branch Marsh holds an incredible amount of very fine marsh bass,catfish,perch,etc just make sure to read the regs as motorized pirogues and mudboats not allowed(can use electric trolling motors)and soft plastics of all varieties should work pretty much year-round.As far as the Tchefuncte River goes,the sac au lait spawn is still underway,meaning you should be able to nab a few jigging black and chartreuse tube jigs under a slip cork,about 18-24 inches cork should work.I have been toying with the depthfinder in my Southfork and seem to find fish at depths ranging from about 3 ft to 6-8 ft,most likely big sac au lait(I am not a live bait fisherman)and minnows suspended under cork or tight-lined might nab some trophy slabs.So far the biggest slab for me,this year,is slightly under a lb,nice fat fish that yielded two beautiful filets.Go to Google Maps and scope out the area(s) ya interested in and the T-Funky has a ton of ox-bows that hold some fine fish!I hope to target some fine slabs this coming Monday.I do not like fishing week ends(too much pressure)and I enjoy mid-week trips as far less folks on T-Funky,water-skiing,jet skiing,etc and any amount of boat traffic on Main T-Funky puts pressure on bass and ya gotta seek secluded ox-bows and spots off the beaten path.Hope that helps!!

Mandevillian