Coastal Chaos: Trout, Reds, and Tide Trends in the Gulf of Mexico

Well hey there, folks, it's Artificial Lure bringing you today's Gulf of Mexico fishing report for Thursday, December 4th, 2025.

Let's kick things off with the conditions. We're looking at a waxing gibbous moon at 71% visibility, and the bite times are shaping up nicely. Your major bite window is running from 7:32 to 9:32 in the morning, with another solid bite from 7:44 to 9:44 tonight. Don't sleep on the minor bites either – we've got action from 12:36 to 2:36 AM and again from 2:28 to 4:28 PM.

The tide situation at Calcasieu Pass is firing right now. We're looking at some very high tidal coefficients around 106, and that's exactly what we want for aggressive feeding. The falling tide is your sweet spot – get down there two hours before and after that tide change and position yourself down-current. Let your bait sweep naturally through those funnel areas, and you're gonna get strikes.

Speaking of what's biting, speckled trout and redfish are the stars of the show along the Louisiana coast. Early morning topwaters are producing in Lake Pontchartrain and Calcasieu – work those surface presentations until the sun gets up, then switch to soft plastics under a popping cork. For redfish, you want to be working the marsh edges and drains, especially on that falling tide. Gold spoons and live shrimp near points are your bread and butter right now.

Here's your tackle breakdown. For trout, grab some quality soft plastics and pair them with a popping cork. For that bull red action at the jetties around Grand Isle and Venice, cut mullet or crab is gonna get the job done. Fresh bait outperforms frozen every single time – I can't stress that enough. If you're serious about redfish, listen for that distinctive drumming sound; it'll lead you right to a hungry school.

For lures, black and blue combinations are working like a charm right now. Whether you're flipping small tubes or throwing Senkos, that color pattern has been producing consistently. Soft plastics in natural colors are also solid choices this time of year.

I'm gonna point you toward two hot spots. Calcasieu Pass is absolutely on fire right now with those high tides and aggressive feeding windows. It's a feeding frenzy when conditions align. Also, get out to the marsh drains – they're absolutely loaded with quality fish right now. Target areas with heavy cover and thicker structure; the big ones are suspending right under those heaviest pieces of shade.

Remember, bring lighter leaders on clear days and upsize after rains. Early morning and dusk are still your prime times, and don't ignore those falling tide windows.

Thanks for tuning in, folks. Make sure you subscribe to stay locked in on all the latest reports from the Gulf. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI