Where the river runs out
Louisiana's tourism office calls Venice the jumping off point for some of the finest fishing anywhere, and gives it two nicknames, Tuna Town and the Redfish Capital of the World. It is a working fishing town before it is anything else, built around marinas, lodges and charter docks rather than a main street. The roadside marker for the Southernmost Point in Louisiana is the other reason people pull over.
Plaquemines Parish runs down both sides of the Mississippi through one of the world's great deltas, and the parish tourism office puts it plainly: fishing here is a way of life. Offshore boats run to spots anglers say like scripture, the Midnight Lump, South Pass and the Western Delta Blocks. They fish oil rigs and reefs, or troll and kite open water for tuna, wahoo, marlin and swordfish, with amberjack, cobia, grouper, snapper, tarpon and tripletail on the list too.
Inshore is a different trip and just as good. Guides work grass edges and oyster reefs for redfish and speckled trout, from trophy bulls to slot fish for the table, and pick up flounder, sheepshead and black drum along the way. One longtime guide on the parish list says bull reds up to 30 pounds and trout up to 8 pounds are not uncommon in the lower delta. Another fly fishes for giant bull reds from Hopedale to Venice in fall and winter.
Rodeo season at the marinas
The parish calls itself the capital of fishing rodeos in Louisiana. Venice Marina and Cypress Cove Marina run tournaments through spring and summer, from the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic at the end of May to the Faux Pas Lodge Invitational on the last weekend in July. The Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic takes its name from the Mississippi Canyon and Green Canyon offshore, and the parish notes Louisiana's state record yellowfin weighed 240.19 pounds.
Rodeo weekends are when the docks eat best. The Cane Pole Fishing Rodeo at Venice Marina, new in 2025, fed its anglers pastalaya, pork loin and a shrimp boil each night. At home the best move with a fresh tuna steak is the simplest one: a dark spice crust, a screaming hot pan and a rare center.
