The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced recently it is reassessing the state’s stock of speckled trout, a development that may come as no surprise to saltwater fishermen across the Sportsman’s Paradise.

An earlier preliminary, but incomplete, draft indicated speckled trout were overfished and landings had decreased to the lowest levels in recent years, according to the LDWF. That report probably would get no argument from a majority of speckled trout fishermen in the Teche Area.

The state biologists’ preliminary findings are being reevaluated and finalization of the process will take several months, the LDWF said in mid-March. While the numbers have gone down, they do not necessitate a need to make immediate changes in the number of speckled trout anglers can take, the state agency said.

Patrick Banks, LDWF assistant secretary for fisheries, said, “It probably will not affect speckled trout limits for the 2019 season as there are additional management steps to be taken between a draft stock assessment and any final regulation change. We will have a better sense of where we are when the stock assessment results are compiled, evaluated and finalized. But, we do know that the stock’s numbers have dropped.”

The timeline’s end result, a final reviewed stock assessment, will go to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

A high-ranking LDWF biologist recently reiterated that the final proposal could “include potential management options to improve the status of the stock … several possible recommendations, including, but not limited to, bag and size limit modifications.” The public will have ample opportunity to comment during the commission meetings and public hearings before any management decisions are finalized by the LWFC.

Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana officials are staying on top of the situation. It was one of the topics this past week at a board meeting in Venice, one attended by, among others, CCA-Louisiana President David Cresson and Corry Landry of New Iberia, who has been the nonprofit organization’s southwest regional director for three years.

Cresson said CCA-Louisiana is waiting on state biologists to wrap up their analysis “so that we have an accurate picture of what the situation really is.”

“One thing’s for sure, we’re all concerned about the preliminary report that came out. We’re going to work with the state to address whatever issues there may be,” Cresson said Friday afternoon. “Until the report is complete, it’s hard to know how much fishing pressure has contributed to the problem that may exist.”

“I think most people fishing speckled trout around Louisiana will tell you 2017 and 2018 were pretty tough years, but we don’t know what the reason is,” he said.

What is known is rivers across the state have been high, extremely high, at different times for the past couple of years, he said, and there have been some considerably harsh winters over the same period. More importantly, there has been significant habitat loss across the state’s coast for years and years and, he said, “That could be a contributing factor.”

Vermilion Bay and the surrounding area aren’t the only waters where decreased catches have been noted and complained about, Landry said Friday morning.

“I noticed it more this past year, not just in this area but all across the state, it seems people aren’t catching as many,” the New Iberian said.

Part of the marked decrease in harvest around Cypremort Point the past few years can be attributed to water conditions during the prime time, traditionally from mid-September through the last week of December, or later, even, he said.

“A lot of it has to be with finding clear, salty water. If we would start getting really clean saltwater coming in …,” he said, his voice trailing off.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of science behind the research. I trust biologists to do that science and make decisions. David was adamant, really, that they are going to do extensive research” and do what needs to be done to correct any problem(s), he said.

On the bright side, the 44-year-old Landry said, “There’s still plenty of redfish to catch, tons of redfish.”

He also said current speckled trout fishing success is fair to good in and around Grand Isle but subpar in the Venice area, which he attributed to water conditions and wind.

Harry Blanchet, a veteran marine biologist with the LDWF, said recently the speckled trout survey can’t be held to a timeline as the assessment needs more time to determine the final details. Whenever it’s finished, it still won’t be ready, he said.

‘We will work to finalize our data, and when we’ve completed our analysis, we will have an internal review here. Then, when that’s done, we’re going to send it to other state agencies — Texas, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi — and others who have some experience in spotted sea trout. We need this peer review to support our position. We hope they handle it quickly and get back to us,” Blanchet told Joe Macaluso for a story in the April edition of the Louisiana Sportsman.

“I don’t have a crystal ball to guess at the timeline. What we said was that we have a first draft, and from that we see the (speckled trout) stock was overfished and landings have decreased.”