Venice, Louisiana is the best sport fishery in the Gulf. Yellowfin on the rigs year-round. Swordfish in the canyon. Bull reds in the marsh. Wahoo in the fall. Four distinct fisheries that almost never go quiet at the same time.
And the information ecosystem for it is a mess.
Captain blogs that last posted in 2018. Facebook groups with a thousand members and no signal. Tourist sites that tell you Venice is "magical" without telling you whether the offshore break moved last week. Forum threads that are half Louisiana regulars and half guys from Ohio asking if they should bring spinning reels for yellowfin.
There's no weekly digest anywhere that tells a Venice angler what's happening this week, in one place, from someone who actually cares whether the report is right. That's what this newsletter is.
WHAT IT IS
Venice Fishing Report is a weekly email. Every Thursday at 6am Central, you'll get an honest read on the Venice sport fishery. Offshore tuna and swordfish, the rigs and the floaters. The delta marsh, redfish and specs. Weather, tides, conditions. What's biting, where, and what it'll take to go after it. What's not biting, and why. One captain worth calling this week. One piece of gear worth owning. The outlook for the weekend ahead.
Published ahead of the weekend, because that's when most of you are deciding whether to run out or stay home.
WHO’S WRITING IT
I'm Joey. My dad was born and raised in Metairie. My extended family is all still there, in Jefferson Parish and the New Orleans metro. Dad is a lifelong Gulf Coast fisherman and my first and best on-water source. A phone call to Dad is part of the workflow every week, not a special occasion. When he has real intel, I'll quote him by name. When he doesn't, I'll lean on public sources and the rest of the family pipeline.
The brand is anchored in Metairie. That's where the mail and the family and the on-water intel live. A Louisiana newsletter written by a Louisiana family, formalized into a weekly.
WHAT IT WON’T BE
Not a charter promo. I'll recommend captains when they earn it and stay quiet about the ones who don't. I'd rather leave a section thin than fill it with praise for a lodge I wouldn't book myself. If conditions are garbage, you'll read that they're garbage.
Not a tourist guide. There will be practical notes for first-timers because out-of-state anglers are half the audience, but I'm not going to explain what a redfish is or sell you on the "magic" of the Delta. You already know.
WHAT TO EXPECT EVERY THURSDAY
Roughly this order:
The Report. What's biting, species by species, with real sources.
The Week in Venice. Synthesis of what actually happened on the water.
Book It. One captain or lodge worth calling, honestly reviewed.
Rigged Up. One piece of gear with Venice-specific reasoning.
The Outlook. Weather, tide, moon, and the practical weekend read.
From the Dock. Community intel, notable catches, and industry news.
Around 1,000 to 1,400 words. Four to six minutes of reading. Landing in your inbox Thursday at 6am Central, ahead of the weekend decisions that actually matter.
ONE ASK
If you know a Venice angler who's planning a trip or running out regularly, forward this. If you're a captain, deckhand, lodge owner, or anyone with eyes on the water and something worth sharing, reply to this email. Intel gets attribution and a thank-you.
Issue #1 lands April 16, 2026. Dad has already been put on notice.
Until then.
Joey