re: Thinking about fishing the Ruddock area tomorrow

Excuse the long post, but I'm pretty interested in hearing the answers/properly explaining my question.....y'all answer me this.

I grew up in Metairie/moved to LaPlace in late 70's. We used to fish 55 a good bit, both when we lived in Metairie, and after we moved to LaPlace. It never once crossed our minds to try and catch redfish/go crabbing around 55. We always bass fished/catfished/bream fished in there. I remember one time, a guy with SCUBA gear, at the launch we used (probably at Rudock), told us about these huge stripers he was seeing right around where the 55 backwater came into the Pass itself, so I've always considered that place to be a completely freshwater hole. Obviously, a man can get into the Gulf of Mexico from Ruddock, so there's salt water around there eventually, but......

Fast forward to now. Every time I drive down 55 (during the summer at least it seems), there's folks crabbing, or I see bay boats with popping corks in rod holders flapping around/close to that area. I do not remember that being the case as kid.

Has there been an ecological change in that area since then (late 70's/early 80's), or, for as long as anyone can remember, has there always been reds/crabs/saltwater fish in Pass Manchac around 55, or in the 55 backwaters?

Has anyone ever caught a trout in Lake Maurepas itself? If not, what's the furthest "in" anyone's ever caught a trout?

It's my understanding that trout get caught w/some regularity out of Peevine/Frenier Roads on those power lines that run through Lake P. Is there a catchable population of saltwater fish in that area these days/only during certain times of the year?

Really interested in hearing from old farts like me, but stayed down there/seen the change, if it's in fact happened.