SUCCESS IN NUMBERS
The time is right for finding fish near Independence Island, and to do so just join the crowd
Friday, August 08, 2008
Bob MarshallThe old salts of coastal Louisiana fishing will tell you the most important skill to master is “finding fish.”
They will tell you how they began perfecting this skill when they were just fin-high to a cockahoe minnow by fishing at the sides of legendary anglers, men who forgot more about the sport than you’ll ever learn. They will tell you about reading the water for signs of bait, for subtle shifts in tidal movement, for habitat patterns, for matching moon phases with wind direction.
All true.
But they almost will never mention the easiest way to find fish, a secret even the greenest of rookies can master: Just find the other fishermen.
That secret was being exposed recently in the southern reaches of Barataria Bay, where a group of boats began anchoring around a handful of pilings. A half-hour earlier only two boats were riding the waves, casting live bait toward a handful of pilings. Within minutes they seemed to be exerting some type of gravitational pull on other boats, forcing them to radically change course and begin homing in on the piling.
Soon, the two-boat flotilla was a fleet of 10. An angler in the latest arrival tossed a live shrimp on a Carolina rig into the water, and before he could tighten the line, felt the pull of a speckled trout.
He had just perfected the art of finding fish by the oldest and easiest method known. But now he had a question: “Hey,” he yelled over to the boat next to him, “what’s this spot called?”
Well, it is called Independence Island. Not that there has been any island visible there for the past 20 years. That piece of marsh turned to open water long ago, and the pilings that once reminded anglers of the camps that stood there have long since been knocked down. But while the marsh is gone, the shells and oyster reefs that once supported the island continue to be a draw for speckled trout and reds during the summer months. The latest NOAA charts show that “shoal” as the rough outline of a banana running north to south for about one-third of a mile. So anglers who can find the sunken Independence Island between April and September have a pretty good chance of finding fish.
The story has been the same this summer, but with a decidedly different twist.
“Independence and the other reefs in Barataria Bay are just starting to turn on — and that’s about two months later than usual,” said Sidney Bourgeois, manager of Joe’s Landing in Lafitte.
“Normally, we start seeing trout showing up there as
early as late April, and almost always by mid-May. But this
year everything has been late, real late.”Some anglers think the clock has been pushed back by the
amount of fresh water flowing through Davis Pond. Others
think the reason has more to do with the stiff winds that
have hounded the bay this summer. Regardless, the bay
finally seems to be rounding into form — and the old
islands that are now reefs are the best spots to fish. The
reasons for that — conventional wisdom goes — is that
they tend to offer shelter for bait, which attracts the
specks and reds.If you are new to the area and have never marked these
spots on a GPS unit, finding them in the ever-growing
expanses of Barataria Bay can be difficult.
Unless, of course, you can perfect one of the oldest
techniques for finding fish: Just look for the other boats.— Getting there —
GPS coordinates: N 29 18.616, W 89 56.172.
For non-digital anglers, turn due east at marker 16 in
the Barataria Seaway, or head 75-degrees for 1.6 miles
east-northeast from the eastern side of Queen Bess Island.You’re talking about a 40-minute run from Lafitte,
about 15 minutes from Grand Isle.— Gearing up —
The best choice for late summer is always live bait, so
make sure you have a functioning live well, some weighted
corks, and the gear for Carolina rigs: swivels, sliding
sinkers and leader material. Live shrimp will bring the most
hits, but live croakers and pogies will result in bigger
fish. Bring plenty of terminal rigs, because you’ll be
losing gear on the bottom.
Lures that will work include plastic cockahoes (glo,
tuxedo, black/chartreuse tails), Deadly Dudley (Blue Moon),
DOA shrimp (glo), Gulp! Shrimp, menhaden and sand eels. If
the water is murky, try fishing the plastics on a Carolina
rig.Other necessities include a good anchor, plenty of
sunscreen and water — and a sharp eye to watch for
thunderstorms that can approach quietly in the late summer
haze.— Fishing it —
Don’t head this way unless you have a tidal range of
7/10ths of a foot to 1.5 feet, and wind less than 10 mph.
Incoming or falling tide will work, as long as the water is
moving. And the best action will be in the first two and
last two hours of the day — especially during a full
moon.Although the pilings are a good landmark, the reef is
spread across a much wider area, and the fish can be
anywhere. Approach from the down-tide side of the pilings,
placing your anchor about 30 yards from the center.After the boat has settled, begin casting live bait as
far past the pilings as you can. If you’re on the
bottom, let the bait settle, then begin moving it back to
the boat with the current by using small lifts with the rod
tip. Let the bait settle for a minute after each hop. When
you get a strike, try to remember where the bait was,
because the trout tend to hold in specific spots.A sliding weighted cork is a good option. Start with the
hook set about five feet under the cork. Use a split shot
about a foot above the hook to keep the bait down. If you
have a good tidal range, let the current move the bait back
toward you, making sure to reel in the slack as it comes.
Otherwise, pop the bait and reel.Remember, the fish can be almost anywhere on the reef, so
if you’re not having much success in your first spot,
move the boat and start over.
Redfish Cup, and more
Shrimp season, Redfish Cup, and more - Outdoors Beat - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com
Posted by Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune August 07, 2008 3:34PMFall shrimp season opens Monday
The state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Thursday decided to open the fall shrimp season Monday. The season is set to close Tuesday, December 16, except for the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds. Certain waters will remain open until 6:00 a.m. March 31, 2009.Large stork sighted in Louisiana
The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported two of its personnel made the first-ever sighting in Louisiana of a jabiru, the tallest flying bird in Central and South America. Ornithologist Michael Seymour and technician Joshua Sylvest found the rare stork while performing a shorebird survey near the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area (WMA) South Farm Complex on the morning of July 31. They took photos and videos of the bird.Empire rodeo
The Empire South Pass Tarpon Rodeo returns form its Post-Katrina break Aug. 14-16 at the newly-reopened Delta Marina in Empire. Tickets are $35, and Delta Marina’s Darren Angelo said proceeds will go to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Port Sulphur, the Recreational Fisheries Research Institute’s fish-tagging program and the Wish to Fish Program. Weigh-in hours will run 3-8 p.m. Aug. 14-15 and 3-6 p.m. Aug. 16.Redfish Cup in Hopedale
The Oh Boy! Oberto ESPN Redfish Cup returns to St. Bernard Parish Aug. 15-17 at Breton Sound Marina at the end of Hwy 624 in Hopedale. Forty-nine teams will compete for $50,000 grand prize. The event will feature a daily Tailgate Party with local food, music, children’s activities and sports related exhibits as well as the popular “Splash Dog” contest where dogs compete for the longest water jump. Festivities get underway 2 p.m. Aug. 15, and 10 a.m. Aug 16 and 17. Weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. Sunday’s calendar is highlighted by the annual Feast of St. Bernard celebration, which include a 10 a.m. Mass, followed by The Blessing of the Fleet.
For complete detail go to www.VisitSt.Bernard.comDuck calling contest
The annual Louisiana State Duck and Goose Calling Contest will be held Aug. 2008 at the Gueydan Civic Center in conjunction with the Gueydan Duck Festival. The duck calling contest is sanctioned by the World Championship Duck Calling Contest Committee of Stuttgart, Arkansas. Duck callers will compete in three divisions by age: Junior (under 14); Intermediate (14-16) and Senior (17 and older). Goose calling will have two categories: Junior (16 and younger) and Senior (17 years and older). Winners become eligible for the World Championship Duck Calling Contest Nov. 28-29 in Stuttgart, Ark.. Complete contest rules can be found at the Louisiana Wildlife Federation Web site, www.lawildlifefed.org.State offers gator hunts
The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is offering lottery sport hunts for alligators on eight wildlife management areas on a variety of dates between Aug. 27-Sept. 12. The areas include Atchafalaya Delta; Elm Hall Joyce; Pass A Loutre; Pearl River; Pointe-Aux-Chenes; Salvador; and Sherburne. Applicants must be a legal Louisiana resident and 16 years of age or older. Application can be obtained by calling 337-373-0032 or from the agency Web site, www.wlf.louisiana.gov/experience/lawildlife/nongame/alligators.cfm. Applications must be submitted by Aug. 13, drawing will be held Aug. 15 and selected hunters will be notified by mail.Coastal conference
Anyone interested in possible solutions to Louisiana’s coastal problems will want to attend the conference “Sustainable Management of Deltaic Ecosystems: Integration of Theory and Practice” Aug. 25-26 at LSU. Presentations by scientists from across the United States will examine the many challenges of coastal management from engineering to social issues. The first day of the conference will consider examples and experiences from other coastal ecosystems; the second day will focus on the Mississippi Delta. The evening session Aug. 25 will feature guest speakers, former Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Garret Graves, director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Affairs. The session will focus on some of the problems and constraints Louisiana is facing and its plans for future stewardship of coastal resources. To register, visit www.sce.lsu.edu/conference or contact Emma Schneider at 225-578-3381 or Karen Gros at 225-578-8806 for more information.
Want to find fish? Find other fishermen
Want to find fish? Find other fishermen - Outdoors Beat - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com
Posted by Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune August 07, 2008 10:41PM
Categories: Bob Marshall
BOB MARSHALL/THE TIMES-PICAYUNEWith so many landmarks washed away, “finding the fish” in the growing expanse of Barataria Bay often means finding where the other boats are anchoredThe old salts of coastal Louisiana fishing will tell you the most important skill to master is “finding fish.”
They will tell you how they began perfecting this skill when they were just fin-high to a cockahoe minnow by fishing at the sides of legendary anglers, men who forgot more about the sport than you’ll ever learn. They will tell you about reading the water for signs of bait, for subtle shifts in tidal movement, for habitat patterns, for matching moon phases with wind direction.
All true.
But they almost will never mention the easiest way to find fish, a secret even the greenest of rookies can master: Just find the other fishermen.
That secret was being exposed recently in the southern reaches of Barataria Bay, where a group of boats began anchoring around a handful of pilings. A half-hour earlier only two boats were riding the waves, casting live bait toward a handful of pilings. Within minutes they seemed to be exerting some type of gravitational pull on other boats, forcing them to radically change course and begin homing in on the piling.
Soon, the two-boat flotilla was a fleet of 10. An angler in the latest arrival tossed a live shrimp on a Carolina rig into the water, and before he could tighten the line, felt the pull of a speckled trout.
He had just perfected the art of finding fish by the oldest and easiest method known. But now he had a question: “Hey,” he yelled over to the boat next to him, “what’s this spot called?”
Well, it is called Independence Island. Not that there has been any island visible there for the past 20 years. That piece of marsh turned to open water long ago, and the pilings that once reminded anglers of the camps that stood there have long since been knocked down. But while the marsh is gone, the shells and oyster reefs that once supported the island continue to be a draw for speckled trout and reds during the summer months. The latest NOAA charts show that “shoal” as the rough outline of a banana running north to south for about one-third of a mile. So anglers who can find the sunken Independence Island between April and September have a pretty good chance of finding fish.
The story has been the same this summer, but with a decidedly different twist.
“Independence and the other reefs in Barataria Bay are just starting to turn on — and that’s about two months later than usual,” said Sidney Bourgeois, manager of Joe’s Landing in Lafitte.
“Normally, we start seeing trout showing up there as early as late April, and almost always by mid-May. But this year everything has been late, real late.”Some anglers think the clock has been pushed back by the amount of fresh water flowing through Davis Pond. Others think the reason has more to do with the stiff winds that have hounded the bay this summer. Regardless, the bay finally seems to be rounding into form — and the old islands that are now reefs are the best spots to fish. The reasons for that — conventional wisdom goes — is that they tend to offer shelter for bait, which attracts the specks and reds.
If you are new to the area and have never marked these spots on a GPS unit, finding them in the ever-growing expanses of Barataria Bay can be difficult.
Unless, of course, you can perfect one of the oldest techniques for finding fish: Just look for the other boats.
Getting there
GPS coordinates: N 29º 18.616, W 89º 56.172.For non-digital anglers, turn due east at marker 16 in the Barataria Seaway, or head 75-degrees for 1.6 miles east-northeast from the eastern side of Queen Bess Island.
You’re talking about a 40-minute run from Lafitte, about 15 minutes from Grand Isle.
Gearing up
The best choice for late summer is always live bait, so make sure you have a functioning live well, some weighted corks, and the gear for Carolina rigs: swivels, sliding sinkers and leader material. Live shrimp will bring the most hits, but live croakers and pogies will result in bigger fish. Bring plenty of terminal rigs, because you’ll be losing gear on the bottom.Lures that will work include plastic cockahoes (glo, tuxedo, black/chartreuse tails), Deadly Dudley (Blue Moon), DOA shrimp (glo), Gulp! Shrimp, menhaden and sand eels. If the water is murky, try fishing the plastics on a Carolina rig.
Other necessities include a good anchor, plenty of sunscreen and water — and a sharp eye to watch for thunderstorms that can approach quietly in the late summer haze.
Fishing it
Don’t head this way unless you have a tidal range of 7/10ths of a foot to 1.5 feet, and wind less than 10 mph. Incoming or falling tide will work, as long as the water is moving. And the best action will be in the first two and last two hours of the day — especially during a full moon.Although the pilings are a good landmark, the reef is spread across a much wider area, and the fish can be anywhere. Approach from the down-tide side of the pilings, placing your anchor about 30 yards from the center.
After the boat has settled, begin casting live bait as far past the pilings as you can. If you’re on the bottom, let the bait settle, then begin moving it back to the boat with the current by using small lifts with the rod tip. Let the bait settle for a minute after each hop. When you get a strike, try to remember where the bait was, because the trout tend to hold in specific spots.
A sliding weighted cork is a good option. Start with the hook set about five feet under the cork. Use a split shot about a foot above the hook to keep the bait down. If you have a good tidal range, let the current move the bait back toward you, making sure to reel in the slack as it comes. Otherwise, pop the bait and reel.
Remember, the fish can be almost anywhere on the reef, so if you’re not having much success in your first spot, move the boat and start over.
FISHING REPORT by Bob Marshall
Friday, August 01, 2008
Bob Marshall— Inshore saltwater —
Outlook:Dog days of summer are here. Best fishing will be in the early morning on days with good tidal movement. Trout fishing remains best in the outer bays; reds thick inside.
(Good) Delacroix Isle
Trout outside, reds and bass inside. Best spots: Dope Boat, Black Tank, The Wreck, Battledore Reef, Breton Sound; redfish in Little Lake, Grand Lake, Four Horse Lake, Oak River, Little Crevasse, Oak River Bay, Lake Campo. Best baits: live shrimp, live croakers, live cockahoes, market bait, plastic cockahoes, gold spoons.
(Good) Hopedale
Specks and reds. Best spots: Bay Eloi, long and short rocks, Central, Gardiner Island, Lake Fortuna, Lake Machias, Central Rig, wellheads, Breton Sound at Central, The Compressor, Little Central, Five Wells, Dope Boat, MR-GO from Hopedale to short and long rocks, Lake of the Trees. Best baits: Hybrids (avocado, seafood), Berkley Gulp! (glo, new penny), live shrimp or croakers.
Reggio
Reds and specks. Best spots: Reds in duck ponds off Bayou Juanita, Schooner Canal, Reggio Canal, Tanasia’s, Lake Amadee, Bayou Batolo, Bayou Robin, Petain. Best baits: gold spoon, plastic cockahoe with gold spinner blades.
(Good) Shell Beach
Specks, reds. Best spots: south side of the channel at the new rocks and cement pads, between Shell Beach and Bayou La Loutre, long and short rocks, Black Bay at Stone Island and Lonesome Islands, Breton Sound on calmer days. Best baits: live shrimp, live croakers, sparkle beetles (clear, chartreuse), plastic cockahoes.
(Fair) Bayou Bienvenue
Specks and reds. Best spots: The Castle. Violet Locks, mouth
of the bayou at the lake, and the MR-GO rocks between Bayou
Bienvenue and Violet, Boh Brothers, Bulk Plant. Best baits:
live shrimp, live croakers 2 feet below a sliding cork.(Fair) The Chef
Scattered trout, reds. Best spots: New rocks in Lake
Pontchartrain, Alligator Point, Star Bayou, Shell Point,
Third Island, gas wells in Lake Borgne. Best baits: live
shrimp, fresh shrimp, gold spoons, sparkle beetles, Gulp!
(lo), Deadly Dudley Terror Tail (Blue Moon).(Good) The Rigolets
Trout and reds. Best spots: The railroad and car bridges,
Unknown Pass, Alligator Point, Rigolets shorelines. Best
baits: Live shrimp, live croakers, Deadly Dudley Bay Chovie
(Opening Night) Terror Tail (Blue Moon), DOA, Gulp!(Fair) Myrtle Grove
Scattered reds and specks. Best spots: Manilla Village; Bay
Laurier, Bay Round, Bay Cray, Manilla Village, St.
Mary’s Point, reds in the ponds along Bayou Dupont.
Best baits: plastics on the bottom, and drifting with cork.(Fair) North shore
Sheepshead, drum, croakers, white trout and flounders. Best
spots: Specks along the trestles between mid-and south
shore, and along the shoreline between Liberty and Lacombe.
Otherwise bottom fish along all the bridges and rigs. Best
baits: any plastic with a chartreuse tail, including, Deadly
Dudley Baychovie (Opening Night), DOA shrimp (glo,
clear/chartreuse tail); market bait.(Good) Lafitte
Plenty reds, trout scattered. Best spots: on calmer days
trout in the bay from Manilla Village south, and on the
beaches; some specks in Hackberry Bay; reds everywhere from
Bayou Perot, The Pen, Lake Salvador east and south
shorelines, Bay Round, Airplane Bay, Little Lake, Hackberry
Bay, Bay L’ours. Best baits: live shrimp, live
cockahoes on the bottom, plastic cockahoe (glo/chartreuse
tail, black).(Fair) Happy Jack-Port Sulphur
Trout and reds. Best spots: As tidal range improves this
weekend, action should improve at Four Bayous, the Mining
area, Lake Washington, Bay Sansbois, Grand Bayou. Best
baits: live shrimp, live minnows, sparkle beetles (avocado,
gold spoons).(Fair) Pointe a la Hache
Trout outside, reds inside. Hoist is now working at Beshel.
Best spots: Trout under the birds California Bay, Iron
Banks, Stone Island, Battledore area; reds are thick inside
between Pointe a la Hache and Delacroix. Best baits: sparkle
beetles, plastic cockahoes, topwater baits, fresh shrimp.(Good) Empire-Buras
Trout and reds. Best spots: when the wind is not from the
west, trout are on the beaches from Empire to Four Bayous;
east side, California Point, Battledore Reef, Black Tank.
Best baits: on calmer days use topwater baits (Zarra, Jr.,
She Dog), otherwise, Deadly Dudley Terror Tail (Blue Moon),
live minnows and shrimp.(Good) Venice
Trout and reds. Best spots: Main Pass Block 69, Flatboat
Pass, Pass a Loutre, Breton Island, Deepwater Point,
Kelly’s Gap, South and Southwest Pass rocks and lumps,
Scofield, Sandy Point; reds everywhere on west side. Best
baits: live shrimp, plastic cockahoes (black/chartreuse) on
the bottom; fresh shrimp; gold spoons.(Good) Grand Isle-Fourchon
Specks, reds, white trout, sheepshead. Best spots: Timbalier
Islands Lake Raccourci reefs, reefs behind Grand Isle, Queen
Bess, Coupa Bel, Government Reef; reds in the marsh off the
canals; some trout along the beaches from Elmer’s
Island to Four Bayous. Best baits: live shrimp, live
cockahoes, live croakers, live pogies, Berkeley Gulp!
(shrimp) Saltwater Assassin (chartreuse, smoke).— Offshore —
Outlook:Tuna in West Delta 58, plenty of West Delta 117,
edge of the Grand Isle block and up into the canyon, big red
snapper; grouper; cobia, amberjack; plenty of tuna at Quest
Medusa, Innovator. Bay Marchand rigs and Grand Isle 20s and
40s have snapper, cobia and some grouper.— Freshwater —
Outlook:Bass and bream steady.
(Good) Lafitte
Bass and bream. Best spots: the trees on the north side of
The Pen, and the grass bed on the east side, Tank Pond, Blue
Point, Service Canal, Delta Farms, Salvador Management Area,
Bayou Dupont. Best baits: buzz baits early and late; plastic
worms, (red shad), live worms, Gulp! Niblets.(Fair) North shore
Bass, sac-a-lait, bream. Best spots: West Pearl below
Interstate 10, Bayou Liberty, Bayou Lacombe, Geohagen’s
Canal. Best baits: spinner baits (yellow/chartreuse),
plastic worms (Tequila); live shiner, crickets and worms for
bream.(Good) St. Bernard
Bass. Best spots: Grand Lake, Bayou Terre aux Beoufs, Oak
River, Spanish Lake, Lake Lery, Reggio Canal, Lake Amadee,
Caernarvon Canal, Howard’s Ditch, Schooner Canal, Bayou
Le Mer Canal. Best baits: DOA (clear), live shrimp beetle
spins (green/black stripe), plastic lizards (watermelon),
plastic worms (purple, Tequila, pumpkin seed), DOA (glo).