# Back in the Marsh



## [email protected]

nice fish!! and love the caption on the first picture lol.  ;D


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## WhiteDog70810

Where were you? I've never seen a single platform on any boat where I used to fish back home (mostly Montegut and Larose), but all the boats in your first pic have them. Are they that popular now? I haven't been fishing much down there since `02, so fashions may have changed.

Nate


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## TidewateR

those boats belonged to guys in our flyfish get together. There was a good showing: 2 mavericks, a Mitzi, 2 caimens, a waterman, and the Texan skiff. These boats are still somewhat rare, depending where you fish. Most of the boats pictured belonged to louisianans though.


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## Guest

Didn't see any Copperheads?


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## skinnywater3

extra awesome TR thanks for sharing


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## HaMm3r

Loved the story and nice job with the pictures!


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## TidewateR

Didn't see any copperheads. I have yet to see one in person, much less in louisiana.


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## oysterbreath

Nice pics! If heaven looks like that...I want in!
I've seen that black home made skiff before. It's Incog-*****. Built by one of the dudes from 2coolfishing. It's a cool skiff. The only thing is...it's wood cored with polyester resin. I wonder how it's holding up?


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## PVredfisher

Sweet report and pics! I like your captions on the pics


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## pitpok

Nice going! I am heading to LA in late march and was going o bring the lt25 gheenoe. Any advice? I don't mind catching smaller fish, 35in .


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## St._Sophie_Girl

These reports always depress me... Why doesn't anyone live closer to Savannah??? :'(

Awesome report and photos!


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## TidewateR

> Nice going! I am heading to LA in late march and was going o bring the lt25 gheenoe. Any advice? I don't mind catching smaller fish, 35in .


The weather in March is usually too tough for the sight fishing. You might get a few good days, but March is generally windy as hell. The bait chuckers do very well in the spring, but I have little experience in that department. You might try reading up at louisianasportsman.com. You can search through old March reports. Keep in mind that last winter/spring was really cold and delayed the trout run. Redfish are always around though, you should have no problem catching them in the marsh. let us know how you do.

found a link to last year's reports
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=list_reports&catID=17&regID=&userID=&page=55&term=&order=&total=22760&view=cat


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## pitpok

Thanks for the link...fly only for me. No bait! I wish I can go now but can't get off work till then.


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## Puertoricoinshore

Hi! from Puerto Rico. I am plannig a weekend fly fishing trip to louisiana marsh this november 2011. Any info on best location, accomodiation, guides etc. Thanks. Great fishing  cant wait to be there.


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## TidewateR

> Thanks for the link...fly only for me. No bait! I wish I can go now but can't get off work till then.


ah ok, the LaSportsman isn't much help to a flyfisherman.    Sight fishing is possible when you get a nice day. The outside marsh might have dirty water, but you could always fish the innards. PM when you go down and I can show you around  few spots


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## rcmay

_tidewater, 
I live in Mobile and have fished Venice a few times and H-dale and Dcroix a few times too. Im very interested in learning how to fly fish, but dont know anyone in my area that does it. Would you be interested in teaching a newbie?


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## dacuban1

Great report dude, thx for sharing.


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## jboriol

Tidewater_ is right...people on the northern gulf coast are not used to seeing a flats skiff. I had my skiff at work the other day and one of my employees asked me what the "big spear" attached to the boat was for and how big were the fish that I was spearing with it. She said this with a staight face...I laughed for 15 min straight :-?


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## Salty_South

Sounds like a good problem to have!! Better that than skiffs all over your favorite spots!


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## WhiteDog70810

I am in the same boat as your employee.  A lot of boats back home carry a push pole, but they are usually only 10-14 ft long with a duck bill foot and are primarily used to push yourself back off a mudflat after you do something stupid.  I've never seen a purpose built flats skiff in person, much less a pushpole longer than 16 ft.  I still can't envision having a 21 ft pole.  I'd like to use one of the nice ones just to feel it, but it might ruin me forever.  Right now, I could be satisfied with a 14 ft closet rod pushpole.

The only guide I know is Capt T-Man Cheramie out of Larose, Louisiana.  He consistently catches fish, but he primarily fishes live bait in deeper water (the Sulfur Mine).  There are guides all over the place.  Keep looking through LA Sportsman.  They occasionally have articles about saltwater fly fishing.  You'll hear a lot about spoon flies.  Also check out this site.

http://laflyfish.com/

Regarding fishing for reds in Louisiana, don't be afraid to just jump in feet first (except for PRinshore whose boat is at home).  Fall is the best time to visit and late winter/early spring is the worst, but even then, you can usually find something.  From what I hear from the Florida guys on this forum, we look for them in the same type of water.  First run the big bayous and canals toward the Gulf until you find the salt water (rain/river level/tide dependent), then find cuts that drain out of the marsh or off a flat into the deeper bayous or canals.  Start there and fish as far back into the marsh as necessary to find the fish.  If that cut don't work, find another.  On cold days, find the warm water.  On muddy days, find the clear water.  This usually involves a lot of blundering around for the best of us, but the beauty of the marsh is that you usually will get lucky if you try.  Obviously, these are very basic suggestions, so don't tell me about the time you caught a 12# red after a 3 day monsoon in water that looked like a chocolate milkshake.

If you free lance it, Larose and Montegut are fairly simple to figure out (pm me if you want specifics).  Venice is harder to fish and harder for me to make heads or tails of, but there are a lot of guides that work the area, some of which fly fish.  The marshes around Lake Calcasieu are pretty easy to figure out on your own, but I would stick to the marshes in the Sabine NWR (read the regs) to avoid having to figure out what marshes are private property.  There are also guides that cover the area.  If you go on your own, get the best maps you can find and accept that they were probably obsolete 5 years before you bought them due to hurricanes.

Nate


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