# .



## JacksonOB (Sep 6, 2019)

Blog post made me want to pack up the truck, call a couple buddies, and drive to Louisiana. Well written and some great photos!


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Great write up. The problem is LA is great but its a crapshoot weather wise. I was at my Gulf home in Sept for 12 days. I got to fly fish on 2 of those.....I didn't get so lucky with the storms as Sally was right in the middle of my trip. Glad you hit it right. But guys that come down there need to know the whole picture.


----------



## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

Outstanding work John.


----------



## plisser (Sep 8, 2020)

Been to the Biloxi marshes of LA probably 5 times also. Fished with Capt Greg Dini everytime. Hooked and landed monster red and black drum. Enjoyed your write up. Agree with the wildlife being off the chains! Spectacular! Haven't been there in 4 yrs due to injuries. Hope to get back at it soon as back is strong enough again. In line for a Heron 16 build and very stoked


----------



## scrapiron (Jun 13, 2020)

Nice post! Gotta put LA on my list. Headed out to the NC coast early next week- hope the weather is as good as your LA trip.


----------



## Capt. Moose (Dec 12, 2015)

Going to be a bit windy there this weekend..


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Capt. Moose said:


> Going to be a bit windy there this weekend..


And stupid high water again.....never ends....


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

JacksonOB said:


> Blog post made me want to pack up the truck, call a couple buddies, and drive to Louisiana. Well written and some great photos!


Thanks. I'm ready to go back myself. Nothing is guaranteed, except that you're in for an adventure when you go there.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Hank said:


> Outstanding work John.


Thanks Hank!


ifsteve said:


> Great write up. The problem is LA is great but its a crapshoot weather wise. I was at my Gulf home in Sept for 12 days. I got to fly fish on 2 of those.....I didn't get so lucky with the storms as Sally was right in the middle of my trip. Glad you hit it right. But guys that come down there need to know the whole picture.


Yep, no different than here in NC, or in the Keys, or anywhere else I've been. Mother Nature does as she pleases. Day 1, we had water up 2ft, looking like chocolate milk, and 25mph winds...so we pushed up ditches that came off of other ditches until we couldn't push any further, and found plenty of slot fish making wakes. Worked with what we had and had a great time. The next day, it was so slick you couldn't tell where the water ended and the sky started. That's LA for you, and I love it.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

plisser said:


> Been to the Biloxi marshes of LA probably 5 times also. Fished with Capt Greg Dini everytime. Hooked and landed monster red and black drum. Enjoyed your write up. Agree with the wildlife being off the chains! Spectacular! Haven't been there in 4 yrs due to injuries. Hope to get back at it soon as back is strong enough again. In line for a Heron 16 build and very stoked


Dini is the man! Hope you get back soon.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

scrapiron said:


> Nice post! Gotta put LA on my list. Headed out to the NC coast early next week- hope the weather is as good as your LA trip.


Where on the NC Coast are you heading, and are you bringing a boat?


----------



## reedriley8 (Sep 3, 2020)

Great point about the slot reds. While most people go to LA for the bulls, I’ve had days where you get unlimited shots on slot reds that aren’t spooky... deep in the marsh. Even if they aren’t trophies, it’s a blast catching 10-15 fish right by the boat. Awesome article.


----------



## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

plisser said:


> Been to the Biloxi marshes of LA probably 5 times also. Fished with Capt Greg Dini everytime. Hooked and landed monster red and black drum. Enjoyed your write up. Agree with the wildlife being off the chains! Spectacular! Haven't been there in 4 yrs due to injuries. Hope to get back at it soon as back is strong enough again. In line for a Heron 16 build and very stoked


Probably the last time you fish with Dini if you keep hot spotting


----------



## scrapiron (Jun 13, 2020)

johnmauser said:


> Where on the NC Coast are you heading, and are you bringing a boat?


Going to Dawson's Creek next week. Fished there once last year and it was pretty good for speckled trout. I usually fish near/around Swansboro. Buddy is bringing a boat and I'll have my kayak. The best of both worlds!


----------



## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

ifsteve said:


> Great write up. The problem is LA is great but its a crapshoot weather wise. I was at my Gulf home in Sept for 12 days. I got to fly fish on 2 of those.....I didn't get so lucky with the storms as Sally was right in the middle of my trip. Glad you hit it right. But guys that come down there need to know the whole picture.



That's what I was thinking Steve. Looking at the pictures, it was cloudless skies and very light wind.

@johnmauser , That's awesome y'all had some good weather and a good time. That's what it's all about.


----------



## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Thanks so much for sharing that! Wonderfully written and illustrated with terrific photography. It is a magical place! I was due to return for my second trip in September, but we had to reschedule because of the hurricane. We're now planning to be there third week in October. There's a great book that I recommend for those who have not read it: "Bayou Farewell" by Mike Tidwell. It's an entertaining chronicle of the author's travels through a world that is, unfortunately, vanishing before our eyes. Check it out--highly recommended.


----------



## Alexander Wilcox (May 15, 2020)

@johnmauser I'm 99% sure I saw you guys on the water, noticed the skiff and thought it was a local buddies. Glad you all enjoyed the waters some of us are fortunate enough to call home


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

reedriley8 said:


> Great point about the slot reds. While most people go to LA for the bulls, I’ve had days where you get unlimited shots on slot reds that aren’t spooky... deep in the marsh. Even if they aren’t trophies, it’s a blast catching 10-15 fish right by the boat. Awesome article.


I agree...It's absolutely a blast.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

scrapiron said:


> Going to Dawson's Creek next week. Fished there once last year and it was pretty good for speckled trout. I usually fish near/around Swansboro. Buddy is bringing a boat and I'll have my kayak. The best of both worlds!


Awesome. I'm out of Swansboro. Good luck!


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

DBStoots said:


> Thanks so much for sharing that! Wonderfully written and illustrated with terrific photography. It is a magical place! I was due to return for my second trip in September, but we had to reschedule because of the hurricane. We're now planning to be there third week in October. There's a great book that I recommend for those who have not read it: "Bayou Farewell" by Mike Tidwell. It's an entertaining chronicle of the author's travels through a world that is, unfortunately, vanishing before our eyes. Check it out--highly recommended.


My buddy is reading it right now and he's been raving about it. I'll have to grab a copy, thanks!!


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Alexander Wilcox said:


> @johnmauser I'm 99% sure I saw you guys on the water, noticed the skiff and thought it was a local buddies. Glad you all enjoyed the waters some of us are fortunate enough to call home


Very likely. We had a guide green fury and a grey fury. We're used to coming in November when South Louisiana has more poling skiffs than South Florida. We only saw a couple fly anglers/flats skiffs this time since we were down before "the rush".


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Last winter I was at a launch. And saw skiffs from FL, GA, AL, NC, SC, MI, TX, and MS. Of course a couple from LA. Sad actually.


----------



## m32825 (Jun 29, 2018)

That's a nice article... and a brilliant strategy for getting people to go to Louisiana and leave your home fishery alone!


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

m32825 said:


> That's a nice article... and a brilliant strategy for getting people to go to Louisiana and leave your home fishery alone!


Ha ha...well as a North Carolina fishing guide, that's my plan to keep potential clients from coming and fishing NC with me.


----------



## m32825 (Jun 29, 2018)

I was hoping I could get you to substitute "Florida's Nature Coast" for "North Carolina" to drive some of our traffic to Louisiana... 🙂


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

m32825 said:


> That's a nice article... and a brilliant strategy for getting people to go to Louisiana and leave your home fishery alone!


That's what I was thinking. Sneaky way to get people out of your backyard. Neat pics and article. Sometimes we take for granted what we have. I grew up fishing the marsh and didnt appreciate it until I moved to Charleston and saw that fishery and what they thought was great....articles like this are a good reminder to be thankful we all get to do something we enjoy.


----------



## Capra (Oct 1, 2020)

This looks like a trip I will have to do in the future ! What is your guys preferred rod weight and length for those big reds??


----------



## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

In Louisiana, I use a 7wt and a 9 wt throughout the year. 7wt for the interior ponds throwing crabs and shrimpy stuff at slot fish. 9 wt for fall and winter. 

Although you may run into some bigger fish, an 8 wt will be more than capable to handle them. I like the 9 wt mainly for throwing big, heavy flies. Also, if you don't end up with perfect weather, the larger rod helps with the wind. I know people who fish an 8wt and a 10 wt. That's not a bad idea either, and I guess it depends what rods you already have.


----------



## Alexander Wilcox (May 15, 2020)

Capra said:


> This looks like a trip I will have to do in the future ! What is your guys preferred rod weight and length for those big reds??


For the vast majority of my fishing here in LA I use an 8wt which will handle the fish here, from slots to bulls. I also use a 6wt for slots in low wind if the fish are spooky and a 10wt for jacks.


----------



## reedriley8 (Sep 3, 2020)

Capra said:


> This looks like a trip I will have to do in the future ! What is your guys preferred rod weight and length for those big reds??


I’m using an 8-weight 80% of the time but I always keep a 10-weight in the boat for those big boys on windy days


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Capra said:


> This looks like a trip I will have to do in the future ! What is your guys preferred rod weight and length for those big reds??


Pretty much what everyone else said. We carried everything from a 5wt to a 12wt on the boat throughout the week. But if I was going to carry 2 rods it would be a 7wt (slot reds and sheepies) and a 10wt (bulls, jacks, black drum, alligator gar).


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

8 wt is perfect


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

KimmerIII said:


> 8 wt is perfect


Totally disagree!! For several reasons.
1. Depends on what you are throwing. An 8wt is a the wrong rod for a big Puglisi streamer. Especially if its windy. But yeah ok the wind never blows in the marsh....lol.
and more importantly
2. Just having one rod is never the right answer. So if you want to argue that TWO 8wts are perfect. Well then we can talk about that.

Now if you were to say the an 8wt is the single best all around rod weight for the marsh then I'd say ok. But if I could only carry one rod gun to my head it would be a 9wt for the simple reason that I would rather be overgunned than undergunned.


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

Well his question was “ what is your preferred rod weight“ , not what do you recommend and under what conditions. I was just answering his question. But yea obviously a ton of factors go into specifically what to bring but he just asked what the preferred weight was.


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

KimmerIII said:


> Well his question was “ what is your preferred rod weight“ , not what do you recommend and under what conditions. I was just answering his question. But yea obviously a ton of factors go into specifically what to bring but he just asked what the preferred weight was.


You didn't say your preferred rod was an 8wt. You said "8wt is perfect." Perfect is the part I questioned. Mostly just pulling your chain as we enjoy another day watching hurricanes.


----------



## Capra (Oct 1, 2020)

Thanks for the response guys. I have an 8 already but will need to upgrade the reel and it sounds like if I pick up a 10 ill have my bases fairly covered.


----------



## Monoman (May 31, 2009)

Thanks for that! Heading there in three weeks.


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

ifsteve said:


> You didn't say your preferred rod was an 8wt. You said "8wt is perfect." Perfect is the part I questioned. Mostly just pulling your chain as we enjoy another day watching hurricanes.


Yea 10-4. No worries. That's what happens when we all can't go fishing and have to resort to getting on the computer! Water has been yuck but hopefully we can have a nice fall. From now to New Years its game time! (last few years after the new year the damn wind won't quit.)


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

Also ifsteve, hope to say hello to you this fall at the ramp. I am sure we will cross paths at some point.


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

KimmerIII said:


> Also ifsteve, hope to say hello to you this fall at the ramp. I am sure we will cross paths at some point.


I will be down Nov 3-17 just to fish for a couple of weeks then back for the winter and spring just after XMAS. Management wants to spend the holidays up north this year which is fine.....as long as the ducks get in the corn.....lol


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

ifsteve said:


> I will be down Nov 3-17 just to fish for a couple of weeks then back for the winter and spring just after XMAS. Management wants to spend the holidays up north this year which is fine.....as long as the ducks get in the corn.....lol


10--4. Hopefully we are done with the hurricanes and can get some clean water.


----------



## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

Glad you enjoyed our marsh, it is indeed special.


----------



## plisser (Sep 8, 2020)

GullsGoneWild said:


> Probably the last time you fish with Dini if you keep hot spotting


I disagree with you saying I am spot burning. The area I'm talking about is quite large and diverse. Love going to NOLA to fish and eat.


----------



## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

ifsteve said:


> Last winter I was at a launch. And saw skiffs from FL, GA, AL, NC, SC, MI, TX, and MS. Of course a couple from LA. Sad actually.



Very sad, to bad that they cant stay home and guide their own shit.


----------



## Scrob (Aug 26, 2015)

Great write up John. Im taking my first trip there in Nov. for two days out of Chauvin, LA with Capt Todd Monson. Ever fished over that way?


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Scrob said:


> Great write up John. Im taking my first trip there in Nov. for two days out of Chauvin, LA with Capt Todd Monson. Ever fished over that way?


Thank you.
No, I've never had the pleasure of fishing over that way. I'm sure you'll have a great time.


----------



## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

Capt.Ron said:


> Very sad, to bad that they cant stay home and guide their own shit.


I’m fine with the random people coming to fish LA each fall 
..it happens. I just wish those same people would show some respect to the locals by STFU about it, but we’re 20-15yrs too late for that. 

It’s not the same and probably won’t be. We can thank the out of state self promoters. 

Thanks


----------



## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

TidewateR said:


> I’m fine with the random people coming to fish LA each fall
> ..it happens. I just wish those same people would show some respect to the locals by STFU about it, but we’re 20-15yrs too late for that.
> 
> It’s not the same and probably won’t be. We can thank the out of state self promoters.
> ...



I have to laugh that the two people (at the time of this reply) that liked your post were both out of staters.


----------



## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

Capt.Ron said:


> Very sad, to bad that they cant stay home and guide their own shit.


Depends on where you are if they are guides or not.

For example, Mobile had/has a core group of folks that have been fishing the eastern LA marsh since the 1980's/early 1990's in what would later become flats boats as they didnt really exist back then. Sadly most of those guys are dead now but those guys were hardcore; we learned it from their generation. The first group of guys to take little boats out there with no GPS, shoddy maps, and a whole lot of balls. It was all trial and error. 

Parts of South LA have gotten killed by out of state guides. The invention of GPS did it. Before then, hardly no outsider guides would try it on their own and the local guides damn sure weren't going out of their way to help a bunch of seasonal guides learn it.


----------



## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

jackson man said:


> Again I'll say that I'm sure the local businesses (and guides) are very happy that "out of staters" show any interest in La.


To clarify, I know ifsteve from the local board going way back and have actually met both Tidewater and Fatman on multiple occasions. In fact Fatman and I have fished in the same skiff several times. It was just a good chance to rib at some buddies and the sarcasm probably didn’t translate well or if at all.  Also, I am happy that others get to come and enjoy themselves in Louisiana and yes, I’m sure the locals appreciate the business, especially in a year like this. Shoot, our local guides wouldn’t be able to support a family if not for out of state fishermen. 

The only true beef I’ve heard most local fly fishermen complain about is the out of state guides that come in but don’t do it the legal way, and a lot don’t have the same etiquette (space wise) that Louisiana guys expect.


----------



## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

When I lived in Lake Charles, Sabine Lake was going through a bad spell and quite a few Texas guides were pulling trips on Calcasieu Lake without getting a non resident guide license. LADWF set up and busted a few. Since they had crossed state lines with intent to commit a crime, their boats and vehicles were seized under RICO statutes. I don't know if the seizures help up in court, but it stopped the rogue guides real quick.


----------



## gibby (May 15, 2020)

Going to jump on this late, but better than never. I'm from Louisiana, Thibodaux to be exact. I've lived all over from Lafayette to New Orleans where I live now. I've fished every body of water from Port Fouchon to the Biloxi Marsh.

When I was a kid we had an aluminum flat bottom jon boat which we called a bateau. It was maybe 14' long, had a 25 hp mercury on it, no trolling motor, just paddles. My first trip out of Port Fouchon was with my dad and his friend in that boat. I remember seeing the big oil tankers (which I now know weren't all that big at all) coming into port on the same bayou we were heading down to go to the jetties. I was terrified of sinking. 

But then we got to the rocks and I must've caught 200 trout. Mostly white trout, a few specs mixed in. I had some lure that I can't remember the name of. It was speckled red shrimp shaped with a treble hook on the bottom and a normal j hook in the middle. All I had to do was drop it off the side of the boat, give it a few shakes, and a fish was on. My dad's buddy would drink a beer for every fish we caught, he was passed out after an hour.

After about 50 trout my dad decided to use one of the white trout as bait and put a hook through it's mouth and threw it out into the deeper water. After a few seconds, we had a blacktip shark - the first shark I had ever seen. We slaughtered it immediately and threw another trout out. My dad hooked into something that pulled us past the rocks into the actual gulf. It was a 38" red - the biggest fish I had ever seen.

I can still remember the lsu tailgate a few days after this when we grilled and fried a good bit of this fish. I can still remember how delicious everything was and I can still remember telling my pawpaw about seeing dolphins for the first time.

We began fishing a lot more after that. Almost every weekend. At the time we lived north of Baton Rouge and we'd drive the 3 hours in the morning to be at launch for sunrise. Lack of sleep didn't matter, being out there mostly alone catching fish was amazing. We ended up getting a camp that was shared with some of dad's friends so we didn't have to drive so far for just one day. What a dream, I could fish all day long, and I did.

Then hurricane andrew came and destroyed our camp. And then family problems came. And we no longer had a camp. And we no longer had a boat. And we no longer had our weekend trips. 

Now, more than twenty years later, I'm in New Orleans, married with a kid, and I fish a couple of times a month. And I'm here, on microskiff.com, with a bunch of out of towners who look at what we have here as amazing.

It is amazing, but not as amazing as it once was. There are islands we used to stop on to take care of our business that are gone now. There are canals that are literally posted (with actual posts) or fenced, canals that used to be cut-throughs for everyone. And, there are all these weirdos with boats that have platforms on the back to pole in mud. 

I could go on and on with stories forever, but I'm writing this because of a response I saw about locals and their interaction with non-locals. It is probably no secret that many locals aren't too fond of non-locals. I have a guide friend near Dulac who hates seeing these microskiffs being poled around, any time he sees one he immediately starts cursing. This guy is also the same guy who sees guys in aluminum jon boats and tells them exactly where to cast.

So what's all this about? This can really be attributed to a single thing - not understanding the culture and not respecting the environment. These are more than trivial matters because the culture and environment go hand in hand. For example, the rocks that I mentioned at Fouchon, those aren't as productive anymore. Likewise, trying to fish the mrgo rocks these days will have you fighting for space with mostly out of towners.

This is seen more accutely around the Dulac area, because the flats can be "dirtied" so easily simply by increased traffic. And this is important because, in Louisiana, there is literally no reason to fish "spots" or locations. There are fish everywhere if you know what you're doing. Me and my kayak had 10 trout and 2 reds by 9am last sunday and called it a day - I was < 1 mile from the launch. But I in my kayak have the same frustrations as my guide friend in his skiff, people don't have the right ettiquette. 

There's no reason to blow through the flats, or blow by a fellow boater, or pile onto a spot or location at all and in fact, doing so might kill a spot. There's an ettiquete here to follow and there's treaure to maintain. 

We want y'all here, and I for one love seeing the fly fishing stuff catching on, I love people fishing for sport more than greed. But, we have to recognize what the constant never ending pressure is doing to locals and their fish. Especially in the context of never ending coastal erosion.

So, thanks for reading, hopefully it's not too rambling. I'm just a cajun man who loves what he has and wants everyone to know how special it is, and how important preservation is.


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

If my twins now live in Mandeville , can I come and fish the marsh sometime?


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

jackson man said:


> No! But you can watch the twins fish!😁



Rats !!!!!


----------



## plisser (Sep 8, 2020)

gibby said:


> Going to jump on this late, but better than never. I'm from Louisiana, Thibodaux to be exact. I've lived all over from Lafayette to New Orleans where I live now. I've fished every body of water from Port Fouchon to the Biloxi Marsh.
> 
> When I was a kid we had an aluminum flat bottom jon boat which we called a bateau. It was maybe 14' long, had a 25 hp mercury on it, no trolling motor, just paddles. My first trip out of Port Fouchon was with my dad and his friend in that boat. I remember seeing the big oil tankers (which I now know weren't all that big at all) coming into port on the same bayou we were heading down to go to the jetties. I was terrified of sinking.
> 
> ...


Extremely well said Gibby. As I've mentioned earlier I love going to NOLA to eat and fish. With what seems to be more frequent storms coming I hope you all are safe and well.


----------



## gibby (May 15, 2020)

Sublime said:


> If my twins now live in Mandeville , can I come and fish the marsh sometime?


Just let me ride in that boat and I'll show you how to limit


----------



## gibby (May 15, 2020)

plisser said:


> Extremely well said Gibby. As I've mentioned earlier I love going to NOLA to eat and fish. With what seems to be more frequent storms coming I hope you all are safe and well.


We somehow dodged every storm this season, hope that luck persists for a while. Lake Charles, though, needs a lot of help. I've sent a few hand packed donation trucks that way, but it'll never be enough. Hopefully things can get back to some sense of normalcy there at some point. It's pretty bad.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

.


----------



## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

johnmauser said:


> Man I had no idea my post would cause such a stir. We come down once a year and spend money locally at grocery stores, restaurants, boat launches, gas stations and house rentals...never hotspot any locations...keep away from anyone else who's out fishing...figure everything out on our own by trial and error...and when someone asks about fishing down there we recommend a local guide. I know the guides in the area are advertising the fishery to bring in clients, and we are hoping in a way that we are sending a few more clients to them. We love Louisiana and 110% respect the amazing resource that it is.


No worries, Hopedale/BIloxi marsh has been so hotspotted and blown for so long that no matter where I fish I"ll just tell people "Hopedale". Luckily it is a vast area, boats can spread out, although the marina does turn into a real S#[email protected] Show.


----------



## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

I just like 


TidewateR said:


> I’m fine with the random people coming to fish LA each fall
> ..it happens. I just wish those same people would show some respect to the locals by STFU about it, but we’re 20-15yrs too late for that.
> 
> It’s not the same and probably won’t be. We can thank the out of state self promoters.
> ...


especially the dudes with daddy or wifie money claiming that they are earning their way in........ then cry about people not showing them respect after a year... P.S. I wouldn't be here if FatMan didn't save my life that one time.


----------



## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

johnmauser said:


> Man I had no idea my post would cause such a stir. We come down once a year and spend money locally at grocery stores, restaurants, boat launches, gas stations and house rentals...never hotspot any locations...keep away from anyone else who's out fishing...figure everything out on our own by trial and error...and when someone asks about fishing down there we recommend a local guide. I know the guides in the area are advertising the fishery to bring in clients, and we are hoping in a way that we are sending a few more clients to them. We love Louisiana and 110% respect the amazing resource that it is.


Im just talking shit..... unless limestone starts flying


----------



## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

gibby said:


> Going to jump on this late, but better than never. I'm from Louisiana, Thibodaux to be exact. I've lived all over from Lafayette to New Orleans where I live now. I've fished every body of water from Port Fouchon to the Biloxi Marsh.
> 
> When I was a kid we had an aluminum flat bottom jon boat which we called a bateau. It was maybe 14' long, had a 25 hp mercury on it, no trolling motor, just paddles. My first trip out of Port Fouchon was with my dad and his friend in that boat. I remember seeing the big oil tankers (which I now know weren't all that big at all) coming into port on the same bayou we were heading down to go to the jetties. I was terrified of sinking.
> 
> ...


I was born in the same area as your friend, my great grandfather used to own the area I fish. I start cursing at boats poling too, and I do it for a living.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

There are a lot of people out there with a thousand Instagram followers who bitch and moan about other people hot spotting. I do believe Alanis Morissette wrote a song about it.


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Here is the thing that gets overlooked and never addressed. What VALUE does a video or story like the one that started this thread provide? What value was incurred over the EXACT same story that didn't include any information about location, not even general area? The value of the story was some buddies taking a road trip and doing some fishing and enjoying life. It had ZERO to do with being in LA or any other place. 

It doesn't matter that its an area that isn't any secret and that every damn media (TV, mags, instagram) haven't already ruined. Just adding to that serves no purpose. So take your trips. Write your damn blogs, post your freaking instagram/facebook hero shots. But holy hell please stop saying anyting about location. Just STOP.


----------



## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

A lot of us locals (and I'm sure this happens all over the country) have resigned ourselves to the over exposure of certain areas, and have quietly moved our fishing to other areas that we never mention, and we cringe whenever we see them mentioned online because we don't want to see them spoiled like the other, already over exposed areas. There are a couple of high profile insta whores that I absolutely detest without actually knowing them. They may be super nice in person but I've seen them come into some of our "quiet places" from out of state and blow it the hell up on social media. It's like "I love this place so much I'm going to kill it". And as IFSteve said, spoiling the location added nothing to their content. I also saw video posted by one of the same people grossly disrespecting our fish and fishery, deliberately feeding an under sized redfish to a raccoon.


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Someone tell me about running the river itself, especially in the delta around Venice. I was on the river years ago, but it was on an oilfield boat. I just remember the tankers and big ships haul arse. If you need to get across the river , can you pick a window and do it fairly easily?


----------



## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Sublime said:


> Someone tell me about running the river itself, especially in the delta around Venice. I was on the river years ago, but it was on an oilfield boat. I just remember the tankers and big ships haul arse. If you need to get across the river , can you pick a window and do it fairly easily?


Don’t worry about him hot spotting you he would have to finish his boat first before actually going fishing!

Well that and he is good people!


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

texasag07 said:


> Don’t worry about him hot spotting you he would have to finish his boat first before actually going fishing!
> 
> Well that and he is good people!


This is exactly my point. Every year that slips by, my motor and cognitive skills get worse and worse.


----------

