Captain's Log

Oh my, how time flies. I was there for PP1. It was a cool event from its conception. I was fishing with my good friend, Mark Brassett, and we were parked on the side of the Fourchon road down where you could cross over the bridge to get on the beach. Back then the road was still just shell and there wasn’t much traffic. A red Toyota pulls up with a kayak in the back and the driver invited to sign up for the event and come eat some free food over at the Fourchon Boat Launch. It was fun and it seems like maybe there were twenty or so kayaks. The pioneers of the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club were the nucleus of the event. The karma was evident, the food was ok, but it was so cool to meet the other guys that were hooked on kayak fishing. It was a cool new sport. When you pulled up at a gas station or a restaurant people looked at you with curiosity and, even back then, I knew it would grow.

Well grow it did. The sport mushroomed and its popularity continues to grow. Paddle Palooza 9 will be held in Leeville at Bobby Lynn’s Marina on March 31^st. All the details can be had on the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing website www.bckfc.org. If you own a kayak, if you rent a kayak, if you just bought a kayak and you want to have a lot of fun, head south to Leeville and experience the karma. Prizes will be plentiful, but the real silver lining to me is the growth of the sport and the contagious attraction to fishing in yaks.

Bobby Lynn’s is the host of the event and they have embraced the sport. They now rent kayaks, offer mother ship trips to remote locations and sell supplies. The kayak activities are directed by Jordy, their son. He inspires me with his enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport. Bobby Lynn’s in Leeville offers some really good fishing right out the back of the marina. Maybe the best part is that it’s relatively protected from the March winds.

If I’ve managed to talk you into showing up for Paddle Palooza 9, here are a few fishing tips. First, you’ll need to catch a trout. That can be hard this time of the year. I recommend fishing in the pits off LA 1 below Fourchon. Depending on the weather, this area can be phenomenal. Colder is better. Next, you’ll need a flounder. Again, head south a little further south down LA 1 and fish a minnow on a jig head near the scour holes under the three bridges before you get to Grand Isle. The third thing you will need is a redfish under twenty-seven inches. Well, they are spread out all over the marsh. Where to find the Leopard Redfish is up to you. If you have managed to catch a trout and a flounder you are in good shape, relax and nail a nice redfish and head for the scale.

No tournament has ever had two hundred contestants. Could Paddle Palooza 9 break through that barrier? I hope so. I remember when one hundred boats seemed like a stretch, but with the continued growth of the sport, I’m sure it will happen. If it doesn’t happen this year at Paddle Palooza 9, it could still happen at Ride the Bull 3 or the premiere event, Fall-n-Tide. So, get on line (www.bckfc.org) and sign up for Paddle Palooza 9. The Cost? For the families that kayak together, the organizers of Paddle Palooza have gotten smart: ENTRY FEES are $50.00 per person ($40 for BCKFC members) for the first 2 members of your immediate family. Each additional dependent can register for the discounted rate of $25.00 per person. Your registration must be received no later than March 24th. Sign up by March 10^th to be sure to get a cool shirt! There are lots of great prizes, including a new kayak for the Leopard Red (most spots). Good Luck to everyone. See you on the water.

Something to Yak about,

January, 2012

Winter is now upon us and it might be easy to spend a lot of time inside, but for those who like adventure it’s a great time to launch your kayak and catch red fish. Winter fishing requires a little more planning and here are a few tips to keep you safe. First, let someone know your float plan and let them know what time you expect to be home. Second, try to partner up and avoid going by yourself. Third, check the weather prior to departure. Fast moving cold fronts can sport sixty mile an hour straight line winds and temperatures can plummet. Fourth, dress in layers and bring dry clothes just in case. Hypothermia can be fatal.

Winter kayak trips take a little more planning, but when the result includes a pretty day, no crowds and big reds, the extra effort is well worth it.

As far as catching red fish, nothing beats live minnows under a cork or a minnow hooked onto a jig head. As the water temperature drop, the redfish get lazy and your presentation must be slower. I look for run outs, points or pinch points that have moving water. I’ve found redfish like to “lay up” just outside the current line and wait for food to come to them during the colder months.

Both sides of LA1 are great for reds this time of the year. The TPH is not the only place to fish. The bay side of the road is great fishing too. You can scout your spot as you cross the newly opened extension to the Leeville bridge that connects to Fourchon. Bridge Side Marina will be open with all the supplies and hot coffee you’ll need. Don’t worry about it being crowded this time of the year. I usually let things warm up a little bit before making my trips. Being out on the water before sun up isn’t necessary. I’ve also found that when it gets in the low forty degree range it’s not fishing anymore - it’s survival. Pick a nice day after a cold front and you’ll have fun.

If Santa brought you a new kayak and you are looking for a few new buddies to “yak” with, get online and check out the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club at www.bckfc.org (Most of their members are from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the North Shore) and the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club at www.lafayettekayakfishingclub.com. Both the clubs are full of friendly fishermen who can help you with advice on fishing and rigging your new yak.

Be sure to mark your calendars early for the kayak fishing tournaments this year. They are always a good time. Also, the Bayou Coast Club has started an “Outcast” series of events that are great outings and a nice way to introduce you to areas you are not familiar with since participants are much more open to sharing tips, techniques, and locations than the competitive major events. The first tournament of the year is Minimalist Challenge V at Bason’s Marina - Galliano, LA - January 21, 2012 (4:45 AM - 12:00 PM). This is PART 1 OF 5 in BCKFC 2012 Tournament Series. It is limited to only 100 anglers. So visit the website and sign up soon. This is a great tournament with an unusual format. Each contestant is given lures to fish with for the tournament. You can only use these lures. Any other lures will get you disqualified. Anglers fish for slot reds (16-27 inches) and flounder 12 inches and greater. Heaviest legal stringer wins. With a $20 entry fee it is easy on the wallet too.

Fall kayaking is definitely the best time of the year. Redfish are plowing the shallows pushing shrimp and minnows against the banks and the days are cool and inviting, making for a great daylong outing. At no other time of the year is it so much fun to be in the marsh fishing. The kayak provides an almost silent stalking platform and being able to go “skinny” adds a sense of relief when heading out is low tide conditions. I also like the many options to catch reds. Toss a spoon, or plastic on a jig head, use a fly rod or fish minnows under a cork, it all works this time of the year. The best time to go after redfish is the weather window after a frontal passage when the north wind abates and a slight easterly flow returns. The bays clear up within a day and the fish seem to get really active. With the water levels still down from the north winds the fish are compressed into far less water than when the prefrontal southerly winds stack water up in the marsh making them easy to find. All the marsh down Hwy 1 offer lots of good fishing. Living on Grand Isle affords me plenty of “redfish options” and for those who haven’t done the bull red thing in a kayak yet, it’s still happening. Although the numbers of twenty five to thirty five pound fish are diminishing the Caminada Pass area is still a great place to give it a go. This type of fishing is best done on anchor. You will need heavier line and a “red fish rig” with a one, two or three ounce sinker. Put a nice chunk of cut mullet on the hook and sit back and wait. With cooler temp, it’s a good way to spend a few hours. If you try an area for thirty minutes and don’t get a big bite, move and try it again. Landing a big ole red from a kayak should be on every kayakers to do list. Speaking of lists, it’s not too soon to think of Christmas gifts. Remember to explore your options, paddle, pedal or power. Yep, it’s getting more confusing as the sport continues to develop. I’m open to all the different options. Hobie wins out as the most refined paddle/ pedal craft on the market, but what I find more intriguing is the move to power kayaks with various other types of propulsion including sail. Hobie comes with a sail package, I have one and it’s pretty functional at getting a bit more range out of the boat. Yak Gear an internet provider mentioned that a new “pump propulsions” system was soon to be on the market. A growing number of active kayakers have added trolling motors to their craft and have been nicknamed “outcasts” by the purists of paddle and pedal. I think there is room for both, but remember putting a trolling motor on a kayak makes it a power craft and changes the requirements of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. Motorized craft are required to be registered with the state and required to show these numbers on both sides of the craft. Well no matter how you get around this fall. Pick a nice day and go red fishing, it’s that time of the year! If you are interested in a guided trip call us at Calmwater Charters 225 721 8182. Louisiana is the best place to go red fishing and this is the best time of the year!

Bullish on Grand Isle, October 2011

Zach Matthews knees started to shake as the redfish came into sight. The closer it came, the harder it was to keep his sea legs under him on the nose of the boat. "We don't have fish that big in Atlanta!" he said. This is the reason anglers from all across the country come to the Louisiana Coast in the late summer and fall: The quest for monster redfish. Bridge Side Marina on Grand Isle is the perfect place to catch Bull Reds. You can fish from the fishing pier next to the bridge, a bay boat or a kayak, all within a half mile of the marina, which has all the fishing supplies, bait and tackle you need. It is an annual fall event and part of our culture on the island.
An accomplished fly fisherman, Zach originally intended to use his fly rod to stalk his pray in the marsh, but a twenty knot wind that picked up that morning conspired against him. Like all good fishing guides, I told him not to worry. I had plan B in the bag. We put up the Flats skiff, hopped in my catamaran and were off to Bridge Side marina to get cut mullet. Zach then settled in for the three minute boat ride to the other side of the Grand Isle Bridge where I hooked him up with a couple heavy seven foot rods with spinning gear and sixty pound power pro. I set one rod on each side of the boat and a third in the "rocket launcher" in the center of the boat. Typically, I keep the bait on the bottom with 1, 2 or 3 ounce sinkers, depending on the current. This day 2 ounces worked just fine.
A nice two inch chunk of mullet was impaled on a 6/0 Kahle hook and offered up to the redfish as a mid-morning snack. There are many theories on what makes the best bait. Cut mullet is easy. It is readily available at the marinas and you don’t have to keep it alive. In fact, on a hot day, frozen mullet is like a popsicle to a redfish. If you prefer live bait, large croakers are the ticket. Be sure you have a good live well/aerator to keep them alive. Many people like cracked crab. This works well too. Redfish love it, but so does most everything else in the water. If you use crab, bring plenty. You will need to re-bait often. A lesser known favorite is white trout. You won't find this at the marina. It takes some extra effort as you will need to fish ahead of time for this bait, but it is a favorite of tournament fishermen.
After a 15 minute lull, the aroma of cut mullet lured our first bull red out from under the burnt pilings of the old fishing pier. Here you find the magic depth: 12 - 15 feet of water where most of the feeding occurs.

There is no doubt what's going down when a bull red sinks it mouth into your hook. The rod arches, the reel gives line and the fish takes off for the safety of the bridge. Here is where skill and strength come into play. It is imperative to take hold of that rod and break the bull’s spirit before he breaks your line in the pilings.
The fight usually goes something like this: on the initial run, the red exhibits his power by stripping drag for about 30 yards. Then for some inexplicable reason, he dials down the thrust allowing the angler to turn him. It is now up to the angler to regain his line and composure. The next stage involves several weaker runs, demanding both power and finesse from the angler to steer the fish away from obstructions that could break the line. In the last stand, the bull red is once again on the offensive. His tactic is usually to run under the boat. The angler’s skill is required to prevent breaking the rod or losing the fish from line abrasion, contact with your lower unit or entanglement with the anchor rope.
Zach, a wonderfully skilled fly fisherman, was unfamiliar with the concept of submerging the rod tip to stave off these problems. I briefly jumped in to help and prevent him from losing the fish (and my rod) by plunging the rod tip into the water to allow the rod to bend under the boat. Zach continued to fight the fish until both were drained of energy allowing Zach to reel him up to the side of the boat, where I secured the redfish with a Boca grip in the jaw. When in a school of reds, and you get multiple "hooks up", it's like train wreck in a trailer park, total chaos, requiring the anglers to do the bend rod shuffle, a little dance to keep the lines straight. When the fish are finally in the boat everyone breathes a sigh of relief. At this point I always say "it's time for the photo session, high fives and cold beverages for the customers.” Over the years I've streamlined this process so that we can return the fish to the water unharmed.
Most people have cameras to capture the moment. Zach’s post release social networking included immediate texts and email transmissions via his iPhone to family and jealous fishing buddy's across the country. It is what I call marketing. That blue bruise on your belly button from the butt end of the rod is you badge of honor – a temporary tattoo that says “Been there, Caught that.” Visitors consider catching one of these 30-40 pound beauties like joining the mile high club. It's that kind of life changing experience.

Another summer is coming to an end. Big Reds fill the passes between the barrier islands during late summer. That means it is time to Ride the Bull! Flex your muscles, put on new line and hang on for a prime time “Cajun sleigh ride”. It’s both a challenge and a thrill to “get hooked up” on twenty to thirty pound muscle bound bull reds in a kayak and on September 17^th it could net you a new kayak. CCA of Louisiana and Calmwater Charters are partnering again with The Backpacker and Kajun Custom Kayaks to bring you “Ride the Bull”, Louisiana’s First Extreme Kayak Fishing Rodeo on the Saturday, September 17^th at Bridge Side Marina on Grand Isle, LA. Paddle craft fishermen will vie for several thousand dollars worth of prizes and prize money. The anglers that can catch the biggest redfish will take home the loot. The big prizes are being provided by The Backpacker and Kajun Custom Kayaks. The Backpacker, with locations in both Baton Rouge and Lafayette, will be providing a Hobie Outback Kayak package and Kajun Custom Kayaks will be donating one of their signature series kayaks for top winners. There will be great fishing equipment to round out the prizes for the top ten reds caught. Participants also get a steak dinner on Friday night before the tournament at the Captains meeting from 7-9pm. You can learn all about the tournament and register at the “Ride the Bull” tournament website: www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull. This will be a great spectator sport that you will be able to watch from the Grand Isle Fishing Bridge, Bridge Side Marina, the western beach of Grand Isle and the eastern end of Elmer’s Island. So bring your lawn chair, cooler, binoculars and umbrella and watch the action!Tournament sponsors and members of the media met at Bridge Side Marina on August 26^th to check out the kayak angling action in Caminda Pass. Leigh Ann DeRouen and Renee Vegas of Bridgeside Marina were the first to bring in some big reds. Micheal Matthews of The Backpacker also reeled in a few bulls as did Benton Parrott. Here are a few tips for catching bull reds from a kayak. First, check out your tackle as it will be subject to harsh treatment. Respool with fresh line if the stuff on your reel is a few months old or worn. Fourteen pound mono will work if you set your drag correctly, but braid will stop big fish in their tracks. Rig up by putting a slip sinker with swivel on your line. Tie a good knot and stretch it nice and tight. Below the swivel use forty pound fluorocarbon to make a twelve inch leader with a 4/0 Kahle hook and you are ready to go after bull reds. A couple of things about bait you’ll want to know. First, cracked crabs are a top bait and easy to use. Tear off the shell, break into two pieces down the center and then break each piece in half and run the hook through the chunk. Pinfish will usually eat all the meat off the hook in about five minutes, so count on re bating about every five minutes. Second on the list is the croaker. Redfish love croakers and poggies, but both are hard to keep alive in live wells. I’ve been able to keep croakers in a bait bucket for a few hours, but I only start with about a dozen at a time. Third is cut mullet. Easy to put on the hook and yes redfish love cut bait. You will also need to check A few things on your kayak. First be sure you have the right anchoring system. Anchoring in the passes will require at least an eight pound mud anchor or a small danforth anchor with at least twenty five to thirty feet of line. Wearing your life vest is a good idea because tidal currents, waves and boat wakes could cause issues. Unlike the marsh, if you find yourself separated from your kayak, the water in the pass is over your head. Be sure you have scupper holes in your boat to drain any water that a wave or wake may send over your side. If you have the type of kayak that does not have scupper holes, be sure you have a method to pump or scoop water out. Even a good old plastic Mardi Gras cup is better than nothing. That’s the easy part. Now your kayak is anchored in the pass and your lines are in your rod holders. All of the sudden you feel a tug. Take a deep breath and relax, you are in for a fight that usually takes anywhere from five minutes to thirty minutes depending of the size and disposition of the fish. The bull red is known for its strong “bullish” first run. If your tackle and nerves survive the first run the odds of landing the fish are high. If something breaks, try again as bulls seldom travel as singles inside the passes. Take care to not tangle the fish in your anchor line. If the current is nominal, quickly pull anchor and go for a ride. Keep your rod tip high and be prepared for the fish to change direction. When the fish has you in tow, the kayak acts as a secondary drag system and the fish will tire a lot sooner. Bull reds do not usually run more than forty yards so getting spooled is not that big of a problem if your tackle and drag are in good shape. Landing the fish can also be tricky. It takes a big net to land a thirty pound redfish and I seldom have room for such a large item. So instead of carrying a big net on my yak, I use a Boca grip or simply pull the fish into the cockpit of the yak. A Big Red is typically so exhausted at the end of the fight that it is easy to handle once removed from the water. At this point, I take pictures quickly and return the fish to the water to revive and release. LWF Regulations only allow you to keep only one Redfish exceeding 27 inches. However, because the amount of white meat taken off these big fish is not significant, it is not the best size redfish to put on your table. Those between 16 and 20 inches make the best table fare and yield the most useable meat relative to the size of the fish. Releasing a big bull red is rewarding. Knowing that they are the brood stock of the species makes the act even more commendable. Hope to see you all at Bridge Side Marina on September 17^th at Ride the Bull 2!

Ride the Bull II, Ready?

August, 2011

A few years ago I was on my porch knocking down a few cocktails with a few friends when we hatched the idea of a redfish rodeo for kayakers. We thought it would be cool - kind of an extreme event - and instead of slot reds, let’s chase the big ole bull reds. Grand Isle, hosts lots of the redfish tournaments, but doing it in a kayak takes a certain type of person, one that enjoys a challenge. Ride the Bull brought the twist that they were looking for. It emerged as Louisiana’s first extreme kayak fishing challenge.

Apparently there were quite a few people interested in giving it a try. “Look at all the kayaks in the pass!” was the comment most heard from passing boaters on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend 2009 in Grand Isle. Over eighty kayak anglers paddled out into the deep water and waves of Caminada Pass to take a shot at extreme kayaking fishing with a simple format – just catch, weigh and release a Bull Red in Caminada Pass. As one spectator stated, “It looks like they spilled a box of crayons out on the pass.” The tournament was different for the participants too, as it bought the kayak community together to fish in close proximity. Participant John Alford said “You could anchor, cast your rods and talk to the five or so other people next to you and when someone hooked up everyone would turn and watch them reel ‘em in. The guy next to me at one point had a radio set to the same channel as the [chase] boats and it was like play by play analysis.” Three chase boats helped by slowing boat traffic, rendering assistance as needed (only two kayaks were reported to have flipped in the waves) and relaying fish to the scales, where the bulls were weighed and released. You can see a video of the event, produced by Mark Page, and slideshow at www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull.

Brideside Marina was a perfect location for this type of event. There aren’t many places where you can launch, paddle out a short distance to an area that’s loaded with thirty pound bull reds and then pull your boat up on a sand bar, walk to the marina for lunch and then give it a go again.

The oil spill last year put the event on hold for a year, even with the waters open the island was overrun with workers and work boats. But we are back again this year and better than ever. This year Ride the Bull Tournament will host a steak dinner at Bridgeside Marina Pavilion at 7pm for all entrants. The next morning the tournament starts at safelight and the scales will close at 3:30 pm and awards will follow at the Bridgeside Pavilion. The Backpacker and Kajun Custom Kayaking Company are providing kayaks as prizes for the Tournament, plus lots of prizes from other sponsors. You can register for Ride the Bull online now at www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull, buy a ticket at Bridgeside Marina (available in a few weeks) or the day before and day of the tournament at the Bridgeside Pavilion. All the information about the tournament is on the website. Come RIDE THE BULL!

It is now easier for kayakers to fish the beach on Grand Isle since the island created beach parking at several locations. You can now drive over the dune and park in roped areas on the beach. No more hauling a heavy yak and all your gear over the dune. These drive overs are located at the Birch lane cross over by the water tower and at Krantz Lane across from the Tropical Motel. A Big Thank You goes out to the Island for creating these parking areas on the beach. There is also a public kayak “put in” on the bayside of the island on the GI Port Commission property behind the Wildlife and Fisheries Buildings on Ludwig Lane. Turn on the gravel road just before the fence at WLF. A word of caution – the dirt section of the road can be difficult to pass after a hard rain, so make sure it is passable before you get your vehicle stuck!

Don’t be a lightweight – RIDE THE BULL!

Hot, Hot, Hot

July, 2011

I climbed out of bed and clicked on the weather channel. Out in the darkness a lightning bolt punctuated the sky and confirmed what the weather channel’s radar screen showed, a red cell stalking slowly across Barataria Bay and heading for Grand Isle. Summer has arrived and brought along steamy weather, thunderstorms and a chance to hit the surf for some hot trout fishing. As the storm made its way onto the island, I put my fishing on hold for an hour. I made a cup of coffee and enjoyed the air conditioning. The rain let up and I eased down to the truck and headed for the middle of the island. I love to kayak off the beach, but getting the gear in the water is a bit of a hassle. The tide was incoming and the gulf was slick. The rain had flattened the surf out and with a few strokes I was ready to make my first cast. I positioned myself a cast and a half away from the west end of the rock piles and with one smooth cast put the Zara Spook a few feet off the end of the pile. Two twitches and a trout hammered the spook. After a short fight I pulled a fourteen inch fish near the boat. Carefully, I gripped the trout and released him from the treble hooks. I put the first of fifteen trout in the ice chest and went back to walking the dog. About an hour and a half later I was ready to go. When I finally got home, I treated myself to mid-morning peanut butter and jelly sandwich. What’s not to like about summer trout fishing? My advice is easy: get up early and fish hard. As the sun rises the bite will begin to wane. Remember, early is the key, and you and your kayak should be in the water as the sun climbs above the horizon. Later in the morning, a popping cork with live shrimp suspended about two feet from the surface, will probably still produce a few fish. Access to the beach is easy. Grand Isle has many crossovers with parking and the beach at Elmer’s Island is also open. I suggest you carry an anchor and about twenty feet of rope. Sometimes, sitting on anchor can be beneficial. If the gulf isn’t dead calm, take care when launching and landing. Kayaks tend to get sideways in the surf and turning over is probable. Tie down all your gear and take your time. I like to hop out in about waist deep water and hang on the back of the yak and make my way to the beach. Remember to wash off your rods and reels as surf kayaking is a little wetter than marsh fishing. Good luck, have fun and be safe.

Kayaking Grand Isle “Rocks”

June, 2011

Grand Isle is rocking in more ways than one. The title of this article refers to the rock jetties that front the island from Arties Bar to the State Park on the far eastern end of the island. If you are looking for speckled trout now is the time to make your trip down to the island and time to venture off the beach. Be prepared for action! Carefully, get out the small shore break waves by pushing out to waist deep water. Once you are clear the breakers, hop in. Another good tip is to secure your gear so if you get tipped over you won’t lose your gear. Be prepared to anchor, but if the wind is light drift the beach. Begin by pattern casting to all quadrants. Trout are schooling fish and they are scattered along the beach. Cast behind the rocks, work the corners and cover the deeper front side to these manmade rock piles. Once you find the fish drop anchor and start catching and counting. A strong morning bite may last up to an hour, but keeping bait in front of the fish is important so don’t lose time with unnecessary things, keep casting and get a rhythm going. Trout usually won’t hop out of a yak, so I usually let five or six flap around in the yak, before it toss them on ice. Remember time is important! I use an eight pound mud anchor with twenty feet of line. I like to throw top water baits like Zara Spooks, my favorite is the bone colored. If you aren’t into top water, plastic bounced on the bottom, plastic under a cork or live shrimp are all good options. Here is the part you might not like. The day starts early and you should be in the water by first light. Trout will bite before sunrise on many occasions, but usually turn on as the sun begins its climb. The bite usually begins to taper off by eight or nine o’clock. Fishing a kayak off the beach is exciting and seeing the sunrise adds to the intensity. The kayak advantage is the ability to fish the gulf side of the piles and the ability to move laterally up or down the beach. Another event to celebrate is the reopening of Elmer’s Island Refuge. Cleanup is complete and this trout Mecca is ready to be fished. The clay bottoms along this beach offer the opportunity to catch some really big trout. Please enter the CCA Star Tournament and get busy winning the kayak division! This summer will be a special summer for fishermen, especially kayak fishermen as the return to normalcy will be savored like a cup of coffee, a fine cigar or whatever you might hold sacred. Last year’s forced separation from fishing is behind us and it’s time to enjoy our states natural treasures. The trout are plentiful and easy to catch so fish hard and fish often, but I think it might be time to “keep only what is practical.” Grand Isle is open for business and it’s time to take your favorite kayak down to the coast for some great action! Rock on.

Shallow Thoughts

March, 2011

I’ve been catching some nice redfish out of the kayaks around Grand Isle and it seems this might be the best year of fishing ever. The BP oil spill has for the most part been abated and now we are poised on the threshold of a new season, one has to wonder, how will Mother Nature respond? Without recreational fishing and shrimping for the bulk of last year, how many tons of both species went un-harvested. Will the schools of trout headed to the beaches be significantly bigger? The red fish population is definitely fine!

How has the “human element” faired last year, and will they return to fish, crab and enjoy? Based on what we’ve seen on Grand Isle so far this year the answer is yes. The kayak fishermen fishing on the side of the road have been numerous and the results have been good.

I think it’s safe to say Spring has shown up early and everyone is ready. Break out the Crocks, short pants and pack up the waders, forget hypothermia and break out the sun screen. It’s early to think about trout fishing in the surf, but a few trout are showing up along the barrier islands. My fishing tactics haven’t changed, I’m still using large minnow on a jig head, or market shrimp. Using plastic and spinner baits is also a sure fire approach to catching reds. The water temperatures are in the sixties and the once lethargic fish have begun to move around and show more of an aggressive desire to eat.

The term “spring fever” should be a familiar term and the cherished rituals that repeat each year usually begin with a trip to the sporting goods store to reload the tackle box. This event should be enjoyed and followed up by loading the yaks in the truck and heading to the coast, or lake, or river to burn some calories.

If you want to compete in the granddaddy of Louisiana kayak tournaments then mark your calendar for March 26^th as Paddlepalooza VIII will be held out of Bobby Lynn’s Marina in Leeville. The Bayou Coast website is www.bckfc.org and you can register online. Fishing this annual event is really fun and the event is well attended. A field of over one hundred is expected and kayak fishermen from Florida, Alabama usually make the drive down the bayou to compete.

If you’ve decided to head south for a trip here are a few tips. Don’t forget the bug spray, if the wind dies and you are unprotected the gnats will destroy your sanity. Stop by Victoria’s Secret and get some Amber Romance lotion, it works. Somebody should mix that stuff with sunscreen!

March has been known to be windy, so check the coastal forecast for speed and direction and plan your trip accordingly. If you can choose your days, look for light wind after the slow moving frontal passages and find some clean water, the red fish will be hungry.

Spring is here, so go fish, have fun and be safe. Here’s wishing you good fishing and lots of shallow thoughts.

Chill Out, Go Fish

January, 2011

The wind is howling and the camp shudders as gusts of thirty nine knots slam the northeast wall. Winter has finally shown up and she’s ready to rumble. I’ve listed a few thing to remember when kayak fishing this time of the year. Before your next kayak fishing trip take the time to do a few extra preparations. Take a second or third glance at the weather forecast as things change quickly this time of the year. Leading edge winds of a frontal boundary often switch one hundred and eighty degrees and may blow as hard as forty knots so make sure not to get caught out in the marsh during one of these weather events. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and protected from getting wet. Let a close friend know your “game plan” and the time you expect you home, give them a time to call for help if you haven’t been heard from. If at all possible don’t go alone, fish with friend.

Dress in layered clothing. Over the years I’ve found that a good set of raingear is “priceless”. I recommend the lower half be the bib type so that water can’t migrate through the waist band. I also prefer the top half have the hood attached. Neoprene gloves help keep the hands dry when paddling and nothing is more important than keep you head warm and dry.

As water temperatures begin to drop, hypothermia is a real threat. I love to fish the marsh in the winter, but experience has taught me to draw the line at forty two degrees. The difference between forty two and fifty two degrees is huge on the comfort scale. Consider waiting for the sun to warm up everything before shoving off.

Fishing in the cold requires a slower presentation as the cold water slows the metabolism of the fish and the prey they feed on. If you are having trouble catching fish try slowing down your retrieve even more, and don’t expect to feel every bite. When a fish takes the bait this time of the year his bite is often hard to detect, be patient and let him take it.

If you’ve just gotten a kayak for Christmas and want help all you have to do is ask. From rigging to “hooking up” with others looking to kayak fish try these organizations. First try www.bckfc.org, they now boast two hundred and fifty members who it seems live primarily in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the North Shore. If you live out to the west try www.lafayettekayakfishing.com. A great group of fisherpersons and another group ready to help any “newbie”.

So as the winter continues to descend from the north don’t sit on the couch and wait for spring. Don’t let thoughts of reaching in a cold minnow bucket, chronic running nose or stinging extremities keep you from making a trip. Get up, dress warm, sleep later, fish slower and enjoy the scenery and empty honey holes for the next two months. Redfish are in the marsh and an easy paddle from places like the LA 1 corridor.

I’d like to thank everyone that offered their prayers and support during last year. Kristen, my wife, is doing better and is cancer free. We are excited and hope to be getting back in the swing of things, like partnering with CCA in hosting Ride the Bull sometime near the end of summer. Calmwater Charters is back in business here on Grand Isle and back to fishing and running charters. Kristen and I both wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Tiz da Season

December, 2010

Holiday’s are here and it seems the fish and the weather have been cooperating. Fall has taken a milder turn this year and the estuary is full of redfish in the lower bays and marshes and trout are being taken along the Hwy 1 corridor all the way up to the Sulfur Mine in Galliano.

Planning a trip down to the coast is getting easier. Accommodations are available as the BP oil spill cleanup efforts taper off. Ice and live bait are also available. I’ve been making some trips around the Grand Isle area and the redfish are easy to reach and easy to catch. If you want to get in on some of the action, it’s easy. First, watch the weather and try to get down here after the frontal passage moves through the area. The coastal forecast should read: North winds easing tonight and becoming light to variable from the east, southeast tomorrow. Load the yaks and head south, because typically the next two days will be near perfect for sight casting to redfish. The fish are along the back of all the barrier islands and can be reached by paddling the back of Grand Isle and Dutch Island. Mother shipping options are unlimited; however duck hunters are also in the area, so I suggest leaving the dock about nine instead of early.

Look for oyster bottoms near moving water. Lots of the ponds that hold redfish also have oyster reefs and this makes for a deadly combination. On low tide, after a cold front, you will likely see tailing fish working along the banks in groups of two to ten fish. Paddle past the fish and position yourself to cast out in front of the school and hang on. If you are with another kayak fisherperson, be sure to cast in unison in front of the fish as this will provide both with a hook up.

A mild fall day fishing for redfish in a kayak with your friends is special. You don’t have to leave a first light to be successful, so plan a day trip or head down to Grand Isle for a few days. If Santa is giving you a kayak and you would like some help rigging your boat and meeting other kayak fisherpersons, you are in luck. These web addresses will hook you up with other enthusiasts: www.bckfc.org (Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club) and www.lafayettekayakfishing.com (Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club). I go fishing some days solo, but kayak fishing with friends is really awesome. These groups have lots of fun events, as well as tournaments, and can really help with learning the sport.

Louisiana is one of the top kayak fishing destinations in the country. The natural resources of the coastal regions of our state are greatly taken for granted by most. Fall is the most productive time of the year for kayak fishing. I suggest that during the holiday season, make a trip to Grand Isle and enjoy yourself.

Time to score in “The Red Zone”

October, 2010

BP’s once leaking well has finally been sealed and fresh oil is no longer a threat. The remaining oil doesn’t appear to be worthy of much coverage. The networks “talking heads” have left and the barrier islands cleanup has been downscaled dramatically. Aging oil will be left behind on our barrier islands and in areas like Bay Jimmy and Bay Batiste to die a natural death. So where does that leave us? Worried, wondering and tired are the first things that come to mind.

Yesterday I pulled out a kayak and decided to paddle out on a little adventure. I wanted to make a trip along the back of Grand Isle. It was apparent that the trout population is in transition, but with that distraction out of the way…it’s time to get busy catching redfish. Fall is absolutely the best time of the year to chase tailing redfish. Soon, weak cold fronts will cross the coastal region and north winds will lower the water in the marshes. This poses a problem for bigger boats, but kayaks can operate easily.

I like fishing with live bait, so my friend Ricky Cheramie and I grabbed a cast net and hit the ditches in the back of Grand Isle to round up some minnows. On the third cast Ricky caught three juvenile tarpon and soon afterwards three more and a few two inch long speckled trout. One of my biggest fears during the spill was the floating hydrocarbons would destroy the floating eggs. I think this proved to me that spawning did occur successfully along the coast at least to some degree. The tarpon were taken to the Wildlife and Fisheries complex on Grand Isle and were given first rate accommodations in a new three hundred gallon tank. With the bait secured, we paddled a short distance to a slough draining out on the dropping tide. It didn’t take long to feel the powerful pull of a nice redfish and for the first time since the oil spill it felt like the worst was behind us. If you own a kayak, get in the marsh this month chances are you’ll score in the “red zone”.

If you are feeling adventuresome, go to Bridge side and buy some frozen mullet and hook up a bull red out in the pass. It’s very easy to do. Spool at least 20 lb test line on your favorite reel, tie on a 2 ounce redfish rig and put a nice chunk of mullet out to soak in about twelve feet of water. It’s that easy. Oh, check your drag…most of the reds in the pass are over twenty pounds and can range up to 40 pounds.

The other noteworthy upcoming event is the Fifth Annual “Fall N Tide” to be held on October 16^th at Delta Marine. This is a premier event and will draw a crowd. Details can be found on the web at www.bckfc.org.

Tournaments aren’t for everyone, but they seem to becoming extremely popular within kayak culture. I recently fished in the newly formed IFA Kayak Redfish Tour event in Cocodrie. The event sponsored by Hobie was a huge success. Hobie and the IFA Tour are hosting eighteen events, spit into six divisions. The Louisiana Division has two more scheduled events June 20^th in Empire and in Grand Isle on August 29^th. Each event has three Hobie kayaks as top prizes plus 100% payback to the contestants. To top it off there is a Championship Series at year’s end. Total length of a legal speckled trout and a redfish determines the winner. Here’s a new twist, the contestant is supplied with a measuring stick and he must shoot a digital photograph of the fish with the supplied event token and turn in the “camera card” for scoring. The handy anacornym is CPR for catch, photograph and release.

The Cocodrie event was won by Brendan Bayard who seems to be on top of the heap more times than not. In windy conditions he managed to catch a nineteen inch trout and a twenty three inch redfish for a total of forty two inches. Second place was Texan Todd Hart with 41.5 inches total length and third place was Steven Robert of Houma with 40.5 inches total length total.

So, if you are interested plan on meeting up in Empire on June 20^th and bring your normal gear, plus a digital camera and take a shot at winning one of three Hobie kayaks. For more info go to www.ifakayakfishingtour.com

Actually, the next BIG event is Paddle Palooza VII on May 15^that Moran’s Marina – LA1 at Fourchon. I was at Paddle Palooza I, so I guess it’s safe to say that this is the oldest kayak tournament in the state and the premier event of the year. Paddle Palooza deserves some reverence as it is attended by anglers from many of our neighboring gulf coast states and should draw at least one hundred entrants. It’s got lots of prizes and its major sponsor is the Backpacker Wilderness Outfitters. Paddle Pallooza event information, applications and rules can be found at www.bckfc.org

If you’d like to participate in a non-competitive kayak fishing event, look no further than the Back to Nature Project on Grand Isle hosted by The Nature Conservancy. It is a data collection project that’s close to my heart. Grand Isle is the beneficiary of a grant that is paying for the installation of oyster shoreline reefs along the back of the island. Long time islander Jean Landry has asked for kayak fishermen to fish for fun on the morning of June 5^th. The data from the half day’s fishing will be tallied by marine biologists for use in determining the benefits of the reef to fish counts. It is gearing up to be a fun event at no cost to the anglers. The tentative agenda includes a Captain’s Meeting and cookout the night before the event. Anglers may camp out (optional) at the Grand Isle State Park (State Park fees may apply). The next morning everyone will launch near the new Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Facility on Ludwig Lane and fish till noon when a final tally will be taken and lunch served under the main building. For more information and final event schedule, contact Jean Landry at jlandry@tnc.org. You can also watch a YouTube video describing the reef project at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVU3FfHMsAE&feature=youtube_gdata .

Compete, don’t compete, but just have fun, either way a day in a kayak is day to enjoy!

I like it just as much today as the first time I tried it. Honestly, I still have as much fun kayak fishing now as when I first gave it a try. When I hop into a kayak the world takes on a different perspective. The little plastic boats make me feel like a mixture of Bill Dance and Louis and Clark. As I paddle off I know I could possibility discover a new marsh pond and catch a limit of redfish. Measure me not in horsepower, measure me in human stamina. I literally have the ability to go undetected after my prey, no engine noise, no wake and no need to worry that it’s getting to shallow. I need not worry about electrical shorts, engine malfunctions or trailer flats. No, not me, the kayak fisherman. Without all the headaches, I can fish harder and share the trip with my friends, if they have their own kayak or borrow one of mine.

When I hook a fish the fight is on his terms. I might be towed by the fish, if he is big enough, or I can hold fast on anchor, but I can’t back down under power. The kayak angler is more involved in the landing of the fish too. Nobody is going to net that fish for you. Landing the fish on your own makes it a more personal accomplishment. Let’s finish this rant, by touting perhaps the biggest advantage to kayak fishing, it is affordable. Kayak costs this year range from around $350 to $2,500 compared to the average bay boat/trailer package of $35,000 to $65,000.

Kayak fishing presents unlimited adventure in Louisiana from redfish and trout to snapper and tuna. Its good exercise, it’s affordable, it’s functionally simple and it’s a great sport to share with others. It’s got good karma.

Fishing in the spring can be a challenge when the wind blows. Recently I found a great website to get hourly wind predictions: www.usairnet.com . Click on aviation forecast, go to Louisiana and then to Boothville. While I was on the site one day I saw that the wind forecast for the following day was a big fat zero. With lower than normal tides, a result of the strong north winds of the previous five days, I knew it would be a killer day to fly fish for reds.

I called my old friend Ricky Turner in Houma and told him to meet me at daylight. We paddled north from my house to Dutch Island and found small schools of big redfish tailing all across a three acre flat. Ricky tied on a black and chartreuse clouser pattern and quietly paddled in. He dropped the stern mounted anchor and made a series of several false casts before dropping the fly down in front of the pod. The redfish picked up on it immediately and as they pushed across the shallow water the strongest of the pack pushed his head above the surface, like a surfacing nuclear sub. Now they say fish are cold blooded and can’t feel pain, but when Ricky dropped the hammer on him with a smooth, hard hook set the red bolted a good forty or fifty feet before Ricky regained control. We took turns videoing each other hooking up. The fish stayed up, actively pushing bait for about two hours and as the tide crept in and the water got deeper we headed home. Perfect conditions, lots of tailing fish and fishing with an ole friend, it’s like I said….as much fun as the first time I tried it. You can see our video at www.calmwatercharters.net/id69.html .

Fishing along the coast has been good when the weather allows. Strong fronts are still pushing south on a regular basis and high winds have made finding clean water tough, but not impossible. April will find speckled trout back in the mix down along the coast. This is a great time of the year to fish artificial lures. My favorites are a “sparkle beetle” about fifteen inches under a popping cork and at long last the Zara Spook Jr.

April is time to hit the coast looking for trout or keep chasing reds in the Jurassic marsh. Redfish are now awake and ready to hit minnows on a jig head or plastic on a jig head. The colors I always start off with are first, Black and Chartreuse with Purple and Chartreuse a close second.

The state Kayak Fishing clubs have a strong schedule of activities for the spring. The biggest kayak tournament of the year is Papplepalloza VII, to be held on May 15^that Moran’s Marina at Port Fourchon. This event is the longest running kayak tournament in the state. I have watched it grow each year and highly recommend it as a must do event. The Backpacker is a major sponsor and this year’s event will be huge. Originally held in March, the founding fathers have reached a decision to move the event into May, improving the chances of more stable weather and bigger creels. This year I expect the event to break the 150 entrants mark. Test your fishing prowess by signing up online at www.bckfc.org .

If you’d like to mix it up by fishing a freshwater tournament, look no further than Lake Chico on April 3^rd. The Lafayette guys and girls will be hosting this event and registration and details can be found on their website www.lafayettekayakfishingclub.com

Kayak fishing has definitely hit the mainstream in the Southeast. The IFA Redfish Tour is now hosting a Kayak Tournament Series with 18 scheduled events across the Gulf Coast. There are The Louisiana Division has three events. The dates and locations are as follows: Cocodrie, LA on April 25^th, Empire, LA on June 20^th and Grand Isle, LA on August 29^th. Fish all three and win a chance to fish the Championships. The location of the Championship is still to be announced. For all the details check them out at www.redfishtour.com

H1N1 flu might not be the worst outbreak we’ll face this winter. Be prepared, there is no vaccine available for Spring Fever. The outbreak of “Spring Fever” could be one of the strongest in years. As we emerge from one of the longest, coldest winters of the decade, the onset of spring will undoubtedly trigger a “let’s go fishing frenzy”. Symptoms include: skipping work, loss of concern over pending workload, unexplained trips to sporting good stores, and muttering stuff like “I’m going fishing even if I don’t catch anything” while driving to work on Monday. The Obama administration announced over one billion dollars will be added to the funding of research in an attempt to head off this economic health threat. The administration admitted that the unemployment numbers might be misleading as Spring Fever outbreaks are already showing up in south Florida and are expected to spread into the Deep South by next month accounting for inflated reports of job loss.

Living on the coast makes things a little less contagious. But you can bet that everyone on Grand Isle is ready to feel the warmth of the sun and enjoy stepping around the corner of a building without being met by a blistering cold wind.

Personally, I know its spring when the waders get boxed up and put out of reach. My Crocks are again my full time footwear and short pants are the only option. I’m ready to fish for trout and reds, and I’m ready for kayak trips that can last all day without the threat of hypothermia.

Here are a few tips for fishing in March. Keep an eye on the weather and try to plan your trips behind the fronts. As winter slows down, so do the approaching cold fronts. Strong southerly winds ahead of the fronts will cause higher than normal tides making for a thin disbursement of fish and decreasing your odds of success. On the flip side, fishing the back side of the front in early spring might be just what the doctor ordered. A light north wind and slowly draining tide is a sure thing as fish congregate around food sources. Be prepared to catch fish when there is a quick warm up after the frontal passage. I can’t seem to remember the last series of back to back days with temperatures in the seventies. But I know they are coming.

Secondly, be prepared for gnats if the wind gets below five knots. There is no rapid escape from the bugs in a kayak. I recommend Amber Romance Lotion from Victoria’s Secret. A trip to Victoria’s Secret, in and of itself, could be considered a vestige of the approaching spring, but the above mentioned lotion is a life saver. If this is the first you’ve heard of Amber Romance, trust me the sales girls know it’s a fisherman friend and there will be no stigma attached with the purchase of a few tubes.

Let’s see. I’ve advised you to watch the weather and given you a good excuse to go to Victoria’s Secret. So what else could I recommend for Spring Fever? If your kayak has been hanging in the garage for the last few months along with your rods and reels, take some time to put new line on your reels. Nothing is worse than hooking the first eight pound redfish of the year and finding out your line is weak or even worse, the spool is only half full as you watch the fish draw down on the end and leave you with an empty spool.

Third, I’d advise you to carry a digital camera in a dry bag while fishing. Kayak fishing in the spring is eye opening. After being cramped up all winter, those first few hours on the water remind you of how lucky you are to be paddling around in the marsh. If you have a bit of a mean streak, take a really good picture, making sure to keep the horizon in the back ground level, of the first big fish of spring and email it to someone you know above the Mason Dixon line, telling them you wish they didn’t have another month to wait for spring. Recently, after catching a few big redfish behind grand Isle, I watched as Jimmy Durham of Tulsa, Oklahoma emailed his friend a picture of his catch. Attached was the short statement, “Wish you were here.” At the time of the email a snow storm was beating down on Tulsa and the daytime high temperature was only twenty-seven degrees.

Fourth bit of advice is to grill a redfish on the half shell when you get home. Fillet the redfish leaving the scales on. Soak in ice water to remove all traces of blood and liberally cover with Lea n Perrin, robustly season with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning and minced garlic. Place on a hot grill (charcoal preferably) scale side down and cook for about twenty minutes or two glasses of wine. Poke with a fork, and drizzle melted butter over the filets along with a squeeze a lemon. Share with your favorite neighbors, show them the pictures of your trip, invite them to come fishing with you next weekend and I guarantee the memories of the coldest, longest winter in years will begin to fade.

February, 2010Redfish stacked like Cordwood The Saints are going to the Super Bowl, Tiger isn’t playing tour events and the governor of Louisiana isn’t facing any Federal indictments. This only goes to prove that, what once was a sure thing can and will change if you give it enough time. After the last kayak fishing trip what I remember most was not the back to back redfish action, but the hot coffee, hot shower and clothes straight out the dryer when I returned home. That’s my fishing tip for this month…put your fresh clothes in the dryer so they are warm when you get out the shower. Just a few more tips if, like me, you just have to go fishing. If you sneeze three times in a row…get to Walgreens and buy some Nyquil. Wait till you get home before indulging as operating motorized equipment can lead to problems. Turn on the TV; flip to the Fishing Channel, hope for Kevin Ford, CT Williams or Paradise Louisiana and not the guy from California who fishes on a big head boat or Wink Whoever fishing for Walleye through the ice. This winter has been “for real”. Wind and cold, bitter cold have make kayaking a little more challenging. However, short trips in warm clothing have been very productive. I draw the line at an air temp of about 42 degrees and a wind speed of twenty five knots on deciding whether to go or not go. No, I’m not kidding. Air temps in the lower forties produces burning fingers if you let them get wet and I haven’t found a method acceptable to keep them dry and still be able to tie knots or fix twisted lines and other small tasks. If you have a suggestion, email me at calmwater@ymail.com with your revelation and I will share it here with the M&B world next month. The wind is manageable if you stay in small ponds or the leeward side of larger lakes. I’ve also notice that the colder it gets the cleaner the water stays and the more predictable the redfish become. Cold water slows the redfish down forcing anglers to do the same. The good news is winter is half over. With a little luck we will get an early spring without the wind. When the water temps get really cold for a few days the fish drop to the bottom and fall into a slow motion coma. The only tactic I employ this time of year is a large minnow on a jig head. That’s it. Unlike other times of the year, in cold water the redfish will hold in the “holes”. A large minnow held down by a jig head makes an easy target. When the air temps rise back into the high sixties or seventies it’s “game on”. Fish in a state of “cold water coma” are passive feeders, but hungry fish syndrome sets in as the water warms. I witnessed just such a phenomenon a few weeks ago. Several days after the hardest cold snap Grand Isle has felt in years I pulled up at the Elmer’s Island Bridge to check the water conditions. Sea fog blanketed the coast and the tidal flow was outgoing at a nice slow pace. A man on the other bank landed a nice redfish and a few casts later a guy on my side began to fight another nice red. I left the kayak in the truck and pulled out a rod and made a cast. In the next hour and a half, anyone who cast into the scour hole below the bridge hooked up a keeper redfish. Wildlife and Fisheries did a great job of keeping it legal during this unbelievable feeding event. I caught at least two dozen nice reds and released them all, but the following day at tide change I went with two friends and we each kept five. When I cleaned them I was shocked to find none of these fish had food in their stomachs. I theorized that they had not fed during the extreme cold snap and were making up for the lack of food, by grabbing anything that drifted down current when the water warmed. It looks as if our sport is still growing. I recently spent a few days at the Houston Boat Show and booths with kayaks drew a bigger crowd than any other aspect of the show. The in-state kayak fishing clubs both have events on the calendar. Bayou Coast hosts it’s “Minimalist Challenge” at Besson’s in Galliano. The event is scheduled for February 6^th. This year the event is sponsored by Captain Dudley Vandenborre and it features his bait the “Deadly Dudley.” Each contestant will be issued two colors of his famous lure and a few jig heads and that’s it. Heaviest stringer of trout, slot reds and flounder wins. If you’d like more info contact them at www.bckfc.org Over in Lafayette, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club starts this year’s tournament series off at Big Lake, below Lake Charles on February 6^th. This event called Mardi Gras Madness should be a blast Slam Stringer and Individual categories for trout, redfish and flounder. All baits allowed. To contact them go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com If you just got into kayak fishing, both these clubs are very helpful in spreading their shared information and are great places to get help, meet friends and go have fun fishing. I’d like to finish up this month by encouraging each and every kayak fishermen to bundle up and go fishing, it’s good for your soul!

I can’t believe it, but another summer is coming to an end. Early fall finds redfish and kayaks in the limelight. Flex your muscles, put on new line and hang on for a prime time “Cajun sleigh ride”. Big Bull Reds fill the passes between the barrier islands during late summer. It’s both a challenge and a thrill to “get hooked up” on twenty to thirty pound muscle bound bull reds in a kayak. Here are a few tips for catching bull reds from a kayak. First, check out your tackle as it will be subject to harsh treatment. Respool with fresh line if the stuff on your reel is a few months old or worn. Fourteen pound mono will work if you set your drag correctly, but braid will stop big fish in their tracks. Rig up by putting a slip sinker with swivel on your line. Tie a good knot and stretch it nice and tight. Below the swivel use forty pound fluorocarbon to make a twelve inch leader with a 4/0 Kahle hook and you are ready to go after bull reds. A couple of things about bait you’ll want to know. First, cracked crabs are a top bait and easy to use. Tear off the shell, break into two pieces down the center and then break each piece in half and run the hook through the chunk. Pinfish will usually eat all the meat off the hook in about five minutes, so count on re bating about every five minutes. Second on the list is the croaker. Redfish love croakers and poggies, but both are hard to keep alive in live wells. I’ve been able to keep croakers in a bait bucket for a few hours, but I only start with about a dozen at a time. Third is cut mullet. Easy to put on the hook and yes redfish love cut bait. You will also need to check A few things on your kayak. First be sure you have the right anchoring system. Anchoring in the passes will require at least an eight pound mud anchor or a small danforth anchor with at least twenty five to thirty feet of line. Wearing your life vest is a good idea because tidal currents, waves and boat wakes could cause issues. Unlike the marsh, if you find yourself separated from your kayak, the water in the pass is over your head. Be sure you have scupper holes in your boat to drain any water that a wave or wake may send over your side. If you have the type of kayak that does not have scupper holes, be sure you have a method to pump or scoop water out. Even a good old plastic Mardi Gras is better than nothing That’s the easy part. Now your kayak is anchored in the pass and your lines are in your rod holders. All of the sudden you feel a tug. Take a deep breath and relax, you are in for a fight that usually takes anywhere from five minutes to thirty minutes depending of the size and disposition of the fish. The bull red is known for its strong “bullish” first run. If your tackle and nerves survive the first run the odds of landing the fish are high. If something breaks, try again as bulls seldom travel as singles inside the passes. Take care to not tangle the fish in your anchor line. If the current is nominal, quickly pull anchor and go for a ride. Keep your rod tip high and be prepared for the fish to change direction. When the fish has you in tow, the kayak acts as a secondary drag system and the fish will tire a lot sooner. Bull reds do not usually run more than forty yards so getting spooled is not that big of a problem if your tackle and drag are in good shape. Landing the fish can also be tricky. It takes a big net to land a thirty pound redfish and I seldom have room for such a large item. So instead of carrying a big net on my yak, I use a Boca grip or simply pull the fish into the cockpit of the yak. A Big Red is typically so exhausted at the end of the fight that it is easy to handle once removed from the water. At this point, I take pictures quickly and return the fish to the water to revive and release. LWF Regulations only allow you to keep only one Redfish exceeding 27 inches. However, because the amount of white meat taken off these big fish is not significant, it is not the best size redfish to put on your table. Those between 16 and 20 inches make the best table fare and yield the most useable meat relative to the size of the fish. Releasing a big bull red is rewarding. Knowing that they are the brood stock of the species makes the act even more commendable. CCA of Louisiana and Calmwater Charters are partners on a new fangled kind of event. On the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 6^th), kayakers from all over will be “taking sleigh rides” in Camanida Pass as part of “Ride the Bull”, Louisiana’s First Extreme Kayak Fishing Rodeo. Paddle craft fishermen will vie for several thousand dollars worth of prizes and prize money. The anglers that can catch the biggest redfish will take home the loot. The Big Prizes are being provided by The Backpacker and Calmwater Charters. The Backpacker, with locations in both Baton Rouge and Lafayette, will be providing an Ocean Kayak Trident 15 kayak and Calmwater Charters will be donating a Native Watercraft Mariner for top winners. You can learn all about the tournament and register at the “Ride the Bull” tournament website: www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull. This will be a great spectator sport that you will be able to watch from the Grand Isle Fishing Bridge, Bridge Side Marina and the eastern end of Elmer’s Island. So bring your lawn chair, cooler, binoculars and umbrella and watch the action! Falling Tide 4 will be taking place October 17th at Delta Marina in Empire, Louisiana. This is one of Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club’s best attended events as kayak fishermen from all over the southeast head south to fish for trout, redfish and flounder. If you want to have fun, this event has really grown into a “don’t miss event”. Visit www.bckfc.org for all the details and entry information. Over across the Atchafalaya Basin the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club will begin its five tournament series on October 3^rd. First up is the trip to Lake Charles and famous Lake Calcasieu and connected waters. Pack and Paddle will be supplying a Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 as the top prize and all this happens out Fred’s Lounge. Web address is www.llafayettekayakfishing@yahoo.com for more info. Finally, for the traveling kayaker, The Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing Association is hosting the 3rd Annual 5 Rivers Fall Kayak Fishing Tournament to be held on Saturday, November 7th from the Welcome Center of 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort. This Tournament boasted 80 entrants in its second year and is sure to top 100 this year. Strap your yak to the roof and head to Alabama for a great time on the water. Check out the Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing Association website forum for more details: www.mbkfa.com.

Summer affords me the time to take kayakers down the coast after trout and redfish. We leave the marina before daylight and with Grand Isle’s lights fading in the darkness we set a heading for Four Bayou Pass. In the predawn darkness, with the boat underway the temperature is really quite comfortable. The eight hundred megapixel GPS maps our progress and bathes the center console in a low glow. The shrimp fleet offshore is back lit by the predawn glow. Watching the sun rise over the water as you speed to a familiar fishing spot is alluring. The trip to this remote island takes about twenty five minutes, but the adventure of it all seems like a far greater trip.

As we near the eastern end of the island that divides Four Bayous Pass from Bay Long. I slow the boat and come off plane. I’m always excited to get the mother ship anchored and the kayaks in the water. After motoring into a small bay along the rear of the island, I drop anchor and the off load begins. It really doesn’t take long to get the four kayaks loaded with gear. Each boat get a paddle, lifejacket, marsh anchor, bottle of water, rod and reel and a bait bucket of live shrimp. When this is complete, we make a paddle plan for each angler and set a time for return. Usually we all head to the beach together for a few hours of wade fishing or kayak fishing off the beach.

A redfish laden marsh island lies to the east of Bay Long and the beaches on the front of the island are perfect for trout. This time of the year you’ll find me throwing top water along the beaches. On this particular morning the water was green and clean and the tide was slowly pulling down the beach. At the last tip of land it pushed out the current and trout were stacked in the current line. As the sun climbed out of the water the trout turned on, the fun began. For the next two hours the action was really hot. We had a nice stringer of trout in no time. We fished for a few hours, took a swim and fish for a few more hours. As the midday heat began to drain our bodies of fluids and desire, we loaded the boat up for the return trip. When I looked to the west and squinted, I was just able to see the water tower on Grand Isle, but our remote island adventure on this day feels much larger. On the return trip it hits me how lucky I am to still enjoy the thrill of these adventures. As we ran the beaches down the string of barrier islands back to the west, we suddenly saw a melee of birds diving and orange backs were everywhere. I knew had happened upon my favorite summer phenomenon- schooling Bull Reds.

We stopped and immediately started throwing whatever we had left at them. It did not seems to matter whether it was live shrimp, plastic, or top water – the reds fought over whatever we offered up. One red even followed another to the boat trying to take my zara spook out of its mouth. The couple fishing with me was from Texas and had never seen redfish school like this in the Gulf. These were definitely the biggest reds they had ever caught. And what a climax to a great day of adventure!

If Big Bull Reds get your heart pumping, make plans to be on Grand Isle Sunday, September 6^th for the first extreme kayak fishing tournament, “Ride the Bull”, sponsored by CCA and yours truly at Calmwater Charters. Big prizes, including two kayaks, will be given away to the participants weighing the heaviest Bull Reds caught in Caminada Pass. This one day event will close out the kayak fishing division of CCA’s Star Tournament. For more a link to tournament information and all the details, check out my website: www.calmwatercharters.net .

Speaking of CCA – I encourage every kayak angler to enter the summer long STAR Tournament’s kayak division. CCA is giving away 4 Kayak packages from the Backpacker and Hobie for the biggest speckled trout in each division. The field is still wide open in the East and Southeast Divisions. As of the deadline for this column, Stephen Neece led the East Division with a 2.55 pound trout and Jason Powers led the Southeast division with a 2.36 pounder, weighed in at Bridge Side Marina. You never know when you may catch that prized Tagged Redfish that nets you a Chevy Silverado or a Harley Davidson! So go ahead and buy your star ticket now if you have not done it already and go fishing!

My phone rang at 4:45 am. I was hooking the bay boat up to my truck and preparing for another day of popping corks, live shrimp and running around Barataria Bay in search of speckled trout. “Capt. Danny”, this is Greg, “I’m sorry but we won’t be able to make today my father had a heart attack last night.” What could I say? Did the poor man dad really have a heart attack or was this a story to cover up a last minute decision not to make the trip down to Grand Isle? “Danny just keep the deposit and I’ll call you in a few weeks.” I replied, “I hope your dad recovers, thanks for calling, good bye.” I slowed down, went up stairs and make some coffee. Life is kind of gamble, and I thought how lucky I was to be healthy and employed doing something I really enjoy. A squall to the north of Chenier was lighting up the pre dawn darkness and about a dozen shrimp boat continued to harvest brown shrimp. An easterly breeze was funneling around the corner of the house fueling the storm on the bay. It was now getting light and I knew I was talking myself into a kayak trip down the back of the island. I could enjoy a nice trout bite, by myself in my kayak, throwing top water. This is my favorite pastime. I can’t do it on bay boat trips, because the “treble hook danger factor” is too high. I slipped into the boat and paddled onto the flat that stretches from my house back towards the bridge. I anchored the boat and began to pattern cast a bone colored Zara Spook. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, stop, I slowly “walked the dog.” There is something about working top water that is Zen like. After the second pause a trout knocked the bait a foot out of the water without getting hooked. I thought to myself, I’d love to see that is super slow motion. Next cast I hooked a nice trout and landed him, without hooking myself; a top priority. The wind had slacked and the storm seemed to be heading toward Fourchon. I pulled anchor and drifted slowly. About fifty feet to my left fifteen count shrimp cleared the water. I spotted at least five shrimp clearing the surface trying to escape the attack from the trout. The trout were clearing the water and I was floating in the middle of this spectacular display of food chain dominance. Maintaining dominance, I tossed a short cast off my bow. The spook was attacked quickly and I was truly enjoying the morning. For the next forty five minutes I managed to catch a total of twelve beautiful trout. I stood up and paddled back to the house and got another cup of coffee. I think I still remember what drew me into the world of kayak fishing. The downright simplicity of the experience combined with stealthy effectiveness of this watercraft can put an angler in the middle of a feeding frenzy. If the wind stays down today, I think I’ll take advantage of this unplanned holiday and try and catch a few more trout this evening close to dark. Grand Isle is the place to be if you are after a good kayak fishing adventure. Check the weather before hitting the road. You want light to variable winds no greater than ten knots. Grand Isle has plenty of lodging, great marinas, restaurants. The island has long been a destination for family fun. I see the sport of kayak fishing growing by leaps bounds. If you own a kayak the month of June is a perfect time to fish the beach. Live shrimp under a cork, plastic under a cork, croakers on a Carolina rig are some of the preferred techniques for catching trout. Top Dogs, Zara Spooks and the old double propeller Mirrowlures are fun for early morning and late afternoon fun. Watch out for those treble hooks. Don’t drop a trout with a treble hook into your kayak or a visit to the doctor might be required. Anchoring off the beach requires a substantial device to get a bite in the sand. I use an eight pound mud anchor with twenty feet of rope. This set up will hold a kayak in place even in a strong swell and heavy wind. Be safe and have fun.

I checked in with Brendan Bayard, tournament director for Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club. The club fished Lake Calcasieu as part of their summer program. The winner of the Trout Challenge was Mitchell Labbie with a five fish stringer of 16.5 lbs. The biggest was 6.3 lbs. Next on the agenda is the Redfish Rumble II, June 20^th in Plaquemines Parish. For more details you can go to their website at www.bckfc.org . Chris Haley with the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club (www.lafayettekayakfishingclub.com ) say’s the club is busy planning a “Cajun Castaway” tourney for November. They are also putting together a “Border Challenge” tourney with several clubs in Texas. The tournament will be held in a mutually shared body of water like Toledo Bend and Sabine area.

Winter’s grip is tightening around the costal parishes, but the fishing is still great. North winds that follow the fronts greatly reduce the amount of water in the marsh and make kayak fishing a real treat. When the water drops out of the ponds, it leave the redfish stacked at the nearest drop offs and limits of redfish aren’t hard to come by. I’ve been very effective using minnows on a jig head. It really doesn’t get any easier. Grab about twenty five minnows and paddle until you find moving water draining out. Cast out and lightly bump the jig head, hang on and be sure to check your drag as Mr. Redfish will more than likely strip off at least twenty feet of line on that first run. I’m sure there are a lot of new kayaks that were dropped off by Santa. If you are lucky enough to be a new owner, remember the weather can change quickly this time of the year so get a forecast before paddling out. It’s also a good idea to let someone know your general location and a time to expect your return. Charge your cell phone and protect it wisely when on the water. Layered clothing, waders and warm gloves are nice to have. If you are a newbie I also think the guys at Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club (www.bckfc.org) will be happy to help you get started. Ready or not 2009 is here. Kayakers across the state already have one thing to celebrate. Elmer’s Island had been declared a state refuge. This will open up plenty of paddling waters and a shot at establishing a reversal in the raging debate over ownership of tidal waters. After failed negotiations to acquire Elmer’s Island, the Jindal administration determined that they didn’t need to buy the barrier island - the state owned it already. In fact the state owns all land below the mean high tide mark. Who knows how many posted signs might come down following this action. It is unlikely that the State will not dedicate funds for costal restoration on privately owned property. Hence without the acquisition of Elmer’s Island, repairs from damage done by Gustav and Ike would not be possible. It is important to recognize that the degradation of our barrier islands and beaches can exposed Highway 1 to catastrophic damage in the future. The kayaking community’s next gift could come from the Grand Isle Port Commission, who is considering a “put in” for kayakers on the bay side of Grand Isle. The proposed “put in” would include a small parking lot and give kayakers a public access point to the great marsh fishing on the back of the island. If this does happen and I have a good feeling it will, Grand Isle and the surrounding area could become a “kayak destination”. Support of this project is widespread. The Friends of Grand Isle, Barataria Terrebonne Estuary Program and many others want to make this “put in” a reality. If you would like to show your support for this public access “put in,” please email us at calmwater@myviscom.com and we will take your message to the next Port Commission meeting. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to make an effort to take more young people fishing this year. Last year we had so much fun doing a Wish to Fish program with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries that we vowed to do more in 2009. A few days before Christmas I enjoyed a trip with a father and son team from West Memphis, Arkansas. Bradley was about twelve years young and had never caught a fish. His dad hailed from Pascagoula, Mississippi and had lots of fishing experience. Day one of their trip was tough. They rented kayaks and fought a lot of wind and no tides. When they returned the boats that evening I couldn’t help being moved by the Bradley’s desire to catch a redfish. He had high spirits and high hopes even after a tough day fishing. I awoke the next morning and helped Bradley and his dad load the rental kayaks. I asked if they minded if I paddled in for about an hour to see if I could help put a redfish in Bradley’, s boat. They were surprised that I was that interested in helping, but I felt like my motives might have been a bit selfish – this would be a real treat for me. I was getting a shot at helping a polite, focused young man catch his first fish. Not only that, he was a Boy Scout. Catching a red would help him get his merit badge, one more step along the road to his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout. It didn’t take long. He managed to hook, fight, land and successfully put on his stringer a nice twenty inch redfish. He was all smiles. I’ve included a picture I took about a minute after he landed the fish. I paddled back to my truck feeling lucky to be a guide and feeling good about life. The huge smile on his face made my day! I hope you include “Take a kid fishing” in your New Years resolutions this year. It’s a bit cliché, but as you get older and wiser, you may forget a lot of things, but you’ll probably still remember your first fish, your first few fishing trips and the name of the lucky person who introduced you to the sport.

It’s that special time of year. If your mind keeps wandering off at work and you are thinking of skinny water, light winds and tailing redfish, then chances are you will finish reading this article. Winter has arrived and with the drop in temperatures, out comes the waders and fly rods. The prevailing north winds have all but drained the marsh ponds and have concentrated the small shrimp they hold in to the small nature creeks that connect them to the bays and lakes. This has produced a redfish feeding frenzy along the banks of many of these canals and run outs. I have caught untold numbers of reds casting my line along these banks while watching packs of reds, backs out of the water, herding shrimp into ambush territory.

I recently had a great fly fishing trip with a gentleman called Santiago Clause. We spent the day working a shallow canal and casting flies to lots of redfish. The redfish were cooperating and as the tide dropped and exposed the oyster beds tails began to pop up. We sight cast to fish with small shrimp patterns and had lots of success.

The old gentleman suggested we stop and eat a bite, so we grounded the boats on a mud bank and grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water. I asked the old man where he was from and he told me, “Way up north.” He seems to be a little secretive when I asked if it was farther north than Shreveport. He smiled and gave me a wink. I seemed to remember that smile and wink thing from a Christmas Coke commercial. His facial expressions were so familiar, but this was no jolly fat guy. He was in good shape for his age and still had a great amount of energy left in him.

Out of curiosity I had to ask, “Santiago, does anyone ever call you Santa for short.” He smiled and said, “ I am Santa Clause, but before Christmas I like to slip off for a week and do a little fishing. I’ve always wanted to fly fish for reds.” “After Mrs. Clause talked me into eating better foods and exercising with the elves, I felt a trip like this might be possible. I feel so much better after dropping all that weight. I don’t know what I was thinking all those years of not trying to be healthy. I hope I didn’t send the wrong message out to all the boys and girls. Kids ought to be outside playing, fishing and hunting with their families, I’m not sure I’ll be giving many Play stations this year.”

Santa told me he found my operation on the web and reminded me of the long conversation we had on fly fishing. Now I remembered his warm voice and that area code I’d never seen before. We went back to fishing and I assured Santiago that I’d try and let people know that kayaking is a great present for Christmas. I asked if delivering kayaks would be a problem for him, he just smiled and told me he had cut a great deal with Fed Ex.

The trip had one more interesting turn. As we paddled up a canal I stopped and said, “Santa, we need to head in the other direction this water is Posted.” Santa’s face showed concern and confusion. “How can this water be posted?” I told Santa that bad people in our government had sold us out and passed a law that permitted the posting of navigable waters in our state and we had lost the right to recreationally fish as our fathers and grandfathers had. “Maybe”, I said, “our new governor will help us get the laws fixed.”

Santa was miffed. He told me he would drop coal in the stockings of these misguided politicians. However, he reminded me that it is better to give than to receive and in the spirit of Christmas I should respect the law.

I guess you think I made this whole trip up, but this really happened and I can assure you there is a Santa Clause and he’s healthy and smiling. He told me to pass on this one change….the old milk and cookies routine needed at little revision… leave him Harvest cookies and CC’s/Starbucks coupons.

If you are looking for information on fly fishing go to www.laflyfish.com . This website will get you hooked up with people that are willing to share their knowledge with beginners. Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette all have fine fly fishing clubs who welcome new members.

If it is kayak fishing you would like more information on, try www.bckfc.org . These early pioneers of the sport are happy to take new members into their ranks and do a fine job of sharing their combined knowledge.

If you are looking for gift idea for the kayak anglers in your life – go by your local paddle shops: Pack & Paddle, the Backpacker, or Massey’s. They can help you find the perfect gift. If you are in New Orleans, stop by the Uptown Angler… Alec can outfit you for all your fly fishing needs. On my list this year: Able pliers, a new 8 weight TFO fly rod, an extra spool for my TFO reel spooled with Jim Teeny weight forward floating line – 9 weight (a tip I got from S. Claus to help cast in the wind), a new 14.5 Native Watercraft Ultimate Kayak, and a few more stinger anchors to outfit the rest of my fleet (www.goldendrake.com), a new pair of breathable waders and a gore-tex jacket to keep me dry. Good stocking stuffers for the fly fisher: extra leader, tippet and a no rust fly box with an assortment of flies (Alec can help you pick the right ones). If all else fails, everyone enjoys a gift certificate to the local sporting goods store!

If you would like information on kayak fishing charters, you can contact me at www.calmwater@myviscom.com . We would like to thank all our friends for their support and help. Gustav and Ike were trying times but we have bounced back from that whole mess. We are full time Grand Isle residents and we would like everyone to know that Grand Isle has bounced back quickly. The Katrina/Rita ordeals laid the groundwork for a quick response to the damage from this year’s storms.

Beautiful winter days offer warm weather and fine fishing in Grand Isle. Come on down for a weekend and get away from all that mall traffic! Merry Christmas!

The morning sky began to lighten and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be enjoying another day in the marsh. The tide was slowly moving out and the water was clean. I glided along keeping my eyes peeled for the quick movements of shrimp under attack. The marsh was full of small white shrimp and for the last few weeks the fish have been preparing for winter by gorging on the small fry. Missing is the oppressive heat, November is awesome fishing.

I could tell the people with me were happy. It’s easy to tell when people are having fun, it’s also easy to see the amazement in their faces as a porpoise cruised the shallows off our bow. This day unfolded as many other trips, with a mess of reds, trout and a pair of nice flounders. For these days of fishing with happy customers I’m so lucky to be a fishing guide. My coolest trip recently was with a father and daughter team. The father contacted me and after lots of questioning on our unique fishing opportunities, he booked a guided kayak trip followed by two days of rentals. The father and daughter have been making annual fishing trips with the last few trips to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They wanted something different. Brit, the twenty seven year old daughter was a cook at a fly in fishing lodge in Alaska. She had an interesting and decidedly different appreciation for the outdoors. Spending summers in Alaska for the last five years, she had a lot of fishing experience and was what we refer to in the south as a tomboy. I hope that term tomboy is politically correct as it is meant to be a complement. At dinner the first night she told us stories of the incredible fishing and the perks of working in a fishing lodge, including the use of seaplanes to fish the remote lakes in their area.

I have to tell you I was a little nervous that my trip might fall short of the fabled Alaskan fly in trips, however I thought keeping up with Cape Hatteras might not be that hard. The three of us fished the back of Grand Isle for several hours the fishing was slow. I hoped they would hang tough and keep fishing, my was worries were unwarranted. The tide finally started to move and the redfish began to turn on. They fished till dark and the next day they rented kayaks and fished till dark again. Day three they were cleaning fish when I returned home from a bay boat charter. I helped they clean their fish and pack their belongings as they headed off to visit New Orleans. I thought I would share their thoughts on Louisiana and kayak fishing. First they wanted me to know they had a blast and that they had seen more wildlife than on any other of their adventures. The porpoises were just as exciting to Brit as a bear might be to me. The fishing had been more than they had hoped it to be and the amount of mullet, crabs and porpoises was incredible. They said kayaking in this environment was a real treat and that they would return next year. Brit, who has spent five years in Alaska and has a real appreciation for fishing and the environment, confided in me that she couldn’t help but smile all day from dawn to dusk while she and her dad were sneaking around the marsh looking for redfish. They were also amazed at the birdlife. Observations like these from sportsmen of other states reminds helps me to appreciate all the fun and fishing thrills that our Louisiana marshes create. Kayakers, as outdoor, should be proud of our great natural resources. If you own a kayak and love to fish, Louisiana is a great place to live.

The month of November is the grand prize of Louisiana kayak weather with cooler air temps and water temperatures that are warm enough to keep the fish very active. I encourage anyone who is staying home to watch football to load up their yak and hit the water.

One of the essential pieces of equipment on any boat, including a kayak is the anchor. When I bought my first fishing kayak years ago it came with a small retractable, cute little anchor on about twenty feet of line. Bad anchor but a nice paper weight. It was deployed over the bow with the rope running through a small fitting and then back to a small cleat near the cockpit. First problem was the anchor didn’t hold on mud or sand, if you did get it to bite on a piece of rock or debris the boat immediately faced up wind. Fishing up wind is not impossible, but a lot harder than downwind.

Once I got home, I put the “McGiver” fix on this problem by getting an eight pound mud anchor and mounting it off the stern of my yak. Unleash the anchor and the boat went downwind and stuck hard. I still have these anchors on twenty five foot parachute line and find they work well when fishing in a pass or deep holes. They work great and will hold a kayak in heavy wind.

When I started hitting the marsh, I found that the extra eight pounds of weight was a nuisance and I wanted something lighter. So, I modified a stab anchor similar to what was being used in most Louisiana bay boats. I sharpened the end of a ¾ inch PVC pipe , put a cork in both ends attached five feet of line to make a floating stab anchor. When not in use, it could float behind the boat.

The next step in the anchor development was the “anchor trolley”. This ingenious moveable tethering device enabled the kayaker to move the tie point on his boat by pulleys thus changing the attitude of his deployment. The pulleys allowed the anchor tie point to be moved up and down the craft from bow to stern.

I thought I had seen it all, but browsing through Kayak Angler I saw the coolest shallow water anchoring device yet. The Stinger, as it is called, is a manual version of the “power pole”. Does it work? You betcha! It works simply by dropping a metal rod into the bottom. The retractable rod is stern mounted and uses a simple pulley system to enable it to be raised or lowered with one hand. Upon being deployed, the boat swings off this stern pivot to face directly down wind. It holds in up to four feet of water and keeps the mud out of the boat. It’s easy to install with pop rivets and adds a lot of fishing time to your trip. I’ve included pictures of the invention and you can reach the manufacturer at www.goldendrake.com

I’m sure some of you are wondering about Grand Isle’s progress after the storms. I am happy to report that everyone is back to work and the island’s infrastructure is being repaired daily. The beach levy is being replaced and this week LA 1 was being retrofit with ditches. Grand Isle has lodging available and plenty of fish to be caught. Bridgeside Marina is back selling minnows and fish are being caught from Besson’s Marina in Galliano all the way down LA1 to Grand Isle. I’ve noticed that not many people are on the water fishing after the storm. I hope you’ll get your kayak and get down the bayou and go fishing.

The ole adage, “If it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger” speaks well of the Louisiana costal experience this hurricane season. My wife, Kristen, and I finally made it home after a month of evacuating and re-evacuation. We spent a couple of days moving out and about a week doing repairs and getting everything back in place.

Capt. Daryl Carpenter, my neighbor, returned from his separation from fishing and asked me to make a “tuna trip” off Grand Isle. I asked if I could bring a kayak and try my hand at a little blue water kayak fishing. Daryl’s boat, the Second Chance, headed out of Barataria Pass with a crew of five, one Heritage Redfish kayak, a few bottles of water and two MREs on what was going to be a half day trip.

Two hours in, we were fighting nothing but current and off-colored water and, on top of that, the wind kicked up making the seas “border line” for kayaking. We headed further south-southwest and at thirty-nine miles out we found a rip that went for miles. Tidy bowl blue water bumped into the off- colored murk and I notice a big smile pasted to Capt. Daryl’s face. I had a strong feeling it was time to leave the world of the Second Chance and launch the yak. Seas had calmed so I put on my lifejacket and headed down the rip, slowly trolling a cut piece of poggie. The deckhand, Ben Williams, cut bait and started a chum line. Bonito soon appeared and it wasn’t long before the fight was on. A big bonito grabbed my bait and made a spastic, frenzied run setting up a sleigh ride that was slightly different from that of a redfish. In deep water, this fish angled down and I had to keep the line over the bow and avoid applying too much leverage except when I was directly in tow with the fish off my bow. The bonito was an excellent fight and what a beautiful sight to land one in a kayak in all that blue water.

We boated several Bonito and decided it was time to look around for some different action. Down the rip we went, eyes peeled for top water action. It wasn’t long before we spotted what appeared to be Spanish mackerel being driven to the top by predators. The Second Chance eased in to a position up current and we again began to chum. We spooled off line and let it drift back in the chum. The high vis line began to tighten and we hooked up what would soon prove to be a nice Black fin tuna. After the guys on the boat put several tuna on ice we began to catch four and five foot Black tip sharks.

After a bit of repositioning Daryl asked if I was ready to try my hand in the yak again. I think he used the terms “stupid” and “crazy” a few times to describe my endeavor. But I have to tell you that paddling around in all that water with no land in sight and the notion that big fish could blow you out the water like a National Geographic seal does make it a bit more stimulating, especially after cutting loose a few nice sharks.

This time when I took the rod and hopped in the yak, things were different. I managed to hook the strongest fish of my life and I wasn’t sure if I could handle him. The fish peeled line off the big gold reel and all I could do was watch and wonder as the kayak followed the big pelagic fish. Thoughts of being dumped were replaced by thoughts of “I can do this.” These thoughts were soon replaced by “I don’t even think this fish knows he’s hooked.” After about ten minutes, it became clear that the tuna was in control as he headed for Cuba with me in tow. Laughter from the mothership was comforting and after a battle of about forty minutes the hook came loose and my ride ended. The fish had covered about six miles of open water. If you are going to try this fishing make sure you have all day and plenty of fuel!

About that time we ate lunch. MRE’s are great boat food and we fought over the Jalapeno cheese spread and crackers. We decided to make one more pass at the rip before heading home. We ran parallel to it and stopped up current from the next action. Birds and bait were tearing up the surface of the water. We started chumming started and, like before, we hooked another big fish. But, there was no kayak this time – this fish was a monster. Our half day trip soon started to resemble the “Old Man and the Sea.” For five hours and forty minutes we all took turns fighting the huge yellow fin tuna on the other end of the line, surrendering the rod the next person in line when our backs finally gave out. We started calling the fish Tunazilla – it just would not give up! Over and over again, each time we thought we had him coming to the surface, the reel would start to scream as he stripped all the line that we had worked for an hour to gain on him. We watched the sun set just before Daryl finally brought the fish to the side of the boat and we put three gaffs in the beast to drag him over the side. Once on board, we couldn’t celebrate quite yet as the fish went crazy, banging his tail with such strength, we wondered if he we would break someone’s foot or put a hole in the boat. We finally got him in the fish box and shared high fives and praise of our hard fought battle.

It was 9pm before we made it back to Bridgeside Marina, where the catering crew feeding the Entergy linemen were cleaning up. They swarmed the dock to see our monster tuna. It weighed in at over 150 pounds. After the photo session, and scarfing down some leftovers from the crew, we stowed the gear stowed and had the tuna cleaned and on ice by midnight. It was quite an adventure for what was intended to be a ½ day trip!

Grand Isle, LA September 15, 2008 - As of today Grand Isle is "under lockdown" and no one can visit their property for assessment of damages. I am fairly certain that all Calmwater assets are relatively undamaged. I can't say the same for Grand Isle, the tidal surge and ground swell from Ike was unbelievable. I was on Grand Isle the day Ike entered the gulf and the wave action was unbelievable. The dunes along the beach have been leveled and reports of "water on the island" range from three to six feet. Corps. of Engineers and Entergy are working hard to restore our infrastructure.

We have been getting phone calls and emails from many of you and I've got to tell you we very much appreciate your outpouring of concern and offers of lodging. Kristen and I are currently in St. Francisville at least for another week. We are very hopeful to be allowed home in the near future. Most importantly we are anxious to get Calmwater up and rolling.

We hope to see some of you this fall. We are still shooting for October first to reopen. Friday Kristen and I are going by boat to asses our needed repairs and take a few new pictures. We will send another report after that.

As Gustav started his trek along the area of convergence, I could not fathom that another hurricane strike was in the future of Louisiana. It seems as if, Katrina & Rita and now Gustav are attracted to our coastal marshes with a frequency that leaves even the most seasoned of citizens scratching their heads. Early in the forecast I was encouraged that the path had Grand Isle, LA directly in its sites. I have never seen the actual landfall predicted with any accuracy so far in the future. But as the days wore on, the projection cone only began to pinpoint my home. I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me.

For several days prior to landfall, my wife and I diligently prepared our home for the worst. We moved our boats to Baton Rouge, and returned to Grand Isle to board up, cook our last steaks on the weber kettle, say goodbye to friends who were evacuating and head north to our “evacuation house” near St. Francisville, LA.

Unlike Katrina, final evacuation was orderly and well planned. We slipped up LA 1 without delay and started the nervous waiting game. Only Dean Blanchard, who owns the shrimp house, stayed on the island with a few of his men and crew from CNN. So CNN become our channel of choice to watch for any pictures of our island. Their reports showed the gulf waves inundating the island. We had anticipated this and hoped that it would not reach the floor of our home, elevated 14 feet above sea level.

After landfall, the flow of information concerning the welfare of the assets left of the island suddenly became non-existent as the electrical service and communication infrastructure was quickly decimated by the storm. No power, no phone, no cell service, no internet. To make matters worse, our media coverage was upstaged by a hot chick running for VP.

Four days after landfall, I received a cell phone call from Chris Tiblier, our M&B editor, who expressed an interest in during a story on how the LA 1 fishing grounds had faired after the storm. Answering the call of duty, my wife Kristen and I departed for the coast unsure of how far we could get. However, in all honestly, the damage seemed light compared to what we saw in Katrina. Media reports seem to have been grossly exaggerated. There were of course exceptions to this. For example, Leeville , Port Fourchon and Grand Isle all showed markedly more damage than the northern end of Lafourche Parish. Galliano had power. We even had a hot meal at the Huddle House and got gas with no wait – a far cry from the chaos in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Early in the trip my phone rang. A friend of mine forwarded information that all Grand Isle traffic was being turned around at Fourchon. Undeterred, Kristen and I decided to go as far south as we could. At the protection levee south of Golden Meadow, we were stopped and asked our destination. Quickly I replied “Fourchon” and was allowed to proceeded south. In Leeville we got our first taste of real hurricane damage. It appeared that everything had been buried in swamp mud. We rolled down the windows to take pictures and the smell of the prime evil muck inundated the truck. But the people of Leeville are a hearty bunch and were taking the clean up in stride and with good humor. One store owner’s sign asked “Got Mud?” I made a mental note to myself to never let a shrimper build a shed for me. It appears the masters of the trawl seem to struggle with solid construction. Most of the tin sheds we saw in Leeville were shredded, but Boudreaux’s and Bobby Lynns were intact.

From there we proceeded to Fourchon. The power pole damage, which had been reported by the media as close to 100 percent, was an exaggeration. There were many poles down, but about 70 percent were still standing, but most leaning. We arrived at Point Fourchon to check a friend’s camp and discovered that the gate and fence surrounding the beautiful enclave had been obliterated. The neighborhood looked like a frat party gone bad. There was plenty of siding damage and marsh grass under the camps and on the docks.

We ventured further down the port road and found the Fourchon public boat launch pavilion to be beaten up, but operational and the parking lot was clear of debris. We continued down the road to the beach. Upon arrival we noticed that either the tide was extremely high or there was no sand left. The water was clean and green as one foot waves lapped up on the concrete mat that once held the sand in place. I am happy to report that birds were working up and down the beach, much as they were before Gustav. Putting the urge to wade fish behind us, we decided it was time to head to Grand Isle. I pulled a few strings to obtain vehicle access to the island, although we had brought two kayaks and were prepared to paddle home, if necessary. As we passed over the bridge, which seemed to be unaffected by the storm, we immediately saw that the once beautiful dunes that had protect the beach camps had endured the brunt of the storm. Breaches in the levy had allowed sand and mud to migrate over LA 1 and cover the once green lawns of many of the beach camps. It became evident that the impassible nature of the road had prevented local officials and clean up teams from being able to safely open the island to residents. This mass of dune that had been spread to cover the front of the island was being cleared by a diligent brigade of back hoes and dump trucks. The mud and sand were so thick that I could not see where the road started and stopped. Our only visual guide was the leaning power poles marking where the sides of the road should be. We experienced great difficulty traversing the mud, sand and standing water and were glad to have four wheel drive. Camp damage appeared to be mostly confined to ground level structures and moderate roof damage and siding loss. The media’s damage reports of the island seem to be grossly over exaggerated. The return of utilities will return the island to normal and fall fishing will soon be as good always. All in all, you should soon be able to come back to the coast and enjoy fishing the LA 1 corridor soon. Unlike past years, I did not see a single posted sign anywhere!

September’s version of shock and awe will soon be replaced by the cool breezes of fall and great fishing conditions. So don’t write off your fall trip to Grand Isle just yet, you only need to post pone it a few weeks. The grand ole lady of the coast will be in fine form again very soon.

Although it does not appear that you will be able to camp on Fourchon’s beach sand any time soon – the public boat launch is in tack and serviceable and the marsh fishing should be as good as is gets this fall. For all you surf fisherman out there – there is no beach at Fourchon to drive on but the rock jetties are intact and accessible by foot.

Leeville will soon be as good as it ever was. I commend these hardy folks for rebuild this fishing mainstay of LA 1 after each disaster, no matter how big or small. Their hand painted sign: “Only the Strong Survive” is certainly appropriate. I am also happy to report that it was spelled correctly!

While the first week of September as been difficult for us, good fishing is just around the corner. I would like to thank Michael Mathews at the Backpacker in Baton Rouge for getting us on the net to file this story and all the many volunteers and servicemen who have worked so diligently to keep us safe and put south Louisiana back on the grid. Stay tuned to MarshandBayou.com for all the info on marina and motel re-openings along the LA 1 corridor.

Remember when people looked at you funny when you said you were going kayaking, or when they looked at you like you were crazy when you said the two words “kayak fishing”? Well maybe being crazy isn’t that bad because the numbers of kayaks on the water is steadily growing and people no longer have that puzzled look on their faces, kayak fishing with all its simplicity has taken hold. There is no better way to illustrate this than to scan the pass at Elmer’s Island on Saturday morning or the rocks at Fourchon Beach. If you are somehow not aware of where these places are, check out www.marshandbayou.com for the latest maps and fishing reports.

Today either you got kayak or you want kayak. Being in the kayak business full time affords me continuous inquires from people with questions. Surprisingly many of the people who call me for information are retired, don’t want a big boat, and are considering a kayak. While many may think it’s just for the young, I’m finding that there is no age slot into which a kayaker must fall. They just want to enjoy fishing without all the hassle of owning and maintaining a standard boat. After getting off the phone with Brendan Bayard, one of the founding fathers of Louisiana kayak fishing, I can tell you that the sport has taken off with membership in the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club expanding rapidly. Brendan updated me on all the clubs upcoming events, that I’ll get to a little later down the page, and told me that the Club members are continuously introducing new people to the sport through their forum. If you have just bought a kayak and are thinking of taking the dive and buying one then please check the club out at www.bckfc.org the group hosts fishing events and will put you in contact with many others who have just discovered the sport.

Kayak fishing has been great here in Grand Isle. Many kayakers have been hitting the beaches of Grand Isle and Elmer’s Island. The trout are still in the surf and daylight is the time to hit them. Plastic on a jig head, plastic under a cork, shrimp under a cork and yes, croakers have been producing. The weather has been great up till this little hurricane called Dolly, but I think thing will settle down before the Tarpon Rodeo. I have been running my bay boat down the beaches to the east of Grand Isle and have had a great time on these mother ship trips.

Last week on one of these trips I found myself anchored up near the mouth of Four Bayous and the weather was perfect, water was clear and my clients were having fun. I jumped over the side of the skiff and pulled it up on the deserted beach. I offloaded three kayaks and the essential paraphernalia, then prepared to introduce two new people to the sport.

After we discussed each person’s fishing experience, I picked the person that seems most comfortable with the adventure and had the most tested fishing skills and launched him with directions to paddle into a promising little oyster creek. I supplied him with a bait bucket filled with Cocahoe minnows and demonstrated how to put one on the hook. No sooner had he cast into the creek - Bam! Before I could launch the next kayak fisherman he was back with a nice twenty inch red. I put the fish in the ice chest on the boat and off he went again on a mission for more.

Next, I launched his dad who was seventy seven years young and suggested he try fishing near the boat to make sure he was ok. He paddled about forty yards from the boat and began drowning a minnow near the grass as instructed. About that time, a racket erupted from the interior of the island. Seems the kayak heading up the creek had disrupted a band of coyotes. The coyotes began to yip and holler. For a moment I was worried that they might cause my client harm. I laughed later when the guy asked me what was making all that noise. He thought the noise was from a boat load of drunks anchored in the gulf. On my next trip here, I walked the beach and found it littered with tracks. I’m not sure how the band of coyotes gets any fresh water or how they made it to this desolate barrier island after Katrina. Anyway, that trip ended up with seven reds, a half dozen trout and two flounder. The older gentleman never paddled more that seventy five yards from the boat and caught four keeper reds and both flounder.

If you have access to a bay boat, consider that it should become a mother ship and strike out on an adventure on your own. The access the boat provides is almost unlimited and most bay boats will hold two to four kayaks. As the number of kayakers increase you will find it necessary to “get away from the crowds” and spread your wings.

Kayak tournament action will again hosted by Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club. This one is called the PAC Attack. Fishing will take place at Pointe Aux Chenes on August 2. The heaviest stringer of slot reds will win! Details are on their website www.bckfc.org. These club tournaments are great fun and to prove that, a cash prize will be given to the lightest stringer. The “weakest link” award will receive five percent of the payout. Entry fees are twenty dollars for members and twenty-five dollars for non members. Looking ahead – make plans to fish one of the Club’s signature tournaments: “Fall n Tide” on October 4^th at the Delta Marina in Venice. Again, all the details are on the club’s website.

Remember: keep hydrated, don’t burn and watch out for lighting. Kayak fishing in the summer is great fun with the warm water and the schools of trout, but also keep your eyes peeled for motorboats and make sure they see you. I recommend brightly colored paddles. Most of all – have a blast and bring a friend!

In that famous movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jack Nicholson took a bunch of guys from a psycho ward on a fishing trip and, if my memory is correct, everyone ultimately had a great time. I kinda felt like Jack yesterday. My party was young, happy, a little cuckoo from too much beer the night before, but all smiles - and they had me laughing before daylight. Having all just graduated from college, I’m sure they felt like they had finally been let out of the nut house and this was their summer for adventure before real world jobs or graduate school had them “locked up” again.

This group of four first time kayakers met me at Bridgeside Marina at five thirty. They were all smiles as they climbed on board. They quickly began discussing “the bet” and, I’ll have to admit, I felt as if we should have been at a golf course and not heading east from Grand Isle for a day of “Mothership” kayak fishing. “Mothership” is a term used to describe loading a few kayaks into a larger transport boat and heading off on a fishing trip that would otherwise be unreachable because of the distance required to paddle. My Carolina Skiff works perfectly for this. Four kayaks fit snuggly between the gunnels and center console, two on each side. With a mothership, a little creativity and an adventurous spirit, you can kayak almost anywhere.

To my amazement the bet was not a lot of money as these young men were fresh out of LSU. It became a team event. Two on two and the winner would be the team catching the most fish. The prize would be a po-boy on the way home. The size and amount of toppings would be unlimited. I applauded their ingenuity and I agreed to be the official weighmaster.

With four novice kayakers on board a Carolina Skiff loaded to the gills with yaks and ancillary gear, we slid down the back of Grand Isle headed first for the island of Grand Terre. Daylight had broken and the horizon showed no signs of early thunderstorm developments, in fact the weather looked great. The wind was barely blowing and the water was that awesome color of green, the kind of water you know holds catchable fish.

Game on! The four kayaks headed out onto the sand flats behind Grand Terre. The guys tossed out plastic under a cork and the school trout began pounding the “opening night” touts. I sat back and realized that kayak fishing appeals to so many people for a variety of reasons, from fishing to communing with nature, to just relaxing.

Each of these fishermen headed off on his own accord. Some fished slowly, others headed straight for points and cuts that were sure to hold fish. The kayaks afford a person a chance to follow his or her own game plan, to fish the places you want to fish, in the way that you want, and at your own pace. The fact that we were “mothershipping” put us in a completely different state of mind. They did not have to worry about where they going or how to get back because the Carolina Skiff was there to pick them up where ever they ended up. I dropped them off on a down wind float on the back of Grand Terre and then picked them up a hour and a half later.

We loaded up the skiff, deposited the keeper trout in the ice chest and headed down the coast to Four Bayous where we changed over to minnows under a cork. This time the target was redfish and it sure didn’t take long for a “Cajun Sleighride” to happen. The water was low and the guys could see the reds in the shallow canals with their backs out of the water. There was lot of hooting and hollering each time one of them hooked up a nice red.

The day was beautiful, clear blue skies and just a hint of wind. We were fishing a remote piece of coast that is truly spectacular. It would be hard to put into words the serenity of kayak fishing on this jewel of coastline. We all witnessed a pod of dolphins making their way across a shallow flat and did not see another boat for several hours. These uninhabited barrier islands east of Grand Isle provide kayakers with an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. The shallow bays and cuts in these islands are typically too shallow for most bay boats, so a kayaker has these little pieces of fishing paradise all to himself, so long as he has the mothership to get him there.

Our day ended with a winner and a looser, but the looser of the bet confided in me that he didn’t really care about the bet anymore - he was going to go home and buy a kayak. In my book, that meant everyone felt like a winner. I told him that he would love the sport and that I’ve never been disappointed in a paddle trip since my first experience. Like everyone, I’ve had trips that have been non-productive from a fishing stand point, but I have always enjoyed the kayak experience.

Summer is upon us and now it the time of year to make full use of your kayak. Water temperatures are in the eighties and it is so relaxing to let your feet hang over the side. Plan a trip today and if you are up to the challenge throw the kayaks in a bay boat and head out. The trip is just like a road trip, but the options are unlimited. Louisiana has hundreds of miles of deserted beaches and bays and many have miles of shallow flats that are seldom if ever fished. So, go get some “mothership” action.

The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club’s next big fishing tournament, “Fall n Tide,” will be in Venice on October 4th. This is one of the major kayak fishing events of the year and I urge you to mark your calendars and visit their website at www.bckfc.org for more information and join, if you have not already. Kayaking is an emerging sport and being a part of this organization will provide new kayakers with a pipeline of valuable information on fishing, events, new ideas, new friends and fishing buddies. This year Hobie is donating one of their Revolution kayaks for the fisherman who catches the redfish with the most spots at the “Fall n Tide” event. Each year, the Club and its members come up with other events to encourage its members to get out on the water. Check out their website for all the latest info on other events, such as the “PAC Attach” at Pointe-aux-Chene on August 2nd and a possible fly fishing tournament in the works for later in August. Please get involved and have some fun.

A Wish to Fish for Speckled Trout

Summer is upon us. Let’s get ready to kayak in warm waters and enjoy lots of summer action. I’m happy to report that the waters around Grand Isle are blanketed with trout. I’ve had some fantastic action on top water lures like the Zara Spook Jr. and lots of trout taking plastic on jig heads. Catching big trout on live croakers is also happening on the beach. Stop at Bridgeside Marina and grab about twenty croakers for your live well, make sure your aerator is working. Rig the croakers by hooking them in the back near the dorsal fin, use a twenty pound leader, swivel and a 1/8 ounce slip sinker. This big sow trout are very reachable from the beach as they are currently dropping their eggs in the deep trough between the first and second sand bars. Cross the bridge onto Grand Isle, launch at the first beach access and fish your way down the beach toward the rock jetty at the western tip of the island. The trout are often willing to grab that croaker, but usually the “take of the bait” will be preceded by a strike designed to kill the croaker. Don’t try to set the hook too soon. Be patient and wait for the big trout to inhale the bait before setting the hook. Croakers are hard to keep alive for extended periods of time so change your water out often.

Let’s keep talking speckled trout. Get out of bed and get on the road early as trout magically turn on shortly after daylight. Nothing beats being in the right place with the right bait as the sun climbs out of the Gulf and you are in position to catch a limit of trout. Light winds resulting in clean water are becoming the norm and with it lots of action starting at daylight.

Kayak fishermen can stalk the beach much like the marsh. Start early and use your eyes to look for shrimp jumping out the water or birds working. “The bite” may only last for twenty minutes to an hour. During that time I love to fish top water. Caution should be exercised when landing fish on treble hooked lures. Don’t under any circumstance boat a fish that is hooked, only bad things can happen when an unsecured fish is flopping between your legs with two are three exposed hooks flying around. Secure the fish outside the boat to keep those hooks from ending up in your flesh.

If “the bite” is really frenzied, then get with the program! Don’t waste time putting fish on a stringer. I hate to see that valuable time window shortened by broken line, backlashes and hesitation. Once you make a cast, get a strike and land the fish just deposit him in the bottom of the kayak and repeat the process. As the school moves away clean up, put fish on the stringer or in the ice chest and quickly try to make contact with the school again.

Make sure to stick a measuring tape on the floor of your yak so you can effortlessly check your trout. I like to make sure they are twelve plus inches. Try and keep fish that are clearly over twelve inches and not on the line, that keeps it from being a problem if you are checked. Don’t forget to wear your life jacket when fishing the beach as the water is a lot deeper than the muddy old marsh. You will need will need to change over from your stab anchor to something more suitable like an eight pound mushroom anchor . Twenty feet of anchor rope will be enough to hold even near the passes. If anchoring near an area with a lot of current be careful and make sure the anchor you have deployed has a good bite. Just more wasted time during “the bite” if you have to reset the anchor.

Now that we’ve covered fishing trout on the beach let’s talk about the STAR Tournament. This annual fishing event is hosted by CCA to raise money. CCA now recognizes the growing ranks of kayak fishermen and has opened the tournament up to us with a special new category. This year you will be able to fish in the “paddle craft” division. The combined weight of a trout and a flounder caught on the same stringer will be weighted and the combined weight will decide the winner.

Entering this summer long event is something I highly recommend for all kayakers as it lets CCA know how many paddlers are out here and let’s CCA know we want to be represented in all their legislative endeavors. I’d really like to be part of a group of people who are dedicated to preserving our fishery and hopefully taking a stand on the growing number of posted property signs and fences that block entry to the tidal waters of our state from state owned highways and the Gulf. To learn more about the STAR Tournament’s paddle craft division visit www.marshandbayou.com and click on the “Join CCA” Redfish for more information. If you need more information on kayak fishing or are looking for some friends to fish with, check out the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club at www.bckfc.org.

Calmwater Charters hosted “Wish to Fish” this month. “Wish to Fish” is a non-profit program supported by Wildlife and Fisheries that introduces children to fishing, teaches them fish identification and fish biology. We had ten girl scouts from Metairie visit our camp with their sponsors and we took them for their first time trip fishing in kayaks. The girls had a blast and caught small specks, white trout, flounder, and a few rat reds. They learned how to trawl for bait, throw and cast net, bait their own hooks, and identify, measure and tag fish the fish they caught. It made me realize that when I slide my kayak in the water to go fishing that wonderful feeling of being a kid still exists in me, just like when my cousin Bob look me fishing for the first time. I think the “Wish to Fish” program gave me more happiness than I ever expected and made me realize that fishing is really good therapy. Wish to Fish gives kids a chance to learn to fish, with an emphasis on the importance of conservation and exploration. Fishing should be shared and handed down to the next generation. So don’t ever pass up a chance to take someone fishing. If you have a group of kids you think would benefit from Wish to Fish Louisiana or would like to support or sponsor an event, contact the LDWF coordinator, Danica Bailey, at 504-628-7282 or wishtofishla@yahoo.com. Danica and her group of volunteers from LDWF, CCA, BTNEP and RFRI are always looking for more sponsors (both financial and in kind) to expand the number of events that they can host each year. You can watch footage from the Wish to Fish event hosted by Calmwater Charters on the TV shows, Paradise Louisiana and Big Fish – check your local listings for stations and times. You can read more about The Wish to Fish event at http://www.paradiselouisiana.com/Default/Articles/Entries/2008/6/3_Wish_2_Fish_2008.html

June is the start to a great summer of fishing. So load up your kayak and fishing gear, get your sun screen and something cold to drink and hit the road headed for warm salt water and big fish on the beaches. Remember to be careful and have lots of good old fun, like when you were a kid.

If it’s trout you are looking for, be prepared for “speck”tacular results. Forget about waders, forget about stinging fingers, and forget about getting back in the truck and turning on the heater. Summer is right around the corner.

Living on Grand Isle is awesome. The bird watching festival was great and hundreds of bird watchers helped mark the “fall out” that occurs when the finch and warblers land after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. It still amazes me to think those little birds can fly that far without a break. The warmer temperatures have the shrimp filling the bay and the speckled trout and birds are hard at work making a wonderful display nearly every day. The trout are nice sized and popping corks with live shrimp and plastic are working nicely to bring in a full stringer. The names of the plastic baits continue to amuse me. This year the hot color is “chicken on a chain” a departure from last year’s special variety “electric chicken.” Who comes up with these names? If you are going to be fishing Grand Isle or Fourchon, Bridgeside Marina has live shrimp available seven days a week.

What does this all mean if you are a kayaker? Be happy! Put the waders up and let your feet hang over the side. This is the perfect month to take off and go fishing on the coast. If all you have done with your kayak is paddle in the marsh, now is the time to think about fishing the bays and coast. Before committing to the trip check the weather and make sure the winds are light. I’ve noticed that a lot of people consult the wrong source for this information. The Costal Marine forecast has the correct information. Go to the National Weather Service website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/html/marine.htm and click on the Coastal Waters link then scroll to mouth of the Atchafalaya to the mouth of the Mississippi, out twenty miles. This will give you the true costal winds with are usually ten miles per hour more than the inland reports. You can also go to the weather channel’s website, and search the near shore forecasts for the area your area: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/boatandbeach/nearshoreforecast/USLA0194?zoneId=GMZ550

Another must when fishing for trout is clean water. What you need is fifteen inches of visibility at a minimum. Don’t pull your kayaks off the racks if the water doesn’t have that much visibility. Check a few spots and pick the one with cleanest water.

If you are going to use live shrimp, check your aerator as live shrimp need an aerator to survive. Unlike minnows, live shrimp can’t make it in an unassisted bait bucket. Bringing along spare batteries is a good idea. If you have a cast net, bring it with you as finger mullet also work well when fishing for trout. If you have access to a pier with lights there is a good chance that you can catch your shrimp at night under the lights.

I have had the pleasure to fish with several excellent flyfishermen from all over the map in the last few weeks. Utah seems to produce quite a few anglers that have mastered the fly cast and love to travel to fight our gulf coast redfish. I was fortunate to guide such a gentleman, Kelly, this past week. As we left the dock in Grand Isle and headed north for the marsh, I prayed the reds would cooperate. As we approached one of my honey holes, I knew that God had heard me that morning. As I eased into the small pond I could see the back and fin of one and then another and another sizable reds working together to push shrimp along the far bank. I told Kelly to tie on a shrimp pattern that Alec Griffin, from the Uptown Angler in New Orleans, had supplied us with and get ready to cast as we got in range. I looked at Kelly and saw him start to shake a little– like I do when I see the first big buck of the season. If I get buck fever, Kelly was getting bull fever. He started to false cast to the side, away from the fish so as not to spook them, but all jitters were gone as he focused, found his zone and shot the line forward toward the tailing reds. One took off right creating a torpedo-like wake, but the others did not spook. In fact, they got down right greedy. As Kelly stripped his line the second time, an all out melee ensued as at least two of the reds both went after the fly. Kelly expertly paused for just a moment then, feeling the bite, he set the hook and the fight was on. Pulling the red from the pack, Kelly gained some line on him, but lost more as the red ran straight back for cover. Kelly let him run then steered the head of the red away from the bank to be sure he would get the line tangled in the weeds. This game of cat and mouse, running and gaining back line, went on for about five minutes until the red finally succumbed to the angler. Kelly’s buddy, Tator, gets credit for the assist with the net to land the red. That big Utah smile never left his face as he handled the fish and posed for a few pictures, enjoying the moment. I knew there would be quite a few more that day as I noticed Kelly’s focus turn to another wake in the opposite corner of the pond.

Kayaks are selling at a record pace in Louisiana. If you have just purchased one, think about joining the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club. Reach them on the internet at www.bckfc.org . This group is happy to help a novice kayak fisherman. Post a message on the website on their forum about when and where you are planning a fishing trip, they will have plenty of advice for you and you may pick up a fishing partner too. The Club also sponsors a lot of nice events that allow for meeting others and compete for fun. Several times a year they get serious about fishing competitively, but the club always maintains its friendly flavor. Last month the club held an event in Big Lake below Lake Charles.

After a hard day kayak fishing yesterday I decided to drink a pot of coffee and try to share my inspirational thoughts on kayak fishing with you. Somehow writing this article might be the easiest part of my fishing experience during March.

Wind, Wind and more wind battered the marshes last month and when the wind took a day off…gnats, gnats and a million more gnats wrecked the sanity of many a fisherman. I fished the marsh regardless of the conditions and kept a tube of Amber Romance lotion within reach as protection against the knats. Amber Romance is available at Victoria’s Secret and does a great job at separating the angler from the gnats, if only by a few inches. As a passing thought, would it be against the Geneva Convention rules of interrogation to place enemy forces in the Louisiana marsh. Splash a little fish slime on them, wait for the gnats to descend and ask them for information? I think the debate over water boarding might be over if they used our all natural gnat attack method.

If you own a kayak or are preparing to buy a kayak good news is on the horizon. First and most importantly, spring is starting to stir in the ingredients that make the month of April taste a lot better than the goulash we survived on in March.

The longer days and warmer air have water temperatures on the rise and set in motion the wonderful transformation from winter to spring. Water temperatures moved up about seven degrees from a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago, as I attempted to put left over Cocahoe minnows back in my floating shrimp basket, I lifted to the surface a hundred or more tiny brown shrimp. Last week I noticed that they were significantly bigger. A growing shrimp hatch is a sure sign the trout will begin to transition into the open bays.

The advent of warmer weather and more stable weather makes it time to think past the mud of the marsh and move into the fertile bays and barrier islands. This time of the year I start to reminisce about my first kayak fishing trip to Grand Isle, more than 5 years ago. I had just purchased two fishing kayaks and set off to have fun and see what my new kayaks could handle. A friend and I pulled out of Baton Rouge about four am and headed south. We launched behind Grand Isle and drifted the marsh flats behind the island. After about an hour, we had three trout each and decided to make a move to the beach. The surf was flat and the wind was light. Being late spring and a bit chilly, the beach was deserted. We paddled out off the rock piles and began bouncing plastic off the bottom. Bam…bam…bam! We were in a school of keeper trout and for the next hour we learned how to flip trout into a yak. We laughed and had a blast. Trout slime lined the inside of the yak and occasionally we stopped to put fish on a stringer and take a count. As we neared our limits the bite was ending and what a great day we were having when a school of monster bull reds appeared. The twenty five pound fish paid no attention to our silent kayaks. We watched them taking in small crabs that floated in the gentle tide. I frantically reached for my tackle box. On a small rod and reel with ten pound test line I put on a small Rapala and cast it into the heart of the moving, orange mass. Instantly, I was hooked up and my first Cajun Sleigh ride was underway. After being towed about four hundred yards, the line broke. But it didn’t matter, the adrenaline rush had consumed me and I was hooked on kayak fishing forever.

I’ve been blessed with more incredible fishing opportunities since that first trip and hope that more people learn this unique and exciting fishing method. There is no way to really describe all the variations that these boats add to the sport of fishing. As March fades into April, waders will give way to shorts, fishing trips in the bays and on beaches will gradually replace marsh trips, and the trout will start to fill our stringers in greater numbers than redfish, you should consider being part of the kayak fishing sport.

The kayak community is growing each week as more and more kayaks are sold to the public. This sport is growing by leaps and bounds. Louisiana is rapidly becoming a “kayak destination” because of our bountiful fisheries. If you are interested in buying a kayak and joining the fun please visit my friends at www.bckfc.org they are the driving force in organizing the sport.

March Madness was not isolated to basketball. March 15^th marked the fifth annual Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club’s premier fishing event, PaddlePalooza V. All had fun fishing the Hwy 1 corridor. The event serves as a reference point on the growth of the sport in Louisiana as it again the event grew in size. Most importantly, the event helps bring attention to the sport and rewards the fishermen that participated with lots of nice prizes and great camaraderie.

The Saturday night weigh-in and awards dinner was hosted at Boudreaux’s in Leeville and attended by almost one hundred people, including many out of state fishermen who now participate on a regular basis. Food and drinks were provided by the club and this year prizes were fantastic. In total 69 anglers participated, 46 of which turned in a fish to be weighed. There were 3 Cajun Slams, 1 Trash Slam and lots of people who were tired of the wind blowing! Congratulations to all the winners listed below. I look forward to seeing you next year at PPVI!

Great kayak tourney and “extreme kayak fishing” on the Horizon

March 1, 2008

Don’t wait any longer for winter to be over; it’s time to spring ahead. I know that many of you are diehard fishermen and have fished all winter, but for those who haven’t, dust off your rods and re-spool your reels.

If you have been thinking of buying a kayak go ahead and make the purchase and get geared up. The boys at the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club will be happy to welcome you to the sport and get you started. Visit the forum on their website for all the information and advice you need.

On the top of my list this month was covering the Minimalist Challenge, a kayak tourney hosted by the BCKFC. A full field of twenty-five kayak angler’s hit the water at 5:30 am. from Bessons Marina in Galliano. The anglers were pitted against each other as in most fishing tournaments, but the Minimalist Challenge was delightfully different when it came down to tackle. The acronym KISS (keep it simple stupid) would be applicable. The tournament provided the only tackle the anglers could use for the day: two jig heads, two pieces of plastic, top water bait and a stringer. The tackle was donated by Texas Tackle Factory and the colors of plastic lures, Liquid Shrimp and Texas Roach, sounded tasty. The challenge was to load as many legal fish on your stringer and be back at the Launch for noon to weigh-in. Winner take all. What a better way to determine the best fisherman on this given day. Same tackle, same water, same type of boat, the only difference would be skill and strategy.

My wife and I headed “up the bayou” to Bessons Saturday morning and arrived at the weigh in just in time to share the stories and snap a few photos. Spirits were high and everyone had a great time. I met newcomers to the club and talked with many of my “ole timer” buddies. It would be fitting to comment that this club has been around for five years now and has officially grown to the point where the term “ole timers” applies.

The top three stringers were:

1^st Place: David Rogers……..23.10 lbs. Winning $150.

2^nd Place: Roy Pendergraft..15.10 lbs.

3^rd Place: Mel Landry………..13.6 lbs

I got to tell you, I like this format. I followed the event from its conception and monitored the thread on the club website www.bckfc.org . For those hardcore young guys that slept in their vehicles on the Wal-Mart parking lot in their vehicles I applaud your tenacity. To the seven die hards who paddled all the way to the Sulphur Mine I say “You da Man!” That paddle must have been a test of strength and persistence as pre frontal winds blew hard all day making the trip back to the landing quite a long haul. Water conditions were great and the water temperatures have steadily been on the rise. Given the limited tackle, I was impressed with the stringers. Only two contestants got skunked (names withheld to protect the innocent).

Rumor is that the next event in the Minimalist Challenge will be the “my best bait vs. your best bait”. Fishermen will be able to use only their top lure. The BCKFC is breaking ground with creative, fun formats well suited to kayak fishing. Talk has also begun on hosting a Bull Red Event down at Grand Isle’s famous Caminada Pass. This event will allow for some “extreme kayak fishing” at the end of the summer when twenty to thirty pound reds are in the pass.

BCKFC’s flagship event will be March 15^th. Paddlepalooza V will sport lots of prizes and food. The tournament will be an open field and is always a lot of fun for the whole family. There is always a youth division with prizes for the kids. If you are interested in registering for the tournament or want more information, contact the club via the website www.bckfc.org. Last year sixty five fishermen participated and this year we expect it to grow again. The event is hosted from Leeville, La. at Boudreaux’s Resort. Fishing along the Hwy. 1 corridor should be great this time of year.

I do not hesitate in reminding the kayak fishing community that although we think of our kayaks as shallow water dream machine, the Eskimo inventors of this craft used it in the cold deep waters of the Arctic. The warm deep waters of the Gulf will be the next frontier for these amazing boats. As the weather patterns settle down from winter’s weekly frontal passages and the warmth of spring begins to bathe the coast, I’ll go on record as predicting that rigs and offshore wrecks will be the new focus of a daring few. I don’t think it is a stretch of the imagination to see yaks on the rips trolling for Mai Mai or pulling Amberjacks off wreck sites. This is the next great frontier for Louisiana kayak fishermen wanting an “extreme adventure”.

I had the pleasure of fishing a charter with a young man from California. At home, he fishes his kayak off the beach near San Diego for yellow tail and sea bass. This day, he was chartering my services in hopes of catching his first redfish. He could not believe the fishery and was successful limiting out two days in a row. On the second day, as we were driving back onto Grand Isle, we saw two boats anchored in the pass. Both boats had big fish on and I pulled to a stop on the bridge as no cars were in sight. One of the boats pulled a twenty pound bull red over the side as we watched. The Californian looked at me and said, “Man I want to catch a bull red.” We had to do it.

We went to the camp and reloaded a couple large bait casters with braid, stopped at Bridgeside and bought the ten biggest minnows they had and paddled out in the pass. The tide was slowly coming in as we paddled down the inside of the bridge pilings near the anchored boats. We trolled the minnows on the bottom and went fishless for about an hour. The anchored boat hooked up about three times during the hour on reds and drum. Finally, I paddled over and asked if they could possibly give me enough bait for a fish or two.

Wicked Winter Weather

January 31, 2008
Well it’s time to write the next captain's log and all I can think of is the weather. The last few weeks on Grand Isle have been awesome. Mother Nature has flexed her muscle and, without a question as to whether it’s fair or not, she has taken hold of the landscape. The wind has blown at least two times in excess of 40 miles per hour for twelve hours or better. The water temperatures have plunged to the 48 degree range and the pelicans and gulls are hungry. I know because they have become beggars and don’t think twice about hanging around the piers to fight over redfish hulls.

Well it’s time to write the next captain's log and all I can think of is the weather. The last few weeks on Grand Isle have been awesome. Mother Nature has flexed her muscle and, without a question as to whether it’s fair or not, she has taken hold of the landscape. The wind has blown at least two times in excess of 40 miles per hour for twelve hours or better. The water temperatures have plunged to the 48 degree range and the pelicans and gulls are hungry. I know because they have become beggars and don’t think twice about hanging around the piers to fight over redfish hulls.

When it comes to fishing around Grand Isle, one must be comfortable with working in the wind. Only on the rarest of occasions does the wind let up for a full day. So if you are preparing to kayak fish, plan you trip with the wind in mind. Paddle down wind, if possible, and be careful if crossing open waters. Next, plan to keep dry by wearing waders and making sure you have a slicker suit. When dressing for the weather, remember the W’s: Wicking, Warmth and Wind/Water. Layer a wicking layer closest to your skin, then a layer that adds warmth, then a wind/water proof layer to keep dry. Finally, head protection will help keep that cold from taking its toll and neoprene gloves will keep your hands warm as you paddle. Plug in your cell phone and make sure your cell phone battery is charged and also let someone know your plans and when you expect to be home.

Pushing away from the bank in your kayak this time of the year requires more planning and care as getting wet is not an option. Be safe not sorry.

The number of people who are fishing this time of the year really drops off. So, in simple terms, the fishing gets easier. If you can locate the fish they are usually there in large numbers. Find the deeper holes, usually in the eight to fifteen foot range, and try minnows or plastic. Fish slowly and try and “feel” for the bite as fish are often tentative. It’s not uncommon to miss the first few fish because you didn’t feel the bite.

Yesterday I caught a limit of redfish in only a few minutes. However, I took two hours finding them. I drifted right over the fish and was shocked to find them holding on a shelf near a drop off, but not directly over the deeper hole. They were staged in about four feet of water and each time I bounced the plastic up the shelf they nailed it. I must have released ten reds that were undersized before ending up with five nice slot reds. We are having them for dinner tonight.

Another tip for finding reds this time of year: study a map or Google Earth and look for old natural creeks or sloughs. The creeks that transverse the marsh often carry a substantial amount of tidal flow and provide a noticeable channel often visible on the “satellite view”. These creeks often link many acres of ponds. When the north wind drains these ponds, the resident reds simply move into the creek channels. When fishing these creeks, stealth needs to play an important part in strategy. Fish can feel the force of your kayak moving up these narrow waterways. Proceed slowly and try to put the kayak on hard bottom when stopping to make casts ahead of you. Another technique is to get out of your boat and “walk the grass” to a point where several producing casts can be made to the deeper holes in the creek. Plant your paddle vertically in the marsh before leaving your boat. This will mark the location of your boat and make it easy to find if you get carried away catching fish. Low tide will make this technique a sure producer, but plan for a few extra minutes for cleaning up the mess it will make of your yak. All those redfish are well worth the extra effort.

The chatter on the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing web site is exciting. The minimalist challenge is rescheduled for February sixteenth at the Besson launch. That is the launch near the “Wal-Mart” in Galliano. The field will all use the same tackle supplied by the tournament organizers and it could only be described as minimalistic. Each contestant will get two jig heads and two types of plastic. In addition to the plastic, a top water stick bait and, finally, a stringer will be provided. Fill the stringer with as many legal fish as you can and make it back for weigh in. Heaviest stringer wins it all. For availability check their website at www.bckfc.org. I’ll be covering the event and providing a few pictures. Check back next month for all the tournament results.

The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club’s flagship tourney, Paddle Palooza, has been scheduled for March fifteenth. Paddle Palooza V will be bigger and better. The club is lining up sponsors and gathering lots of nice prizes for the event. “P5”, as the club refers to it, will be held in the Fourchon area with lodging and the pre-tourney supper hosted at Boudreaux’s in Leeville. Rumor has it that custom rods are being donated for prizes in the event. The club anticipates that the event will attract a record number of participants, both locals and fishermen from our neighboring states.

Since Louisiana’s costal marshes account for 48% of our nation’s total, it’s no wonder we have the best fishery in the country. The sport of kayaking and those of us who understand the importance of this estuary system need to do everything in our power to preserve its resources. Make no mistake, kayaking is exploding. This is no longer a small sport for a crazy few. It’s a sport that has broad appeal. Kayaking can take you places where only a few have gone and let you experience the feeling of freedom and adventure you can only get when exploring a watery environment with only your own power, wits, a small boat and a paddle. Have fun on the waters of our state, and in this cold weather take all the necessary precaution when exploring and enjoying the outdoors.

Holiday Gumbo

Well it’s that time of the year again. Thanksgiving and Christmas have been twisted into one lengthy stretch of time with lots of opportunity to fish and give or get fishing gifts. I’d like to make a little gumbo in this article by starting with a fishing report…adding a few holiday gift ideas and throwing in a few thanks to the friends that have helped shape the year.

Let’s begin by announcing that The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club has served up another tournament venue this winter. The Minimalist Fishing Tourney is being re-scheduled - see their website (www.bckfc.org) for details on the new date. It will be held at the Golden Meadow Public Launch. A full field of twenty five will stage their boats at five am and then paddle/ fish till the weigh in at noon. Why is it called the Minimalist Challenge? Each contestant will be given two jig heads and two Texas Tackle Factory plastics. These lures are not sold locally so the fishermen will have not seen or fished the particular plastics. In addition, a pink top water stick bait and a stringer will be supplied and you have it – that’s all you can use to fish. At noon, any legal speck, red (under 27”) or flounder will be weighed, stringer and all.

This creative, fun and challenging tournament is evidence of the growth in kayak fishing. I’m hoping to see more people “get off the fence” and take the plunge. Buy a kayak and don’t look back. I just want to encourage any new kayak owners to join in the fun, and register for the tournament by contacting the Bayou Coast guys at www.bckfc.org.

Next let’s talk fishing. Is it winter yet? Yep, I think so. Well, one day is eighty degrees, and the next will be in the fifties. I have noticed that the fish have become a little harder to catch and the birds that were working small shrimp have all but gone. Minnows are the live bait of choice and plastics under a cork are the artificial weapon of choice in the marsh. Hit the LA 1 roadside and look for reds along the marsh grass. When cleaning fish I often see what they have been dinning on. The small shrimp are still being eaten by the smaller reds. The bigger fish, those in the twenty four inch range are dining on big minnows and small crabs. The trout are in the deeper pits and usually on the bottom. Plastic on a jig head, bounced along the bottom usually makes them bite.

As the cold season begins it would also be a good idea to use your dry storage area. A spare set of dry clothing, lighter, towel and a few snacks might get you out of a “wet weather encounter.”

When making a kayaking trip this time of the year add a few items to your list. Waders are a great investment. I have a pair of lightweight waders for the warmer days and a pair of heavy neoprene for the cold days. If you need a great gift for a winter time kayaker buy him or her a pair of waders. I recommend a pair of chest waders with built in boots – best for navigating the Louisiana marsh mud. I have a little trick to share. Duct tape your pants legs prior to putting on your waders, this will keep them from getting out of position. Also, I suggest a foul weather suit. When you finally realize that the weather is going downhill fast, a good rain suit, be it gore tech or plastic, that keeps you dry as you paddle back to your truck or car is, as they say, “priceless.”

If you are going to get a loved one a kayak for Christmas ask yourself how many times a year it’s going to get used and then determine how much to spend. I really have to go on record as recommending a factory outfitted fishing “angler package” kayak from a reputable dealer. You get what you pay for when buying a boat.

Now, fitting the kayak under your Christmas tree may cause you some grief unless you have a tree that rivals the one in Rockefeller Center. Getting your kayak home to the tree may require the purchase of car racks. If a pickup truck is available to you, tie the kayak down in the back and head home. Don’t be a scrooge just because giving the gift of adventure may require a little more work, the gift is well worth the extra effort. Finding a kayak with your name on it Christmas Morning will make you feel like being a kid again. They are one hundred percent maintenance free, which makes ownership smooth sailing or more correctly smooth paddling.

I get a lot of questions about whether to buy a tandem or a single seat kayak. If you are going to fish from your kayak, a single is your best choice, unless you want to risk pulling a few wayward hooks out of you or your tandem fishing partner. If you are still debating this issue, consider the new 14.5 Native Water Craft Ultimate kayak. Their new seats are removable, creating a kayak that can be used as a tandem or a single – pretty slick! These are also the most comfortable kayak seats that I have sat on – and I log at lot of time in a kayak. You can check them out on the internet at www.nativewatercraft.net.

A great stocking stuffer is a year’s membership in the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club. Annual dues are $25 per year for individual membership and $40 per year for family membership. You can get all the registration information on their website: www.bckfc.org. This group holds lot of great kayak fishing tournaments and events throughout the year.

My kayak charter service, Calmwater Charters, in Grand Isle also provides gift certificates, if you want to introduce a friend or family member to kayak fishing. Just give me a call and we can arrange to send you one in time for Christmas. Contact us at www.calmwatercharters.net.

I’d like to spend a little time giving thanks to the many people who have helped to grow the sport of kayak fishing. Thanks to the Grand Isle Tourism Commission for their help in nurturing the growth of the sport of kayak fishing and also helping the guides on Grand Isle market their businesses.

Next I would like to thank Marsh and Bayou for letting me contribute to their magazine. It has been a lot of fun to sit down and capture my thoughts and put them on paper. It’s also helped me get in touch with a few people I had lost touch with over the years because they read the column an contacted me via e-mail.

I would like to thank Bridge Side Marina. What a hard working group! I went over this afternoon to buy minnows for a charter on Thanksgiving Day thinking they would close down, but they will be open to serve the fishing public. If you are traveling down to the island and need live bait or supplies please let Bridge Side serve you.

I have been featured in many articles and publications, both local and nation this year. I owe a big thank you to the many journalists, photographers and videographers that have “put me on the map” this year: Tom Bie, Tosh Brown, Bob Marshall, John McCusker, Scott Owens, Al Rogers, Steve McNemar, Wendy Billiot and especially Chris Tiblier.

I’d like to thank my wife. Thanking her for dedicating her time and talents into our business Calmwater Charters. She has worked many hours and woven her wonderful spirit into every kayak charter we launch.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for reading this article each month and those that have come to fish with me in Grand Isle.

Fall has arrived. No question about it. As I sit writing this month’s article, the north wind is delivering white caps to Caminada Bay and my jacket is now hanging on the wall near the door. Hot coffee on the stove has me warm on the inside and it won’t be long before I take out the chest waders and kiss the warm water goodbye. The good news is the fishing is great this time of year! The trout and birds are working shrimp in the bays and marsh, making the trout easy to find and catch. This is prime time kayak fishing season. As our kayaks drift down the marsh bank, we do not disturb the feeding activity. You can get in tight - all most on top of the fish – and make easy casts. In fact, the fish don’t know you are there, until they realize they are hooked! The trout I have been catching are of decent size.

We have also noticed packs of red fish pushing shrimp and minnows down the sides of the marsh grass. You might almost mistake them for a school of mullet – until you recognize their coppery red backs coming out of the water. Look for egrets standing on the bank. Watch and see if they slowly move down the bank. If so paddle over and toss anything in front of the reds who are feeding on shrimp. It’s an easy target in a kayak. I’ve also been catching a few flounder by bouncing plastic along the bottom near the marsh grass. Try fishing your kayak on the windy side of the ponds. Let the wind hold your boat against the grass and cast parallel to the bank. Advance your kayak by pushing off the grass and letting it come to rest back on the grass. This keeps you fishing in the strike zone. This month the fish will be moving into the closed marshes and you’ll find lots of action up the road in Leeville and Golden Meadow. Try fishing a black and chartreuse plastic or fish real minnows under a popping cork.

October offered kayakers a shot at competitive fishing. “What the heck is ‘Fall n Tide’”, you ask? It’s actually one of the premier kayak fishing tournaments of the year. The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club hosts this annual tournament at Venice, LA each fall. Fall n Tide attracts a growing number of kayaker anglers each year and this year was no exception. On Saturday, October 13^th, a group of forty-five kayak anglers paddled out in the marsh around Venice to catch the “Cajun Slam.” The slam requires a speckled trout, redfish and a flounder of legal size be caught; for this feat an additional pound is added to the total weight of the creel. The heaviest creel wins top honors. Of the many participants in the tournament, thirty-one of these anglers weighed in fish. Fishermen from three neighboring states participated, including Texas, Florida and Alabama. What was surprising was the number of “slams” that were recorded. Ten participants caught the three required species. This year’s honors went to Mark Bassett, a long time kayak fisherman for the heaviest Cajun Slam with a weight of ten pounds four ounces. Brassett, a master at fishing plastic, stuck to his game plan and had his fish on the stringer before the wind picked up Saturday morning.

The weigh-in featured a fish fry and plenty of door prizes. As the sport grows it’s always fun to see the newcomers that are drawn to the sport. This year was no exception. As we talked to people and took pictures, we found folks like Danny Ziegler who fished from a kayak for the first time at the tournament. After weighing in his big red, Ziegler said that he loved the experience of fishing from a kayak. The old kayaking pros had game plans that were just as exacting as those of any fishing tour. It didn’t matter that they weren’t running at fifty miles per hour or crossing the bay. The kayakers made use of road side parking and played the wind. The wind was calm until about 8:30 am and then it began to rip. I’m sure most of the veterans played to the forecast and paddled back in with the wind.

A group of Pensacola kayak fishermen showed up with their Hobie Mirage Kayaks rigged out and ready to fish. They got the hang of the “less clear” water conditions, caught a lot of fish and came close to scoring an upset over the locals.

The winners included: Cajun Slam: 1^st place -Mark Brassett (creel weight: 10 lbs. 4 oz.);
2^nd place - Barrett Jones (creel weight: 10 lbs. 3 oz. ); 3^rd place - Brandon Ellis (creel weight: 9 lbs. 15 oz.)
Mule Trout: 1^st place - Joe Snook (2lbs. 11 oz.); 2^nd place - Brendan Bayard (2lbs. 6 oz.);
3^rd place - Melissa Eure (2lbs.)
Leopard Red (most spots): 1^st place - Dolph Boeneke (11 spots); 2^nd - Jon Diechert (8 spots); 3^rd place - Garth Guice (6 spots)
Saddle Flounder: 1^st place - Ryan Gallois (3lbs. 6 oz.); 2^nd place tie: Josh Henke &
Fred Salomon (2lbs. 15oz.)
Trash Slam: Ed Bauman (2lbs. 7oz.)

September 23, 2007
Fishing and Wishing

(Redfish and No Hurricanes)

Last week I was watching the tropics and entertaining my cousin, Bob, and his family on Grand Isle. They were attending a beach wedding, but Bob also wanted to try kayaking fishing. Bob was the first person to take me fishing when I was a kid - not once, but many times. Much of my love for fishing (and later my vocation to be a guide) came from my first trips on the water with Bob.

Bob would call my house and ask me to go fishing. My mom was always more than happy to drop me off at one of the six ponds we frequented. My primary role early in this “learn to fish program” was to balance the boat. Without me as the weight in the stern, our little bateau would ride unbalanced and was hard to scull. Bob kept me thinking while I was fishing as I learned to cast and throw the ole H&H. He also taught me to quietly scull the bateau into position to make productive casts.

Now the shoe was on the other foot. I was excited to repay the debt by introducing Bob to kayaking. His fishing skills were, of course, excellent and he had spent many years paddling, so he had the necessary skills. All I had to do was put him in the water around fish and I thought my job would be done. That is, until I remembered that kayak fishing requires a few more skills even a seasoned angler needs to know when fishing from a kayak for the first time.

Bob and his family arrived at Grand Isle about ten a.m. and I had my pickup loaded up with yaks and accessories. He was anxious to fish and it made me feel good to be able to spend the day with someone who had introduced me to fishing. But even Bob’s kayak handling and positioning skills needed a little tutoring. Kayaks are directly affected by the wind, making these criteria important to know. The kayak is not intended to be a replacement for a bay boat and its many comforts, but it is superior to large boat when fishing skinny water. For example, it’s ok to run into stuff in a kayak. It’s ok to let the boat “hang up” on the marsh grass so you have time to make several good casts down the grass. Make shorter casts and keep the lure in the strike zone. Use your feet to make contact with the bottom by sitting “side saddle” in shallow water or “Flinstoning” by straddling the kayak and letting your feet touch bottom on either side. You can also keep one leg out the boat to push off or make a “toe hold” on the marsh grass. Use your mud anchor to steady the boat so that you can reposition your upper body to make the casts. If nothing happens, simply pull the anchor and drift on. I told Bob not to fight the wind, but use it as a drift tool – nature’s trolling motor - and just concentrate on fishing!

Kayak fishing is fishing on a more simple level. Not everything will be perfect, but everything will be closer and more in focus. Many times, we could see the fish we were casting to – sometimes they were just under the water and we could see their wake or ripples, other times, a red would show his back or tail against the marsh grass. In a kayak you can get within a few feet of the fish with out spooking them. I have had reds brush my feet in the water and felt a few flounder scurry out from under my feet in the mud bottom.

I began the ritual of casting, using a technique I call “shrimping.” I bounce the lure quickly as it sinks making it put off vibrations during its fall. The redfish often respond to this tactic with a strong direct strike.

It wasn’t long before Bob had the hang of it. His response to landing his first redfish in a kayak was text book. First I noticed a large smile that hung on his face as the redfish stripped line off his bait caster. I also noticed he didn’t horse it in quickly, but let the fish tire himself out. In the course of four hours Bob went from a novice kayaker to proficient and a new promoter of the sport. I know he will return in the spring for a speckled trout adventure and I’ll see him this winter in St. Francisville for a few deer hunts.

It was great for me to be able to repay Bob for his time and instruction years ago. I would like to encourage anyone who reads this article to share your passion for kayak fishing with others. Fish often, and never alone unless it’s absolutely the last option. If you are going to buy a kayak, might as well buy two if possible. The sport is much more fun when you share it with someone else. Take pictures and share them. Join Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club and meet others who share your passion.

Meanwhile, September has historically marked the peak of hurricane season. All who live on the coast or near it maintain the vigil on the tropics hoping that the frontal boundaries that have started to make their way south will bring cool air and protection from subtropical weather. These “tropical interruptions” bring down the first teal, white pelicans and also drop the water temperatures.

Don’t put away the sunscreen yet as fall’s weather will yoyo and still give us a few more warm spells, but it’s the cold fronts that will make the fish move into the marsh and into striking distance of many kayakers.

I spend a more than a few days a week fishing and, trust me, it is time for you to plan a day on the water. Fall is time to fish and owning a kayak is a really good way to access the marsh.

Fishing in the fall can find the redfish willing to hit plastic, minnows or willing to cooperate with fly fishermen using tiny spoons or shrimp patterns. Kristen, my wife, has been catching some nice redfish with her TFO fly rod. Alex, at the Uptown Anger in New Orleans supplies us with some beautiful and effective clousers, crab patterns and spoons. While paddling last week I noticed thousands of small shrimp in the marsh near Grand Isle and Fourchon. The reds were pinning them up on the grass and very active. The reds hit the flashy spoons and big crab patterns. The key here is to put the fly right in front of their noses. Reds are opportunistic and don’t spook easily when you approach on a drift in a kayak. A short accurate cast is likely to net you a redfish strike. Set the hook by stripping the line before you raise your rod tip so you don’t risk pulling the fly out of his mouth.

If you own a kayak and haven’t been fishing for a few weeks come on back down to Grand Isle. The crowds are gone and you’ll have a lot of fun this time of year. October, November and December can be a great time to visit and fish the marsh. If you would like to visit Grand Isle and try kayak fishing give us a call to book a trip!

As I awoke, I rolled over and heard the rumble of thunder. Not so distant and off to the east it was rumbling. I looked at the clock. It was five fifteen. It grew closer and sounded a lot like the advance of an armored division. Lightning flashes were beginning to light the sky. I heard the rain beginning to hit the metal roof and I remembered that the boat trailer hadn’t been fitted with wheel chocks and the chairs from last night’s barbeque hadn’t been secured.

During this tropical season, Grand Isle can get pounded by squalls. It’s not uncommon to see thirty five mile per hour leading wall winds so I sprinted down the stairs. It was awesome, the air was charged with energy. I secured the Weber Kettle, chairs and boat trailer.

In the few minutes I took to accomplish this task the storm advanced closer. The wind ripped and the rain went from light and vertical to big drops and semi horizontal. I hunkered down in the store room as it enveloped the camps on my end of Grand Isle. Lighting strikes came down in the marsh and the roar of thunder was immediate. The thunder was so loud that the marsh and the camp actually shook on impact. It was not a small weather event. It lasted for about a two and a half hours and left about four inches of rain behind.

I had wondered about my friends who were guiding this morning. Surely, I thought, they were at Bridgeside Marina, the hub of all that is fishing and fishing related. Buggy, the owner, usually has his T.V. on and tuned to the weather channel. The local radar would have shown this colossus. In fact, my friends had not seen the weather, but had begun to run in the dark towards Sandy Point, a big trout area to the east.

I dialed them up on my cell. They were safe, riding out the torrential rains under a camp at Four Bayous. They asked if the storm had cleared Grand Isle yet. I told them yes and to make the western run back home.

That evening I asked how they had missed the bulk of the storm. Craig’s eyes widened and he told me that they ran north towards Lafitte and that the lighting was so steady that in the dark they had seen two distinct water spouts to the south. I’m a little crazy, but I would have loved to see all that raw energy. I’m all for living life to it’s fullest and I bet the predawn sighting of water spouts illuminated by lighting had their adrenaline pumping – a sight not soon to be forgotten.

With all this weather behind, the afternoon now took on a pleasant, non threaten aspect. The storm had left a cool north breeze in it’s aftermath and I loaded two kayaks in the truck for a little scouting trip with my friend Daniel Landry. I wanted to see if the redfish were stacking up in the marsh. Ten minutes out of Grand Isle we pulled my truck over and paddled into the marsh to find out. I trolled a cockahow minnow on a jig head behind the kayak on one rod and fished top water on another rod. Daniel paddled off dragging a minnow on one rod and throwing plastic on a jig head with his other bait caster.

In my initial hour I noticed that the tide, still high from Hurricane Dean’s swell, was slowly moving out. I notice that the mullet I’d expected to see were nowhere to be found and that I needed to change strategy. I’d caught three reds. Two small fish had hit the trolled minnow and one fish had hit the top water Zara Spook.

As I paddled towards Daniel he was fighting a nice red. He was taking a “Cajun Sleighride” across a beautiful slick marsh pond. I enjoyed watching his skill in landing the fish. No panic, no hurry was involved. I paddled over and took some pictures. He was smiling from ear to ear. “I’ve wanted to do this with you for a long time. How many have you caught?” I asked. “Thirteen,” he replied. “What?” I responded. “Yea! Put on this black cockahow with a chartreuse tail.”

That was the missing link. We paddled down opposite sides of the ponds and caught at least ten more reds. It was a blast. The redfish were that perfect size to be a test for light casting gear. We had only three plastic tails left. Two were in bad shape, but Daniel had kept them anyway. It’s amazing how many times you can re hook plastic bait when you have to. I lost my first refurbished plastic on a big red and we decided to fish till the last one was gone.

We fished for another hour and a half. We were hooked up most of that time on one of the hardest fighting game fish an angler can enjoy. In the shallow water they act different than when hooked in deep water. The fish run harder and at the end of the run when you can turn them their tails often break the water. Sometimes they look like submarine wakes as they rip the shallows. Kayak fishing is a visual delight. It’s easy to see why it’s becoming so popular. In a trip lasting only three and a half hours, we had each limited out on reds, burned only the fuel the truck used in going twenty miles and burned at least five hundred calories. We shared the laughter and fun that goes on between friends when the fish are biting. I was glad to be back in the groove of catching reds after spending the summer pulling in speckled trout and the bigger bull reds that haunt the coast.

Redfish are a lot like a strong squall. They hit with awesome strength that leaves you wondering if you’ll be able to land them, but if you survive the red’s first run and your tackle holds together it’s a fury that will stir your senses. Combine their power with the simplicity of fishing them from a kayak and the similarity to riding out a storm under a camp also applies.

As the heart of hurricane season passes and the Labor Day weekend draws close it’s time to spend time on the water hooking up on redfish in the marsh. I would go buy a pack of black cockahoe minnows with chartreuse tails and not hesitate in paddling back into the marsh. If you would like to fish live bait, please visit Bridgeside Marina and buy some minnows and fish them under a cork.

Grand Isle is open for business and we’d love to see you. Be careful, check the weather and have fun.

Captain's Log, June, 2007

I walked out on my porch overlooking Caminada Bay. The alarm had gone off at 4:15am and the first thing on my mind was checking the wind. It was out of the north, at only about 5 to 10 knots. I smiled. It was a really big smile. My trout lights had been on all night and I could see that the water was clear and the tide was full. I walked down and cranked the Yamaha. It purred as I flipped on the GPS, running lights and grabbed a flashlight.

The dark boat ride to the marina each morning is a rush. A commute without much traffic, save a shrimp boat or two trawling. I always leave lots of room and swing wide, but other than that I just follow my GPS track from the many other trips. Bridge Side Marina is wide open at 5 am. Fishermen gather there to buy live bait and begin the day, a process that usually calls for one hundred shrimp and one hundred croakers, two bags of ice, fuel and a cup of coffee. A few guides share ideas of destinations and tactics for today and a few stories from yesterday. Summer time on Grand Isle is bustling. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what day of the week it is, but that’s not nearly as important as the wind, tidal pattern and range.

The first hint of daylight begins to appear as I head back to the camp and load the kayaks. I’m awake and ready to hit the beach. Four of everything, yaks, paddles, anchors, bait buckets, life vests, little tackle boxes, but at least six rods and reels.

The Carolina Skiff is loaded and I’m just waiting on the customers to show up. I’m really happy this morning because the first few hours will be running up and down the beach between Grand Isle and Fourchon.

We will be checking the “breakouts”, places where the Gulf and small bayous meet and cause sandbar irregularities. We will also be looking for birds near the beach and “pods of redfish” working over jumbo shrimp or mullet. In short, we are blessed with the opportunity to see a fishery that is in its summer peak. Fish react to the warm water and feed often - making fishing this time of year very exciting. Literally, a school of big reds can erupt in front of you. When you see shrimp jumping for their lives, mullet being blasted out of the water or pogies being run down, stop and throw your line into the melee. There are some monsters there - primed to be hooked.

A SUV pulls into the yard and out crawl three adults. They are ready to fish. Probably nervous about their first kayaking trip, I calm their nerves and offer them coffee. Unlike many who sleep at the camp, the customers that drive in the day of the charter have been up for several hours and the sight of a boat loaded with kayaks has them filled with excitement.

They load their food and beverages. Get their cameras and sunscreen, and we are ready to roll. The ride out to the pass is breathtaking. The sun is clearing the water and the “trout bite” is in its infancy. Do I go east or west? My instincts pull me east. About a two miles up the beach I drop anchor and send the kayaks over the side. The Carolina Skiff is now anchored in waist deep water off the beach.

I quickly ask, “Who needs help?” Help with fishing? Help with kayaking? Within thirty minutes I’ve got them all floating and fishing. Live shrimp on their hooks make it easy to catch something. Once everyone is away from the boat and having fun, I think to myself: “I’ve got a really good job.” I hop in my kayak and slide over to the rocks and put a live shrimp under a popping cork. Pop - Pop - little pop - and there it goes. A fourteen inch trout grabs breakfast and runs. As I pull him in, I think about how I love this time of the morning. My customers have a few fish on their stringers, so I continue to pull in a few more trout.

The sun climbs and the temperature begins to rise too. Two hours have gone by and we have fished about four sets of rocks. The worst thing that happened this morning was a run in with a few hardhead catfish. No stings - just the annoyance of having to get them off the hook and move down to new spot to find a few more trout.

On board the Mother Ship I start the engine and move down the beach a few hundred yards and await the arrival of kayaks for pick up. “Let’s make a move,” I suggest. I ice down about fifteen trout, it would have been forty if they would have been fishing from the Skiff, but the challenge of first time kayaking and fishing at the same time was evident. Let me add, however, that an avid fisherman who spends a fair amount of time on the water can easily get the hang of fishing from a kayak. In my experience, the learning curve is only about seven minutes. Usually, this type customer heads home seriously contemplating the purchase of a kayak.

The sea breeze has kicked in and I really would like to keep this group in a calm environment. I cruise the Carolina Skiff down the island and swing north giving them a look at Fort Livingston and Grand Terre, past home of Jean Lafitte. I run the waterway up a few miles and ease into the opening to a small bay. The tide is dropping and I want to expose my customers to a few tailing redfish. I shorten the corks to about seven inches, as oyster beds will come into play.

No longer kayak virgins they are ready to get fishing. I have to warn them of a few things: “Don’t try and get out of your kayaks here. The bottom is mud and oysters will cut. If you hook a big red, be patient and I’ll come help.” Most people love this part of the trip. It is not uncommon to see big red fish at really close range. It’s a little harder to hook them up and even harder to land one in this knee deep water. But when you do – it is the ride of your life. Bay boats can’t come into this shallow reach. Kayaks are the only way to reach the redfish here. A few more hours go by and most of my party have begun to show signs of tiring. Two of the three have hooked into a red and experienced the “Cajun Sleigh Ride”. It’s been another great day for all. An hour later we return to the camp and enjoy the shade it provides. I take a few pictures of the customers with their fish and my wife comes down with some nachos for nourishment.

If you are contemplating buying kayak, do it now. Summer fishing in a kayak is hard to beat. It’s wet, it’s exciting and it’s great fun with your friends. If you want to try it out, come on down and rent kayaks on the island. All you have to do is give us a call. Bridge Side Marina has live bait every morning of the week, and Grand Isle is a friendly island surrounded by trout and redfish.

Captain's Log May, 2007 Trout on the Beaches

You have probably heard that fishing in the Grand Isle area has really kicked off. Recently, the wind died for a few days and the Gulf lay down enough to allow for some memorable fishing trips. I was lucky enough to have two such days back to back.

Daylight found me paddling silently down the bayou that many call “The Elmer’s Island Cut”. My kayak hardly made a sound as it slid toward my final destination on the beach. I had taken to wearing Bug Off clothing and had liberally applied Victoria Secret’s Amber Romance to deal with the gnats that gather when the breeze dies. It is a good idea to carry some type of bug protection whenever you are in a kayak as you can not speed out of the area.

I was half way down the bayou the sun when began to break the horizon. It was a red glowing ball and I was amazed at the speed of its climb out of the Gulf. It was peaceful and the surface of the slick water was suddenly broken by a shrimp jumping in retreat from a hungry speck. I laid the paddle down and picked up the bait caster. The Zara Spook had started its’ dance on top of the water when it was abruptly hit upward into the air. Small trout fought to see who would get the artificial. The winner was about ten inches long. I am amazed at the trout’s ferocious appetite.

I hadn’t time for school trout as my plan was to catch the “bite” on or near the beach. I notice the first breath of wind as I paddled into the bay behind Elmer’s Island that I call “E-Bay”. As I laughed to myself I saw a flock of gulls working on a school of shrimp about two hundred yards off to my port side. “I don’t have time for small trout” I repeated to myself. I could have been wrong, but I wanted to put myself in the best position for a wall hanger.

I paddled down the bay and made my way into the unnamed pass that has now split the island. The tide was easing into the bay and it would take a boat load of adjectives to describe to how lucky I was to be right there, right then and all alone. I’m really not fond of being alone, but every once in a while it happens and I’m cool with it. The morning was breaking and the gulf had only a small ground swell of a few inches. The waves were clear and green. They peeled off on the shallow sand bars that protected the cut. The tide moved in slowly like a clear river into the bay. The breech was one hundred and fifty yards wide, but the deepest party of cut was only about thirty yards wide.

I anchored the kayak in the shallows on the west side and began to toss the Spook. Bam! A yellow mouth hit it full contact. He stripped off some ten pound line and I let him tire. When you boat a speck on a Zara Spook is a bit of a risky job and should be done outside the kayak. Do not put a speck in between your legs with treble hooks in the vicinity. If you are worried about losing him - put the stringer through his gills first then extract the treble hook. After I put this beautiful two pound trout on the stringer, I was deliberately slow to return to casting. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because I was alone and it was so peaceful in this magical place. But then it could also have been that I had been successful in finding a nice school of fish and that is where I get a lot of the satisfaction. Another cast and another fish and on and on. After a half hour I had about fifteen nice specks on the stringer. I moved out into the Gulf and followed the trout offshore about fifty yards. The strikes came a little slower and I began to fan cast looking for the random hungry trout. Sometimes I think as the bite slows the fish will hit it only to keep another trout from getting it. I call it a “Greed Strike.” Like Michael Douglas’ character in the movie “Wall Street” said, “Greed is good.” As I put the last greedy trout on the stringer, I began the paddle back to the truck. “Man, it’s only Friday” I thought to myself, “Tomorrow I’m going to hit the rocks at Belle Pass with some clients.”

The next day our group arrived by Mother Ship at the beach shortly after sunrise. We were again greeted by a smooth sea and only a wisp of breeze. Kayaks are so quiet the fish aren’t spooked and again I found myself in a school of them. I was glad to have a group to share this with on another beautiful Saturday morning. Shrimp were popping out of the water everywhere, so I set up my charter using popping corks with “Opening Night” plastic underneath. Pop and a pause, reel, pop and a pause, the rhythm is hypnotizing and the results are satisfying. The trout responded and my first time kayakers were really digging the non stop action. After about a half hour it slowed, but we persisted, all hoping for a final volley. It didn’t happen so we reposition in the area, but again didn’t connect. The window of opportunity is short – but while it is “on” – it is really “on!” We loaded up the kayaks and headed for the next spot.

When the sun finally took the morning chill out of the air, it was time to break out the secret weapon. I had loaded live shrimp in two bait buckets with aerators. I ran the boat back to a cut in the beach and deploy the kayaks. We let the shrimp drop with only a small “pinch on” sinker and a 2/0 kale hook. The trout awoke again as “lunch” drifted in on them. In the kayaks, we were able to stay with the trout as they moved in and out of the cut and along the beach. We managed about ten more and headed home to Grand Isle.

If it sounds like I enjoy being a guide and enjoy kayak fishing then you would be absolutely right! Being in a kayak and so close to nature is the best way I know to experience surf fishing. It gives you the ability to maneuver, find and float with a school of trout. The longer you can stay with them – the more opportunity you have to catch them! Come fish with us or just rent a kayak and give it a try. It really is easy. When you land in the middle of a school of feeding trout, you’ll be hooked. Louisiana has the best fishery in the United States, be proud of it, enjoy if often and help keep the beaches clean.

Captain’s Log – April 28, 2007

Summer is a beautiful thing. Remember when school was almost out and that happy feeling you had about the months ahead? The recent fishing activity and the improving weather has me feeling that way. Things down around Grand Isle are getting ready to break lose. This year promises to be another banner year for trout.

Old man winter has lost his hold on the coast. Yes, the frontal passages still come almost weekly, but the bite of the cold air that typically follows them is noticeably gone. The water has warmed and the speckled trout have begun to move into the open bays and around the marsh islands. The shrimp are still really small, but it won’t be long till they grow into the perfect live bait and bring thousands of trout down to the coast.

As of the end of April the trout were moving in behind Grand Isle. I caught a nice mess of them last Saturday morning. I was tossing a Zara Spook Jr. and “walking the dog” near the marsh grass. The trout were running down poggies and finger mullet in a cove near my camp. I used the marsh grass to escape the wind and put thirteen nice 14” to 20” trout on the stringer before the bite ended. It really got me excited to be back fishing top water. Remember, trout usually turn on and feed right after sun up and again at dusk. Get up early and get to your fishing area on time or you’ll probably miss the action.

If you are a kayaker you are probably ready to go fishing and get wet. Forget the waders and layered clothing, bring on the short pants. Here are a few ideas to make your trips fun and more productive. Begin each trip by making a plan and letting someone know the general overview of your trip. It’s really a great idea to go with a buddy. Having someone to share the trip with is really enjoyable. If you are new to the area or would like to meet some other kayakers log on to the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing club’s forum at www.bckfc.org. I have fished with a lot of these enthusiasts and recommend you check them out. I see so many kayakers who are just beginning to fish and I don’t think they realize how far they can venture out in the marsh. A trip with a seasoned veteran can teach you a lot about the sport.

Bring some water or liquids with you. It’s hot and you’ll need to rehydrate often. Don’t forget sunscreen and don’t forget to put some on the top of your feet. Before you push off double check you anchor, tackle and stringer. Forgetting any one of these items will make it a long day. Carry an extra rod, a backlash or a Jack Crevelle could render a reel unusable. Here is a way to make your paddle time productive: while you are paddling to your favorite spot, troll a minnow about 20 – 30 feet behind your kayak. You never know when that red fish you accidentally spooked might go after it once your kayak has past. I caught a lot of redfish this winter trolling.

I really think keeping it simple is one of the fundamental goals of kayak fishing. Too much tackle only causes confusion. On my trips I bring a small 5” x 9” tackle box that holds jig heads, three kinds of plastic touts, spinning bait, a gold spoon and a Zara Spook Jr. If I am going to fish live bait it’s even easier. I bring 2/0 or 3/0 hooks, small pinch on sinkers and a few popping corks.

I’ve covered a lot of these trip details in earlier articles and I forgot to mention one of the best items you can bring on a fishing trip. Bring your digital camera. Everyone will enjoy the pictures you shoot while on the water. A photo helps preserve the memories of a day spent on the water and allows you to share the experience.

This month the trout are heading down to the coast. All the big bays and lakes will be great places to fish. Take a trip down to Leeville, Grand Isle or Fourchon. Load up your boats and make a “suicide run” by leaving home at three a.m. Or take a more civilized approach and book a room on Grand Isle and wake up at 5:30 am.

The simplicity of kayak fishing makes a quick run to the coast easy and fun. Strap on the boats, grab the gear and get to the water. You don’t have to worry about your running lights, trolling motors or starting battery. You don’t have to get in line to launch or fix a flat on your trailer. Relax and enjoy fishing just like you did when you were a kid. If you are lucky enough to be a kid going kayak fishing remember to have fun, be safe and let your parents relax.

I assure you Grand Isle is back and better than ever. Lodging is available, as well as camping. The restaurants and stores are open. The beach is clean and the town provides many nice beach access ramps. Make your first run down to the coast now the summer heat really sets in. The trout are definitely moving in and are running from 14´to 20”.

In Louisiana, we have the best costal fishing in the United States. Our marshes and bays contain more trout and redfish than anywhere else. We need to enjoy and preserve our resources. Let your fishing enjoyment come from the quality of the experience and the friends you share it with and not solely on the size of your stringer.

It dawned on me that the people who read this column probably don’t fish every day like I do. Living on the coast and paddling on the water each day provides me with continuous information enabling me to find fish with a lot less effort than it would take if I were not so blessed. But there is a lot of information that every kayak angler can access to plan a great kayak fishing trip to the coast.

First, get a good map with a satellite image of the area you plan to fish. This bird’s eye view of the area will be the reference on which you will coordinate all your other information.

Second, go to your favorite weather website and take a look at the marine forecast to get the wind direction and conditions. Strong winds can make paddling difficult and will usually limit the areas you can fish to protected coves and canals. Light to moderate winds can actually serve as a tool to allow the kayaker to fish on a productive drift. For example, if the wind is out of the southeast, you will want to find a launch point that will allow you to float northwest with the wind to your favorite holes and sloughs. The wind will move the kayak for you allowing you to move and fish at the same time. It is hard to fish with a paddle in your hands – unless, of course you have mastered my trolling techniques – more about that next month.

Third, look at the tide tables. On a day with a big tidal variation, kayakers need to know when the tide is lowest. The last thing you want to do paddle into the marsh at high tide and get stuck out there at very low tide because the skinny water you love to fish has become so “ultra skinny” that you have to portage back through the mud and muck to get home. I find most of my success in a tidal range of about a foot but less than 1.5 feet. The tide has a huge influence over the movement of bait and consequently the location of game fish. However, too much tidal range can cause problems by increasing turbidity and decreasing the clarity of the water, a problem if you are trying to site cast to fish. It also has the potential to create strong currents that adversely affect paddling. Tidal range has a greater influence near coastal inlets, but its effect diminishes as you go deeper in the marsh.

Fourth, air temperature and its effects on water temperature are another important factor. Fish, being cold blooded, become lethargic as the water temperature drops. They tend to stay in deeper pockets and in the mud, avoiding the shallow flats unless lured there by bait. During the spring, coastal marsh water warms quickly. After a cold front passes, it may take 6-8 hours of solar warming until the fish begin to feed again. In these conditions, try fishing in the marsh ponds with the clearest water as the sun light will rapidly warm these bodies coxing the fish from the mud.

Once you have selected the prime location for your fishing trip based on the information above, your next step is to check your tackle and kayak to be sure you have everything you need for a comfortable and productive trip.

I always recommend putting fresh line on your reels. It does not matter what the weather is doing or what bait you are using, if that ever important link (your line) is weak, you can lose the big one in a heart beat.

For kayak fishing, I recommend a small assortment of “confidence” baits, such as jig heads, an assortment of plastic, a few top water plugs & a couple spoons. A big tackle box will just get in your way in a kayak. “Keep it Simple” is the name of the game in a kayak.

An anchor system is essential. In the marsh, I use a fabricated stab anchor. They are easy to make and hold well in the mud. Cut one end of a four foot piece of ¾ inch PVC on an angle (the stab end) and drill a hole in the other end. Attach a 5 ft. length of light nylon cord through the hole. It is that easy. With this simple devise, you can safety anchor in water up to four feet deep. If you like to wade fish, tie a 6 foot bow rope on your kayak so your ride home does not float away. When I am fishing bull reds in the pass, I use an 8 pound mushroom anchor with at least 20 ft. of line. Rig the anchor to be lowered from the stern. This will typically leave the kayak pointing down wind, making casting much easier.

Don’t forget your paddle. There are a lot of great paddles on the market. A high end can cost as much as your kayak! I only recommend the ultra light, “made of space age material” paddles to those who paddle extremely long distances or who just want to give their AMX card a work out. In the marsh, your paddle can end up being a push pole, so consider the abuse it may take before you invest too much.

Most kayak fishermen will tell you that a crate in the back of your kayak is the perfect way to store all those other necessities such as sunscreen, bug spray, pliers, clippers, tackle box, measuring devise, and your fishing license, so that they are in easy reach. Everyone has different theories on how to keep your fish. Some take small soft side coolers with ice that fit in their kayak. Others, like me, use stringers. I take a stringer with a float and shorten the length to 3.5 feet. This allows me to keep my fish snuggled up to the kayak and out of the way when I am fighting the next one. The only time I would not recommend this system is when fishing in the gulf. You never know what other predators may mistake your stringer for lunch. Be sure that you leave a cooler with ice in your vehicle. Your fish need to be on ice as soon as they come out of the water.

Safety first is always a good motto for anyone on the water. Kayakers should always have a signaling device in case of emergency. A whistle made for water is the best low tech option. A cell phone in a water proof bag is a good idea. If you fish with a buddy, which I highly recommend, walkie talkies are the ticket. Your PDF is an absolute necessity too. Be sure to take water or some other hydrating beverage with you, no matter how long you plan to be out.

Even with all this planning, you will inevitably find yourself improvising to changing weather and fishing patterns. Always be sure you can find your way back. Hansel and Gretel’s bread crumbs don’t work well in the marsh. Keep a land mark in view such as a building, water tower, or radio tower. If you have no sense of direction, or your wife tells you that on a regular basis, you may need to get a GPS.

Finally, if you aren’t lucky enough to have a spouse that will go kayak fishing with you, take her/him out to eat on the money you saved not buying fuel. You will feel like eating a big steak anyway after a day of paddling and fishing in the sportsman’s paradise.

January, 2007
Shhhhh! Be Verwee Verwee Quite - I’m Catching Redfish!
The long days of summer have come and gone. Fall is even a distant memory. Winter, the time of the year most outdoorsmen and women are sitting in deer stands or duck blinds is also a great time to hook on to some big ole marsh redfish. I know I look a lot like Elmer Fudd! But, unlike Elmer, success is easily attainable if you can catch the weather right. In south Louisiana, that means temperatures above fifty degrees and winds less than 20 knots. Oh, I forgot to mention we aren’t using a conventional boat. We are kayaking. Most importantly you have to dress right. Chest waders are the ticket. Add a warm hat and a light jacket and off you go. Find a few cocaho minnows and some clear water. I recommend fishing the sides of La. 1 south of Leeville. Slip a kayak in the water and head up wind. Put a minnow on a jig head and toss it out about twenty five feet. Really that’s it. Paddle quietly in water about of about eighteen inches. Most important: be sure your drag is set. Even in a stealthy kayak, you may spook a redfish when you get with in fifteen feet. You can see the mud as the bruisers move, but often times this happens moments before the drag starts screaming. As I make my way through the marsh and into the ponds I pattern cast a bone colored Zara Spook. Typically, it will produce a few classic moments as large redfish are drawn by the “walk the dog” lullaby. Be careful of the treble hooks and don’t risk an accident by getting in a hurry. Once the redfish has lost his fever carefully unhook him. Some of the best marsh fishing is in the winter. Come on down and enjoy a Cajun Sleigh Ride as most of the reds are in the five to eight pound range and will pull your kayak around for about five minutes before the fish tires. On top of the fishing, the winter chill drops the organics out of the water and leaves it really clear. I also get a thrill out of seeing the ducks and other marsh birds. Hope we see you soon!

September 5, 2006 The Running of the Bulls Fall is in the air. A north wind greeted me as I made it back to Grand Isle Thursday evening. By morning the wind had dropped to a breeze and the tropical mixture of heat and humidity had vanished. If your imagination was good enough it was almost cool. We cruised down toward Belle Pass with the desires that every angler dreams. A nice day on the water with enough action to bring smiles to your customers faces. Today and the next few would be special. We opened up with a kayak deployment that netted a few small trout near the beach and three nice sleigh rides with fifteen pound bulls. By kayak standards this was a good start. Our customers are in their own boat and we are limited in the “hands on” assistance. We spent several hours in some of the “greenest” water I’ve ever encountered. We saw porpoises and even a brief glimpse at a sea turtle.

Raining Trout in Leeville Area - August 5, 2006

School starts for all the kids next week, but trout school has been in session for a full semester. The trout are finally growing up by gorging themselves on shrimp. I was “inside” a mess of shrimp, trout, redfish, gulls and even egrets Saturday morning. We anchored the Calmwater and several of the crew went in the “skinny” water looking for redfish. My partner took the other customer and anchored on the “honey hole” looking for big trout. I saw birds working the edge of the bay about eight hundred yards away.
I eased into a slow paddle mode and snuck right into the ruckus. Trout and a few redfish had pinned a large school of shrimp against the marsh grass. There were so many shrimp and fish that the egrets had positioned themselves on the edge of lake and were able to peck the penned shrimp. The gulls were diving all around me and shrimp were getting nailed by trout feet from my kayak. I tossed a “trout patterned” Zara Spook Jr. out. Trout fought to slam it. They knocked it out the water and then one put the “Michael Jordan Monster Jam” on it from way over the rim. The trout were thirteen to sixteen inchers and the action was non stop. I had fifteen on the stringer when against my desires I headed back to the Calmwater as fast as I could paddle.
If any of you were in the Fouchon/Grand Isle area Saturday morning you probably got hammered by “that” squall line. We loaded the kayaks and put the bow of the Calmwater in the marsh grass and rode it out. The storm had a good fifty mile per hour straight line wind on the approaching edge, but the rainfall was surprisingly light. The sun popped out about an hour later and we went back for more. The set up on the trout was spoiled by the wind which had whipped the lake up. We totaled out with thirty one trout a couple of reds, a drum and a sheephead. The day ended with a fish cleaning party and a chance for the customers to catch a clean shower for the ride back home. Calmwater would love a chance at spending a day on the water with you and your friends. Check us out at www.calmwaterkayaker.com and let us know what we do for you!

Captain's Log

June 24, 2006

As plans for last weekend came together we were sure of one thing, our customers were experienced kayakers. The nucleus of the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club were heading south to meet us for a daylong adventure. At 4:30 am the alarm sounded and Mark and I made a pot of coffee to get moving. We walked the boardwalk down to the launching basin at Point Fourchon and untied the Calmwater.

The short ride back to Mark’s camp was illuminated by running lights and a light show from Mother Nature. Lightning punctuated the western sky as a large thunderstorm blossomed over Timbalier Bay. The plan to make a passage to fish the “outside” of Timbalier Island had to be scrapped. Plan B was launched. I hopped in the truck and headed off to get fuel for the boat and meet our guests.

Hard core kayak fishermen might be late to dinner, but rest assured they are not late for a fishing trip. Smiles of anticipation were evident, this wasn’t going to be another “paddle in paddle out” type day. The Calmwater was heading to destinations that were unreachable without the “stretch” of an outboard motor. While I was gone, Mark filled the ice chests and organized the tackle.

The fishermen were not lagging or procrastinating this morning. We had everyone loaded up and slipping out of the “No Wake” area a shortly before the first hint of daylight. Our guests saw the lightning and wondered how we were going to miss the ominous weather. Thankfully, Bayou Lafourche swings north and not west. We motored smoothly to the Havolin Canal and then ducked into the bay. The wind was very light and the storm was off to the east about five miles.