[Team1morecast]

Y’all are bad influences. I just ordered a zook rod on cyber monday, and now I’m looking at ordering one of these St Croix’s ha

[Team1morecast]

I haven’t because they are hard to find. That said, you’re really talking about a miniscule difference in length, (3-4 inches less than your normal rod. Insert joke here).

The only “downside” I can think of is that you might lose a little bit of casting distance and it may not be suitable for a heavier bait. I think 3/8 will be fine, but 1/2 might be difficult, not enough backbone to really cast it. Other than that, I don’t think you’ll have any major issues. It’s probably going to be easier to throw all day. I’d bring it along on your next trip and throw both the 6′ and the 6’4” that’s still in working order. See if you notice a difference or find a personal preference. I use a 6’6” all the way to a 7’3”, just depends on the situation (wind, bait, technique, etc.). I typically prefer the 6’6” because it’s easier to cast for longer, but I don’t really notice any significant difference between it and the 7’+ Just my two cents.

I think I recall Devin using a 6′ at some point, either in an older video or old lafb post.

[Team1morecast]

Great report, it’s killing me reading them at work. I’m jonesing to get out there!

And yeah, it’s so nice when you just get to sleep in a little, don’t have to tow anywhere, no trailer to deal with…you just walk outside and push a button. If I lived in Eden Isles or Oak Harbor, I’d probably get fired 😂

[Team1morecast]

@will-grand Man I have been thinking about doing this for the past few years, just haven’t pulled the trigger. Thanks for the insights Will. Aside from the bridges, is there anything else you regularly target or look for? My buddy bought his boat from Terry, we go visit him every May when we rent a camp for a weekend. Great guy, heck of an angler.

@Boyce Jon Miller has a good video on youtube fishing off the side the road. Tommy Vidrine has some footage as well.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by  Team1morecast.

[Team1morecast]

“Myself and many others have reason to believe that Leon Mathes’ fish is a fraud and that Kreeger actually holds the #1 spot.”

– i agree. I’ve heard the rumors that he caught that 12+ lber out of state. Furthermore, I grew up fishing Hermitage at my buddies camp that his Grandpa built in the 60s. None of them or the other old timers that would come hang out had ever seen, heard, or caught a big trout in Lake Hermitage. It doesn’t have the right components to be a true trophy trout fishery.

“…with what I do here I am able to influence people to take a journey similar to mind and that, in parallel with the rise of technology, foster a rise and growth in a conservation mentality. Not some tree-hugger crap, but something that amounts to respecting the fishery as being more than “makin’ groceries” and putting the right fish back into the water.”

– For sure. And there’s no doubt about it, I was one of those anglers that just wanted to load the boat with fish because that’s how I grew up, that’s just what we did. There wasn’t nearly as many boats back then, and the fish were ridiculously plentiful. In the past few years, my mindset has shifted. I’m more concerned with conservation and rebuilding the stock and quality of fish than I am keeping a large female who can spawn hundreds of thousands or even a million eggs. Heck, half the time I go, I don’t even bring an ice chest, just catch and release. And I do see more people adopting that mindset or at least discussing it, so its improving, albeit slightly.

“Who cares about those 4 trout! What matters are the legends you got to fish with.”

1000%!!!

• This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by  Team1morecast.
• This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by  Team1morecast.

[Team1morecast]

In general, I don’t listen to podcasts that often. However, on a long drive, I’ll turn on the Speckled Truth Podcast. Chris is a great guy and a wealth of info between him and his guests.

I do watch a lot of Youtube fishing, but it’s not to find “spots” or find out when certain areas turn on. I watch them mainly to see techniques and learn why they are using a certain strategy. I typically watch them when I’m in bed or I turn them on in my office at work. Along those lines, these are a few of my favorites:

The obvious ones: dockside TV (Chas), Marsh Man Masson, and this one guy called Captain Devin or something?

Lesser known: Jon Miller fishing. He’s very dry and monotone, but I think he’s one of the most informative/educational when it comes to Louisiana inshore fishing

Tommy Vidrine’s older videos in grand isle, and to an extent, his newer ones in Gulfport

Marshes and Hills with Ty Hillman

JAR fishing

WeFishing

[Team1morecast]

@Devin , along that same line of thought…do you think it’s possible we’ll start seeing 6-7lb+ trout in the pontchartrain estuary now that the freshening has been over for a few years? No doubt that I’ve caught more flounder/channel mullet/spanish over the past couple of years. I was discussing this with my buddy last week…is it possible that the heydays of the lake could come back and we’ll start seeing those big trout again?

Certainly, there are other factors at play such as pressure, harvest, etc. I’m hopeful that with the increased awareness of releasing 20″ trout / size and creel limit changes / higher salinity, we’ll start seeing them. I’d much rather catch an 8lb trout in my back yard than have to drive to Texas or Florida.

[Team1morecast]

I can’t speak to this year, but I can tell you last year around this time, I made a couple of quick evening trips to the causeway, 3/8 oz with 15 lb fluoro leader, and caught quality fish each trip. Never loaded the boat, but I’d catch 7 to 10 fish in a couple hours.

[Team1morecast]

Why not go to Beshel’s in Point La Hache? Not a terribly far drive by vehicle, and a short run to the area you want to fish.

[Team1morecast]

Agreed, that’s why I dont have one. I trailer wherever I think I have the best chance of catching trout. And I like having that option. But it sure would be nice to have a flatboat in a slip down there for quick fall/winter trips. Keep a bay boat on the trailer for the hauls to GI/Fourchon/Venice etc.

[Team1morecast]

You’re not wasting your time. I may not comment as much as I should, but I can assure you that I read almost every report on this forum. Whether I fish that particular area or not, I’m going to read the reports to see what’s working, water temps, patterns, etc.

I also like the idea of being able to “like” or thumbs up posts. Not as a vanity metric, but as a means to let authors know that someone finds their post helpful. Alternatively, to show agreement with a comment or suggestion that someone posts. I don’t think it needs to be high on the priority list by any means, just something to think about further down the road.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by  Team1morecast.

[Team1morecast]

Depends on what side of the lake you’re launching from. From the northshore, most people go out to the 16 mile marker (the first drawbridge 8 miles south of the northshore) and then fish their way back. There’s not always a rhyme or reason, and it can be overwhelming….that’s a lot of pilings. Always look for bait activity (been spotting lots of bait balls on the surface when I’m driving on the causeway) and loons (especially if you see them diving). There’s also a stretch of pilings around 4 miles from shore that have 4 pilings per support instead of the usual 2. Sometimes that area holds more fish

[Team1morecast]

Man, we could have a lengthy, lengthy discussion about this topic! There are a lot of strong opinions about the diversions and barriers, and I have mixed feelings.

Selfishly, I’m all for the barrier in the rigolets and chef pass. I live on a bayou near the Tchefuncte, and I flooded during Ida. I’m not interested in going through that again.

As far as the mid barataria diversion….damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The land loss out there has been horrendous. I grew up fishing in plaquemines parish. Empire used to have so much marsh that we could fish in the morning, then hunt rabbits in the middle of the day. Now it’s almost all open gulf. If we don’t do something now, there will be nothing left after a few good storms.

On the flip side of the coin, I also used to fish on the east side of the river through the ostrica locks. We would HAMMER the trout in Bay Le Mer and Quarantine Bay, it was a 5 minute run from the launch. Once that channel right next to the locks opened up and started dumping river water, we never caught another trout in that area. BUT we also started running aground and hitting mud flats that were never there until that channel opened.

It’s a tough pill to swallow and there’s no “good” solution in my opinion. As much as it’s going to hurt the fishing and change the ecology of the barataria basin, I don’t know if we have a choice. We’re fighting a war of attrition, or as my environmental engineer buddy told me…it’s a managed retreat.

[Team1morecast]

Well, sounds like we may have to make a trip. I’ll run it with you.

[Team1morecast]

Yep, will be posting report probably tomorrow. Slammed at work today