Devin
Forum Replies Created
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The tide came in.
Mississippi River is over 12ft and the Pearl is over six.
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I’ve seen otters and mink out there, too. It’s amazing what can live out there. I wonder how they put up with the bugs.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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Not bad at all given the wind. Great work. I was hoping you’d catch fish and you did. Great report! Thanks for posting!
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I hate to hear that the fishing has been tough. That really bums me out.
Either way, great report and thank you for taking time to post it!
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Great report, thanks for posting!
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Hey Mike, thanks for saying hi and welcome to the Community. With that 24ft bay boat I’d be looking hard at punching into Breton Sound, wherever there is not river water. She cannot go down soon enough. Just taking her sweet time lol
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Here’s the email I sent to them:
Gentlemen of the Wildlife & Fisheries Commission,
I’m reaching out to all of you in regard to tomorrow’s hearing on bowfishing of redfish.It’s been brought to my attention that your commission wishes to sample the public’s opinion on this practice, and I believe that I can offer an insight.
My name is Devin, I’m a lifelong inshore angler, former charter captain and today I teach people how to fish Louisiana’s coast for speckled trout, redfish and more. You can learn more about me here.
Based off what my membership and following has told me, bowfishing redfish is extremely unpopular. There are many reasons as to why, but the chief among them is the unsportsmanlike nature of the method of taking redfish, not just with a bow, but also “burning” shorelines and corralling redfish. Many inshore anglers equate it to spotlighting deer: it’s unethical and takes away from other user groups.
After that, the redfish don’t get a break at night, so when we do see them in the morning, they’re far less likely to take a bait.
Bowfishing and associated bowfishing charters have grown in popularity to such an extent that it’s very easy to find never-ending double prop scars in the marsh, which I have filmed and you can see as B-roll in the following video at the 8:16 mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXOgNzrVh0I
It has also been my personal experience — as well as that of others — that wherever bowfishing outfits crop up, the redfish practically disappear. Typically, when going sight fishing for redfish, one can expect to see about 60 redfish. A really good day is 100+ and I’ve had truly epic sight fishing trips of seeing 200+ redfish. But in areas that are bowfished I only see 10 to 20 redfish. It’s a night and day difference.
It’s very common to pull into beautiful redfish ponds with lots of clear water, bait, stingrays, sheepshead and bass, but not see any redfish. I think that’s because redfish are targeted moreso than the other species, and the bowfishing outfits are best at targeting them in those places.
So that’s my take on bowfishing of redfish. I really wish they concentrated on gar and sheepshead, as there are plenty of those.
Thank you for your time and consideration! Please reach out if I can answer any questions or clear anything up.
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Don’t shy away from running north toward grass to sight fish redfish. I’ve had a lotta good trips doing that.
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“and it was already being worked by 2-3 boats”
That just bums me out and makes me not want to launch the boat. Like, I’ll just sacrifice myself so everyone else can enjoy the water without some a-hole being in their spot. lol
“There is something uniquely satisfying about hammering fish in front of a guide that has the perme-orange stained hull from time on the water throwing shrimp after shrimp into the oblivion.”
Yes, there is. Yesssss therrreeee isssss.
“and after 5 more boats showed up they were headed home”
Ugh, what I said earlier.
“but also not skunked.”
Very important.
“The water in fuel thing I think we responded as quick as we could and now he knows how to do it on the fly.”
Yeah, that’s pretty ace.
Great report, thanks for posting!
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What’s important with the HDS (and anything you could ever tie on) is not “working” it or whatever, it’s getting that presentation in front of the fish.
Did the bait get to where you think fish are? Yes? Did you get bit? Great, reel that fish in and do it again.
Didn’t get bit? Cast somewhere else. Rinse and repeat until you either find fish or move to your next spot.
If you really want to feel warm and fuzzy I have YT videos where you can watch me cast the thing.
Don’t get sucked into the bottomless black pit of how to work it. What matters is presentations. Can the fish see the fcking thing?!
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Yeah, I think your report more or less reflects mine from the last time I was down there.
I am also thinking “most water, least fish” scenario.
To get after these fish you’re just gonna have to cover more water. It’s a giant PITA. The fishing is good, but still a shadow of what it used to be.
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Make a good planning post and we can get you zeroed in.
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That lead is getting to the bottom every single time.
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It’s definitely a cultural thing.
What’s interesting is that I never heard of that guy. lol Like, what did that amazing feat really do for him?
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+1
