Devin
Forum Replies Created
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I’m gonna run this tomorrow with a couple modifications.
First, I’m gonna roll out around the Rock Dam and down the MRGO, I’m just gonna avoid the Spoil altogether. I’ll launch out of Hopedale Marina.
After that, I added a few rigs about 8 miles southeast of 32 Block, as well as the California Point Reef.
I just pulled out the Tracker and op-checked the trolling motor, ran the outboard and am putting everything else back together (I had it taken apart since I was doing maintenance on it and figured I’d just sight fish).
But I cannot take it anymore, the river is down-down and it’s time to get after them troutskies.
I’ll let y’all know how it goes!
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Thank you for sharing this, Daniel. If the dredge operator isn’t sinking the pipe correctly then that’s a major hazard everyone needs to know. I also hate to hear that anyone had a boating accident.
With that said, something doesn’t add up here. I’m willing to bet anyone calling buoys “cones” probably didn’t go through the marked boating lane.
I’ve navigated around just about every CPRA project on Louisiana’s coast, and I am going to say that a person is a ding-dong if he/she doesn’t come off plane for dredge pipes, floating or not.
I’m sure Nicole has a vast depth of maritime experience to pull from and probably thought it was totally okay to charge at full speed ahead at what amounts to a 24″ steel pipe designed to move tons of sediment through it. What could go wrong? Why not slow down? What’s the rush?
I’m glad to hear nothing more than the boat was injured, but if they’re behaving like that around dredge pipe then I can only imagine what they do around errant white poles, gas pipelines and well heads.
Or maybe they weren’t on plane, but I’d go to think that if they were idling, stood up, looked down in the water and watched that sonar, they’d know it was there.
With that said, every time I pass through the marked boating lane I’ve always observed the dredge pipe flat on the bottom. Every time. From Grand Isle to Venice to Slidell to LaPlace.
It sounds like to me they ran through the buoys marking the floating pipe, not the sunk portion.
Either way, if one isn’t sure, don’t go. Take another way. GED will help you find that (safe) other way).
If anyone has any questions about where to safely navigate, bring them up in a new discussion. Thank you.
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Well, unfortunately I am canning this trip. Whilst the conditions are good, it turns out the trolling motor plug and batteries are in bad shape and I’d rather not risk the time and effort. I’ll just take my kids to the aquarium and get some good writing done in the morning. lol
But, with that said, what you have in this thread is essentially a template next time the wind and sun is right.
I encourage you guys to use this info to go whack ’em.
Tight lines!
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And here’s the .KML file:
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People looooove dumping their boats there.
I’m just gonna say it: we can blame the state of Louisiana’s <insert whatever> on innocuous and unnamed politicians (which is always funny because the same people who say that don’t know who their elected representatives, councilmen and senators are), or simply recognize that the source of the problem are just Louisianans themselves.
It’s like what Longshanks said in Braveheart: “The trouble with Scotland is that it’s full of Scots.”
Like, why not take that boat somewhere it won’t inconvenience the rest of us? It sure is nice to launch at Fort Pike, save $10 and avoid the crowd.
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Last time I was there was in January 2019. I didn’t stay the night, it was just one of those Louisiana Gumball 3000 trips where every drop of fuel is spent exploring an area and the boat limps back in on the last few molecules of gas. lol
That fancy boat dock wasn’t there, I’m sure that will make camping there easier.
You will want to tie your boat off as well as you can, the current there is constantly moving. It’s not like tying off in Eden Isles. lol
After that, the ground there is high and hard. I could recommend bringing a weedwhacker in case the grass is up. After all, the skeeters are in the grass. Mow the grass, kill the skeeter.
Besides that, tent discipline will go a long way. lol
I think no matter where you go bugs are going to be a problem. I think the best time to go is when the dragonflies are hatched (i.e. right now). I have a good amount around my house and pretty much don’t have skeeters (though the area I live in is sprayed, so I’m sure that helps).
I’d go to think there would be dragonflies in Venice than on Cat Island.
I’m sure duck hunters use it during duck season. That makes sense. But it’s a good bit of land, I’d go to think there’d be plenty of room.
You should go do it. It sounds like it would be pretty epic.
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I love fishing this area. I’ve spent a lot of time running around Bayou Segnette onward to Cataouatche and Salvador. I used to work out of the swamp tour there and would go fishing if I had off between tours.
The top of Salvador can have some really good grass. Lots of gorgeous redfishy water there, I’m glad to hear it’s still awesome.
Also, great job on switching gears and kicking ass. That has to feel good.
Couple questions for ya:
1. I’m guessing you meant to say that wind was blowing from the north?
2. Were you able to sight fish the reds at all? It sounds like you were blind casting if you caught a gar.
I’m not sure what kinda of trolling motor you’re running, but just standing on a cooler can make all the difference if you think you won’t bust your ass on the hookset. lol (I’ve never fallen off a cooler *wink wink*)
it is a very nice ramp.
It’s all you need. And the people are nice. I love Westwego. Such a genuine, all-Louisiana town. Working at the swamp tour there was such a blast, then getting a cold beer at Mona Lisa Lounge afterward. lol
Anyway, that’s awesome you went out there and smashed ’em. I’d be interested to see how many you otherwise would have seen. I am guessing 60-100.
Great report, thanks for posting it!
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Few things make me happier than when people tell me they’re working through 101. I put a lot of work into it, so I’m glad people are consuming it.
That 246 is a helluva boat. You can get outside with that thing, I’m sure you have big plans for it. I assume you keep her on a trailer?
Thank you for posting an intro, Tyler. I appreciate you taking time to do so and look forward to seeing some fall fishing reports!
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Hey John. Great intro and thanks for posting!
That’s a nice boat you’ve got, and you’re fishing in a good place. I think Barataria is going to have a great run of shrimp this fall, so we’ll see. Once it cools off you will probably have really good fishing not far from you.
Just be sure to come back here and get intel on where to go and what to do. That’s what I want this forum to be used for.
Thank you so much for introducing yourself and I hope to see you post a report in the future!
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I’m probably gonna catch flak for this, but here I go:
I believe that it’s better to need and not have, and that reason alone justifies 4×4.
But I also have years of experience off-roading heavy and light trucks, ATVs and even up-armored vehicles in places that range from the marsh to the mountains.
And my experience has been that any time we got stuck bad it was a situation that was totally avoidable in the first place. Don’t be stupid!
In 2009 I worked on a ranch out in New Mexico for 30 days. One of the cowboys there had the same sentiment, and his pickup truck was 2×4. He said that if you find yourself needing 4×4 then you already F’d up.
That’s because 4×4 is not a guarantee of getting unstuck. The irony is that with 4×4 you’re more likely to get stuck, because you think you’re good since you have it. But if you didn’t have it, then you’d make a better decision in the first place.
Every situation and everybody’s needs are unique, I get that and I think you do, too.
So I’ll tell you that I have launched from virtually all of Louisiana’s launches or, at the very least, the worst of them.
The private launch by Horsepower Canal in Pointe a la Hache being one and Beshel’s being another.
And I did that with a pickup truck that didn’t have 4×4. (Extra details, it actually did, but the actuator crapped the bed and I just never replaced it).
So from 2016 to 2024 I launched from ramps all across Louisiana’s coast, as well as Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida….with a 2×4.
I got rid of that truck and recently purchased another: a F-150 2×4 with a locking rear differential, and have since used to fish out of Beshel’s and have done fine, even when the water was low.
I get slightly better gas mileage and have one less thing to maintenance or worry about.
I think a 2×4 truck with a locking rear diff is plenty.
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I haven’t been inside, but I’ve seen it. It looks good!
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“daily driving a f250 is NOT very economic.”
Yeah, I can second that. lol
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I’m alright with it, as long as people are posting, replying and helping each other out.
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I think the key to fishing those reefs is to use decent side scan sonar and find the crushed limestone and reefballs.
The markers aren’t always dead on, and some configurations branch out farther than others.
Those reefs are no secret, but fewer people do fish them and I think that even fewer have an idea as where to cast.
Y’all are making me itchy to go fish them. lol
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Agreed on all points. My boys and I spend time outdoors, or reading books, or something that’s more stimulating and dignifying.
The only screen we watch is a TV with a DVD player and a handful of DVDs. That’s it.
There’s something about social media that some minds are just beginning to put their thumb on.
I think that saying “Facebook has it’s purposes” is being charitable.
With that said, some really good books I’ve read on the subject, or adjacent to it, are:
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
- Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
- Glow Kids by David Kardaras
- Digital Madness by David Kardaras
- Amusing Ourselves To Death by Neil Postman
If you have your mind, you can make best use of the Internet. If you’re not sure, consider a guy with zero programming knowledge, who made his living carrying heavy things and a gun, figured out how to leverage the Internet to teach people how to fish…online.
Good on you for staying off Facebook. One day people will look back at it like we now do leaded gasoline and cigarettes.
