Bobfish Tales

No, this blog is not about storing redfish in your freezer. This blog is about when the temps drop below that 32 degree mark, how you can load the boat with some beautiful reds. It's like clockwork, when late fall and early winter rolls around. There are times you can count on catching easy limits of redfish. It happens every year. Typically the first few freezes are the best. What happens when those first few strong cold fronts blow threw is that the strong north winds blow the water out of the marsh. This causes the many types of baitfish to move to deeper and warmer waters. These waters are many bayous located throughout south Louisiana. The many oilfield canals tend to be deeper in the back end where wellheads are located or used to be located. There you will find baitfish concentrated and where the redfish will be foraging on them. While many fishers use market shrimp or live minnows, no live bait is needed when this occurs. Under certain conditions the redfish will be very

It is great to live in such a place where in one cast you are hooking big reds and other assorted saltwater fish, and the next catching some slab crappie, bass, and other assorted freshwater fish. But, that is exactly how it is living here in south Louisiana. The waters change from mostly salt to brackish to fresh all within a short boat ride. The best part is that you can usually find some species that want to bite. It may be redfish, speckled trout, crappie, bass, and the many other assorted fish that swim in these fertile waters of our area. Specifically the Bayou Dularge and Bayou Black areas are some prime fisheries all within a short boat ride to catch the numerous species of fish. My boat launch of choice is Cannon's Landing off of Southdown Mandalay Rd in southern Terrebonne Parish. Perhaps the only downside to having access to this fishery is the amount of gear needed. Loading separate tackle bags, and rods can make the boat crowded. The best solution is to consolidate the

Crappie innovations have grown about as fast as technology. Not only has electronics made it easier to catch crappie, but rods, reels, line, and lures have made leaps and bounds over what used to be a simple cane pole, cork, hook, and minnow setup. Now there are a million jig styles, sizes and types. There are many colors and variations of those colors as you could shake an Ugly Stick at. Not only do you have more jig styles than you could ever fish with, but there are countless other ways to catch crappie: pulling crank baits, casting spinners, shooting docks, spider rigging, and more. Perhaps the most impactful innovative initiative is electronics. Although the advance wasn't necessarily designed for crappie fishing, it certainly has been beneficial for crappie fishers. There is side imaging, down imaging, 3d type depth/fish finders that show precise views of structure and fish. It is to the point that you can identify whatever fish you are targeting. Locating fish is the

October is one of the best months to catch big redfish and speckled trout on top water. And just like clock work today's action was fantastic. Big explosions that get your heart pumping. The downside to catching bull redfish on light tackle is the long fights. They start off fun, then turn into "will I ever land this fish". After landing more big reds then you can possibly keep, you pray the next cast will be a trout. Perhaps that is the best thing about October. Not only are the redfish thick, but the trout start to move inland from the coast. The good news about all of this is that the next three months or longer will just get better for numbers of really big fish. When the top water bite is off, you can always find fish with the standard jig and tout such as Deadly Dudley, Matrix Shad in any color and chartreuse or the many suspending baits such as the mirrolure catch 2000 or the mirodine m17. They all produce great numbers and some really big fish. It's the middle

My last blog was on the migration of redfish through the many lakes around the Houma area and south. This is a pic of a red that was nearly 40lbs caught on topwater on lake Decade a few years ago. It is amazing to think that a 20 minute boat ride you could catch fish like this. We have an amazing fishery and are fortunate to live in fishing paradise. Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the water.

It's no secret that you can catch redfish year round in the many miles of marsh around south Louisiana. But, just about every year starting around late August, the redfish invade the many area lakes from Decade to Boudreaux, Wonder, Madison, Mechant, Lost and many others just to name a few. The peak action usually occurs late September through October. Although these lakes will always hold redfish, the large schools will disappear about as quick as they show up. It is a magnificent time to catch great numbers on top water or any other lure you want to toss. One of my favorite top water baits is the mirror lure Shepup in chartreuse. However there are many really good top water baits these days, it makes it a difficult decision to choose the right one. Perhaps more than lure choice, is how you work them. Keeping your rod tip down and using a "walking the dog" type retrieve will normally get the best results. A medium action rod in spinning or bait cast is also recommende

There are times when you just have to finesse the fish into biting. It's not just technique, but adjusting lure type and size, as well as line size. Sometimes, this all determines whether you catch fish or not. We have all been with someone who is catching more fish than you are, even when the same color or type of lure is being used. However, it may be that small subtle thing that matters more than just color. It may be the type or size of your line. It could be the style or weight of the bait you are using. No doubt, when crappie get finicky, adjusting your tactic will boat you more fish. One common mistake some fishers make, especially when fishing shallow water like the marsh here in south Louisiana, is using a jig that is too heavy. When fish are reluctant to bite, the last thing you need is for the bait to sink too quickly past the fish. Keeping the lure in the strike zone is important and can be done with a heavier jig, but may not trigger a bite. A lot of times when co

There are very few places in the U.S. like the Atchafalaya Basin located in the southern part of Louisiana. It has many miles of cypress swamp, bayous and lakes. It has more area than one could fish in a lifetime and is one of the most scenic places anywhere. The Basin is one of the best crappie fisheries when conditions are right. Not only can you catch limits of nice crappie, but the countless number of bluegill, goggle-eye, shell-crackers, and bass make it a fishers paradise. However the basin can be trying and depending on water levels can be impossible at times to figure out. Some trips you would swear there is no fish to be caught and at other times you may wonder where have all these fish have been. There are reasons for this. The number one would be water levels. When the levels are above flood stage, the fish tend to scatter through the millions of acres of marsh and be maybe difficult to locate. But when water levels recede and drop below flood stage, fishing can be fantastic

Every year or at certain times of year, when spring floods recede and river levels drop, fishing goes crazy, especially in the Atchafalaya Basin; not only for crappie, but for shell crackers, goggle eye, and bluegill. When river levels are above flood stage, the fish tend to spread out, but when the woods or marsh become too shallow, the fish concentrate in the main bayous and in the many canals. This makes for incredible catches when you find the fish. There are peak times to look for. First being, when the water levels start to recede, the fish tend to school around points and at the mouth of canals that empty into the main channels. Other hot spots are standing timber in deeper water, especially when grass beds are present. Fishing grass lines can also produce. When river levels become steady or plateau, tidal flow can create those same fishing frenzies. It is not uncommon to catch hundreds of fish. Typically no live bait is needed in these situations. However, chinquapin can be fin

Crappie fishing used to be a springtime event or at least perceived that way by many, but that was a long time passed. Not all, but many fishers didn't think you could catch crappie in the summertime. Times have certainly changed. There are many reasons for the awakening of crappie year round and the fishing being especially good during the summer. The first and perhaps greatest reason is simply knowledge. The fish have always been around whatever area people were fishing, but many never bothered to try for crappie. These days, not only have fishers learned to catch crappie in the summer, but for many it's the best time to fish them. Second reason for great summertime crappie action is electronics. In many areas where water depths can vary form shallow to very deep, electronics make it easier to locate where the fish hang out on those hot summer days, as well as locating structure. Here in southern Louisiana electronics do not play a big roll in finding fish. The marshes are ty

Crappie fishers all have a legacy, a start, somewhere, some place and time they fell in love with the sport of crappie fishing. Crappie fishing is more like an art. The bite, that thump, the cork sinking slowly under is what crappie fishers live for. My obsession started many years ago. My grandfather, who's nickname was "Catfish Willie," was also a great white perch fisherman from Arkansas. He ran a fish camp on the White River. His knowledge and fishing expertise was ahead of its' time. He never owned a rod or reel. He strictly stuck with a cane pole and live bait. He had moved to Louisiana many years ago for work. His only son, my father "Rex" carried on in his foot steps. After serving 5 years in the marine Corps during WWII, he settled down here in South Louisiana. He had learned his skills from his father and as many great fisherman had taken what he had learned and added to it. My dad graduated from the cane pole to a flyrod and reel. This was before

Father's day is a special day to give thanks to all those dads who have given their time and taught their children about life and for many of us,that includes the great outdoors. Sometimes it is the small things that stick with you through the years, such as remembering that first fish caught, or the first hunt or camping trip. For me, it was all of the above. I still recall that my first redfish caught was in Pointe-au-chene along some rocks. I thought I had a whale (lol) and in retrospect may have not even been a keeper these days. For all those firsts, I will be eternally grateful. After all, no one is a better hunter or fisherman than your own father. No matter if he has never caught the biggest or most, A father can give you more than any trophy, and that is life's lesson and respect for the great outdoors. We honor our dads on this day, but every day on the water will give you special memories with your father. God bless them all for the patience, the time and most of all

Fishing is usually passed down through generations. My family is no exception. My grandfather was an avid fisherman. My father was an avid fisherman (God rest their fishing souls) and my 5 brothers all loved the sport as well. Although, brother Jerry was taken way before his time. We would even keep family records of who caught the biggest fish of a certain species. Of course my dad held many of the records for years, but we all had and have our share of bragging rights. That tradition has been passed down to the next generation also. This competitive spirit is fun in nature and there is always an interesting fish story to be told. There are many well known fishing families here in south Louisiana. The great thing about family competition is you don't have to be famous, like the pros, to be king. The fish do not have to be world record size to have the bragging rights. It just has to be bigger than anyone else's fish in the family. The other great thing about a family kept reco

Lake Verret has always been one of my favorite lakes to fish here in South Louisiana. I remember driving from Houma to the Attakapas landing before the modern day improvements. The last part of the drive was a shell road that went through the swamp and the big cypress trees would create a kind of tunnel effect. It was a magical sight and at times the road would be a few inches under water which made the drive even more scenic. At the time, some of the residents that lived across the lake had no road access and a boat would pick up the children to bring them to a bus for school. The lake was absolutely a fantastic crappie and bluegill fishery. There were days I would be on the lake at daylight and still made it to work for 10am with a mess of sacs. Crappie wasn't the only fish in great abundance. Catfishing and big bull bream were plentiful also. Bass fishing wasn't my thing but the reports were always good and at times you could catch more than your share on a crappie pole. My

Many fisherman have a box full of tackle, more rod and reels than they could possibly use, and every lure needed for catching a particular type of fish. After all, these are the essentials for catching fish right?. What can be more important than the right gear? Well, that just may be timing. Timing is everything when it comes to putting more fish in the box. It's not just the time of day, it is the time of month, and year. Having all that gear and special tackle does nothing if you are out on the wrong day or at the wrong time. So what is the best way to get it right. Sometimes it may be impossible with work, school, family, etc. which may not allow you to be out on the perfect day or at the perfect time. But there are ways to increase your chances. Weather, tidal flow, moon phases, and time of day, month, and year, as well as river levels can all affect when you should be on the water. Adjusting when and where to go is determined by the all of the above. Prime examples are if you

Perfect day for some serious trout action. Incoming tide usually means clear water for the islands, plus light winds create the perfect conditions for big trout. It didn't disappoint either. After hitting some of the inland spots with a few nice fish, we decided to hit the gulf side of last island. We found the mother load of some really nice trout. The average size fish was 18-21 inches. Doc Brooke, my fishing buddy of the day lost a mule at the boat. One of those in that 6lb class. A two man limit filled a 70 quart ice chest. That is some really nice trout. The best part about the surf today was not only was it loaded with trout, but schools of redfish also, but no room to put them. As usual, we stayed away from live bait and caught them on Yo-Zuri jerk baits, and many on top water. Mirror lure she-pup was the choice for topwater. However, if live bait is your choice, it is a great way to load the boat also. We cruised the beach until we would see flocks of birds feeding and thos

Everyone who fishes has a story, a tale, and perhaps a wish list to add to their fishing lives. This is mine and the one I cherish the most because of my love for crappie fishing. I grew up an avid Sac fisherman here in south Louisiana. A very southern term for certain. This fish is called by many names throughout the country: crappie, sacalait, specs, paper mouth, and white perch. As a kid, with cane pole in hand, I caught many nice fish but, marsh crappie seldom reach 2 pounds. My father, an Akansas displacement had showed me the fundamentals. He was one of the best sacalait fisherman in our parish. We have fishing rodeos. They are like tournaments but have many categories to enter fish for prizes. Rex, my dad, always seemed to beat the field when it came to crappie fishing . He just knew how and where to catch the big ones. His vision was to catch the biggest crappie ever; that 3 pound plus fish. Although, my dad, God rest his fishing soul, never found that 3 pounder, thanks to hi

There are many ways to catch trout from live bait to artificial. One of my favorite lures is a jerk bait. There are a lot of choices when it comes to jerk baits. Rapala, Yozuri, Rebel, and many other companies make jerk baits that work really well. The lure of choice on this trip was the Yozuri crystal minnow with a chartreuse back. The trout went absolutely crazy after the bait. At times there would be 5 or more trying to eat it. Jerk baits are similar in action to crank baits. At times you could let it float back to the surface and the big trout would explode on it. The strange thing was that they would ignore a top water lure, but slam the jerk floating up. Reeling it down with a twitching action worked best. So next time you want to try something other than plastics or live bait, tie on a jerk bait and let the action begin. Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the water.

The springtime spawning run is in full swing along the coast for speckled sea trout. Just like any spawning fish, they can be easy to catch once located. Those locations include many of the islands to the rigs in the bays and along the Louisiana coast. The trout tend to run much larger than you will find in schooling fish under birds. It is not uncommon to catch fish in 2-4lb range and some 5lbs plus. Techniques are somewhat different than fishing for schooling trout. Live bait can be a plus, if not necessary at times. However, in many cases artificial baits work just as well as live. Live bait includes, minnows, croaker, mullet, and shrimp. These are typically fished either under a popping cork or Carolina rigged with a sinker and hook. A plain jig head can also be used for live bait. Once you have located fish, you can anchor the boat and catch limits of fish. Although if you are not into anchoring, a trolling motor can be used to stay on the fish. Boat position usually depends on wh

There are many techniques for catching springtime trout. But one makes catching fish easy and at same time difficult. That technique is chasing trout, that are chasing shrimp, which are being chased by gulls. It is the fishing food chain. When this occurs it makes finding trout easy. The difficult part is catching up to the schools before the fish move on or for whatever reason simply disappear. But there are ways to stay on the fish as long as possible and load the cooler with fish. The key is not to spook the school, so a good trolling motor is key. Another way is to let the wind move you toward the fish, that is if the wind is blowing. Sometimes a good tidal flow can push your boat toward the school without spooking the fish and best case is to have a light wind and tide going in the same direction along with the trolling motor. Schools can produce a few fish to many fish. Today was a good example. The wind and tide were in the same direction and we followed the birds and schools of

There are some days that no matter how much you want to fish, it is better to stay home and rearrange your tackle box or fix items you have been avoiding. When the wind is blowing 30mph plus, the seas are just too much even for the biggest boat. Saltwater fishing can be next to impossible. Tides 2 feet above normal can make even launching the boat tough. Freshwater areas can provide some protection from the winds, but with the water pouring in, it makes it more difficult to find decent water, not to mention incoming water tends to throw the bite off. So these type of days are great for cleaning out the tackle box. Get rid of all those lures that you have never used and never will. Arranging the jigs tails by best color to worst, jigs heads by sizes and styles that you may use the most will save you time the next time you are back on the water. It is also a great time to re-spool reels or at least check for bad spots and frays in the line. Tackle is not the only thing you can work on wh

Spring time brings the spawn of many fish. One and perhaps the most colorful and fun to catch is the Warmouth aka Goggle Eye. Goggle eye can be found most places that Bluegill and red-ear sunfish are located. Local areas that are great spots to catch bunches of these tasty fish are Lake Bouef/Des Allemandes, Lake Fields/Long, Bayou Black from Orange Grove to Turtle bayou and perhaps the best spot for those extra large goggle eye would be the Atchafalaya basin. The basin gave up record size warmth back in the 70s-80s; all better than one pound and one fish that weighed over 2 pounds. Although those sizes are not common anymore, you still can catch fish weighing up to 1 pound. A one pound goggle eye is a seriously big fish for its' kind considering the average fish weighs half of that or less. Besides sacalait, gogs are one of my favorite fish to catch in freshwater. They will hit a bait bigger than normal because of their large mouths, so no need to downsize like you would for blueg

Spotting redfish in shallow water seems easy enough, by looking for the obvious tails sticking out of the water or that wake they make cruising the banks. But, on windy days that may be tough at times. There are more ways to detect schools of reds that you may have never noticed. Watching bait fish is certainly one of those. Many times you may never see the tail or the wake. It may just be bait fish running for their lives or popping on the surface trying to escape those hungry fish. Today was one of those have-to-be-observant type of days. Southeast winds creating small waves usually makes it tough to see the fish, but if you look for certain breaks or ripples that are not in the same direction as the wind is blowing it's a dead giveaway. Tossing the lure in front of the school will net you many fish that may have gone undetected and resulting in more hookups than just casting blind. The bait of choice today, catching these schooling reds was a suspending shad bait. But tossing li

The two times of year that get fishers excited are fall and spring. Although for most crappie folks, anytime of year they are biting is exciting. However, the spring brings an added bonus to the fishery. After the post spawn crappie blues are over with, most fisheries flourish with not only crappie, but bluegill, shell crackers, goggle-eye, bass, catfish, and a host of other fish. It can be down right fantastic or as they say "stupid good". The great thing about the spring is that you can catch all these fish in the same areas or at least here in the marshland, it is that way. Case in point was on a recent trip here in the marshes of South Louisiana in Terrebonne Parish. We found one canal where the water was clearer than most and the fish were active. One cast you would have a big gill, the next a goggle eye, and the next a nice sacalait (crappie). It becomes the perfect storm of fishing. While waiting on the crappie bite, there is always something tugging at the end of the

There is always that transition period after the crappie have spawned. They simply become hard to find. They scatter form the bedding areas and tend to move to deeper areas or out chasing baitfish. In any case it becomes more difficult to locate and catch them. You can still catch fish, but the target area is different. Then they get back to that summertime or pre spawn pattern. The fish are found in the usual places such as points, grass beds, and on cover such as fallen trees. It is just a waiting game. One day hard to catch and the next they show up in bunches. Today was a day they showed up in bunches. Mother nature flipped the crappie switch and for me and Tim Dusenbery, it was a fantastic bite. Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the water.

It happens to everyone who fishes. No matter where or what you are doing, nothing seems to work. The fish just aren't cooperating. But that being said, someone somewhere has figured out where and what they want. Have been on both sides of this fishing dilemma. The one thing I have learned from this, is that if you have many tricks aka "one thousand lures",and ways to fish them, something is bound to work. The thought of "that will never work" concept should be tossed out. This happened on a recent outing. Was tossing a cork and jig while double spider rigging as I usually do, looking for those elusive panfish. This works well for two reasons; it catches those shallow fish and also the ones staging off the bank. However, on this day the bite was very slow. While trolling down the canal, I ran across a bass fisherman who said fishing was slow, but did see a guy tossing a beetle spin catching some nice sacs. So as they say "momma didn't raise no fool"

Put down the crappie poles today and went to my other favorite type of fishing, redfish and speckled trout. Today didn't disappoint either. Perfect light southeast winds and clear water meant one thing, big redfish and trout. Hit the big reds schooling in the Boudreaux area. Noah Wells and I had a blast catching bull reds on light tackle, sight fishing. Was a catch and release type of day, although a few of those big specs weren't so lucky. Nothing better than fresh fish for supper. Ya gotta love south Louisiana where no matter what your taste in fishing is, there is always something to catch. One day big crappie , bass, and gills, and the next bull reds and big yellow mouth trout, all within 20 miles or less of each other. There is no place like it. Tackle of choice today was a 2500 series spinning reel, 7ft medium light action spinning rod with 12lb braid and a 20lb mono leader attached. The mirrodine m17/27 was wearing them out ..Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the wat

Its spring and that means one thing, warm temps and a fantastic perch bite. Technichly we don't have perch, but thats what we call them here in south Louisiana. We have parts of the sunfish family, such as bluegill, shell crackers ,etc. In many places, such as the Atchafalaya basin these fish get really big. It is not uncommon to catch them in 1 lb range. No matter if you are fishing the marsh or basin, there are certain things to look for. In canals with lots grass, look for breaks or clearings in the grass. These fish will clean out an area of grass for their beds. Finding these beds will mean great catches. Another give away for finding schools of "bream" is when catapillars show up. They will eat the leaves off of trees and there will be bunches of hungry fish waiting for them to fall. Look for evidence of leaves that are being eaten and you will find fish under those trees. Spawning fish also love cypress knees. You may have to fish a bunch of trees in an area to fin

The small impoundment in north Louisiana is perhaps one of the best crappie lakes anywhere. Sure, recently it has its problems. There is fishing pressure, predator fish taking over the lake, but year after year, it produces some quality Crappie, not to mention some really big bass. That being said, I am drawn to the lake for what it has to offer. The stained green water seems to be just what those big crappie like, never too clear or too muddy, but just perfect. The fish that come from the lake are a brilliant greenish color. They are just absolutely beautiful. Even in a so-called off year, the average fish is still well over one pound. Coming from the deep southern part of Louisiana, the average fish is more in that 12-14 ounce range, so catching fish this size is a bonus. I had the chance to revisit the Point this March and it sure paid off. It was the "perfect storm". The weather was perfect; cool nights, warm days, light winds and the fish were biting. I reverted to my yo

There are certain times of the year when the late bite really is great; summer being one of them. But, spawning times can be another great time. Although its never set in stone that there is a better time to fish on into the dark, or for that matter, early in the dark. But catching crappie with no visible light is possible, if not one of the best ways to net more fish. Most folks hang out lights to catch crappie at night but that's not necessarily necessary. Crappie have a keen sense of sight and smell. This is noticeable in the muddiest of waters and the darkest of night. Catching crappie in black of night may be more difficult for the fisher than the fish itself. Perhaps the best way is to tight line, single pole or two pole method. You don't need to see the bite when you can feel it. It is possible to spider rig in the dark by putting out lights to see the end of your rods. Reflective tape or fluorescent paint added to the tips can help. Bait selection can vary. Glow in the

Bobfishtales ....... Perhaps the number one question about fishing different places is how to adjust from shallow water to deep or vice versa. Being from the very deep south, where typically the marsh is an average of 5-8 feet, going to a lake or area where the water may be up to 30-40 foot deep can be a daunting task. After all, the typical technique for the South is a jig under a cork fished about 18 inches deep. That is an easy adjustment for folks that fish the deeper lakes. But adjusting from south to north is more involved. If you are a novice fishing a new body of water, you may need at least one day just to explore. It is imperative to have a good depth/fish finder. Two preferably, one dash mount and one mounted on the trolling motor. This will aid in finding structure as well as the depth of the fish. Unless crappie are spawning in shallow water, the single pole cork method won't be as effective. You can use the cork method in these type of places, but a slip cork may be

There are days when its breezy and there are days when its just plain stupid windy. Today was one of those days. Catching trout in these conditions seemed like it would be difficult. As it turned out, despite the big waves and white caps, we caught limits of big trout. Boats came and went without fish, all the while we were steady landing fish. Sometimes, its all about technique. As usual long lining worked really well dragging suspended baits and even jigs behind the boat. Perhaps the biggest difference in catching or not was down sizing with light tackle and braided line. All you would feel is a tick on your line and if you pulled without feeling a true bite, it usually meant a nice trout on the other end. The keys to success today were, long lining, using light braided line and letting the wind work your bait for you. A 1/8th oz jig head with the norton sand eel in the chicken on a chain color was smoking the fish. To be honest I really think presentation was the most important par