Bobfish Tales

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...