Left Em’ Biting
It’s been said that we should focus on the good memories and discard the not so good. Looking back on his latest trip, James Bates of Lacombe may struggle to separate the good from the bad.
Bates has been fishing often with his grandson, Austin. He calls these trips “Paw Paw Adventures.” The team launched at the Main Street boat launch at 9 a.m. and by 9:30 they were fishing at the mouth of Bayou Lacombe.
It didn’t take long after the first cast that the grandfather and his buddy were hauling in fish. “A Carolina rig with some dead shrimp on a small treble hook – and it was on!” Bates said.
The team caught 12 croakers and several freshwater catfish but the highlight of the day was when they caught 2 giant drum.
Unfortunately, their trip was cut short when Austin hooked himself in the knee with a treble hook while catching a fish. “I brought a big ice chest but had to stop fishing and left them biting,” Bates said.
On their way back to the boat launch James told Austin “Ya know, there are easier ways to get out of cleaning the boat than a self-inflicting hook in the knee,” he said. And even though the trip ended in a ride to the emergency room for a tetanus shot, James knew this trip will be one his grandson remembers for a long time. “Another Paw Paw adventure in the books with a scar to boot,” he joked.
Sharks at the Causeway
Marshal Kenneday made a trip to the Causeway in search of speckled trout. He started fishing the drawbridge on the southwest side with artificial shrimp on a Carolina rig.
Kenneday caught two speckled trout but then the bite stopped. “I probably got there a little too late – it was getting hot fast,” he said.
Kenneday then decided to use cut mullet to catch redfish but what jumped on the other end of the line was a surprise to Kenneday.
After feeling his pole bend and hearing the drag being pulled he knew this was something bigger than a redfish. “I saw that it was a shark when it went aerial about 30 yards away from the boat and then it popped the line,” he said.
Kenneday caught four more sharks by the end of the day. All of them were caught at the Causeway with one coming from the Lemo’s Reef out of the Tchefuncte River.
Tournament Results
The dog days of summer have arrived. Daily temps are reaching into the triple digits, and it’s getting harder and harder to stay out on the water.
Twelve anglers showed up at the Heritage Park launch to brave the heat in the latest Bass Assassins tournament. Fishing was the only thing that wasn’t hot.
Bill Dorris ended up taking home the win and big fish with a 3-fish bag totaling 6 lbs. 13 oz. His 4 lb. 8 oz. bass took the big fish award.
Following close in second was Kaleb Naquin who brought in a four-fish bag totaling 6 lbs. 3 oz. Charly Plescia won third place with a 6 lbs. 2 oz. limit.
The Double Nickel Bass Club held their tournament at the East Pearl River. The tournament wasn’t their normal 3-fish tournament but instead they went to a Big Bass competition in which the top 2 bass placed. It was a hot day as 16 anglers braved the heat to try for a Pearl River lunker. In the end it was Ralph Dunn who brought in the biggest fish: a 3.48-pound bass. Barry Lee came in second with his 3.37-pound fish. Next Tuesday we will resume our normal 3-fish tournament.
Upcoming Tournaments
Liars and Lunkers is holding a Thursday evening tournament at Lock One on June 30.
For more information, please contact Chad Hartzog at 985-502-3217.
The Bayou Lacombe Big Bass Tournament is holding their next event on Friday, July 1. Biggest bass wins. $10 per person entry fee. Blast-off is at 5 p.m. at the Main St. Launch in Lacombe.
The Double Nickel Bass Club is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on Tuesday, July 5. For more information, please contact Joe Picone at 985-630-4170.
Pearl River Team Trails is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on July 9. For more information, please contact Charles Dauzat at 985-960-3260.
Florida Parishes Bass Anglers are holding their next tournament on the Tchefuncte River at the 4th Ave. Launch on July 10.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com.Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)