My Elmer's Island report as of today

Trash, dead fish, and unreasonable access. What used to be an enjoyable place to fish and crab is now regulated to being a parking lot with a garbage dump attached. I just got back from visiting the island this weekend and I am sickened and embarrassed by what is going on there now. Now that visitors are confined to parking in one spot, at least the trash is confined to that area. Although people should take responsibility for their own trash, the state provides no containers to put trash in. So the lazy just throw everything on the beach. On top of it all, there were dead fish everywhere. Not just small trawl bycatch but huge amberjacks, jack cravelle everywhere stinking up the place. Someone needs to investigate why all these fish died.

As far as fishing, the water was stained and most of what I caught was undersized fish.

Why are our tax dollars being wasted on restoring Elmer’s Island? I can see nothing there that shows any improvement to what was the beach before. Elmer’s island was the last treasure of the entire state for anyone to enjoy the beach by driving to where you wanted to fish. Please explain how driving on the beach damages the beach. Driving never hurt any beach anywhere in the world. Mismanagement kills a beach. Now, there is no management at all happening. I just hope the state, after finishing this waste of money of restoring, does not close access to the beach for driving. They have already ruined the state park on Grand Isle, by prohibiting driving. You now have to walk almost ½ mile to get to the beach. Who wants to walk that far and carry everything you need to fish or crab.

What is needed is for the state to charge a minimum fee for access to Elmer’s Island. I would gladly pay $5 a day. This fee could be used for trash disposal and paying a park ranger to fine individuals for littering or breaking rules. The fines alone could pay for the ranger.

I encourage everyone who has enjoyed this island in the past, to contact there congressmen to champion leaving the beach access open to vehicles in the future. Let’s not let them ruin it like they did with the state park in Grand Isle.

This is disappointing to here. I don't own a boat and like to take my two boys from time to time during their summer break. Was thinking of making one soon. Don't think I'll be heading to Elmer's after reading this. Any other suggestions on where I can take them and possibly catch a few fish?

Depending on where you live, I'd go to one of the bridges on the way to Grand Isle or Holly Beach south of Lake Charles.

Fourchon used to be the same way, absolutely disgusting with trash, stinking carcasses, waste etc. everywhere. Now it looks great, but only because no one can go out there. I'm not against people using the beach at all, but it's sad that people that use a resource don't clean up so they and others can enjoy it next time. People need to take care of the resources or access to all of it is going to get more and more limited and eventually go away.

I suspect that the large dead fish were do to the offshore Pogey boats. When I fished last Friday there were 2 of them working with in sight of the beach, and if you could see what goes overboard dead you'd be shocked

restricted access cause the STUPID PLAGUE is running rampent, too many people don't know how to act when some one is watching much less when not, park ranger would be awesome, $5 aint $H!#, you want to go the the beach charge $10 monday-thursday, $20 friday-sunday

check out this post see the idiots that are the reason you have to walk the beach now

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=189894

There are no Amberjacks right off the beach, so you cannot blame Poggie boats for those.

Agreed, AJ's are generally deep water fish, and the Pogey boats were only about 5 or 6 miles out. But I do know that when they close the purse nothing escapes

Last week, the four Petrieu poggie boats (yellow/blue) and their two spotter planes were off of Elmers' Island from Monday-20th thru Wednesday, 22nd, gone Thursday 23rd and returned Friday 24th and Saturday 25th! ALSO, from Belle Pass back to Camanida Pass there were at least 12 double riggers trawling, some as close as 100 yards off Elmers' you could hear the crew talking along with their music...John Castelluccio, Jr.

I have suggested a $5 charge per vehicle to LWLF personnel two times while i was on Elmer's Island and to use the fees to pay for the incurred expenses . If $5 isn't enough, charge $10 or even more.

I wrote past LWLF Secretary Barham a letter suggesting that the personnel picking up tar balls after the BP spill ( most were doing absolutely nothing except walking along the beach) to have them pick up trash also.

Unfortunately, nothing is going to change the mind-set of a lot of people in this state regarding the disposal of trash (just look at the trash along our highways) unless some enforcement measures are put into place and are STRICTLY ENFORCED.

It wasn't too many years ago that Fouchon Beach was open to the public. It was trashed constantly also. Finally, the owners said 'enough is enough' and closed it.

What makes me the maddest is to see bags of trash that the picnickers fill up and then just leave the bag on the beach.

I'm at Elmers right now and yes folks could do a much better job of cleaning up after themselves no doubt, but we are smashing the trout. I miss the days when we could drive from one end to the other in our trucks and fish to our liking but even with the new changes Elmers Island is still something to be massively thankful for. You pay nothing to get in and get access to one of the best surf fishing spots on the gulf coast. You may have to walk more than you are used to, but at the end of the day we have plenty to appreciate.

If my memory serves me right, it is a Louisiana law that prohibits vehicular access to beach at Elmers island. In other words, unless we change the law, we won't be able to drive onto the beach, period.

Driving or not driving onto the beach, Elmers island is still my favorite place in Louisiana to enjoy fishing and crabbing without using a boat. We really need to help protect this treasure.

Collecting an access fee along with strict enforcement is a great idea. Someone needs to start a petition for it at the state capitol.

Highway 1 south of Leeville is the same way. I have many memories of crabbing there in my youth in the 1980s. We made the mistake of going last year. Many areas are now illegal or covered with rocks. The rocks stop erosion but makes crabbing difficult. But what really sucked is that people left trash and old smelly crab bait that resulted in some interesting looking maggots. Basically, its ruined, at least in the summer.

I now crab out of my boat, even though its a more expensive proposition. Life is too short for that.

Its just the way it is now. Generations of no respect and no sense being passed down to the next and its just growing.