First time boater

I'm 40 y/o, from Lafayette, and just bought my FIRST boat... 2012 TRACKER Pro Team 175 TXW with 75 hp Mercury OptiMax. I bought it mainly to take my 68 y/o dad fishing. Looking for suggestions on where to go / launch... Some places for a novice to learn the boat, catch some fish, and spend some quality time with my dad. Thanks in advance!

Just a suggestion; when I got my first real (15ft/side console/40hp) boat, I learned and got comfortable with it by fishing small bodies of water. Local small rivers, smaller lakes that lead to tributaries, canals, etc... I'm not from your area but I'm sure most water levels are at flood stage. You have a lot to choose from around Lafayette and maybe others near you will provide better information. Below are a list of boat launches, location, owned by and types... Good luck!

INTRACOAST WATERWAY HWY 333 INTRACOAS CITY PARISH CONCRETE
MAYER CANAL HWY 685 DOTD2 SHELL
SCHOONER BAYOU CANAL HWY 82 PARISH SHELL
VERMILION RIVER HWY 14 BYPASS DOTD CONCRETE

VERMILION RIVER BEAVER'S PARK CITY CONCRETE
VERMILION RIVER HENRY HEYMAN PARK CITY CONCRETE

Put in under I-10 in Butte la Rose. Once you launch take the 1st left or the 1st right. Drop your trolling motor wherever you feel like it and start fishing. It really is that easy. I am not promising you will catch a truckload but if you have worms/crickets or are a decent bass fisherman, you will get bit enough to have a good day.

Not that familiar with the Lafayette area but very familiar with the Mandeville/Covington area and for easy launch,kinda hard to beat the Bayou Lacombe area,Main Street is decent launch and heading N might get ya some quality bass and not typically very crowded.There is concrete launch on Lake Rd,decent ways S of Main St Launch and that would give ya access to some decent marsh fishing and with slight winds out of N,ya might be able to chase reds and bass at the mouth of Bayou Lacombe.One other easy launch is Cane Bayou,located adjacent to the Fountainbleau Fire Station on Hwy 190(dirt launch,free right now with possibility of $3 fee later this year)and Cane Bayou typically holds plenty of bass and making your way S leads to Lake Pontchartrain,where ya might be able to tangle with some fine reds and bass at the mouth.These are probably decent drive from Lafayette but easy spots to launch.Hope dat helps!!!

Mandevillian

I appreciate the advice guys. Hope to post success stories on here soon!

don't put any poles or anybody in the boat but yourself. put your life jacket and kill switch and go learn how to drive in all conditions.

fish - finder ----- good idea. I just assumed the OP knew how to drive a boat. If he does not, that should be the 1st thing done before trying to catch fish. Driving a boat is surely not like driving a car.