2 ½ hours away is a long ride to be trailing a boat, (back & forth) me guess they be plenty that do so.
As for where to go, with that time line all areas, Laplace, Lake P, Seabrook, Rigolets, Lake Catherin, Lake Borne, Bayou Bienvenue, Hopedale, Shell beach, Delacroix, & Pointe A La Hache is all within your time line.
Me have chased many stories / Intel over the years running from area to area, (listed above) to see if the stories and/or Intel was true.
Use to have a camp on Bayou Bienvenue, (Poachers Club) brother had one at Hopedale, and Delacroix over the years, ran from area to area chasing the dreams of stories & Intel.
Than at an early age (17) Buddy Fredrick introduced me to Delacroix, fished with him for a few years, that be when me decided to pick an area / spot that me would learn the how, what, when, why, where and how of fishing and catching in that area.
Me been hunting & fishing Delacroix 50 plus years, 2005 me found a boat slip , (does limit you to Delacroix, but me have Bay Flat Jr 14 foot flat w/25hp Yamaha to fish around the house)down that away, been having the Bay Flat Sr there ever since. If me had to trailer a boat don’t think me would still be making that many, (50-52 year) trip down there as me do.
What brought me to Delacroix?
• Seasons :
o Me favorite, (nothing but lures) October to mid-May, inside great fishing, fresh / salt
o Mid May to late September, me fish inside, action a little slow, Silverwonders none existence
• Fishing pressure:
o At first hardly ever saw a boat
o Over the yeasr word got out
o GPS made it easy for all to run around
o Population of guides have increased
o Multiple places to rent a slip, cabin, camp or room to sleep over weekend, makes for a true Sportsmen Paradise to explore and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer.
• Various waters to fish:
o Fresh
o Brackish
o Salt
o River (unfortunately last 3 yeasr or so, but this too has some good qualities Fresh water cats)
• Various areas to fish:
o Right by and/or around the boat launches
o Inside
o Marsh
o Bays
o Rivers
o Lakes
o Outside (Black Bay, Briton Sound)
o Me have map laid out with (4) zones, boundaries are, main bayou, Grand Lake, Oak River, Twin pipeline, me fish zones for the last 45 plus years, last 3 years added zone 5, which be East of Twin pipeline and over to Lake Amedee Lake & Robin area, due to river water intrusion from siphon & Mardi Gras Pass.
• Wind
o Not a problem most of the time, even with very strong winds you can always find a place for a lee shoreline and to have it at your back and be very fishable
o Strong winds use to never dirty up the water, not so now, different type bottoms these days.
o North, south east wind me favorite, just started to liking west wind, but not as much as the others
o Most of the areas, (except lakes, i.e. Little Lake , Lake Camp, Four Horse, Grand Lake, Lake Robin, protected from the winds, smooth easing riding, Lakes can get choppy at times.
• Routes / Runs / Paths:
o Short protected , (from wind & rough water) runs (inside)
o Once you learn:
 Bayou Gently
 Bayou Terre Aux Boeufs (main bayou to Black Bay)
 North / South pipeline (aka Penile canal straight)
 Spider pipeline
 Twin pipeline
 Run to Orange Bayou through Grand Lake
 Oak River and how above intersects with them
 All above well define on maps, and with a GPS should be real easy to learn
 Me have run all over all the above, ran aground 3 times, hit something once, my guess it be pretty almost safe to run around, just need to exercise caution until you learn all the above and the areas you be fishing.
 Milk run, once you have your spots, try to pick them so you can fish your way out and/or your way back. Me on a falling tide fish me way out, on an incoming tide me fish me way in.
• Species of fish to catch:
o Speckle Trout (aka Silverwonders)
o White trout
o Reds (aka Redworries)
o Drum
o Sheepshead
o Jack Carville
o Sharks
o Gars
o Crabs
o Bass
o Perch
o White bass
o Strip bass
o Stripers
o Big Eyed carp
o Fresh water cast
o Gaff Tops
o Hard Heads
o Just about any fresh or salt water species that be out their
• Suggestion:
o Sign up with Seatow, real comforting to know you have a backup plan
o Fish with a guide a couple times to learn the routes, and fishing / catching areas
o Or you can jump on board the Bay Flat Sr and me will give you a tour of our milk run as some call it.
o Depth finder a must to locate drop offs, and channels
o GPS me would have one, get the card it highlights all the routes so me told, me GPS in me head
o Lures me use only:
 H&H 3†Purple beetle be # 1 lure
 Matrix Shad Lemon drop be # 2
 H&H 3†Chartreuse glow beetle be # 3
 Matched up with H&H round or lead color jig heads w/gold hook, depending on current, (me always says less is best, but you have to be along the bottom, bouncing lure as the current moves it)) me use following weight:
• 1/8 oz.
• ¼ oz.
• 3/8 oz.
• Very, very seldom ½ 0z.
o Think about renting boat slip, a lot easier than trailing it all around
Hope above helps you with your decisions on where to go. If you would like some maps, and/or more info about Delacroix, email me, (stanleyfink@charter.net) and me will email to you. If you have any question, please call me 504-915-4896.
Good Fishing
Team Jo-Jo & Oneofthepack
