# Lots and Lots of Fish!! ~~ With FishnLane & Aqua Huntress, South Louisiana



## BananaTom

*Belfor invited me to go on our annual two day fishing trip to Happy Jack (Port Sulphur, LA) and allowed me to bring two guests. A total of 12 anglers in four boats were scheduled. 

So my oyster eating / fishing buddies FishnLane and Aqua Huntress accepted the invite. We left Pensacola on Sunday, November 22, with fishing days of Monday and Tuesday the 23rd and 24th in our dreams.

We decided to take the scenic route, and ride the Point la Hatch Ferry across the Mississippi River, instead of encountering the New Orleans traffic. That will be my new route to South Louisiana, as it did not add any travel time, and it was a beautiful drive. 

I got to see the court house in Point la Hatch, which fell victim to Hurricane Katrina. What memories I have in that courthouse. Haha.

We got to the camp on Martin Drive, owned by the guide Brad early in the afternoon Sunday, with plenty of time to sit on the docks, enjoy some suds, and watch the sun set, while contemplating the next two days of COLD Weather, Shallow Water Fishing.

Monday morning arrived and it was freaking cold, the wind was hollowing from the North big time. The four boats were assigned to the 12 anglers, and we drew the owner of the guide service Brad. 

We worked hard that day, running from shallow water pond to pond, but we managed our limit of 17 Red Fish, (5 Per Person, with one per person over slot). We also picked up a few Speckled Trout and a Black Drum. Of course there were many Rat Reds returned to the water to grow-up for next year’s trip.

When we returned to the camp, we learned that not all boats caught the limit, and we were hailed as a great team. Dinner that night included fried fish, fried shrimp, boiled shrimp with the fixens and a sack of oysters. The oysters were all placed on the grill, as no one wanted to open cold oysters. Night time came quick, and I was fast asleep by 7 pm, dreaming of a warmer day number two.

Day two was warmer, and the wind laid down. My team got to fish with Brad again, and off we went 50 MPH. We were picking off the Reds with ease on this second day, with a spec here and there. 

We were on a nice pond, when two of the other guides called and stated the specs were on fire at the sulphur mines, with 70 specs each per boat. Brad suggested we haul butt, but my team members liked what we were doing. Many many rat reds, with a keeper here and there. We had ten slot reds at that time.

Once that bit died down, we hauled butt at 50 MPH (these boats ran baby) towards the sulpher mines. By the time we got to the Sulphur mines, the wind had picked up, white caps were growing, and the bite turned off. After 15 minutes of this, we decided to get back inside the protection of the marsh and hunt some specs and reds there. 

We stopped at two or three locations with about three casts per each, and then left as nothing was jumping out the water.

And then we found the Glory Hole at the third spot, and it was on freaking fire. Each cast produced a hook up. It was 1:50 PM and our trip was to end at 2 pm, where we would meet up with the rest of group at the camp, clean-up, settle-up and head home. Brad asked, “Are y’all in a hurry to leave”, and my hard core fishing buddies and I agreed, HECK NO!!!

So it started, an hour an half of constant and serious catching. There was this one hole, cast towards the white pole Brad said, and we pulled Red Fish to finish off our keeper limit of 15. Also about 50 Rat Reds, 70 Speckled Trout were kept, some Black Drums, Sheepheads, and two monsters, one Black and one Red.

Hahaha, Brad gave Stephanie such a hard time, as she wanted to keep the Sheepies. (In Louisiana, they are considered trash, and no one keeps them). So we kept about 4 or 5 convicts, and then Brad said that is enough. The fish box was full, and the fish were then kept on the floor of the boat.

All cell phones on board went dead, as the battery life expired, which were our only electronics on board. We were unable to inform the others why we were not at the camp on time. We pulled up to the camp at 3:45, and one of the other guides was still there, waiting to help Brad clean the 100 + fish.

This is how the catching went: 

One of us would throw to the hole (you know, towards the white pole), hook up, and then the second team member would throw, and then the third, double and triple hooks were the normal. When I would reel my fish in, standing on the bow, I would pass the line to Brad. 

The second he took the pressure off by grabbing the fish, I would open the bail, ready to cast. He would have another live shrimp ready, de-hook the fish, (keep it or not), hook me a new shrimp and off it went. It would hit that water, count 1,2,3, FISH ON!!

Man this was so exciting, for the three of us. Needless to say, we did not take a break during this time. When all the fish were cleaned and bagged, my one ice chest was not large enough to hold the fillets. So off to the store we went to purchase another ice chest, for the Ferry ride home.


Everytime I go down there, and then leave, I think, there can never be a trip as good as this one. Haha, that is what I thought last year. 

Thank you FishnLane and Aqua Huntress for three days of constant laughter!!
I could not have had a better team!!

A BIG "Thank You" to Russel and Chris of Belfor for you most “Gracious Hostness”

Enjoy the pictures and Stephanie’s video she constructed!!*


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## BananaTom

*I Love they way we run 
through these little canals at 50 MPH, 
with the swamp grass flapping at the gunnels!!

Great Job on Video Steph!!*


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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom

Caught a Prop Struck One, sent to Doctors Office


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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom

*Day Two*

*Day Two
*


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## tbaxl

Looks like a great trip, but cold.


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## BananaTom




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## BananaTom

*The Team!!
*









*The Ferry Ride Home*


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## smooth move

great trip and pics. thanks for sharing.


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## jack2

hey, tom,
best read in a long time. loved the video. thanks for sharing the adventure.
did ya'l get tired of packing fish to freeze? bet that was a lot of fillets.:thumbup:

jack


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## Garbo

What a Great Report...Great Read....Great Video... 

Ya'll hit this one out the Park. 


Nice.


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## cobe killer

awesome trip ya'll!!!!


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## Jason

Jealous!!! Dang I bet that was a blast!!!!


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## BananaTom

jack2 said:


> did ya'l get tired of packing fish to freeze? bet that was a lot of fillets.:thumbup:
> 
> jack


Yea Buddy, I burned up my Seal a Meal and had to go buy another one. Hahaha.

PS: The new ones are awesome!


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## SWAngler

Great thread! Brings back lots of memories of my early days in Louisiana's marshes.


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## LIM-IT-OUT

Thats awesome !!!!!! 
Thats what i call tight lines and good fishing love the video and report yall must have had a blast. Thanks for sharing


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## FishnLane

This was truly an amazing 2 days of fishing. Steph, great video!!! Terrific re-cap BT. No doubt it was so cold and riding at 50 against the wind, it felt quite icy. We were all well prepared & garbed up so traveling was doable with miles of smiles. Some of the other guys must have thought the camo was warmer however they admitted to freezing. I don't care what I look like as long as not freezing. When the catching began, we warmed up considerably. Who feels the cold and wind when you are reeling in one after another? The fish were on fire at several holes. We just threw in the same spot and catch after catch filing the box with up to 4 species on each hole. Our crew orchestrated fishing like a well tuned machine. It was almost embarrassing returning to camp with so many fish. The fishery in La is amazing. Our guide expertly zoomed thru bayous, creeks, ponds zipping past oyster beds and poles at record speed. We got sprayed many times and Steph even got a mud bath at 50 mph. HAA HAA. (the trolling motor was covered in mud and what happens at 50?? Yep). The food provided by the sponsor was delicious and plentiful. My reds will be the foundation of the gumbo Sat. So if any of you want to join at Lane's Gumbo Party, come on over. Thanks for the invite BT!!!! Not sure they want these 2 girls next year#@$#!!


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## jjam

Another awesome trip from da' La Paradise! If I were there, haha,,,,you would have needed a few more ice chest for the ride on dat' ferry!!!

I wish to return home soon and show you redfish catching fools how to load the boat down with dem' mongos!!! lol

Awesome report B.T and nice job on the video Steph!:thumbup:

Cheers!!!

Jimmy aka Capt Jimmy,,,missing the PFF'ers from Boston these days!!!


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## FishnLane

JJAM, funny you said that......we did have to purchase another ice chest!!! Missing you too!!!


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## dabutcher

That had to be a fun trip. Heck, I had fun just watching the video.


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## BananaTom

dabutcher said:


> That had to be a fun trip. Heck, I had fun just watching the video.


Man it sure was, dreaming of it right now.


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## BananaTom

Memories are awesome


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