Good hearing from you both. AR, let us know how you did evening fishing. I've never been on the Miss after dark. Where we go there's lot of big stuff that can get ya if they don't see you. Ed, do you ever go at night? The last few spots we have fished are within probably a quarter mile of the spot we put in, but it would be tough getting out after dark because of the all the crap you have do dodge going down the levee. I think we'd have to plan on an all nighter if we went. It'd probably be a little spooky for me. If they were biting though, I might be less spooked!! Water level of 4.5ft at BR is predicted by end of month. Ed, how low does your ramp go? We are SOL at about 6ft. Y all take care.:smile2:

 

To get in touch with Paul, I'd go to pg 42 of our postings where he sent the note. You can click on his name and select the option to send him a personal message (PM). If people ask about a person's name. I would guess if you gave them EdS, your site name, they would be able to refer to that. I don't know whether many folks know other people by other than their posing names. I'm sure he would answer the question, though. Glad you got some interest. I forgot to bring sheets and there were 3 other boats out there. Would have been a good opportunity to ask. I think we did better than most yesterday, but it sure would be good to get up to date reporting. All of the boats ended up fishing at one time or another in the same spots we frequent. I'm gonna be pretty disappointed when the water goes down too much more. One group we talked to said they tore em up all summer last year where we were. Their boat was a little smaller, but not much. They said it was tough to put it in water during the low water. I couldn't last year and it was a long way to the water yesterday. Hope the structure changed a little to allow us to put in longer, but, I guess, only if it is not quite so hot. Anyway, take it easy. By the way, that is a fine "Avatar" of you. I'd like to borrow that fiberglass fish and take one of me behind it too.!!:lol:

 

Ya'll did a lot better than we did up here. I didn't go on the Red with some of the others but they didn't get much. I went to a local lake and did fine, if you count the mud cats! I did get one fairly nice eating size channel of about 3-4 lbs and one ba$$ caught on a jug.

If we don't get some rain though, we're going to dry up and blow away. From what I hear, the river current is practically nil. Of course, without any water up here, that will only make it worse for ya'll too.

 

By the way, we're planning a gathering on the Red for Sep 30/Oct 1. I know that it's close to the National gathering and we don't want to take you away from that but wanted ya'll to know that you're welcome to come. The information will be on the gathering thread, R4 Fall. Come on up and fish the Red river with us

 

Eds I have to agree with Denny that is a nice pice you have put up. At least it is better than looking at your shilouette. Denny has a bimini top but it was still hot as all get out. Hope ya'll have a good trip. I don't know how many more trips i can stand with it that hot. If we had had a little breeze it wouldn't have been so bad. Overall we did good with a 3.3 average.

Denny sorry about your dog :sad2:

 

I have only drifted for a short period for the most part for fear of getting hung up. I've seen some folks do it at the BR grain elevators just to keep from getting the Coast Guard on their butts. They would catch a few. I'd like to hear how it comes out. Might be good in that sandy area, although you could almost ski because the current is so strong. If you find a good place to do that, it'd probably also be fun to put out some jug lines at the same time and maybe you could stay somewhat in touch with them. When I've tried jugging, they just take off and I like fishing with rod and reel better than chasing jugs (on the water). Hope you do well. Remember I have some slicker, not that it works.

 

Don't even try to get away with that Ed. I know darned good well that if you get totally skunked fishing you are still going to enjoy a beer for medicinal reasons. Gosh, I really hope you catch em and they are easier to get than our last trip. Looks like the river will stat at 11+ ft at least through WE. The prognosis for the next month still looks pretty dry. There is a 30 day forecast of river levels that is updated every Wed afternoon.

 

Have any trouble getting hung drifting? I worked some on the MS in 1967-68 coring for sand for the I- 10 roadbed. (think it was I 10) Anyway, there were old cables and ropes everywhere. I used to get a bunch of black polyester rope every week when we went out. I used to drift fish in Cross Lake (Shreveport) many years ago. Very clean bottom on the lake. Easy fishing.

Will

 

Ed,
Sorry you didn't catch a boatload of fish. I guess you can always go up the main canal and get hit in the head by a carp if you are in such dire straights to catch one. I really don't like to hear about the low level but I'm afraid we are gonna be in for a rough year. I haven't heard of any flooding up north so we won't have much water here. We just need to figure out how to catch em. I probably won't be able to make it out this weekend, not that I wouldn't like to try with the little break in the weather.
Will,
I think it all depends where you fish as to whether you are likely to get hung up. We fish around where a stevadore company handles lots of barges and when they have a wire rope that they don't want any longer, it gets thrown overboard and covers the bottom. Also there is lots of the matting that the Corp of Eng uses to keep the river in the channel. You can get hung up there quickly also. In some spots we are lucky to get our anchor out, in others we've never got hung up, rod or anchor. Normally if I my anchor slips, I get hung up! Where we are at, in general, is not very good for drifting. If I could figure out how to keep jugs rounded up, I would like to try that. I tried it once on the river with one jug and watched it head into the sunset! Glad I didn't have 20.:lol:

 

On the lake we always rigged up with a small sinker, with a 18" or so leader. Sink her to the bottom, and wait for a hit. Not sure about the MS though, as with the current it would be a totally different situation. As far as jugging, I don't think I want any of that on a river with lot's of current. I was saving jugs, but I got to thinking about trying to chase them suckers down, and I burned all the jugs. I have a friend here in Henderson that fishes the Red River some, and they anchor their jugs with old window weights. Don't know if they would hold in the MS or not, and they're hard to come by. An easy way to make weights is with plastic drink cups. Fill'em with sakrete, and poke a wire made with an eye in them. I've got a bunch of brass rods out of closet tanks from years ago (dad was a plumber) with an eye already on them. Maybe those weights would work on the jugs. They're good trot line weights also.

Will

 

Sorry for not being very active. Got some flooring that I'm replacing in the hopes of surprising Mary who's in Kansas until tomorrow. Well, at a board a night I'm not doing very well! I ruin a board for every one I get right. Anyway, I hope to get out there soon. Hope you caught some. Please let me know if they're biting (or not). I need to get Brad out there. It's just been pretty hot also. There is another post by a Miss catfisherman that ID's some new baits. I don't know where he's from, but it sounds pretty interesting. I haven't had a chance to respond to his post yet to get more info. Got text message from Conan. He was going to try his luck in S. Texas today, I believe. Hope he catches something. He doesn't have internet yet.
Take care all.

 

Alright guys, lets hear it. Any of ya been lately? If so how did ya do? Denny did you get the floor put in?

 

We all wish we had Denny's money!!:lol: Well sorry to hear that you didn't good but i guess it is good that your business is going well. I quess me and Denny will get back out there one of these days.

 

That's funny, the only person that knows where Denny's money was-is his old lady that spends all she can get her mitts on:sad2: Ed, wished you were catching some. Brad, when is your next Saturday off? I'd like to try to give it another shot if we can get in. I'ts pretty near our low limit, I think, but would like to give it another try. It's hard to tell how the higher water changed the bottom. It may be ok and maybe not. Last year the stevadore company pushed a pile of crap from the bank down to smooth things off for their forklifts. That flattened the bottom at the water edge and the boat wouldn't float.
I'm still working on this damn floor. It looks pretty good. Only lost one finger so far and have five holes in the walls where I got mad and threw hammers at them. Need any work done? I'd be glad to help.!!
You all take care.

 

Denny,

I actually don't have another saturday off until Aug, although I do now have Tues and Wed off as well as Sunday. If you decide to go on a Sun or something give me a ring. Hope ya'll have a happy 4th.

 

Denny If we could get in it sure would be fun to watch the fireworks from the water. I might be too scared though. You would probably have the best view in the house.

 

Good thing we didn't plan to go this weekend. Mary's Tahoe for some reason crapped out. Tried to start last night with no luck. Changed fuel filter today (a SOB on it's own), hoping that was it but again no luck. It turns over but not much else. Maybe fuel pump or whatever controls the spark. It's still deader than a hammer. Guess I'll need to tow it in. There goes a few of them $$ you were referring to in earlier posts. It's pretty bad having to depend on your old lady's car to go fishing, huh!

 

How are you guys fishing the Miss. River. Are you jugging or fishing with rod and reel. I live in Vacherie, just a little down river from you and there is no place to launch a boat in the river down here. I live just a couple of miles from Lake Des Allemands and will be trying it this week some time with some jugs.

 

Todd,
We fish with rod and reel. There is too much current to keep track of floating jugs and with min 40ft depth, it would be tough to anchor them to the bottom. My first fishing trip in LA was at Des Allemands. We didn't know what we were doing, but, according to the Wildlife and Fisheries, it should be one of the best catfishing lakes in the country. From Vacherie it's pretty close. Please let us know how you do and if you do good, tell us how and where so we can catch em all before you get back (just kidding). We really do need to get some alternate fishing spots. There are no ramps that reach the water where we fish, just north of Donaldsonville. We put in from the side of the levee at a stevadore that kind of maintains a slope to use as a staging area for barge and ship loading equipment. How far are you from the Sunshine bridge? 6ft at Baton Rouge is about the limit for getting in there. I'm goona go within the not too distant future to see if I can get in. Last year they cleaned up the ramp with bull dozers and ended up pushing the tailings into the river, making it flat at the water's edge, and my boat wouldn't float. Donaldsonville has a ramp on the West Bank, but it is probably 100 ft from the waters edge. We just need more water. With my boat (22 ft), you pretty much need a 4WD to get in and out. Good luck catching some and please keep in touch. Welcome to the BOC.

 

Vacherie is 20 miles from the Sunshine Bridge if you take Hwy 3127. Des Allmands has plenty of catfish, but mostly 1lb and under because it is so heavily fished commercially. There are 3 boat launches with in 2 miles of my home that are in major canals that lead into the Lake from the west side. I believe I will try the mouthes of these canals where they meet the lake. Also there are large areas of stumps field around the edges of the lake. I have seen the commercial fisherman use small boats to get up into the flooded timber and string trot lines from tree to tree above the water and catch some huge flats and channel cats that way. I will let you know my results as soon as I go. I willprobable try shrimp, hotdogs, livers and bluegills for bait.

 

Ed,
Hope you made it out this weekend. I bet it would have been pretty good if you didn't have to dodge lightning. I wanted to go Sat afternoon, but Brad was tied up house hunting. I still had work to do on my floor anyway. Hope he found something that they liked. My project is just about done. I really need to get out there and catch something. You all take care

 

Let us know how you did. I just gotta believe they'll be biting.

 

Glad you caught some. It's refreshing to see something posted. Did you anchor your jugs or let them float free? I'm gonna have to try it cause you should be able to sample a lot of river in a day. I'm betting that was a big ole fish that is heading downstream with your jug attached. When it pops up beside me and I retrieve the big fish, I want to be sure. How is your jug identified and what is it? Sounds like you had a reasonable trip. I hope to get out soon myself.

 

ALRIGHT !! I was finally able to upload an image It said upload failed so I just knew I'd messed it up again!!