“ When most kids were goofing off , I was fishing or hunting . I ’ d ride the school bus with my white boots on and have my fishing rods . I ’ d get off the bus on the way home way before my house , and fish my way home .” - Kim Serigne , Jr .
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We met up at Serigne ’ s Marina in Delacroix , hopped in the airboats , and headed deep into the marsh to start checking lines . The airboat ride through the marsh was absolutely incredible , the Rolls-Royce of marsh travel . I highly recommend it .
We traveled through ponds that were just packed with redfish and bait . These remote areas probably never see regular boats , only the occasional airboat , which makes the area great for gator hunting , too ; and that ’ s why we were there .
It didn ’ t take long to get to the first line . And it was down and tight . Morgan got the line and handed it to Bubby . Bubby fought the gator like a pro , then Morgan took it out like a pro . I had a feeling they had done this before . The end result was a nice , almost 8-foot gator . Bubby and Morgan promptly got the tag in , and we headed for the next line . That line was down , too .
On this gator , Morgan did the fighting with Bubby manning the gun . As soon as the fight started , you could tell it was a good gator . It had a big head on him , which first emerged from the water with mouth wide open . He thrashed all over the place with Morgan calmly playing him .
Finally , his head came out of the water just right , and Bubby dispatched him with one well-placed shot . The gator ended up measuring just over
October 2016 www . marshandbayou . com nine feet . Now it was Joe ’ s turn to kill a gator . We passed a couple of lines that were still hanging , but on the third line , it was down . We pulled up , Kim positioned the airboat , and Bubby started the action by getting the line and fighting the gator up to the bow . It didn ’ t take long , and Joe made his first shot count . There was another big gator in the boat , along with one proud eightyear-old . As we checked other lines and the other kids got their gators , I asked Kim where he got his love for the Delacroix marshes .
“ I grew up here , it ’ s all I know or ever wanted to do ,” Kim said and went on , “ I ’ m from the island , my whole family is from here . My mom and dad grew up here , always lived here . My dad was a commercial fisherman and worked a lot . My grandpa , Henry Martinez , really taught me what I know . He was a trapper , shrimper , crabber . Growing up , I was always with him out in the marsh and woods . Grandpa Henry and our neighbors taught me everything . When I was a kid , I hung out with the older people ; I learned from them what to do , and just as important , what not to do . If I wasn ’ t with Grandpa Henry , I was by myself . When most kids were goofing off , I was fishing or hunting . I ’ d ride the school bus with my
“ When most kids were goofing off , I was fishing or hunting . I ’ d ride the school bus with my white boots on and have my fishing rods . I ’ d get off the bus on the way home way before my house , and fish my way home .” - Kim Serigne , Jr .
white boots on and have my fishing rods . I ’ d get off the bus on the way home way before my house , and fish my way home .”
Kim continued , “ At 16 I knew I wanted to fish and hunt . I got a job at Serigne ’ s Boat Launch , and went crabbing , shrimping , trapping - everything Grandpa Henry showed me . By 18 I had saved enough money to buy the land where my house is today . I love showing people , especially kids , how to hunt . I ’ ve also always loved helping people ; I joined the fire department to do just that . I graduated a couple of months ago from the academy , and just went on