Recently , I had the opportunity to drive down to Delacroix with Capt . Casey for some trout fishing . He was a little bleary eyed in the morning as he was fresh off a tournament win the previous day . Paddlepalooza is one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in Lousiana , and out of 285 participants , Capt . Casey took first place overall with the heaviest weight of three fish combined : trout , redfish , and flounder . In previous years , he ’ d placed in the big fish categories but never landed a flounder to secure the overall win . This year , his three fish weighed a total of 12.47lbs , almost 2lbs ahead of the second place winner . Although he ’ d had very little sleep between his 1am wake-up the previous day and the next morning when we headed out , he was still eager as always to get on the water and catch fish . We arrived at Sweetwater Launch at 8am , which turned out to be the perfect time to catch the tide coming in . We tried one spot in Reggio , moved on to Lake John , then hit on a school of trout . And when the action started , it didn ’ t stop . In Lake John , Capt . Casey positioned the boat in an area about 4ft deep and cast out into an 8ft drop-off . We were using live shrimp 2 ’ under a cork ; and after a while , switched to artificial shrimp , Matrix Shad in Shrimp Creole , 3 ’ under a cork . The color choice was perfect for the clear water in Delacroix that day , and we caught as many with artificial as we did with live bait . We were catching anywhere between 1.5 lb to 4lb trout , sometimes as soon as the bait hit the water .
In between casts , I noticed we hadn ’ t seen even one other fishing boat that day , except a couple here
Capt . Casey and tournament partner , Capt . Ty Hibbs at a recent event .
and there that passed us on their way to other spots . We were basically secluded all morning . The launch had been packed with trucks , so I asked Capt . Casey where were all the other boats . He replied simply , “ I don ’ t fish where people fish .” This was unusual for me because I ’ ve found on most charters that other boats are always clustered nearby , sometimes close enough to have a conversation . Captains tend to network and fish the same spots , and many recreational fishermen will pull their boat right in wherever they see anyone catching fish . Capt . Casey jokingly calls this practice “ sight fishing .” He explains , “ I don ’ t watch other fishermen to see where the fish are . I ’ ve always preferred to find my own fish .”
Capt . Casey has been on the water since he was six years old , so he has learned fish habits . “ If you can follow how fish transition , you can stay ahead of the crowd .” He explains that fish reports will tell you where fish
are , but you also need to know where they ’ re going . “ That way you can be in front of them when they make their move .”
Within a few hours , we had filled the box with trout of various sizes and one 7lb black drum that took a lot of work to reel in . I was exhausted long before I was ready to head back to the dock . Capt . Casey had thrown a few casts to determine where the fish were , but he believes his clients should do the catching , so I got quite a workout reaching the limits that afternoon . Since he started his charter business , word has spread like wildfire , and one of the reasons for his success is that he pre-fishes before every trip to ensure a spectacular experience . Capt . Casey has competitive rates and specializes in sight fishing reds , but loves to catch trout as well .
Capt . Casey doesn ’ t brag or claim to be the best . He says his policy is to “ underpromise and overdeliver .” Driving back from Delacroix that day with an ice chest full of fish after a glorious day on clear water under blue skies , I had to agree .
For more info or to book a trip with Hurricane Bay Charters , Capt . Casey can be reached at ( 985 ) 966-1735
43 May March 2016 2016 www www . marshandbayou . . com. com