September 2016 Voume 17 • Issue 195 | Page 35

to a series of shallow ponds to look for redfish. Capt. Casey’s Blazer can go as shallow as nine inches - that’s some skinny water. With so much grass in the water, we were limited to fishing spoons and spinnerbaits. Both boats pulled in some redfish, but before we could fish too long, the storms started revving up and we had to head in. But no one complained; we had spanked the trout and reds on the Livingston products while out in Black Bay, and topped the day off with a couple of reds on spoons before the storms. It just has to be mentioned that the trout haul was made in one stop - Capt. Casey can flat out find the fish. It was an amazing day of fishing. We got back to the dock in Delacroix about noon, and after cleaning the fish, we headed over to Campo’s Marina in Shell Beach to see our Campo/Shell Beach brothers. And even with short notice, Zack boiled up some delicious Louisiana blue crabs for us; and he’s a pro at it. Talk about a delicious treat for some hungry fishermen. We visited for a bit and then headed to the lodge. We were all tired and needed a little rest before dinner. I stayed in to watch the Saints game and fish off the pier while everyone else went out to dinner. When I went out to the lights at the end of the pier, I cast a regular floating topwater lure and just let it sit still. Nothing came near it. Then I cast out the Walking Boss II topwater and just let it sit still. Within 30 seconds, trout came and checked it out, and hit it. I even had a couple of four-foot alligator gar come check it out. I repeated this process of comparing the two lures again and again for an hour. Same results every time. Then I put on a regular popping cork with a jig, tossed it out, and let it just sit still. Nothing came near it. Then I cast out the EBS Grand Slam cork with a jig and let it just sit still. Within a minute or so, trout were showing up, and hitting the jig. I repeated this process for 30 minutes; same results, no matter where I cast. Now I’m no scientist, and it was small trout under the lights, but it most definitely doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the distressed baitfish sound emanating from the lures and corks works. Impressive and game changing in the trout and redfish world. After conducting my most unscientific but compelling testing, it was time for a good night’s sleep before fishing the next morning with Capt. Brooks again. Capt. Brooks, joined by his friend Zack Liberto, met us at the dock. We headed out on Lake Borgne in the direction of the Biloxi Marsh. Borgne was almost flat. It was yet another beautiful morning. We started out back inside a series of cuts in the marsh. We could see bait, and redfish, all around us. But the current was Continued on pg. 57