Working for Them, Southwest Louisiana Style

Captain Bryan Branch of Calcasieu Charters felt like we really had to work for the fish we caught on Sunday, and he wasn't overly impressed by the bite. By day's end, though, the cooler contained 25 specks and reds and about the same number of white trout, Spanish and flounder, and we probably released nearly as many fish as we kept. I suppose it's all relative, because what's considered "working for them" at Lake Calcasieu would be an absolute banner day of fishing catching action almost anywhere else in the country. On more than a few occasions, three or four rods were bent to the weight of fish at the same time during our tough day!

The amazing this is that it is not just talk. Really good days on the Big Lake, as Calcasieu is commonly called, produce limits of trout and/or redfish for everyone aboard. On great days, the trout are all big, and all the action comes from one or two spots. We covered quite a bit of water, picking at fish from a fair number of few schools, with weekend fishing pressure and wind that grew through the day creating challenges for staying with the fish.

So I suppose we did work, by Southwest Louisiana standards, but I'll take that day of work any day. I'll also take the cooler filled with fillets that came as reward for our efforts!