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!

Learning from the Birds

I've "fished birds" many times before, and seagulls have helped me catch many fish of many kinds over the years. I've also long known that while resting birds suggest areas fish have been using, diving birds suggest more interesting activity below and a greater possibility of fish-catching action.

Today I learned more. Much, much more. While spending a great day in the boat with Capt. Bryan Branch of Calcasieu Charters, I learned how to interpret much more of what the birds are saying by their behavior, how to aim casts based on the activity of specific birds and how to work around a flock of birds without spooking the fish that are causing the birds to circle and dive.

We spent the larger part of today fishing around groups of birds and only a handful of the 80 or 90 fish I'd guess we caught were not specifically associated with a group of seagulls other birds. Often, Bryan would tell us before we hooked a fish whether we were likely to catch redfish, speckled trout or white trout, based on how the birds were acting, and more often than not he was correct.

Bird watching is only a small piece of the fish finding and catching story, but at times it can be a very important piece, and studying the birds' behavior at various times and watching what follows with the fish can help you catch far more fish.

Oh So Ready to Make Some Casts

Since leaving home five days ago, Nathaniel and I have spent a tremendous amount of time watching other people fish, taking photos of fish and fishermen, eying waterways and talking about lures, rods, reels and fishing trips. Today we were even waterfront in Lake Charles, supposedly with redfish and speckled trout within casting distance of the shore.

Our full fishing day doesn't come until Sunday, but I think there might be a window or two tomorrow where we can get out for a few hours locally and cast from the shore or wade a little. Just in case, I'm rigged and ready with my starting offering and have a whole line-up behind it. Rumor has it Lake Charles is rich with baitfish that the trout like to chase around, so my starting pick is a BOOYAH Boo Rig matched with Strike King KVD Swim-n-shiner a on a 1/4-ounce Egret Baits jighead. Lures waiting in the wings include a Bomber 14A, an Egret Baits Bayou Chub and a Vudu Shrimp.

Early Sunday we're moving just south of here to spend a day on Lake Calcasieu with Calcasieu Charter Service. Word has it that Big Lake, as Calcasieu is often known, has been producing great mixed catches of redfish, trout, sheepshead and more, with some good quality fish in the mix. I've fished there before, but it has been several years, so I'm eager to fish it again.

SEOPA, Specks, Redfish, Crawfish & Boudin

The Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America recently announced Nathaniel Samsel, my 15-year-old son, as recipient of the third annual Lindsay Sale-Tinney Award, which provides Nathaniel a scholarship to attend the 2013 Southeastern Outdoor Press Association fall conference. 

What that means in practical terms is that in early October, Nathaniel and I will climb in the truck and point it toward Lake Charles, Louisiana to enjoy some of the nation's best inshore saltwater fishing, tremendous Cajun cooking and four days of fun and learning with a whole bunch of industry friends. The SEOPA conference invariably provides great benefit to me as an outdoor writer, and I can't think of a finer place to gather than Southwest Louisiana.

Nathaniel has been to Louisiana once -- redfishing out of Venice last fall -- and that was more than plenty to make him eager to return. He also has attended the most recent two SEOPA conferences as a student member and knows how much he is able to learn and how much he simply enjoys hanging out with other folks from the industry.

Although Nathaniel only turned 15 a couple of months ago, he has demonstrated great initiative in the outdoors field while traveling with me and helping with photography and videos. He developed a YouTube channel featuring how-to fishing videos last year, and he produces all the videos for that channel. He also maintains an outdoors blog and music website and has published a couple of magazine articles. Through those efforts, he has increasingly been viewed by event hosts as a media attendee.

It's a long drive to Southwest Louisiana, so of course we'll have to do a little fishing while we're there. The plan, as of now, is to spend a couple of days either before or after the conference fishing on Lake Calcasieu, which is considered by many as the best destination on the Louisiana coast for big speckled trout.

Congratulations, Nathaniel, on the well-earned scholarship, and thank you for your work to ensure that we would be able to attend this year's conference.