With more than seven decades
experience, Rogers, 81, is probably one of the most knowl- edgeable anglers I’ve ever met. He
also just happenes to be my dad,
the man who taught
me everything I know about conservation, nature and fishing.
“There’s nothing else like it,” said
Rogers, a retired guide from Jesuit Bend, Louisiana. “It’s why I spend so much time back in these marshes chasing redfish.” With more than seven decades expe-
rience, Rogers, 81, is probably one of the most knowledgeable anglers I’ve ever met. He also just happenes to be my dad, the man who taught me everything I know about conservation, nature and fishing. As oppressive summers in south-
east Louisiana turn to mild winters, dad commands the lower Barataria Basin. This sprawling estuary system can be easily reached from launches in Lafitte to the north; Grand Isle to the south; and Port Sulfur to the east. At the end of the fall spawn, redfish move out of the passes and into Barataria Bay. Across this stretch of coast, Gulf reds enter through six major passes — Caminada, Barataria, Four Bayous, Bay Long, Bayou LaMere and Grand Bayou. We set out on a cool morning not too
long ago to visit favorite destinations for winter reds. Not many of these fish- ing stops are secrets — they are tried, true and fished by many anglers. However, a few decades of experience leads to the kind of consistent success that my dad has seen in the last 40 years.
FOUR BAYOU PASS
Four Bayou Pass is a familiar haunt for thousands of coastal anglers in
TIDE
southeast Louisiana. A half-century ago, this was a small community of rustic camps on a pass at the Gulf of Mexico. A few miles east of Grand Isle, it was a weekend retreat for many peo- ple in the metro New Orleans area. Today, just six or seven camp struc-
tures remain, a reminder of the family crab boils and fishing that were vital activities in those days. Today, the camps are surrounded by water, and Four Bayou Pass is nearly a mile across. Tremendous volumes of water pass through the vast opening constantly, pushing water northward across the lower Barataria Basin. The community is long gone, yet it
remains a popular destination for anglers, particularly those who like their big game action near the coast. Four Bayous remains synonymous with the big boys — absolute monster reds in the 30- to 50-pound class. And there are some even larger, such as the 61-pound state record caught in 1992. “I think there have always been huge
redfish here,” Rogers says, “as long as Four Bayou Pass has been here.” Tons of biomass and nutrients are
pushed in and spread across the estu- ary and the impact of those vital ele- ments is everywhere. Rafts of mullet, pogies, shrimp and crab drift in and out with the currents. Cocahoe min- nows are grouped in closer to shore, taking advantage of the protective cover of the shore grass.
Because of its ideal location, the
possibilities are end- less in Four Bayou
Pass. For generations this is the place where countless anglers have come
to catch the biggest fish of their lives.
“Strikes are a big part of why I
love fishing,” he said. “But the chal- lenge of it all is another reason. Figuring out where fish are is one of those challenges.”
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Like many others, Dad uses many
familiar keys to make that determina- tion, such as the presence of baitfish, moving, clean water, and structure. But there are some attributes that can only be acquired by spending time on the water, and that is the kind of inside infor- mation that gives dad his advantages. With a live cocahoe minnow, Caro -
lina-rigged on 30-pound mono leader, he allowed the tide to carry his bait down. With spool disengaged and an index finger on his line, he peeled off several yards until the minnow made it to the bottom. The currents moved the minnow over the subtle ridges in the seafloor, but the next bump he felt was different. Sharper. More pro- nounced. He then stood and poised himself for an impending hook-set. “That’s it,” Rogers said as his rod
lurched forward toward the water. “I have no idea what this thing is.” He imagined the beast below. Could
it be a 40-pound jack cravelle? An angry black drum or a stingray? A monster red? A 65-pound state record? Because of its ideal location, the possi- bilities are endless in Four Bayou Pass. For generations this is the place where countless anglers have come to catch the biggest fish of their lives. And in most cases, that fish has a single black spot on each side of its tail. The fish took dad on a walk to the
other end of the boat, making a run into the unknown depths of the pass. Dad could tell this was an old, smart fish that had seen battle before. It had run deep to use the strong incoming tide to its advantage. Less than five minutes into the face-off, it somehow managed to create some slack between itself and the angler, and with one final shake of its head, the fish was free. The line went limp as dad looked up
with a grin on his face. It was time to move across the pass, as per our plan. Technically the Oyster Camps are in
a place called Bay Ronquille, which no longer exists. Like so many places in this dynamic estuary, separate entities like bays, bayous and islands are now in open water. The camps, bolstered by foundations of oyster shells and rock, have struggled to hang on in defiance of the elements. The breezes laid down and present-
ed a chance to toss topwater plugs. Dad jumped at the opportunity and selected a MirrOlure Top Dog. He cast next to a ledge of limestone rocks that had been set out as a protective barrier around a camp. He began to say some- thing about some football game when
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