It’s In the air!!!

Well folks it’s been a while since I updated what’s been going on so here goes nuttin!
The water temps are cooling down the fronts are coming thru and the fish have moved inside the marsh to fatten up for the winter migration.
We have been hitting some nice trout and reds in all the usual areas from deep bayous to shallow bays and ponds.
Some trips have been fast and furious and some have been slower but with great catches even on the bad days.
The ticket has been to find cleaner water and locate where the bait has been hanging and when the two come together it’s been on like gang busters.
Reds are staging in the bays near points willing to take just about anything you throw at them and the trout have been hanging near ambush points where there is current moving the shrimp through.
As the temps continue to fall more fish will follow the pattern and start to stage close to their winter holes which usually makes them easy targets.
Live shrimp is still their favorite but artificial baits will get the trick done as well.
Now is the time to get in on the fall action because it just gets better from here on.
November is starting to look like it will be a fantastic month so don’t wait too long to get your dates in.
No need to make the long runs outside cause the fish are in and are looking to feed!

Till next time…………Take a trip and rip some lips !

Delacroix Island , Hopedale , Pt. A La Hache report !

Well the river is dropping the water is cleaning up in some areas the fish are finally starting to show up where they should be this time of year so all seems to normal ..oh yea…and Casey Anthony is innocent….that’s like believing Rosie Odonnel is a fashion model fo Guci string bikinis!!!
Gotta wash that thought out my memory bank!!!
Any way we have been having an outstanding season and even though the river made us run farther than we would have liked to the fish have not disappointed us for the effort.
Most of the rigs near the ship channel from five wells out to central including the dope boat and the compressor have been producing numbers as well as quality.
The rocks at the Mr Go and the Bay Eloi have been most consistent with the cleaner water staying in that region as well as plenty of bait as well keeping the fish fed on a regular basis making them fat and happy like Rosie in a candy store.
The river water for the most part in Black Bay has been moving around like an oil spill depending on the direction of the wind along with the strength of the tide making it very inconsistent from day to day.
From Stone Island to Iron Banks to the wreck and back to lake Fourtuna you can have an awesome day on one day and return where you left them bitting only to be greeted by the Saber tooth Angel fish and Silver Back southeast louisiana horn trout !!!
The Speckled trout,Redfish ,Flounder and drum have been filling the box at a quick pace once you have located them.
Plenty of bird fish have been showing in the outer bays when the tides are right which will hit just about anything that moves under a cork.
On the other hand I have noticed plenty of the larger trout filling up on Pogies and river shad
which would explain why they hit the big artificial baits so hard like the Zoom Flukes and Salt Water Assassins in the 5″ to 7″sizes as well as mirrolures and rattle traps.
Congrats to TOP DOG ,Mark Pilgrim on his first topwater trout he ever caught while fishing with us on his birthday I’m sure he will doing it a lot more in the future.
We have had easy as well as tough days but that’s why they call it fishing but even on the tough days we are still having a great time and that’s what it’s all about.
Black Bay and Breton Sound are only going to get hotter as the river falls and the water clears up.
Speaking of which be sure to bring plenty of hydration cause the fishing isn’t the only thing hot!
Be sure to check out our photo Gallery for some great shots of recent trips.

Till next time …Take a trip and rip some lips!
Captain Stan Cuquet
Castaway Charters

Delacroix Fishing uh Catching Report!

As the weather progresses and the river reduces the fish have been going nuts.
It’s like they have been waiting all winter to entertain us and they are putting on their best act.
Even under small craft warnings we are filling the box with trout and reds in the marsh that have been gorging up the shrimp that are entering the marshes to do their thing.
When weather permits the outside runs in Black Bay and Breton Sound have been outstanding to say the least with trout feeding in frenzies from two to five pounds coming to the net three and four at a time.
The Delacroix, Shell Beach and Hopedale fishing is at it’s best of the year so far but will only get better as conditions improve with the river dropping and the winds finally laying down the water will continue to clear up in areas we have been waiting to hit all summer.
The anticipation is kinda like Rosie Odonald waiting outside a doughnut shop waiting for it to open!
Although many trout are wanting the live bait there are plenty willing to take the plastics the key is to match the hatch.
Take note of the shrimp at the local marina as well as the ones being popped out the water while you are fishing and try to match the size to the plastics you throw ..NO MATTER HOW SMALL!!!
I have ben catching some of the biggest Speckled trout on plastics that range from six inch to ones that are used for perch and sacalait !
The red fish are take the ole reliable green sparkle beetle under a cork tipped with market bait….some things never change!!
The river stages as well as wind direction and tide when combined are the main tools for making a difference in going fishing and catching fish.
One thing for sure is we are catching plenty of fish and things are only getting better as we approach the next two full moons that will trigger the big girlz to move over those rock beds and shallow reefs to spawn.
NOW is the time to get on the books before all the best days are taken so come on down to Delacroix Island RIP SOME LIPS and Pass a good time while it’s on fire.

Capt. Stan Cuquet
Castaway Charters
Delacroix Island LA
504-451-7600

Pilgrim pirates in Delacroix !
Well folks it’s just not the safe in this world any more.
I was standing on my dock when all of a sudden this Pilgrim sneaks up behind me sticks the point of his fillet knife at me and says he’s a pirate that’s hijacking me and my boat to a secret spot in Black Bay to find his buried treasure of trout and reds.
Who was I to argue since he was the one holding the knife ,although it was still in the sheath and the wrapper from the store including the price tag!
Well he grabbed his beer..uh I mean gear and pointed to the south east and said go till I Tell you to stop and with that we headed the Black Pearl to Black Bay !
Shutting down in the middle of nowhere on a small island I set anchor and the pilgrim pulled his seven foot sword out the rod holder swinging it around like a drunk on camp street putting the first cast straight in front of a three pound trout.
I was totally amazed at this then he did it again and again till he was pounding on his chest like a silver back ape looking at a nude photo of Rosie Odonelle !
We had a ball catching trout up to three pounds as well as a few pesky bull reds that would crash the party from time to time.
All was well till he opened the cooler and took out a DIET COKE AND ACTUALLY DRANK FROM IT !!!!
THIS JUST COULD NOT BE HAPPENING !
As he did this unthinkable act of defiance to all his beer drinking buccaneers around the globe the universe shifted and the tide STOPPED COMPLETELY killing the bite !
I almost made him walk the plank but fortunately the box was full of treasure and we were ready to head in before we were spotted on our tiny uninhabited island!
It was a blast to have such company in my presence and I look forward to his future trips with Don and his buddies.

The ups and downs !
Well it’s been a while since I’ve been st this computer so I will try to fill ya’ll in a little on whats happnin!
As we all know the big muddy is rising faster than Obama can book a show on Opra and with all that the corpse of engineers are trying its still coming our way.
Depending on the wind direction is where you will have your best chances of finding cleaner water in Black Bay.
Any thing out the southeast is pushing the river water from Venice towards Hopedale , Delacroix and Pt A Lahache, basically Breton Sound and Black Bay in general.
The further north you go the cleaner the water will be with some good catches coming from the rocks and Bay Eloi area.
The siphon has been off in Carenarvon for a while to appease the oysterman that are getting too much fresh water on their poor little rocks due to the influx from Bayou Lamouque and the hole in the levee at Ostrica which is giving the interior a chance to clean up a little.
With all that said there are plenty of nice size trout being caught on the inside marsh from Skippy Lake, Pt Fienne , Bay Jack , Little Crevasse and so on because the shrimp are coming in thru the main channels like Oak river,False River,Grand Pt and so on.
Plenty of trout under the birds early in the morning and late evening with mixed sizes from the 11′’ tight eye dinks to 3lb yellow mouth slabs.
Most fish have been full of eggs and will be doing their business for the next couple of full moons.
With the price of fuel as high as the river most people are settling for the shorter runs in the marsh and looking for better fish in the mix.
To me that’s the better fish to eat but we all love to hear a drag scream like Nancy Pelosi at a republican convention with sow trout on the other end.
The trout are still hitting plastics but cant resist a live shrimp when put in front of them.
The tides will play a big roll on where you should start your day as well as the winds so try to use as much info as possible before heading out to rip a few lips and fill the box.
Just like Bin Laden I have to go now cause someone is at the door but I’ll try to kepp ya’ll updated .

Till next time…..Take a trip and rip some lips!

BUSINESS IS A BOOMIN !!!

After being lade off by BP a few weeks ago got on the list to deploy boom in our area and after deploying in the areas given to us realized just how much this marsh means to me.
Running thru areas I haven’t been in for years brought back some great memories.
Left Delacroix and ran to Breton Sound Dock for the first day running out to Morgan Harbor, Fishing Smack, Lawson Bay, Bayou De Soto Tobacco Bayou and the Treasure Bay area reminded me of many trips as a youngster with my older brothers as I was as about as tall as the grass on the bank.
Point Chico was one of the hottest areas around unsurpassed by very few others for monster trout and reds till your arms fell off.
Our Camp was located on stump lagoon and seemed like an eternity away from Chico with the older slower rigs back in the day.
Stopped at the Star Lodge to organize the boom before setting it out and lo and behold Frank and the guys are doing a great job redoing the camp after Katrina destroyed it and left only the pilings to start over with.
Spent many of nights in that camp as a younger man and enjoyed reminiscing with Frank of old times with my friend , miles of smiles Billy Jiles before he passed away.
Takes a lot of work and love to do what them guys are doing.
Boomed out the Bay Eloi area and remembered plenty of trips around Dead Man and the White tanks that had me smiling as I was laying boom to protect what was left hopefully for future generations to enjoy.
Sadly if you ask someone today about a place called Point Chico they think your talking about a Home Depot parking lot !!!!
It was great to get a chance to see the area again and it kind of felt like visiting a relative you haven’t seen in years but missed dearly.
The area has changed quite a bit and the storms have battered her shores with no mercy but nothing like the devastation that will be dealt for years to come if this oil is allowed to penetrate to the interior bayous and bays.
As of now there is NO protective boom in the Delacroix area south to Pont A Lahache but the word is it is coming and hopefully politics won’t stop it from being deployed from Delacroix Docks to the south like Campo, Oak River , Bay Gardene and so on.

I believe using the many shallow ponds and lagoons that are located inside the outer islands as catch tanks and funneling the incoming oil into them with the boom instead of just bouncing the oil off of them to the next ones until it is at the front door would be a better idea.
The ponds and lagoons can be shut off on high tides keeping the oil inside of them till it is cleaned and continue the process keeping literally thousands of gallons from reaching further in.
These islands have the proper depths that would not allow the soft boom to get tore up no matter how strong the winds blew because they are protected by themselves.
Using hard boom in deep water to contain oil simply does not work because with least bit of wind the waves wash oil over and bellow the boom allowing penetration as to where channeling the oil along the boom in strategic areas that intercept the current and tide like a funnel will allow the oil to enter the ponds and lagoons and create an instant storage tank made by nature decreasing the amount that would otherwise penetrate into the marsh.
These are islands that are quickly disappearing and sacrificing them now is for the greater good of years to come.
Being shallow they could also be cleaned up using waders instead of boats making it even easier to reset or remove boom in them.

With luck the west winds will come and they will shut down the leak and all will become as normal again.
After attending today’s meeting all I could see was shear fear and depression on every bodies faces as they are worried about what lays ahead in their future.

There are plenty of areas still open in Louisiana for seafood and I ask for anybody that normally purchases our seafood to continue to do so because what is on the market is safe as ever and they are watching it closer now than they ever have before.
It is not only a matter of some fisherman losing their jobs but the collapse of entire infrastructures of parish after parish.
Besides if we loose St Bernard who ya’ll gonna make fun of dawlin !!!

Support the commercial fisherman and keep their product on your list as well as the many guides that could use your business right now even if they can’t fish the area they normally do.

They just opened the east side of the river as of now but no telling for how long so enjoy it while it lasts.

Capt Stan
Delacroil La

Delacroix Report

As of now there are no booms in Delacroix for protection.
Delacroix Island lays on the southern border of St Bernard Parish as well as the dividing northern border of Plaquemines Parish leaving us at the tail end of both parishes.
However is the easiest access to the Black Bay Breton Sound waters that exist.
Deep enough access for the larger crew boats and supply vessels without fear of running aground as well as easiest to navigate both day and night..
It is obvious with two large staging area’s like Serigne’s and Sweet Water marina we have plenty of room to store and launch material to the marsh as needed.
I have property that could be utilized as well and would be more than happy to make it available.

The prediction with the forecasted winds is for the oil to start hitting the Louisiana marsh by tomorrow in weather stays as is giving the Breton Sound Marina the closest access to those areas as well as Campo’s marina in shell beach.
The problem is St Bernard is only allocated so much material as of now and they are displacing it where it is most likely going to make contact with the spill first.
That is until the winds shift any way.
As this weather keeps many boats away from the first line of defense which is open water and far too dangerous to attempt as of right now, I wish someone like President Billy Nungressor of Plaquemines parish or St Bernard parish president Craig Taffaro would consider placing the protective product on the interior passes that will absolutely be penetrated by the time weather is favorable for future deployment to the outside.
The passes south of Mozambique such as The pass to Four Horse Lake, Oak River ,Bayou Dominique and so on that will allow penetration of oil to the inner marsh could be protected as we sit with thousands of feet of boom laying on docks waiting for the weather to clear for deployment.
The passes north could be handled as well from this location like Bayou Robin, Bayou Batola, Bayou Grande and bottle bayou and so on.
I understand there is plenty of boom coming so why not take advantage of what we have NOW.
It will be inevitable this spill is here for a while and the winds will give us a small window of deployment from time to time on the outer banks but the interior can be accessed at ALL times.
We will most likely be unable to capture all the oil from the bays so why not get a head start on the prevention of the total destruction of the interior marsh while we have time.
Once the winds shift to the east it is going to be unstoppable in my opinion.
Yet Delacroix lays waiting for the first sign of help.
The federal govt. needs to quit talking about it while they are flying over in helicopters on tax payers expense when they have access to the world most powerful satellites at their finger tips and allow those of us who know this marsh to get the job done.
Quit waiting for a cleanup and help with the prevention of it instead!

Don’t send politicians on tours, send us man power and materials.

Delacroil Report!

Fishing close to New Oileans in the Big Greazy!!!

After trying to change my crews mind from hitting the water they made their mind up either they were going with or without me so Fred and his crew, Sean, David, and John jumped on board for an evening trip in 20+ kt winds as we headed out in search of some fish.
The siphon was running at nearly 8000 cfs and the winds from the west over twenty and the tide low to start with the odds were not in our favor.
Still we had a good time with David setting the hook on the first and only trout of the evening followed by a couple of drum and a ton of catfish every where we went.
The bite was as predicted but that didn’t keep the guys from having a good time discussing
job related issues relaxing and putting down a few beverages.
After cleaning out the trash bin I had enough empty aluminum cans to recycle into a good size flat boat!
As the guys wobbled back to the camp I figured they would show a little late for the next mornings trip.

Yesterday we met early at the dock and the guys were actually fired up and ready to go with the winds still stiff out the N/E we headed to an area where I thought they would have a chance at a few reds and maybe a trout or two and it didn’t take long before Fred was hooked up with a monster red that he fought for some time before putting her in the net that weighed out at 27 pounds.
After a couple of pictures the red released Fred unharmed to recover with a bottle of water and a short rest
Fred said it was his biggest to date which made me fell a little better .
John was hooked up with another monster that drug him around for a while then spit the hook!
As Sean kept the lanes clear by catching all the catfish and long tail flounder in the area John hooked up again but this time he landed a 17 pound black drum.
Once the winds settled to less than gale force we jumped over to a trout spot and Dave had the hot hand with about a dozen trout from 18 to 21″ hitting the box but it was late and the bite was at it’s end.
Managed a few nice drum in the 5# range that grill up just fine and Sean had to be back in NEW OILEANS so we headed back to the dock to clean up.
The trout were hitting the Motoroil colored plastics and the reds and drum were happy with a piece of dead shrimp.

Had a great time with the guys and they are ready for a rematch later this season.

Till next time …Take a trip and rip some lips!!

Smallcraft Pilgrim does it again!!

When Don Pilgrim books a trip you can bet the weather will be at disaster levels, Smallcraft advisories, Tornados,earth quakes, volcanic eruptions …you get the picture.
Well today was no different with the winds at 20+ at the dock this morning and not going was not an option for this gang.
Well Don, Dr. George, Levan and Ricky were eager to hit the waves especially Ricky wanting to try out his new rig a mean looking Zebco 808 on an ugly stick.
We headed to where I had been catching some trout lately and the wave action said FAGETABOUTIT!!!
George managed the first and only trout of the spot and the way things were looking I figured I would make it A raidfeesh day and get those lines stretched.
Jumped in a pond and before we were settled good Don was hooked up then George then Levan with reds going crazy all around us.
This was Levans first trip and after a few casting lessons he was swinging them with the rest of the guys.
Then we heard this NOISE unlike I had never heard before sort of a screeching, painful, agenizing sound similar to a cat with his privates caught in an electrical socket if you know what I mean and as we all looked to the back of the boat it was Ricky’s reel being delivered pain by a redfish that had no intention on being brought to the boat by that 808!
Well Ricky wore the fish down and after it hit the net I knew the guys were in for it for the rest of the day !!!
The action continued for a while but as the tide came to a stop so did the bite.
With a bunch in the box we made a run to check some other spots but it was one here and there kind of a bite with reds and Black drum doing the bidding.
Headed back in the same area where we started and on Don’s first cast it was on again with drags peeling and rods folded all around me.
George went to take a picture of Don and almost lost his rod in the process with a red as well as Ricky almost loosing his cell phone after a red slammed his bait while taking a call.
We were having a blast and not just from the wind .
Ricky’s 808 is now legend in Delacroix with people all over the island asking if anyone heard a weird noise coming from the marsh today???
Made it back with a dry but and after 5 minutes on the dock the heavens opened and it poured.
All in all although it was a little windy we had no gnats, didn’t get sunburn, beat the rain and caught a box full of fish and laughed our buts off all day.

Check out the photos on my website at www.castawaycharters.com as well as constant updates on the fishing as it continues to get better and better.

Till next time …Take a trip and rip some lips!

CASTAWAY CHARTERS
WWW.CASTAWAYCHARTERS.COM
DELACROIX ISLAND LA
504-451-7600 504-272-0550

Mirrolure day 1

Today capt Gerry jumped on board with me to go see if we could sniff out a few mirrorlure trout.
Headed towards the out side but the winds were getting stiffer by the second and the closer we got the worse it looked.
Headed towards Pt A lahache and shut down in a bay I normally find decent trout this time of year and nothing was happening but the gnats so we made another move and settled in a a decent bite with trout from 18″ to 22″ slamming the mirrolures trying to take the pole out our hands.
Den dem raid feesh crashed the party dragging us a round for a while with a few monsters but mostly all nice 25″ slots.
Wanted to keep two reds for the house and one of them swallowed the mirrorlure so he was nominated one of the two.
Needed a dozen trout for the house and although I like to keep the smaller ones there just wasn’t any under 20″ so what the hell I’ll just cut them in strips.

The winds picked up and dirtied up the water and the bite shut down so we made a move and settled in a pocket near Bay Lafourche and before I knew it Gerry was getting pulled around by another gold brute that had other ideas than coming to the boat for a while.
The winds got pretty stiff for a while so we checked a few spots on the way in catching a couple smaller trout here and there but the bite was already shut down .
The water in the marsh is clean right now with the east winds pushing cleaner water in.
Tide was falling in the morning but it quit early and started rolling in.
Water temp was 71 which is right there on the trigger.
After another week of this warmth with the falling tide in the morning look for these trout to bust loose.
Found the trout tailing schools of mullet over a shell bottom in less than three feet of water.
The catch 2000 in the mullet colors were doing well.

Took a photo of a few on the table and if you look you will see they are loading up with eggs already so it won’t be long now.

Till nxt time ….Take a trip and rip some lips!!!

CASTAWAY Charters
Capt Stan Cuquet
504-451-7600