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The Daily Review Outdoor Writer John Flores, left, with Captain Bill Lake with two good deepwater redfish caught during the dog days of August. (Submitted Photo/Courtesy of John K. Flores)

Go deep for dog day redfish

There was no plan B. I knew we’d catch.
By JOHN K. FLORES Outdoor Columnist "gowiththeflo"

The months of July and August are brutal when it comes to temperature and humidity. From mid-morning until late afternoon, doing any type of work or recreational activity outside requires some form of protection. That’s just the facts.
The same holds true for fish. South of St. Mary Parish along the coastline are vast tracts of marsh in places like Point Au Fer, Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area and Marsh Island where the shallow waters get hot, ultimately pushing game fish into deeper water, where they are more comfortable. Here is where anglers can take advantage of the heat.
One of the first times I experienced this was on a trip with local outfitter Ivy St. Romain, who also is owner and operator of Ivy’s Tackle Box in Morgan City.
We made the long trip down river across Four League Bay to Point Au Fer Island and wound up anchoring in Oyster Bayou.
There were several other boats also anchored practically end-to-end along the bayou that runs north to south. We squeezed in among the anglers, and St. Romain set us up with a 4-ounce weight and 4/0 circle hook tied with a snell knot.
Piercing a piece of cracked crab through one of the leg knuckles, we dropped the whole thing over the side and reeled up the slack. It was pretty boring at first, especially while watching a couple anglers in those other boats hook onto some really nice bull reds. But, we bided our time and soon we had our own fish.
We were fishing in 28 to 30 feet of water along the edge of the drop off. With folks catching up and down the bayou that runs from Four League Bay to the open Gulf, it must have looked like a freeway of hungry fish down below. We caught both redfish and black drum.
Two weeks ago, Captain Bill Lake, owner/operator of Bayou Guide Service, had us arriving at his camp before 5 a.m. to make a long boat ride to Big Blue Hammock Bayou near Four League Bay. The trip happened to be part of a media excursion while attending the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association’s annual conference in Houma.
These kinds of outings are special. There’s a lot of camaraderie, catching up and ribbing one another that goes on when a bunch of outdoor communicators get together. But, there’s also a serious side to outdoor types, especially when fish are biting.
And biting they were.
In just two hours, all five anglers in our boat had limits of redfish, and we left them biting. We simply dropped our lines over the side of the boat and let the cracked crab entice the bite.
I asked Lake what was plan B had we not caught in the spot we were anchored. With a serious look, Lake said, “There was no plan B. I knew we’d catch.”
I replied, “But what if it was slow?”
Lake said, “John, we have 15 to 18 holes just like this one we fish. We’d have gone to a different hole.”
Reports coming from the west side of St. Mary Parish have been similar during the month of August. Anglers fishing deeper water have been successful catching limits of red fish when the tide is falling. The trick is finding the holes.
Unfortunately, unless you have a real good friend who is willing to share GPS coordinates, you’re on your own.
However, one of the best tools I’ve come across that helps take some of the guess work out of learning a region is “Hook-N-Line” Bay Fishing Maps. The Hook-N-Line maps provide GPS coordinates, water depth, structures, reef information and much more. And though I have a Garmin GPS on my boat, I use the HNL map to provide me with a destination point in my float plan. If I catch, I’ve got tracks from my Garmin to lead me to the exact spot next trip.
The next week or two promises to be really hot with highs this coming weekend above 95. If you’re planning to fish somewhere, you might want to consider finding some deep water. That’s where I’ll be, with a piece of cracked crab on the bottom of some deep hole.
For those interested in booking a trip with Lake, he can be reached by calling 985-851-6015 or 985-637-3712 or visit www.CAPTLAKE.com.
If you wish to make a comment or have an anecdote, recipe or story to share, you can contact John K. Flores at 985-395-5586 or gowiththeflo@cox.net or visit www.gowiththeflooutdoors.com.

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