Note: In the story that follows, notice that I say “before ,” not “right up to” or “at the last minute” or “during” the hurricane.  I know outdoorsmen; I know fishermen.  And some of you will “take a chance” just to get in on a little of the “last minute” fishing action before the storm hits.  Read my lips. . .don’t do it!  It’s a dangerous gamble!

Now, having said that, if you got the right size boat, and you can get into some protected waters, and if you’re committed to being safely back home (or evacuating!) long before the first sign of Gustav’s approach, then you can catch fish during one of their most biologically active feeding cycles.

Historically, old timers used to say, “If you really want the fishing to pick up, you need a small hurricane to some through.”   According to ichthyologists the mantra makes loads of sense.  Here’s why:

Winds blowing out of the Gulf of Mexico always push clean, green, gulf water onto the coastline and into the tidal marshes.  It’s like a breath of fresh air, so to speak, to all the fish occupying those rejuvenated spots.  Salinity gets back to where it ought to be and oxygen content spikes, which are both beneficial to the fish and the environment.

Then, along with the clean, green water comes a fresh influx of game fish species, pushed ahead of the surging water.  I guess you could say it’s “Mother Nature’s Restocking Program.”  Oh—and her program includes not only game fish but the bait fish they feed on as well.

So that tells you there are fish to be caught prior to a storm that possibly weren’t there before the storm became a reality.  If that truly is the case, then were should you fish I bet you ask. 

You fish structure at such places as Chef Menteur, the Rigolets, and the L&N Train Trestle in Rigolets Pass.

You fish canals and ponds at Golden Meadow, Delacroix Island, Hopedale, Shell Beach, Caminada, and Barataria. 

You fish flats and oyster reefs where two or more waterways converge, much like you find below Cocodrie and Dulac. 

And you fish some of your favorite spots, the ones we all know you won’t share with us!

Finally, if for some reason—or because of a judgment call on your part to ensure safety—you can’t get out before the storm, well. . . you can fish after the storm too, often with equally good success. 

But in the end, remember it’s never smart to “take any chances.”  One thing about being a sportsman in Louisiana, whether before or after the “weather” the fish will always be there.  You want to make certain that you will be too.