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

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.

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!!

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

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

After having to reschedule my guests Roger and Ben a couple of times from months back due to flash flood warnings and tropical depressions and such the guys were ready to take a shot at it yesterday which I did everything but put a gun to their heads asking them not to waste the day under the conditions we have at the island right now.
But they would not take no for an answer and were ready to give it a shot anyway.
Well we met up at the dock with the winds from the N/W at 40 degrees and blowing hard and every body looked like terrorists with face mask and body armor protecting us from the cold.
If nothing else I figured the reds would be happy to see us but once at the spot where I have been hammering them lately we were met with white caps and filthy water .
Roger Achmed Redkeeler managed one nice 27″ hostage but that was all that was coming out till the winds blew us away.
Figured what the hell and headed our camel towards the promise land in search of some trout and with every stop found low dirty water from the siphon.
Roger Achmed Redkeeler managed another 26″hostage and Ben Abdul Meestum started looking to see if he was shooting blanks being down two to zip.
Made a trek across the baron desert looking for cleaner sand in the twin and all points were taken.
After hitting all the likely winter holes for the trout with no luck we headed back to the hunt for the reds and Roger Achmed Redkeeler mad a cast that landed three feet from the boat and after saying he has a tangle in his line it took off with another 27″ slab for the grill.
By this time Ben was checking his scope to see if he was off target and then Roger set the hook on another one that managed to escape with Redkeeler’s bullet still in him.
Switching guns Roger quickly put the nail in the coffin with one more for his harem after they exhausted all the blue cans in the cooler they surrendered under the conditions they could get some more beer and warm up!
Although the conditions were not in our favor we had a great time and they were able to put four nice reds for the grill and learn a lot of the area and will return to do it again in the spring.
It’s tough enough to fish on a full moon but fishing the month of the blue moon can bee even tougher especially in the winter behind a front.
Looks like those hitting the evening trips with the moon rising are finding better luck than the morning bite.
The high river and strong west winds are bringing the river water from the siphon to the east so the best bets would be Lake John and east of the twin, The Lake Robin and Lake Amadee and areas that are less affected by the siphon.

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

Castaway Charters
Capt Stan Cuquet
www.castawaycharters.com

Morning started off slow with dirty water every where and absolutely no tide.
Melanie hooked up first with a trout and shut the macho talk down a little but it seemed the trout were not going to be a big hit.
Don set the hook on what we all thought was a nice Red Fish till it got close enough to the boat and realized it was a big trout and before I could get to the net Donwiser tried lifting the mule up over the gunnel and we all watched the LIP RIP before it was in the boat as it just kinda winked at us and slowly swam away.
It was par for the corse with Don missing the majority of the strikes all morning…as usual!!!
Of corse I got the blame for that one but if I would not have been getting him another blue can I would have been able to get to the net..
Well as the day went that fish grew and I’m sure by now it wouldn’t have even fit in the net so it don’t matter anyway!!!
Well we all decided since I have been on a killer redfish bite lets head to the honey hole and have some fun.
Melanie didn’t like the sound of that but she was game and a trooper and said lets do it.
Pulled in to a shoreline and drifted for all of thirty seconds and before I could get set up Don then Chris then Melanie was hooked up with beautiful 25 to 28″ reds.
The boat was all smiles with Chris putting a nice 25″ in the net and Melanie with the duplicate and Don….well his got off!!
This continued till we had a four man limit in the box which was a problem trying to put one in cause two would jump out in the process.
It seemed every time I looked up Melanie was hooked up with the rod folded over with the cell phone in her ear and a big smile on her face.
Chris was looking like Morgus the Magnificent brewing up another concoction and Don was setting the hook using his new secret lure the green squiggley thingamagig…..!
Before all was said and done we kept 20 Reds ,released as many and MISSED as many and I for one had a BLAST !
The jokes were flying and Melanie was right in the mix slinging them out as well.
It was Melanie’s first time on board and she is making plans to return with some of her family to do it again.
As always with Don and Chris It’ not like being with clients but fishing with friends.
When the tide returns the trout bite will be awesome wit hthe trout dropping bown in the deep holes and feeding up like usual.

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

Met Les Ager and his son Forrest from Ga. at the dock for seven this morning and they were ready for some red fish action.
Not wanting any trout and only keeping enough for the table they were ready for some catch and release and to learn a few spots for the G P S .
Only problem was we only made one stop near Oak River and the Pencil and the guys were folding the rods over with red after red all from 18″ to 28″ as fast as they could get the lines in the water.
Yesterday the wind was pushing the bait against the shoreline and today the winds were dead calm and it started out a little slower and only catching and releasing about thirty reds before the bite slowed down.
At first the fish were real sluggish and after they would hit the lure they would just sit there till you set the hook and woke them up.
After the water warmed up a few degrees and the slightest of a breeze showed up the bite got more aggressive and there was no need for setting the hook cause they would do it for you on the initial strike which started round two.
Forrest being thirteen years old was hammering the reds like a seasoned pro.
Les was having his hands full keeping up with him at one point.
After the second wave kicked in it was getting nuts for a while with reds coming at me from every direction.
I don’t think there were too many times when one or the other wasn’t hooked up all morning.
After it was time to head in and meet Momma at the dock I told the guys they could catch one more each and we would call it quits and Forrest struck first , then second and actually caught another limit and before I knew it they released another dozen before I could get packed up.
I had a ball with the guys and look forward to the next trip.
The majority of the reds were out a mold and all were right at 26″ but if you moved thirty yards away the fish shrunk to 18 to 21″.
All the fish were caught using a chartreuse Flurry on a 3/8 Body Smasher Jig head 2′ under a cork in three feet of water.
Don’t know exactly how many they caught and released but I would feel safe in guessing well over fifty or better.
Thanks Les for letting me enjoy the trip with ya’ll.
Im guessing Forrest will have a lot to tell his friends back in Georgia when he gets home.

Till next time ….Take a trip and rip some lips!!!
CASTAWAY CHARTERS
CAPT STAN CUQUET
DELACROIX ISLAND LA
504-272-0550 504-451-7600

SA-LAMED DEM RAIDS TUDAIE !!!!

Left the house a little after seven this morning with Capt Gerry to go check a few red fish spots for tomorrow’s guests since they are no more interested in Trout than Tiger woods is interested in boxing lessons for his wife!!!
Headed down the Pipeline towards Oak River and checked the area near Batola and found dirty water where I normally do well this time of year and headed off to the other side of the lake and noticed some Pelicans working the shoreline and drifted the shoreline till the first drag started singing with a nice slot red on the other end.
Stuck the power pole and began putting reds in the boat on every cast from 20″ to 27″.
It got plain nuts using a Hybrid Flurry two feet under a cork on a 3/8 Body Basher jig head and barely working it and mostly letting the wave action do the job.
After mauling them for a little while we eased up the anchor and drifted to a cove where the wind was pushing the bait against the shore and started it all over again.
We were having a blast with rods folded on every cast faster than most people catch trout but with a lot stronger battle on the other end.
At one point the reds tore my Flurry off the jig head so I figured what the heck and cast back out with a bare hook and Yep… another seven pounder in about ten seconds.
All we could was laugh and do it again with back to back bronze bruisers coming in and only using a bare Body Basher Jig Head for bait!!!!
After catching and releasing about FAWTY OR SO we gave them a break and moved to another
spot to check it out on the way in.
All the reds were released unharmed to fight another day and Capt Gerry was starting to complain about a sore arm so we left them alone and headed in.
Noticed some boats catching a few trout drifting in the middle of the lake near the pencil so it looks like things are as usual in Delacroix …..HOT !!!!

Till next time ….Take a trip and rip some lips!!!
Castaway Charters
Delacroix Island LA
WWW.CASTAWAYCHARTERS.COM
504-272-0550 504-451-7600

Yesterday I had Lonie and Barry on board to rip some more lips.
They just made a trip last week and limited out on nice specks and wanted to do it again.
Today Lonie wanted to catch a bull trout after getting his limit so we set sail and settled in the first spot and there was no tide to get things started so we made a short move and got on a quick bite with Lonie and Barry both swinging trout over the gunnel at a steady pace.
Although there were some nice ones in the mix the fish were smaller than the day before with a bunch of 12 fish in the mix that we were throwing back.
After the bite slowed the clicker was on 25 in the gloo so we made another jump and started putting a few at each spot till they both had their limit.
Went looking for the bigger trout so Lonie could get his Bull Trout and fished a drop off and after putting a few decent trout in the boat Lonie set the hook on one that had him folded over and pulling for all it was worth till Lonie got it to the surface and before it could reach the net it was all over but the crying.
Lonie says it was the Bull Trout he was looking for, Barry said it was a drum and I think it was a stingray but the fish will get a lot bigger before he gets home I’m sure.
The guys caught a bunch of drum and a few reds but the bigger trout were elusive due to the lack of tide movement but still managed to keep all trout from 13 to 17 tossing a gang of 12 trout back to grow up to be bull trout
Called it a day and headed in with their limit of trout and had a great time as always.

Till next time ….Take a trip and rip some lips
Castaway Charters
Delacroix Island La
www.castawaycharters.com