We would fill our bucket with minnows for White Perch.  A cardboard cylinder of chirping crickets guaranteed a stringer full of Bream.  Night Crawlers packed with soil in an old ice cream container meant Large Mouth Bass was on the menu.  Lastly, a tub of the nastiest puree to ever come out of a blender; a combination of pig blood, old cheese, and rotted meat fished off the bottom of the pond on a big treble hook would have Catfish as big as me flopping around inside the boat in no time.

Every cast was filled with anticipation because there were only two outcomes, either you caught the fish or the fish took your bait.

Somewhere along the line artificial bait entered the picture and things were never the same.  I haven’t had to recapture an escaping cricket or wrestle a Shad out of a minnow bucket since before I learned to drive.  This changed on my last fishing trip to the coast.

As I planned my trip to Grand Isle, Louisiana during a time when the moon, tides, and wind were squarely against me; I had to turn to live bait to save the trip.  When the fish are biting they seem to bite anything.  A blade of sea grass or a plummeting piece of Gull poop might elicit an explosive, surface breeching strike.  When the fish are apathetic and sluggish you have to bring the good stuff.

At the marinas and roadside stalls along Louisiana’s highway 1 the good stuff is going to cost you .25 cents a piece for live shrimp, and a dollar a piece for Cocahoe or Croaker minnows.  This is where the casting net comes in.

There has been a casting net in the back of the truck for as long as I can remember.  It has sat in the corner in its original packaging just waiting for times to get hard enough for me to actually read the directions.  That casting net finally found the glory it was meant for.

Things didn’t start well.  I read half of the instructions, as I’m prone to do, and decided I would figure it out in a few throws.  The first cast looked more like a trapezoid than the perfect sphere I created in my mind.  As every weight on the net rattled off my head or wrist I was encouraged to revisit the instructions.  It seems I was holding the net upside down, inside out, and in the wrong hand.

The next cast took on kind of a half moon shape and only a third of the weights slapped my wrist.  I actually caught something though, two minnows and a nice sized shrimp.  I was in business.  My second throw with a casting net in my life and I had already netted 2 dollars and 25 cents.

Over the next 30 minutes I caught more than enough bait for the afternoon.  I had eliminated the middle man and taken a big step toward becoming a self-sufficient fisherman.  My spastic display also entertained a sizeable crowd at the dock, I love giving a little something back to the people.  I can’t wait to try the casting net for fresh water minnows as well.  Here’s to learning something new.

I’ve heard old fishermen talking about how good the fishing gets when the tides and moon are just right, but I always wrote that off as superstition and mumbo jumbo…I’ve learned it’s not.

The excitement and high expectations for the trip faded as it took 2 days of constant casting before I got my first keeper trout.  You don’t notice the true weight of your surf fishing setup until you’ve thrown and reeled your lure all morning and all afternoon with no bites.

I started talking to the fishing gurus back at the marina and they told me how just one week before people were lined up on the beach catching trout two at a time on double sparkle beetle jigs.  They said people were wading into the surf with a length of cotton twine and a chicken neck and catching laundry baskets full of fat blue crabs in a matter of hours.

At first I thought the fishing gurus were just delusional.  They were double fisting beers at 2 in the afternoon on a Tuesday after all.  These old captains were probably so drunk they didn’t know which island they were on.  As I listened to their slurred explanations about how the moon’s phase and position in the sky along with the difference in water level at high and low tides determined when the fish were moving and more importantly when they were eating, it all started making sense.

Here’s the situation as I understand it.  The best days for fishing are when there is a full or new moon.  The moon is having its greatest effect on the tides during these phases.  You want a big difference in high and low tide too.  The bigger the difference in the tides, the more water you have rolling in or going out.  Those large tides carry more bait fish, shrimp, and other introductory members of the food chain.  When the moon and tides are right the fish are feasting and that’s when you want to put your pole in the water.

Just like clockwork, as the moon started to grow in the sky and the tides got bigger the fishing just switched on, my excitement and expectations rose, and I committed to consulting the lunar and tidal calendars before any salt water fishing trip.

If you want a great resource for lunar and tidal information along the gulf coast check out Rodnreel.com.

I’m staying at a rental cabin on the bay side of Grand Isle.  There’s a nice pier off the back of the cabin so I’ll have easy access to the bay with my kayak.  I plan on carpet bombing the entire island with every bait and lure known to man before I’m done though.

This morning I started fishing the marshes skirting Caminada Bay.  The tide was coming in and I could see dolphins catching their morning meal as the sun started to rise.

I was fishing a Berkley Gulp artificial shrimp off the bottom.

These little fake shrimp were getting me some bites, but I didn’t catch any Speckled Trout of legal size.  I caught three 10 inchers and they all went back to grow some more.

The current was pushing me further into the marshes by mid morning; and the heat and lack of big trout forced me to come in for a water break.  My water break turned into brunch as I sliced up some Boudin sausage with saltines and Tabasco to restore my energy.

I’m going to watch my neighbors catch Blue Crabs off the pier for awhile before I get back to it.  I still have high hopes for a huge fish dinner tonight.

I’m preparing my fishing gear and assessing the state of my tackle because I’m leaving in a few days.

I never seem to get my gear cleaned properly after salt water fishing.  I rinse my reels and even give them a coating of oil after each trip, but I always lose one or two to the salt water.

I just tried spinning the handle on my lucky reel from last year and it feels like I’m cranking the handle on an old manual ice cream maker.  I opened it up to see if it could be saved, but all I see is rust and corrosion fusing the gears together.  There’s another reel for the memorial box with all of my other old salt water reels.  The only salvageable parts are the bale and the handle.  They go in the box with the other bales and handles I think I’m going to have use for one day.

I’m changing all my fishing line too.  Salt water makes fishing line as brittle as glass.  I forgot to do this last year and the first trout took my line and lure out to sea with a slight tug.  Nothing crushes the excitement of the first cast more than having to immediately re-spool your reel.

The last thing I do is survey the huge assortment of lures I’ve amassed.  I have a shiny collection of brass and chrome spoons.  I’ve also collected every type of glittery, beaded, and spinner equipped lure those Cajuns can come up with.  The old standby is the sparkle beetle though.  Tie a couple of these jigs onto a strong leader and you’ll be catching two trout at a time.

Sometimes I enjoy playing with my fishing gear as much as using it.

I’m going to hope my nightmare scenario never happens, but it’s good to have an escape plan. The cabin is far from the main roads, there is no Internet service, and no cell phone coverage.  It’s the perfect place when you really need to get away for awhile.

I spent a few days at the cabin recently. The wildlife encounters, beautiful sunsets, and amazing sounds make you feel more in tune with nature.

Click the little play triangle for a minute of "night time at the cabin" audio Zen. Night sounds at the cabin

The lake at the cabin always provides fish when I need them.  This lake is rarely fished, and a big purple worm dragged along the bottom is a temptation the bass just can’t resist.  I took the opportunity to add some largemouth bass to my freezer.  Have you seen fish prices at the grocery lately?

I put some more pictures of my trip to the cabin in this photo gallery .

I decided to pay a close visit to the Rookery in my kayak, and the scene it just crazy.  Flight after flight of birds arrive and depart as they look for food and building materials.

As I watched an Egret swooped down 15 feet from me and pulled a lily pad stalk from the water and flew back up to cram it into the side of a nearly complete nest.

The smell is the kind of thing that has to be experienced to believe.  It was like a million poorly cleaned bird cages combined with a hint of Indian food.

The smell would have to discourage all but the most determined predator from getting to close.  That being said, there were a few Alligators hanging around in the cypress knees just waiting for some bird to linger at the water line a bit too long.

The water was coated with what could only be used bird food.  To the fish it was dinner though.  Fish were nibbling and gulping down gobs of the stuff everywhere I looked.  The food chain was in overdrive in the Rookery.

It was really something to see so many birds and so many species all in one place.  There were Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons and White Ibises.  I’m no professional bird watcher but identifying so many different birds gave me a feeling of accomplishment.

Despite the assault on the senses the Rookery is a must see.  This is the kind of wildlife viewing opportunity that makes the Noxubee Refuge so special.

I try not to put money in someone else’s pocket when I can do the work myself though.  This is an easy DIY project that gives you multiple rod holders and an convenient storage tote for all your fishing gear.  Best of all it only costs you a few bucks or a few hours scrounging for materials.

Low cost or scroungeable materials needed:

1. An old milk crate – There is one of these in everyone’s basement.  I think they come with the house.  If you don’t have a basement, your local grocer is your best source.  I bought an extra crate from the grocery for $2.00.
2. 2 inch diameter PVC pipe – I had some of this laying around too, but a 6 foot section of this was $3.00 at the hardware store.
3. Zip ties – Get a big package of these.  The more zip ties the more stable your box will be.

Just cut your PVC pipe into lengths that fit flush with the top edge of your milk crate.  Next zip tie as many of the pieces of pipe to the inside corners and sides of your milk crate as you like.  The 2 inch diameter will accommodate your fishing rods, net handle, or even an umbrella for a little shade.

On the next version of my fishing box I’m going to have two of the pipe pieces placed at an angle so my rods aren’t pointed straight up.  Fishing under a low hanging branch and hearing your rod tips crunch and crackle is about as fun as leaving your antenna up in the car wash.

Just as I was lifting the kayak off the top of the Jeep I noticed a creature I’ve been waiting to see.  With a huge log-like body, long tail, and gapping mouth it was Alligator mississippiensis. The problem was this 8 foot predator was hovering 40 feet off the boat launch.

The other boaters with their high-sided aluminum and fiberglass watercraft weren’t paying the dinosaur much attention.  I was going to be a little bit closer to the action in my sit-on-top kayak.

As I slid my kayak into the lake it was obvious the Alligator’s head sat higher in the water than the top of my bow.  This put all sorts of lovely images of the gator’s mouth chomping on the bow of my kayak in my head.  Or maybe he would just swim along side and give me a playful bump; sending me into the drink with him.

All of this is just irrational fear though and perfectly normal, in fact healthy, when a human being comes in close contact with an animal that could make a meal of him.

There have been no incidence of an alligator attacking a person in the Noxubee Refuge.  No one attempts to feed them, so they maintain their fear of us.  In fact, the commotion of me putting my kayak in and banging my paddle against its roto-molded hull a few times sent the gator on a path straight out of the area.

Spotting an Alligator in the Noxubee Refuge is really a treat.  They are extremely rare this far from the coast.  There are many people who drive for hours just for the chance to see and photograph the gators.  This was my first glimpse, and it was extra special because it was such a close encounter.

Moments like this make me want to invest in better photo equipment.  Digital zoom just doesn’t do this guy justice.

The Beaver Dam Trail follows the flow of Oktoc Creek as it winds through a beautiful hardwood forest.  Along with the ever present waterfowl I saw quite a few forest dwellers too.  I saw two white tail deer as they drank from the creek.  Their coats were in full red summer coloration.  My presence was detected quickly and they didn’t stay long.

A little further down I spotted a Turkey hen and her chick moving through the ground cover.  As I got closer the chick disappeared into the undergrowth and the hen flew up into an oak tree.  She made quite a commotion as she flew from tree to ground and back again.  Her behavior was obviously designed to lead me away from her chick.

My footfalls were always too loud and my camera too slow to get many wildlife shots though.  I really need to work on my stalking technique.  My dry leather hiking boots were squeaking like an old mattress too, I need to get some boot conditioner on them ASAP.

The trail is in good condition and the terrain relatively flat.  This would be a great place for a trail run.  There are several short side trails that lead to some nice picture opportunities along Oktoc creek as well.

I ended up wandering around on the Beaver Dam Trail for an hour and a half and enjoyed it thoroughly.

There are many more pictures of the Beaver Dam Trail in the photo gallery.

The Manta Ray is so maneuverable I was able to put every cast just where I wanted it.

The groove down the sides of the kayak that keeps your paddle tucked snuggly out of the way when not in use is just amazing. When I used to fish from a sit inside kayak my paddle would roll around on top like it had wheels.  Any fish strike meant the paddle was instantly ejected into the water.  I wrestled these big bass around the lily pads and my paddle didn’t budge from its station.

This was easily the hottest day in my part of the south so far.  It was so hot I could see the water evaporating from this rural Mississippi pond.  The fish had all the shade they wanted underneath the lily pads though…I wish there had been just a little for me.  I went through a whole can of that Coppertone Sport aerosol stuff.

If you want more pictures they’re in the photo gallery.