Qatar on the Bayou

[Grizo406]

*BAM..!


What say you Western Anglers...
Swamp bottom Catfish and Muddy Carp by the ton
or pristine blue streams and sparse rainbow trout

This "Western Angler" will take the latter.

Since 1969, my favorite place to fish has always been Lolo Creek. In that time frame, I've only been there twice that I didn't catch anything. I've only kept ONE fish that I caught during that time, and it was a gorgeous, Western Slope Cutthroat that's hangin' on my wall.

In the not too distant future, my fishing habits are going to change.

I'll be fishing the "flats" in Florida.

[YoUDeeMan]

Fishing pristine mountain lakes, rivers and streams>>>>>>>>> fishing swamps and muddy ponds.

I was looking in the gin clear waters of a low land lake today and contemplating the life forms. Trout, various minnow species, crawdads, snakes, frogs, turtles, leaches, damselflies, dragon flies, mayflies, caddis, chironomids, water boatmen, scuds, snails...

I'm not impressed.

I'd say the East Coast, especially the cities, has FAR more leaches per square mile than anywhere in the state of Washington.

And our local pool, before opening each year, has a boatload of boatman, frogs, and other life...and other, er, not life, such as dead squirrels, cats, and other vermin.

[YoUDeeMan]

*BAM..!


What say you Western Anglers...
Swamp bottom Catfish and Muddy Carp by the ton
or pristine blue streams and sparse rainbow trout

This "Western Angler" will take the latter.

Since 1969, my favorite place to fish has always been Lolo Creek. In that time frame, I've only been there twice that I didn't catch anything. I've only kept ONE fish that I caught during that time, and it was a gorgeous, Western Slope Cutthroat that's hangin' on my wall.

In the not too distant future, my fishing habits are going to change.

I'll be fishing the "flats" in Florida.

Don't worry, most of those, "flats" will eventually get boob jobs if you keep pointing out their deficiencies.

[kalm]

I was looking in the gin clear waters of a low land lake today and contemplating the life forms. Trout, various minnow species, crawdads, snakes, frogs, turtles, leaches, damselflies, dragon flies, mayflies, caddis, chironomids, water boatmen, scuds, snails...

I'm not impressed.

I'd say the East Coast, especially the cities, has FAR more leaches per square mile than anywhere in the state of Washington.

And our local pool, before opening each year, has a boatload of boatman, frogs, and other life...and other, er, not life, such as dead squirrels, cats, and other vermin.

My point being...no dead bodies...also Anacostia...

[JohnStOnge]

*BAM..!


What say you Western Anglers...
Swamp bottom Catfish and Muddy Carp by the ton
or pristine blue streams and sparse rainbow trout

Some might say that catfish taste better than rainbow trout do and nobody fishes for carp. If you like fishing for rainbow trout that's fine. And there are no rainbow trout in Louisiana except for when they stock ponds temporarily with them. But there are all sorts of fish to catch.

I was thinking about Lake Charles earlier since my home town was mentioned in the article. It really is located in a great place if you like fishing and fishing for fish that are good table fare. It's got both great freshwater and great saltwater fishing nearby. You can go to places like the Big Burns or Lacassine Refuge for bass or panfish like crappie, bluegill, red eared sunfish, and warmouth and load up. And yes there are plenty of catfish places around. Calcasieu River is also very good for all that stuff. With a little bit more of a drive you can go to Toledo Bend reservoir and really load up.

If you like inshore saltwater you can go to Calcasieu Lake and load up on spotted seatrout, red drum, and/or flounder. If you like offshore you can go for things like red snapper, tripletail, cobia, tuna, etc., etc., etc.

To me it's going to be pretty hard to find a better place in the United States in terms of access to fishing in general than Lake Charles, Louisiana, area. Maybe some as good. But not too many if any that are better. Of course it's not where you want to go if you want to catch rainbow trout. But if you're where you're going to catch rainbow trout there are all KINDS of things you can catch around Lake Charles that you're not going to be catching. You have all kinds of options with all kinds of species, many of which are very good table fare, in the immediate area and the action is really, really good. If you have any idea as to what you're doing you will catch a LOT of fish.

[kalm]

*BAM..!


What say you Western Anglers...
Swamp bottom Catfish and Muddy Carp by the ton
or pristine blue streams and sparse rainbow trout

Some might say that catfish taste better than rainbow trout do and nobody fishes for carp. If you like fishing for rainbow trout that's fine. And there are no rainbow trout in Louisiana except for when they stock ponds temporarily with them. But there are all sorts of fish to catch.

I was thinking about Lake Charles earlier since my home town was mentioned in the article. It really is located in a great place if you like fishing and fishing for fish that are good table fare. It's got both great freshwater and great saltwater fishing nearby. You can go to places like the Big Burns or Lacassine Refuge for bass or panfish like crappie, bluegill, red eared sunfish, and warmouth and load up. And yes there are plenty of catfish places around. Calcasieu River is also very good for all that stuff. With a little bit more of a drive you can go to Toledo Bend reservoir and really load up.

If you like inshore saltwater you can go to Calcasieu Lake and load up on spotted seatrout, red drum, and/or flounder. If you like offshore you can go for things like red snapper, tripletail, cobia, tuna, etc., etc., etc.

To me it's going to be pretty hard to find a better place in the United States in terms of access to fishing in general than Lake Charles, Louisiana, area. Maybe some as good. But not too many if any that are better. Of course it's not where you want to go if you want to catch rainbow trout. But if you're where you're going to catch rainbow trout there are all KINDS of things you can catch around Lake Charles that you're not going to be catching. You have all kinds of options with all kinds of species, many of which are very good table fare, in the immediate area and the action is really, really good. If you have any idea as to what you're doing you will catch a LOT of fish.

Jesus John, I'm sure it's nice but to say it's better than anywhere else is Most of your freshwater species can be caught up here too. I know of several lakes within 10 miles of me where you can load up the cooler with perch, catfish, crappie, blue gill, and bass. You can also catch trout out of most of these, and in one you can target tiger muskies. Go a little further and you can get into great walleye fisheries. Walleye is one of the best tasting fish around.

Go over to the west side and you can fish freshwater Lake Washington alone and catch three species of pacific salmon - chinook, coho, and sockeye as well as cutthroat, trout rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, brown bullheads, yellow perch, and pumpkinseed sunfish.

5 miles away is puget sound where you can get into a number of flounder, halibut and sole species, ling cod, grouper, various species of rock fish and sea bass, striped perch, sharks, true cod, snapper, cabezon, greenling, hake, sturgeon, squid, pollock, sea run cutthroat, steelhead, dolly varden all five species of pacific salmon.

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

You only catch 1000 a year?



I have on multiple occasions caught 250 in a weekend. (that is a very conservative 250) it gets to the point it's not fun anymore so we would start spearing the "cruisers" at the edge of the lake and we have even tried snares and .44magnums.

That is just at one lake we backpack to, If I had to guess about the number I catch in the summer. I would say 150-200 a month.

Remember, when the F&G calls and asks about numbers of fish and animals harvested hunting, if I am being polite I tell them it's none of their business, if they call back I hang up. Fu*k the F&G.

[Chizzang]

Remember, when the F&G calls and asks about numbers of fish and animals harvested hunting, if I am being polite I tell them it's none of their business, if they call back I hang up. Fu*k the F&G.

[JohnStOnge]

Jesus John, I'm sure it's nice but to say it's better than anywhere else

I said not too many if any that are better. Thinking about it again makes me wax nostalgic. I grew up in Lake Charles, moved the Georgia for a few years, and now live in the Baton Rouge area. Fishing is pretty good around here too, but not like Lake Charles. You can literally launch in the Lake Charles metro area and, with the right boat for the type of fishing you're doing, be in reasonable running range of excellent fishing for all sorts of freshwater, inshore saltwater, and offshore saltwater species.

And Washington State is just nowhere near Louisiana in terms of fishery productivity. It's just not. If you don't believe me ask a local biologist. He might not be happy about it but if he's honest he'll have to say it's true.

Unfortunately Washington State isn't in the NMFS recreational fishery statistics but in commercial fisheries for the latest year available (2012) Louisiana had more than 4 times the landings as Washington State did in spite of having a shorter coastline. There's just no way Washington State has the environmental productivity fishery wise per unit area as Louisiana does. And that's also the conclusion you'd come to just looking at the environments themselves.

[JohnStOnge]

I have on multiple occasions caught 250 in a weekend. (that is a very conservative 250)

Then you need to start reporting in the "Fishing Stories" thread. Regardless, I said "more than 1,000 because beyond that I don't know.

Look, if what you're talking about is Montana there is no way Montana compares to Louisiana in terms of overall recreational fishery productivity. It's not even in the discussion.

If you want to say it has pretty scenery and enjoyable environments, fine. But comparing it to Louisiana in terms of fishery productivity is laughable. It's like comparing Shirley Temple to Jim Brown as NFL running backs.

[bandl]

Sorry, but catching 250 fish in one weekend sounds like one of the most boring things you could ever do besides going to see jack Johnson or James Taylor in concert. To each his own, but fuck that.

[bandl]

I have on multiple occasions caught 250 in a weekend. (that is a very conservative 250)

Then you need to start reporting in the "Fishing Stories" thread. Regardless, I said "more than 1,000 because beyond that I don't know.

Look, if what you're talking about is Montana there is no way Montana compares to Louisiana in terms of overall recreational fishery productivity. It's not even in the discussion.

If you want to say it has pretty scenery and enjoyable environments, fine. But comparing it to Louisiana in terms of fishery productivity is laughable. It's like comparing Shirley Temple to Jim Brown as NFL running backs.

Cue SH on the merits of women as running backs

[kalm]

Jesus John, I'm sure it's nice but to say it's better than anywhere else

I said not too many if any that are better. Thinking about it again makes me wax nostalgic. I grew up in Lake Charles, moved the Georgia for a few years, and now live in the Baton Rouge area. Fishing is pretty good around here too, but not like Lake Charles. You can literally launch in the Lake Charles metro area and, with the right boat for the type of fishing you're doing, be in reasonable running range of excellent fishing for all sorts of freshwater, inshore saltwater, and offshore saltwater species.

And Washington State is just nowhere near Louisiana in terms of fishery productivity. It's just not. If you don't believe me ask a local biologist. He might not be happy about it but if he's honest he'll have to say it's true.

Unfortunately Washington State isn't in the NMFS recreational fishery statistics but in commercial fisheries for the latest year available (2012) Louisiana had more than 4 times the landings as Washington State did in spite of having a shorter coastline. There's just no way Washington State has the environmental productivity fishery wise per unit area as Louisiana does. And that's also the conclusion you'd come to just looking at the environments themselves.

So now were comparing commercial fisheries to prove your point?

I can drive 20 minutes from my house and catch as many crappie, catfish, and bass as you can. I can fish the tidal flats off my mom's place on Puget Sound and catch as many bottom fish. I can't catch reds, spotted trout, and snook, and you can't catch native red and rainbows, west slope cutts, brookies, walleye, browns, grayling, whitefish, burbot, bull trout, dolly vardens, steelhead, sea run cutts, and five species of salmon.