TEAM JO-JO:
Oneofthepack and Grandsonoftehpack had been trying for weeks to sync up their schedules for a long-overdue fishing or crabbing trip. But as is often the case with busy schedules, especially for young ones like Grandsonoftehpack, aligning their plans proved elusive. Fortunately, Election Day finally offered that perfect window where both of them could make it happen. And to make the trip even better, Big Drew joined in, rounding out a solid, three-man crew for what promised to be a memorable day on the water.
Initially, the plan had been for a crabbing trip, a great way to haul in some good catches for a feast. But as any seasoned Delacroix Island adventurer knows, the weather can often have a mind of its own. Strong winds kicked up, putting a damper on those crabbing plans. Bay Flat Jr, while a reliable vessel for many tasks, just wasn’t the best choice for handling rougher conditions. Luckily, Bay Flat Sr was ready to take on the challenge, with enough grit and stability to brave tougher waters—especially down in Delacroix Island, which Oneofthepack fondly calls his “Disney World” for fishing and adventure.
With Bay Flat Sr prepared for whatever the day might throw at them, the crew switched gears, ready to make the most of their time. Delacroix is a well-loved playground for Team Jo-Jo, offering a treasure trove of fishing spots and beloved scenery. The winds may have stopped the crabs from coming home this time, but with Bay Flat Sr’s sturdy build and the collective experience of the crew, there were plenty of other adventures to be had.
For Oneofthepack, sharing a day like this with his grandson meant more than just a fishing trip; it was about bonding, passing down skills, and making memories that would last a lifetime. With Big Drew along as a solid companion, they were all set for a day of laughter, learning, and maybe even a few surprises out in the waters they know so well.
SIGNS:
· Had to deal with daylight saving time, moved meet up to 4AM, had to get up at 3 AM
· High winds kept us of water for a while.
· Passed on a trip to Lakeshore Estate due to high winds.
· Monday night card game proved to be a breakeven as me be fishing for $$
· Crew Big Willima & Big Drew meet me at Waffle House in Oak Harbor at 4 AM
· Breakfast then we on our way
· Saw (4) rabbits Monday night as me drove home, good sign this be!
· Not many boats on Hwy, gas stations, and/or boat launches
· No boast at Bayou Bienvenue, locks must be closed.
· Check point Alpha water level in canal at junction up 2.5’
· Check point Bravo water movement in Reggio canal tail end of rising tide!
· Reached the home of the Bay Flat Sr, 30 second safety speech re: crossing Hwy & open space around Bay Flat Sr & dock.
· Yamaha Dream Machine fired right up; she be a hot lady.
· Quick stop at Lionel for go juice, water over docks.
· Off to Team Jo-Jo spot # 51C to start our day of fun
CONDITIONS:
· Perfect
· Wind, S.E. 12-14, S.E. 18-22 mph.
· Water status / conditions: Ripples, light chop , heavy chop
· Sky, sunny & clear, one two clouds
· Temp, mild, warm, hot.
· Water level, up 2.4’ high 7.38’
· Water Temp , 78.8 F
· Salinity, 11…. High it be.
· Specific Conductance 18700…. High it be.
· Pressure, 29.98 R
· Water clarity on a scale of 1-7, 3 minus
· Mississippi gauge: 2.06’
· Caernarvon Outfall: 298 ft3/s
· Tide, falling all day.
· Peak tide, 03:20 H 1.64’
· Peak tide, 15:32 L 0.33’
· Major Feed Time: 14:09 / none
· Minor feed time: 09:41 / 19:37
· Tidal Coefficient: 61
· Fish Activity
· Average Activity
· Boats out and about, 4 boats
· ONEOFTHEPACK’S REPERTOIRE OF TECHNIQUES / STRATEGIES
· Be safe.
· Have fun.
· This is me daily therapy for ALL me aliments.
· Put some run time on the Bay Flat Sr and the Yamaha Dream Machine
· Gather Intel for future trips, and to share with fisherperson, (on Facebook) to help assist them in their choice of areas to fish, lures to use and presentation of same to the elusive Silverwonders.
· Catch what catch can.
· Learn what learn can.
· Interduce all that Delacroix has to offer to Big Drew & Team Jo-Jo’s techniques / presentations.
· Re-educate Big William on Delacroix and Team Jo-Jo fishing techniques & presentations!
· Big home dinner for the crew
· Find a spot # with the seven fundamentals / criteria of catching:
1 WIND AT YOUR BACK: (Winds were challenging, but we adjusted to actual conditions to reap our rewards.)
2 MOVING WATER: (Had plenty with huge current lines to fish, current lines too strong to set up on)
3 WATER CALRITY: (3 minus, not the best, but not the worst either)
4 HOLDING FISH: (Team Jo-Jo spot # 51K & 51C)
5 PATIENCES: (Second cast croaker tight lining, then it got slow until we started drifting over strike zones with popping corks. Had to drag a Cajun anchor behind us to slow us down some.)
6 SKILL: (Popping cork techniques / presentations)
7 LUCKS: (Gret time / memories with Grandsonoftehpack & Big Drew)
· Oneofthepack’s repertoire of Techniques / presentations:
· Anchor up cast & retrieve slowly along the bottom, with a twitch every now and then, tight lining…………………………………Nothing
· Drift with the wind cast & retrieve (DWWC&R)……………Popping corks caught all fish
· Oak River Troll (ORT)……………….Did not try.
· Reverse Oak River Troll (RORT) ………..DID NOT TRY
· Oak River Skim (ORS) ……………DID NOT TRY
· Cork ……..Did all the damage
· Lake P Troll (LPT)…………….Did not try.
· Drop shot: Did not try.
· Dead bait……None
· Live bait………………None
· Oneofthepack ‘S repertOIRE of LURE DU JOUR:
· 3” H&H Purple Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head with gold hook……………Did not try
· 3” Chartreuse Glow Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook………….Did not try
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook……………Did not try.
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 3/8 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 1/2 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY
· Salt Strong Power Prawn (added 10-25-24) matched up with: Did all the damage:
§ ¼ oz. jig head :
§ 3/8 oz. jig head :
§ Tandem Rig:
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with 3/4 oz. round lead head w/ 2 trailers, ……Did not try.
· Tandem rig, ¼ oz. round H&H jig head with gold hook, matched up with Matrix Shad Lemon Drop …..Did not try.
AREAS / SPOTS / NUMBERS ON THE MAP FISHED:
Team Jo-Jo spot # 51C, 51K (8)t, 51C (7)t, stopped fishing around 10:50 called it a day.
OUR REWARDS:
Lived to fish another day – the best reward of all, getting to do what we love and come back to tell the tale.
Catch of the day:
(14) Silverwonders and (7) Miniwonders
(3) Whitewonders
(1) Croaker
Encountered the GAR man – Got to catch up and even took a video of him working his magic, showing off his unique skill in cleaning those gars.
Breakfast at Waffle House – A hearty start to fuel the day.
Lunch at McDonald's – No better way to refuel after a morning on the water.
Memorable day with two of the finest fisherpersons I know – Big William and Big Drew made it a standout trip.
Time spent creating memories with Big William – The kind of day that goes beyond fishing, building memories for years to come.
Lessons Learned:
Big William still has the touch! His fishing skills are as sharp as ever.
Big Drew is a natural – his knack for fishing was clear from the get-go.
High winds? No problem down in Delacroix – learned to work with them and still get bites.
Daylight Saving Time adjustment paid off – the 4 AM meet-up was spot on, making for perfect timing all day.
Need to check gear – noted that (4) rods and reels need a tune-up; they’ve been unused for a bit.
Dual helmsmen on board – Big Drew and Big William took turns at the helm, steering Bay Flat Sr with ease.
Adapt to conditions – the high winds and strong currents required shifting to 3/8 oz. jig heads under the cork, which turned out to be the winning setup.
Lure of the day: Salt Strong Power Prawn – it pulled in fish when other lures couldn’t.
Technique of the day: letting the wind carry us across Lake John while casting popping corks turned out to be just right for these conditions.
Opportunities Missed (but noted for next time):
Big Rudy and Big Ronnie weren’t on board – those two are catching machines and might’ve helped push the numbers even higher.
No Fish Bites on board – Big Rudy and Big Ron swear by them, and we could’ve used a few more bites.
No Power Prawn with a yellow tail – another go-to lure for Big Ron and Big Rudy that we didn’t have this time.
Didn’t use tandem rigs – Big Ronnie’s specialty, especially effective in high winds.
Best fishing trip of my life... until the next one!
FISHERPERSON OF THE DAY:
Big Drew caught the first ne of the day, biggest one of the days, missed (3) NMR at boat, caught a couple, handle spinning rod & reel like he knew what he was doing, however fishing with lures may have had a impact on results. Big Drew got extra points for being persistent & staying with it even with all the wind we had to contend with. No honors for today, but my money be on Big Drew on our next trip.
Big William took awhile to get on the board, caught second biggest, had more action than most, tangled lines most, tangled reels most, had he stayed awake and alert he might have taken the honors today.
Oneofthepack was in a target rich environment, being vintage, having experience, me only took honors today, but me took the $0.25 bet we had on first fish. But me sure next time out these two will give me a run for me money for fisherperson of the day.
SUGGESTIONS:
Get the youngins on the water chasing Silverwonders, Redwarriors, and whatever other species that can make their day.
PONDER OF THE DAY:
“The pessimist sees catching difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees catching opportunity in every difficulty.”
Q&A:
On a scale from 1-10, how fishing tech-savvy are you?
TEAM JO-JO’S future stratagem:
Time to get fishing, from now to mid-June is catching time, so far only have (3) trips plan this month, may need some help in planning the other days left in November, let us know if you would like to ump on board for trip to our Dianey World known as Delacroix Island.
Good Fishing
Team Jo-Jo & Oneofthepack
釣り先生
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