December 31, 2013 report

We have not been out fishing during the Christmas holiday, and the Venice area has been a ghost town with few people fishing. There has been some duck hunters out, but not many. Everyone is doing the Christmas thing, and laying low while getting ready for 2014. Folks are preparing to sign up for Obama Care, or whatever. I have been keeping up with Phil Robertson thing with the Duck Dynasty controversy. Glad that is done. Why there was a controversy to begin with is stupid. The man just gave his opinion. The Saints are in the playoffs. LSU plays Iowa tomorrow. The news said not many LSU fans are going to that game, because it is not one of the top bowl games. You can’t get spoiled every season. It will most likely be a good game. I will start back to fishing next week with some folks from Pennsylvania who want to target the big Redfish. Having not been on the water a few days does not affect my strategy for going after the fish. I will look at the weather starting a few days ahead of time, and figure out where I can fish. Go to the area and start looking for them, as usual. I bet the Redfish will hit the same lures in 2014 as they did in 2013. I will also bet that the Redfish will be roaming around and not staying in one spot in 2014, just as they did in 2013 and all the years before. I don’t plan on getting in a hurry to order new lures that electronically rattle and light up under water and work wonders on the fish.

2013 has been a good year for us at Fish On Guide Service. I guided quite a bit this year and only had five days that we did not do good, at all. Some days we had slow mornings, but made up for them in the afternoons. Sometimes, I can have a tough day. I am sorry about a tough day and will try to correct the problem, to get the best of it and learn. I always recommend fishing multiple days if someone is traveling a long way to fish down here due to the fact the conditions might be tough, but also so that you can have so much fun catching fish day after day. We had a great fall in 2013 fishing for the Big Redfish (thousands of 15-25 lb. Redfish October through December ). We also caught many school Speckled Trout for the ice chest. The Spring and Summer months of 2013 were actually better for the big Redfish than the fall. We caught just as many fish earlier in the year, but we had more Bull Redfish over 30 lbs. and some over 40 lbs. It all changes all the time. Some people think the fishing in the fall is better because the water is generally clearer due to the Mississippi River being low. It is better for Specks, but the big Redfish don’t care what time of year it is, and they don’t leave the area.  They are native to the area and due to the fact that there is plenty of bait for them to feed on. We just have to find out where they are located on a daily basis. I don’t know the best time to come down here fishing for the Redfish, because you can have a good day any month of the year. January and February are the toughest months due to cold strong winds, but 18 to 20 days out of these months can be some terrific fishing. If you have the time to come down these months, and can’t make it any other time, no reason not to come down. The fish are here. They bite in cold water. Sometimes, the afternoon Sun helps with that bite as the water temperature goes up a couple of degrees.

I have been getting calls for 2014 bookings from some folks that have been out with me in the past and from some that have not, so it looks like it will be a solid year for us at the Fish On Venice Lodge. More fun times. Fortunately, all I have to do is concentrate on putting my clients on fish. My wife, Leila, takes care of the cooking and lodge stuff. She is a great cook. Probably the best down here as far as any lodges go. She is reliable as well. Thank God I don’t have to look elsewhere for help to keep up with that part of our fishing package. It must be a nightmare for some of these other places down here to try to keep things running smooth. My clients don’t have to lift a finger when they stay at my place. It’s like a family atmosphere. I did not have anyone down this year that I would not have back. This type of business draws good people. Give me a call if you would like to discuss a fishing trip. May we all have a great year. Later.