Louisiana Done Right

Introduction: Setting the Scene

I’ve been to Louisiana many times. My first trip there was in the early 2000s. I dated a girl from the area, so I joined her there to visit her family. My trips after that were Marine Corps related – MARFORRES and 4th MCRD are based in New Orleans. One of my buddies got married there, that prompted another visit. Bottom line, I passed through the area many times but never gave fishing a shot.

First Attempt: 2016 – The Misadventure

Then, back in 2016, I made it a priority to bend a rod in the Big Easy and booked 2 days with a guide. Janice and I flew in for 4 days of exploring the sites, eating good food, and a couple of days of fishing. We did just that…well, except for the fishing. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had different plans.

Big wind and temps in the 40s kept us out of the marsh. I wanted to fish regardless, so the guide obliged and showed me where I could catch carp in the urban canals. Yeah, not a great experience, but I caught fish. I left Louisiana knowing I’d have to come back to do it right.

Why Louisiana: It Checks all the Boxes

Now that I’ve covered just about every state in this country, my approach to booking angling vacations is changing. Nowadays, I’m on the hunt for trips that I can make an annual tradition. Ideally, these locations will have some of the following characteristics:

• Seclusion or low angling pressure
• Gorgeous scenery
• The opportunity to catch giants, variety, or something unique/targets that aren’t common anywhere else
• Guides that work their asses off, have top of the line equipment, and are a blast to hang with off the water

The Right Inspiration: Influential Anglers

Coastal Louisiana came to my attention close to a decade ago when old colleagues of mine like Mike Schultz, Blane Chocklett, and Chris Willen started going down there. These guys are very well connected in the fishing industry, so when they get drawn to a destination, I pay attention.

They would go down there a couple times per year (Mike Schultz still does) with clients and catch giant redfish on the fly – sight fishing. I heard directly from the sources and read about these trips in a handful of places – it looked like an incredible experience. One that would fit every criterion mentioned earlier. I decided that’s how I was going to chalk Louisiana the right way – when the timing was right.

The Timing: Making It Work

I’ve mentioned this in a handful of my travel blogs but it’s worth repeating here. I’m a guide and I fish my ass off most of the year. However, traveling is very important to me. Going to different places, fishing with other guides, and employing new techniques is professional development for me. So, I make it a priority to go on fishing trips throughout the year.

When it comes to travel, timing and finances are the biggest constraints. I make it a priority to save so that I can cover the costs. Setting aside the time can be tough. My commanding officer at the School of Advanced Warfighting used to say, “Be bold and pick a date,” – so that’s what I do.

Here’s how my vacation windows typically unfold in a year:

• a couple of trips between New Years and mid-March (Guyana on the even number years until I die)
• a trip in either June, July, or August (family oriented) – sometimes all 3
• a trip in September or early October

If you travel to fish, you know that those windows are significant constraints, but not super limiting if you do some research and know the right people. When Mike Schultz got me connected to Capt Nick Sassic, I was stoked to find out that a mid-winter trip to coastal Louisiana could work out very nicely. Thankfully, Nick had a few open days in late January – I booked immediately.

Execution of the 2025 Trip to Louisiana – The First of What will be Many

If you paid attention to national news at all, you’re aware that many of the southern states got hit with record snowfall and FRIGID temperatures in mid-January. Only a week prior to my arrival, the canal outside the back door of the house where we stayed was frozen and there was a foot of snow on the ground. It was a natural disaster – one that led to fish kills and who knows how much damage to the ecosystem in general. That’s an important detail in what follows.

Day 1: 1/28 – Arrival and Acclimation

Flew into MSY, picked up a rental car, and drove to Port Sulphur, LA where I linked up with Nick and his colleague Scott. Both guys are from Florida but spend close to half their year in Louisiana where they rent a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house. That’s where I stayed.

After getting settled, we went out to eat at the only restaurant in the area – Thompson’s. It was excellent – traditional creole food. If you go here, expect to meet the owner, Shawn. He’s a blast to talk with and takes a lot of pride in his establishment.  After too many drinks, I passed out early and got some rest for the following day.

Oh yeah, I guess this is as good of a place to mention this as any – I got sick. I felt a little something coming on before leaving Buffalo – nothing crazy, just a little sluggish with some congestion. I guess the travel and the drinks brought it out of me. Every night, I ended up feverish with the shakes and I sweat through my sheets. Sleep sucked. I’ll feel terrible if those guys get sick/if I brought disease to the camp.

The view from the back porch

Day 2: 1/29 – First Day on the Water

Thankfully, Nick runs a laid back program. Sunrise was around 6:30AM, but there was no reason to get out early. Because it’s a sight fishing game, it’s best to be on the water once the sun gets up a bit. We got moving around 8:00AM.

Patrolling the canals and creeks through the marsh in Nick’s Hell’s Bay Marathon was an awesome experience – a first for me. There were dozens of species of birds – shorebirds, raptors, waterfowl, etc. Unfortunately, the effects of that deep freeze a week prior were apparent – giant, dead red fish littered the banks throughout the marsh.

The adrenaline of the new experience got me through the first day – I was hurting from a night of fever and morning hangover. On the water, it was chilly, breezy, and cloudy – all suboptimal for sight fishing. Still, Nick worked his ass off and Mother Nature gave us a couple good windows where we made some connections.

I had to chalk up the black drum – just because so many folks back home loathe the freshwater version of these beasts. They have the same reputation down there. I get it – they’re not a handsome fish, that’s for sure. However, they’re tankers, need a good presentation of the fly to bite, and some of them scream drag. I was happy to bend a rod on a handful of those creatures. The redfish on the other hand, were sparse, I had some shots but only connected to a few smallish fish.

Darkness! The infamous black drum. My first fish from the Louisiana marsh

My first redfish from the Louisiana marsh

Day 3: 1/30 – A Brighter Day

I slept hard the night prior but was still very much under the weather. Thankfully, Mother Nature gave us a mostly sunny day and we capitalized. It was awesome seeing those copper tankers just coasting around or laying up on the flats. They’re curious fish (read they aren’t too picky) – if the cast was good, they almost always checked it out.

If you’ve never hooked one of these things, sorry, I don’t know what to compare them to. They’re in a league of their own – fucking freight trains that you just can’t stop. So much fun. We made numerous connections throughout the morning – then big wind showed up and ended our good time.

Nick hooked up some excellent steaks on the grill that night. Those hit the spot and were much needed to help me get well. Unfortunately, I slept like shit – barely a wink. I shook and sweat all night long.

Tanker – couldn’t stop those first few explosions

My first “good” one – they’re all good, but this was my PB. I broke that mark a couple times later

Day 4: 1/31 – Never Give Up

When I woke up, it was raining and the clouds were thick. However, it was dead calm. Nobody was in a rush to get on the water until the rain passed.  When we finally got on the water, the clouds were so thick it felt almost dark out. I was nearly staring at my toes just to try to see fish. Again, suboptimal sight fishing conditions. I must admit, I was in a low spot – bordering on delirium from no sleep and lacking confidence due to the doom and gloom skies. Then the sand fleas came. I guess they like cool, cloudy, and windless conditions.

They started off tolerable…until they weren’t. At least I could wave my hands around to shoo them away. Nick just had to deal with it as he poled around. Just when we were about to go mad with all the buzzing and biting, we saw a group of fish pushing bait down a bank. I made the right cast, we landed the fish, and immediately broke contact as we were covered with fleas.

Nick made a bold call to shoot out to some barrier islands where there would be more of a breeze and NO BUGS. It was here that Mother Nature smiled upon us.  The clouds broke and the sun shined. When you guide and fish long enough, this happens to you. You fish through some sort of drudgery and then, suddenly, something magical happens.

There were fish everywhere – schools of smallish ones in shallow and tankers hanging by themselves in the deeper water. The action was incredible – and I landed my two biggest fish of the trip. After about an hour and half of this, Mother Nature decided we had enough fun and brought in some big winds. We called it early.

A craft built for the task at hand

Heavy cloud cover, cool temperatures, grass close by, and no wind = bugs

Open Skies! Finally!

Beauty and the beast – you decide who’s who

Current personal best

Day 5 – 2/1 – Homeward Bound

I had a super early flight back to BUF out of MSY.  Quick note – the new MSY airport is very nice.  The only issue is that the rental car facility is 20 minutes away.  I turned in my rental car the night prior and stayed in a hotel across the street from the airport to avoid any morning chaos.  All flights were on time.  When I landed in Buffalo, it was 15 degrees.  The doors of my truck were frozen shut. 

Conclusion – Parting Shots from the Louisiana Trip

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me.  We’re 1800 words in – for some reason, thoughts flew out of my mind onto the keyboard very easily on this one.  Take stock of what happened on this trip – It was frozen a week prior, I was sick, we had challenging conditions every day, and yet, look what the outcomes were.  Sure, I’m an OK stick and can get the fly/bait where it needs to go most of the time.  Still, for things to go that well despite numerous obstacles is a testament to Nick’s talent as a guide and the health of this fishery.

In conclusion, despite the various challenges and setbacks, my trip to Louisiana confirmed its unique charm, excellent fishing opportunities, and the camaraderie with dedicated guides. The combination of stunning scenery, the excitement of catching giant redfish, and the need to adapt to changing conditions have made Louisiana a place I can’t wait to return to, year after year, to create lasting traditions and memories.