Non-Yak RedFish and Trout trip/NOLA Fun

Went home to see my family in New Orleans for Thanksgiving and had a great time!!!

Was home from Saturday to Friday and the time just flew by...an incomplete list of the fun includes drinking a ton of my Dad's homemade Imperial Stout and IPA with the old man; shucking and eating raw, grilled and fried oysters while watching the Saints go 10-0 with my uncles and cousins; drive-through daiquiris and bloody-marys; watching my favorite musician play an amazing show (including my wife's favorite song) at a tiny neighborhood bar;  great day of fishing with an amazing guide and good friend, Captain Sonny Schindler of Shorething Charters; Thanksgiving indulgence of Turducken, oyster stuffing, three fried turkeys, a ham and enough beer to kill an elephant; and a final night out of debauchery on Bourbon Street.

The fishing was definitely the highlight of the trip for me...my family and I have been going out with Captain Sonny for about ten years now (both offshore out of Venice for Yellowfin Tuna, Red Snapper, and AmberJacks, and now inshore with his company ShoreThing Charters for Speckled Trout and RedFish). Besides being a helluva nice guy, he is a great fisherman, captain and guide, and always makes everybody on the boat (old salts and rookie women alike feel right at home). This trip was no different, and my wife who had never even fished before and my brother and dad who are lip-rippin' junkies all had an amazing experience.

If you are ever down south and looking to get in on some very reasonably priced in-shore fun, I can't recommend him enough...he also has a fleet of SOT Kayaks that he motherships out into the marsh to let yakkers stalk and sightfish as well!!! Only an hour drive from Bourbon Street!!!

http://www.shorethingcharters.com/

The bite was never "smoking", but Sonny worked his tail off taking us to spot after spot to make sure we kept getting action and fish onboard. We started off filling the box with 28 nice Speckled Trout and then moved onto chasing the Reds. The water was crystal clear and we were stalking and sight-fishing for the big brutes in 2-3 feet of water.

Sonny and my Dad and Brother were in the front of the boat and my wife and I were in the back picking up the fish they missed and enjoying sharing her first fishing experience. She did GREAT and was really getting good at casting AND landed the first and second keeper Reds!!!!!! Two gorgeous fish to pop her cherry!!!

 

We finished the day with 28 specks and 10 reds. We cooked up some of the Reds on the Half-Shell (on the grill with the scales still on one side) and some trout lightly breaded and fried in Zatarains. The rest was vacuum-packed and is now back here in my freezer in Capitola!!!!

We took a LOT of pictures of the general fun over the week which you can check out at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=354750&id=677140191&l=f684e46edb

The fishing pics are here, and I will post some of the best jpegs later on this post as well:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=353889&id=677140191&l=018125bf27

Sincerely,

Jim

Fish on a dish!!!!!

I love fishing for those Redfish.  Looks like a great time catching fish there.  Thanks for sharing the trip with us Jim.

For you music fans...clip of Anders Osborne singing "I've got a Woman" on 11/24 at ChickieWahWah...

My wife and I both love this song and the first time I took her to see him play at the NOLA JazzFest in 2005 he rocked it out and since then it has been one of her favorites...

The next verse which didn't get recorded is actually my favorite and reminds me how lucky I am to be married to such a good woman:

"Yeah, I had a fortune once...you know it didn't last long...drinking and gambling, cocaine, women all gone...yeah, you know everyone disappeared and I haven't seen them yet, but she stayed right here....I've got a woman, she 'aint no fair weather friend!!!!!"



Sincerely,

Jim

wow what a great holiday, the fishing sounded like an absolute blast, thanks for the pics and video, cameron

Heck of a year you are having.  Lots of fish and a Saints fan.  Whodathunkit!

I've said it before, I'll say it again....

 Living Large Jim!!!!!   Strong Work.....

 Always thought those Redfish were a bony no good table Fare,

guess I thought wrong....     Looks like a Great Time....

Thanks fellas!!

Don, the RedFish IMHO are a great fish...they fight and run hard, especially in the super shallow water where we were fishing and on the light tackle we were using, and are extremely tasty. 

Their population took a huge hit when Blackened Redfish became popular down there, but apparently the rules and regs have helped the fishery recover and the past several years that I have gone down there we caught way more than we used to when I was growing up...or maybe that is just cuz we started going out with Sonny!!
 

Here are some links to good articles about the Reds/Specks/Inshore fishing down there, and Sonny was nice enough to bring along some nice eyecandy as well!!

http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/journal/2008/33/journal_3.htm

http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/journal/2008/33/journal_5.htm

http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/journal/2009/28/journal_3.htm

The bigger BullReds (over 27 inches) can get a little gamey, but the slot ones like we were catching between 16-26 inches are delicious!!! The minimum size for RedFish is 16 inches, and the Speckled Trout have to be at least 12 inches.

We asked Sonny to leave 2 of the big Reds with the scales on so we could do them on the HalfShell on the grill that night and they turned out REALLY nice!!!!

The rest he filetted down all the way for blackening/frying later on here at home. 

You make it down to Santa Cruz/Capitola area and come over to my house and we'll blacken some up!!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim
ps...please make sure to let me know about when and where I can try and help out with the Heroes on the Water program...I don't have a ton of gear or skills, but I'll bring what I got and do what I can to help!!!

Nice work, that brings back lots of great memories of growing up on the Gulf Coast.

BigJim doing it big time.  I would love to get down there.  that's on the 2010 to do list

Always refreshing to see/read reports from some where else. Thanks for posting!

Glad you had a wonderful time in Louisiana Jim. I miss the food there big time
especially the seafood gumbo. Thanks for sharing your vacation trip with us.

Jedmo

Awesome report and pics, Jim!

Thanks for sharing.

Hi Jim,
 I'm a newbie to kayak fishing and cant get enough of it, thanks for the awesome report, and as a avid musician thanks for introducing me to Anders Osborne , amazing music!!
Thanks
Roge