I'm heading down from the Northwest just to hunt/fish the Pass a Loutre for 3 days/nights with a buddy of mine who lives just outside of New Orleans. We have been planning this trip for almost a year and the conditions are beginning to look a little different than we orginally anticipated. We have hunted and fished all over North America together and are competent boaters and outdoorsman. HoweverI just want to glean some wisdom off of some other experienced outdoorsman as this is both of our first time down to the Mississippi Delta. We anticipate windtideand dry land access issues and are researching heavily to make sure we don't get ourselves in a place we can't get out of. We will be taking two kayaks with us down there and leave the boat in larger channels where possible. Apparently duck counts are typically in the 100,000's + range and the reds can stack up really nicely if you can find their schools. All in allwe aren't looking for any spots as we'll find 'em on our own. We would just like to get some more info about conditionsunforseeable issuesexpectationsand any wisdom we need in order to have a safe and successful trip. My buddy has an 18 ft. aliminum (high side) semi hull jon boat with a 65 jet on the back. The jet has been an issue for him in the Biloxi Marsh at times as the mud can clog up the impellar once he gets off plane. We are taking an extra 5 hp outboard kicker along for safety issues. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and wishful limits for you all.
Idahoryden
Be careful in the river down there! At times there is heavy ship and large crew boat traffic that throw large swells. Also the tide can drop as much as 3ft in some places. I've seen hunters set up camp on high tide and wake up to find their boat high and dry on the mud bottom. We limit out on ducksspecs and reds almost everytime we go. Good Luck!
Sincerely appreciate the feedback. We anticipated the issues with high/low tide and have dealt with that in other places we have fished/hunted. Butthe wind and mud will be a new addition. I've been on the Columbia River when the barges and tug boats come throughso you just watch out and stay out of the main rollers. We've heard nothing but great fishing and hunting reportsso we are looking forward to the adventure. I think the setback is going to be finding a dry camp spot that we aren't going to wake up to floating on water in our sleeping bags or a stranded boat in low tide. The reports for the winds are looking like they'll be up to the 20mph range. I imagine this is going to have some affect on water depthmaneuverabilityfish schoolsetc. Should be an adventurenone the less! Thanks again for the post. Always appreciate any feedback.
there are 3 campgrounds on the WMA. If I were you I would choose the one farthest westas it is on a main channeland passing boats will spot you if you have troubleyou won't be stranded.
South pass has had some serious mid-channel shoaling since last spring's high waterstay to the east when you can or follow other boats. Pass a L'outre (the pass itselfnot the WMA) is not maintained by the Corps or dredgedstay to the OUTSIDE of the curve and DO NOT cut across the turns or you will beach.
A hard South wind going against the river current makes for some butt pucker grade rollers in the channelespecially in that boat. Your boat is undersized for this tripand I'm on the adventurous side.
The fog is no joke. If it rolls in on youtake your time navigating.
I hope you have GPS.
South pass has had some serious mid-channel shoaling since last spring's high waterstay to the east when you can or follow other boats. Pass a L'outre (the pass itselfnot the WMA) is not maintained by the Corps or dredgedstay to the OUTSIDE of the curve and DO NOT cut across the turns or you will beach.
A hard South wind going against the river current makes for some butt pucker grade rollers in the channelespecially in that boat. Your boat is undersized for this tripand I'm on the adventurous side.
The fog is no joke. If it rolls in on youtake your time navigating.
I hope you have GPS.
Good feedback Inda. Sounds likeweather permittingwe'll be ok since my buddies "jon boat" is oversized so the description is a little misleading. I agree that if the wind is pushing 5 foot rollers that it would not be wise to head out on the main channel. Thanks for the info on maneuvering around on the cannals. We will make sure to keep that in mind. The good thing for us is that we only need about 8 inches of water to run once we are on plane so that should add to our benefit over most boats out there. I think we'll just plan on leaving the boat in the canals and kayaking in from there. We've got a GPS fish finder/navigation unit with mapsas well as a hand held back up and a CB radio. I do think we will try and stay more westhoweverjust like you said; especially since it's our first time out there.
All the reports I read down there talk about good limits gadwalls (Grey ducks as you guys call them)GWTand a few divers. Are there any other ducks that you guys are shooting/seeing out there beyond those?
All the reports I read down there talk about good limits gadwalls (Grey ducks as you guys call them)GWTand a few divers. Are there any other ducks that you guys are shooting/seeing out there beyond those?
widgeon and pintails are plentiful. you need to be able to identify a Mottled Duckas you are only allowed one each per day. Look at lots of pics. divers will fly in off the gulf when the wind kicks up. you can kill anything down therebut rarely will you see mallards. snow geese are an option.
Most down there run surface drivesyour outboard will not compete with themso I wouldn't even try. (8 inches won't help you) Find a pothole that is walk in only on a map and hunt the incoming tide. there are several east of the campground I mentioned south of the cut that goes back into the marsh. or plan on kayaking in a mile or more.
seriously use caution in a boat that small down there. that river is NO JOKE.
Most down there run surface drivesyour outboard will not compete with themso I wouldn't even try. (8 inches won't help you) Find a pothole that is walk in only on a map and hunt the incoming tide. there are several east of the campground I mentioned south of the cut that goes back into the marsh. or plan on kayaking in a mile or more.
seriously use caution in a boat that small down there. that river is NO JOKE.
It is going to be my boat that we will be taking down with Idahoryden. It is your standard aluminum boat that we will be runningit is not a jon boat at all. It's an 18ft Xpress boatvery similar to a grizzly tracker. Is that really too small a boat to safely make the river fun if the wind isn't too bad?
I went tuna fishing out of Venice Marina last year and it appeared I saw some similar boats on the way out. The last thing I want to do is get into a dangerous situation. I have used my boat in the Missouri river up in Kansas Citybut obviously the Mississippi is a whole different level.
Alsois hunting out of pirouge a bad idea? I hunt he biloxi marsh 99% of the time and that seems to work well for me there. Your last post made it sound like we would have to do some extensive paddling. Are there not potholes off the main channels that we can kayak through? Would walking in be our best bet? I am not sure how we would set our decoys in the mud if we walked in?
Thanks for all the info. We will be making the run down mid morning on Saturday and coming out on Monday. I guess if you see a capsized green Xpress boat floating down the river stop by and say hi!!!
I went tuna fishing out of Venice Marina last year and it appeared I saw some similar boats on the way out. The last thing I want to do is get into a dangerous situation. I have used my boat in the Missouri river up in Kansas Citybut obviously the Mississippi is a whole different level.
Alsois hunting out of pirouge a bad idea? I hunt he biloxi marsh 99% of the time and that seems to work well for me there. Your last post made it sound like we would have to do some extensive paddling. Are there not potholes off the main channels that we can kayak through? Would walking in be our best bet? I am not sure how we would set our decoys in the mud if we walked in?
Thanks for all the info. We will be making the run down mid morning on Saturday and coming out on Monday. I guess if you see a capsized green Xpress boat floating down the river stop by and say hi!!!
18 foot is OKUNLESS the wind kicks up straight out of the southagainst the currentor a crew boat flies by WOT. Just use abundant caution. Pirogues are finebut every hole you can access has already been hunted. you can walk in to a pothole (shallow water) 50 yards and hunt unmolested birds. Scout hard and hunt where the birds tell you too hunt. hunt strong wind or incoming tide.USMC_Aggie said:
Wow... what a crazy trip that was. We made it down perfectly fine into the Pass a Loutre with no issuesset up campand did some scouting until dark; but this trip turned sour fast. My buddy ended up having stroke like symptoms that he believed was stemming from a migraine. I ended up having to load up all our gear and run the Pass a Loutre and the Mississippi in the dark. That was a hairy ride... Got him to the ER by midnight and that was the end of our trip down there. Never even got to to hunt or fish after that run.
Some really great people down there in LouisinaI'll tell you that much (definitely a few knuckleheads as well). Two guys that were camping in the same campground really helped out a ton with getting us out of there fast and giving me some directions and pointers for running at night. Wouldn't advise that to anyonebut with the potential severitywe didn't have much choice. If either of those guys are on here and read thisI owe you one and sincerely can't thank you enough. Look me up on here anytime if either of you decide to you ever want to hunt big game or even ducks up here in Idaho. I'd be obliged to take you out after all of that.
Shot my first Mottled or Black Duck while in the Biloxi Marsh thoughwhichever one it was. I'd be willing to bet even an expert would have a hard time distinguishing between those two species. At any ratejust glad to be alive and well after that one.
Some really great people down there in LouisinaI'll tell you that much (definitely a few knuckleheads as well). Two guys that were camping in the same campground really helped out a ton with getting us out of there fast and giving me some directions and pointers for running at night. Wouldn't advise that to anyonebut with the potential severitywe didn't have much choice. If either of those guys are on here and read thisI owe you one and sincerely can't thank you enough. Look me up on here anytime if either of you decide to you ever want to hunt big game or even ducks up here in Idaho. I'd be obliged to take you out after all of that.
Shot my first Mottled or Black Duck while in the Biloxi Marsh thoughwhichever one it was. I'd be willing to bet even an expert would have a hard time distinguishing between those two species. At any ratejust glad to be alive and well after that one.
Glad you guys got out of there safe. Your gaurdian angels musta been working overtime. I am guessing your buddy is ok though?
Glad y'all made it out ok.
As far as the bird harvested in Biloxi wma there is a 99.99% chance it was a mottled duck.
As far as the bird harvested in Biloxi wma there is a 99.99% chance it was a mottled duck.
Mine definitely must have been a Mottled duck. That's the first picture anywhere on the internet that I've seen a black duck and mottled that look different. Every other picture we've looked at makes them look identical. Mine had really bright orange feetmuch like that of a northernerwhich looks just like the first picture.
Alsomy newest pet peeve..... Swamp Gnats. Those things suck and I'm still clawing at my hands and wrists from the bites that I got a week ago now. Deet had virtually no effect on those things. I truly think I'd rather play another round of Midnight Mississippi River Chicken with another Carnival Cruise Liner than have to mess with those things again.
And yesmy buddy is ok. Just a really severe Migraine that came out of nowhere. Never seen anything like that before.
Alsomy newest pet peeve..... Swamp Gnats. Those things suck and I'm still clawing at my hands and wrists from the bites that I got a week ago now. Deet had virtually no effect on those things. I truly think I'd rather play another round of Midnight Mississippi River Chicken with another Carnival Cruise Liner than have to mess with those things again.
And yesmy buddy is ok. Just a really severe Migraine that came out of nowhere. Never seen anything like that before.
Gnats are the DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get you some victoria's secrets body spray in stripper vanilla and it helps keep them off
Get you some victoria's secrets body spray in stripper vanilla and it helps keep them off
I apologize profusely for not warning you about the gnats. They are a plague on the very soul.
They just get drunk on deet and high on permethrin. And then they get a ravenousinsatiable appetite.
They just get drunk on deet and high on permethrin. And then they get a ravenousinsatiable appetite.
best thing for gnats is a product made by Avon called "Skin so soft"-no a joke. you can buy it pre-mixed with OFF in most storesor you can buy it from Avon.Idahoryden said:
BTW-it's a neat experience sitting in a duck blind at 5 in the morning as a Carnival cruise ship goes by with a bunch of drunk college girls partying on the upper deck dancing to M.C. Hammer....flash the Q-Beam and yell out "Show me your **** " and it gets really interesting. :lol3: :beer:
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