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Keith Lusher 08.22.23
Because the August warmth bears its full weight on Southeast Louisiana, anglers will take absolutely anything they’ll get. With water temperatures within the 90’s, it may be difficult to seek out fish. a lot much less get them to chew. On my newest journey on the bayou, I used to be in a position to get some suggestions from somebody who targets Goggle-eye AKA Warmouth in August. Spencer Ballard of Mandeville La makes use of a small flatboat with a trolling motor hooked up to scoot down Bayou Cane, a shallow tributary that flows into Lake Pontchartrain, a systematically choose off goggle-eye, one-after-another. At first look, the small bayou could appear to be a nightmare to fish. Hyacinth floating in duckweed, fallen bushes in all places, and snotgrass rising in nearly each a part of the canal. Nevertheless it’s the construction that makes this small waterway among the best spots to catch goggle-eye.
Ballard makes use of a 9-foot jigging pole with an ultralight spinning reel to succeed in over the floating vegetation that stretches about 10 ft out from the shoreline. For line he makes use of absolutely anything. “The kind of line doesn’t actually matter since these fish bounce on absolutely anything that’s lowered down in entrance of them,” he mentioned. For bait, he ties on a 1-inch tube jig on a 1/32 oz. jig head. He makes use of a thin-wire hook so he can rip it out of the construction when it will get snagged. “The skinny hook straightens out when sufficient strain is placed on the road,” he mentioned. As for the colour of the tube jig? Ballard mentioned, “Something chartreuse! They’ll’t resist chartreuse. I gained’t even attempt it until the jig has chartreuse in it!”
When he’s concentrating on goggle-eye Ballard positions his flatboat on the outer fringe of the floating grass and punctiliously lowers his jig down into openings within the duckweed and hydrilla which are floating close to the shoreline. “One of the best spots are those with grass floating and branches popping out of the water. They’re nearly all the time in there,” he mentioned. One other factor that the 21-year-old has seen is that these fish follow areas of the bayou the place there is no such thing as a present. “I catch 95% of my fish in dead-end canals with the bulk coming from the realm the place the canal ends or is clogged up with grass,” Ballard mentioned. Very similar to crappie fishing, it takes ability to decrease the jig down via the construction. Ballard mentioned goggle-eye aren’t any completely different besides they maintain tighter to cowl than crappie. “They’re jammed in there they usually gained’t come out until you place that jig proper in from of them,” he mentioned.
Ballard not often makes use of a cork, however when he does, he makes use of a tiny sliding cork to suit via the openings within the vegetation. It’s less complicated to decrease the sliding cork into small areas as a result of the cork glides all the best way all the way down to the jig head. He advises setting the hook shortly when utilizing a cork. “Proper when that cork hits the water, if there’s a goggle-eye there, he’s going to leap on it,” he mentioned.
Ballard is catching between 20-23 goggle-eye per journey utilizing this methodology. He mentioned August appears to be the most effective time for catching goggle-eye as a result of the vegetation is thickest proper now from rising all summer time.
To some fishermen, goggle-eye meat has a little bit of a fishy style. Ballard agrees and recommends brining the fillets after cleansing the fish. He locations the fillets in a ziplock bag with a couple of tablespoons of salt. Then he lets it sit within the fridge for a couple of hours earlier than rinsing them off and freezing them in straight freshwater. The salt extracts any fishy style that the meat could include and produces a clear, white, flaky fillet when cooked.
When making ready them, he merely pats the meat dry and sprinkles on some blackening seasoning for taste. Then he provides them to the recent forged iron pan with a few tablespoons of butter. After the fillets are seared he locations the fillets right into a heat flour tortilla together with cheese, shredded cabbage, and smashed avocado For added seasoning he provides crushed black pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon.
After all, there’s all the time the choice to straight up fry the fillets. In that case, he recommends utilizing mustard as an alternative to egg wash. Merely cowl the meat with mustard after which toss the fillets in barbeque earlier than tossing them into the fryer.
The goggle-eye chew ought to proceed via August and final till the chilly fronts begin shifting via. And whereas Bayou Cane gives anglers loads of construction to seek out these fish, there are quite a few rivers and bayous throughout Southeast Louisiana for anglers to seek out goggle-eye hiding in construction.
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