Shannon Griffin is quick to admit that some very good speckled trout fishing can be found in Bayou Lacombe and Lake Pontchartrain near the bayou, but she will be the first to tell you Lake Road leads to a lot more outdoors opportunities.
The perky, friendly owner of Bayou Adventure — which she describes as an outdoor recreation, bait, tackle and hobby shop — expansively claimed that Bayou Lacombe and the canals opening into it are equally famous for bream and bass.
The catfish bite is “pretty spectacular,” she added.
“Besides trout, redfish are common along the bayou’s shoreline, and in late spring black drum are in the mouth of the bayou,” Griffin said. “And flounders are not unknown.”
But probably the biggest star besides speckled trout is the area’s blue crabs.
“Crabbing is excellent from spring into November,” Griffin said. “Our biggest asset is Lake Road.”
Each day, dozens of crabbers fish throw lines right off the shoulder of the gravel road.
Additionally, the road offers two boat launches: the Main Street Launch a quarter mile from Griffin’s store, and the Lake Road Launch farther down the road and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The launches allow boaters to fish drop nets the length of lower Bayou Lacombe and in the shallows of Lake Pontchartrain.
Demand for crab bait and crabbing equipment is so high that Griffin stocks chicken and turkey necks, as well as beef melts during crawfish season.
Most of the property flanking lower Bayou Road and Bayou Lacombe is public land — namely, the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge administered by the USFWS.
Duck hunting is allowed on the refuge in season, as well as bow hunting for deer and feral hogs.
Even more popular than hunting are the sightseeing opportunities the refuge offers. Bayou Adventures offers kayaks for rent, both for fishing and sightseeing. They also conduct guided kayak tours and evening paddles.
If you want to know how the crabs are running before making a trip, call Shannon at 985-882-9208.
