Speak of interesting names: Probably a dead man was found floating at this island at some time in the past.
However it became known as Deadman Island, it’s a prime destination for early summertime trout.
Capt. Casey Kieff (504-512-7171) said three quarters of the island is submerged, meaning you don’t have to get up next to it to find fish.
“The structure is intact underwater, so you can fish 100 yards off the island and be over fish,” Kieff said. “I like to fish this area particularly in June because you can always find shrimp around the island, and that means birds are diving and trout are feeding.
“Like any spot, some days are going to be more productive than others, but you can usually always catch something there. Sometimes we load the boat, and sometimes we just catch a few. That’s fishing.”
Kieff said a lot of the fish-producing rigs that formerly dotted Bay Eloi were removed by the oil and gas companies.
“We don’t have nearly as many rigs and platforms as we used to, but the fish are still here,” he said. “If you have the coordinates of the old platforms, most of them still have some significant shell pads below the surface, and that structure holds trout. You can fish with live shrimp or croakers either on the bottom or under a sliding cork, or you can try tight-lining some plastic. Look for mounds on your depth sounder in the area of the old platforms and fish there.”
He still focuses on those rigs that remain, however.
“Besides Deadman Island, I like to fish the existing structures in Bay Eloi, and basically I just jump from rig to rig looking for trout,” Kieff said. “I look for clean water, I look for current moving around the structures and I look for birds and bait.
“Also, I like to fish the points of land on the northern tip of Bay Eloi. Start at Point Eloi and work your way up and east; Mosquito, Brechtel Point, the various cuts and smaller points, Codfish and Point Lydia, and if you know of oyster reefs out there, fish them.
“I catch a mixture of fish this way — small and larger trout and redfish along the shoreline. You can troll and cast and hit the Power-Pole when you hook up, or just find a likely spot and anchor up and give it 15 minutes to produce. If it doesn’t, move.”
Kieff also likes to work along the bigger rigs near the western side of Bay Eloi.
“The rig we call the Trashpile or the Junkpile is a good producer in June,” he said. “Once you see it you’ll know how it got its name. It’s a maze of offshore discards — twisted, rusting steel and pipes — and you do have to be careful navigating around it, but it holds fish,” Kieff said. “You might catch some throwbacks in the mix and almost anything from barely legal to 13-inch and 14-inch trout.”
Baits are no surprise.
“Live shrimp will produce best under a cork or freelined, and the Vudu shrimp, Matrix shad and Deadly Dudley in the slammin Sammy color will work, also,” he said.
Don’t even try bottom fishing around the rig unless you get a thrill out of snags and retying tackle.
