Every now and then, mostly then, we have to take a step back to figure out where we’ve been and where we might be going.
Back and forward came from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In early June, the agency’s brass — guessing the Inland Fisheries section had input — decided to name the landing at Bussey Brake for my dearly departed friend Kinny Haddox.
If you’ve read Louisiana Sportsman over the last several years, here’s guessing you found Kinny’s fingerprints all over this magazine.
He was the editor, and a good one. A man who took his passion for our Sportsman’s Paradise to the extreme, meaning he devoted hours upon hours to his craft and dedicated other hours to the cause of revitalizing Bussey Brake.
Today, The Brake not only is the duck hunting paradise it once was, but also its resurgence, with help from bass fingerling stockings from Inland Fisheries, has put it on the map for bass fishermen across our state and across the good ol’ USA.
Yes, Bussey Brake is visited by bass anglers so much these days that tournaments need permits to schedule an event, and, on some days, anglers almost need to get a number to launch boats.
Kinny passed away last year. Cancer claimed another victim. Cancer took away a husband, a father and a good friend, a guy who shared the same love of hunting, fishing (especially catching his white perch, my sac-a-lait) and college baseball.
The Gulf Council
I know lots of you offshore anglers know about the decades-long battles with the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council.
Had to chuckle when a release from the council arrived a few weeks ago to announce a name change.
See, President Trump decided to rename the Gulf of Mexico, and, if you know the makeup of this council, you understand its next move.
From here, this council lived mighty fat and happy the last few years, and it’s a mighty good guess many more than one on its staff and sitting on the council bristled at changing its now executive-ordered-ouster of its name.
So the release came.
It’s now the Gulf Council.
Maybe those last 40 or so words were harsh. Maybe the council and staff just don’t want to have to change back to the GMFMC during another administration.
Then, another council announcement indicated it’s taking steps to get better information — and data — before changing seasons, daily limits and size restrictions on any number of species living in the Gulf, the 200 miles claimed by our country into this vast expanse and the place where most Gulf Coast residents fish when they head into offshore waters.
Well, heaven forbid, this council all of a sudden is coming around to something recreational fishermen have sought for nearly 20 years, especially on red snapper.
More data?
I remember sitting in a council meeting year ago when one of the federal biologists testified the staff didn’t catch a red snapper in water less than 25 meters deep.
That’s at about 90 feet and there was no answer if these folks had ever fished and caught red snapper in 40-, 45- and 55-foot deep reefs off Ship Shoal, or at spots off the Mississippi River in 70- and 80-foot depths.
Lots of us did in the past, and lots of those snapper exceeded the 16-inch minimum “keeper” size.
So, the call came years ago about the feds’ red snapper data, and it was only a handful of years ago Congress funded something called The Great Red Snapper Count, a study that found three times the red snapper numbers than the federal folks — the data — had been laying before the council for more than a dozen years.
So, NOW, they want more data!
It’s about time!
Wildlife violations
The last item moves the needle, too — violations, citations and DWIs.
So far during the late spring, Wildlife and Fisheries’ Enforcement Division agents and local sheriff’s water patrols have arrested near 20 boaters for operating their boats while under the influence.
We’ve got enough troubles on our highways without having to deal with imbibing folks when we want to enjoy our waters.
These incidents don’t come with a citation or a written warning. DWI on the water comes with an arrest, booking into the local hoosegow and a date with a judge, then possible revocation of your driver’s license and prohibition from driving a boat. And, that could be the easiest part of a sentence upon conviction.
There were enough hunting-over-bait citations written during spring turkey hunts to warrant another look at these violations and stiffening the penalties. Apparently current fines and possible jail time aren’t enough to deter such activity.
There are many others like the guys who tripled trips, returning to the launch with limits of redfish three times before agents were tipped off and found them with 24 reds.
Most of the notoriously bad violations during the recent hunting seasons came after calls to the Wildlife and Fisheries’ tip line. If you’re a game and/or fish violator, just remember there are lots of eyes and ears out there, and most people have cellphones and are ready to use them.
