A student of his past, Capt. John Verret is a Houma Indian who discovered bow fishing after Hurricane Andrew replaced the frogs in the marshes of southern Terrebonne Parish with redfish and black drum. He showed me some of the “old ways” a couple nights ago, as we targeted redfish with bows and arrows.
An eclectic gang of veteran bowmen met up with Verret and me at Jug’s Landing, where the blacktop ends at the very bottom of Highway 315 below Houma. Joining us on the trip were former Lieutenant Governor Paul Hardy, New Iberia attorney David Groner and Bayouland Bowhunters owner Brandon Cormier of Lafayette.
Hardy got hooked on bow fishing after reading a story written by Rusty Tardo that appeared in Louisiana Sportsman in 1994. Hardy then introduced Groner, his former legislative assistant to the sport, and the two have been shooting fish from Port Sulphur to Lake Mechant ever since.
Cormier, an expert archer who competes in archery competitions all over the nation, was naturally attracted to bow fishing because he wanted to extend his shooting opportunities beyond deer season.
After loading all our gear, Verret guided his self-built airboat named the Warpath south down Bayou DuLarge, and we eventually found our way into Mud Lake. The wind was blowing from the west, so Verret got us on the lee shore. The water was pretty muddy, but we could still see some fish in the shallow water.
“Clear water is always best,” said Verret as the other three readied their bows. “But if you can’t find clear water, then you want to head to shallow water.”
Even though the redfish were somewhat difficult to see, it was apparent that the muddy water made them much less spooky than they normally might be. Most of the fish we shot in Mud Lake were almost sitting still, and none of them ran off more than 5 or 10 yards, where they were picked off by someone’s backup arrow.
Verret eventually decided we needed to move to find clearer water, so we headed off toward what the locals call Sister lake, which is labeled as Lake Caillou on most maps. Finding clear water seemed out of the question on this night, however, so we made the most of what we found by rounding up redfish in shallow coves.
“Notice that everywhere we have seen fish there has been a tremendous amount of bait,” said Verret as we began winding down our night. “The first cove we went in on the south side of Sister lake had redfish already laying up in 8 inches of water. We didn’t push them in there; they were already there. We almost had to drive right up on top of them to get them to move.”
Hardy, Groner and Cormier all proved to be excellent bow fishermen, but the newbie on board –- that was me -– also connected with his fair share of redfish and one sheepshead. In fact, Groner told me I was a natural. The more I thought about what he said, the more I realized that he just might be right.
“That’s because I’m a horrible duck hunter,” I told him. “I have a bad habit of shooting under the ducks. And since you have to shoot under these fish because of refraction, maybe I am a natural because I’m so bad.”
Anglers or hunters who want to see what the world of bowfishing for redfish is like can give Verret a call at 985-872-0989 or visit www.airboatcharters.com. Booking a bowfishing guide is the best way to ensure a successful trip and a safe return home.