Burns Point Park is one of those obscure locations that’s “off the beaten path” as far as fishing spots go.
It’s likely that each day tens of thousands of people pass the Highway 317 exit in Centerville while traveling east and west along Highway 90, between New Orleans and Lafayette, and never think, “I wonder what’s down that road?”
The road, known to locals simply as Bayou Sale, is rural in nature and passes through a region that has a mix of agriculture (sugar cane), industry and offshore oilfield support activities. But 16.2 miles, all the way to the end of the road, is a hidden gem as state parks go, where bank fishing can be really fun.
Isam Khasib is a Jordanian PhD student at LSU in Baton Rouge who is studying pavement technologies at the Transportation Research Center.
“This place is hard to find,” said Khasib, who has been in Louisiana for the past 2 ½ years. “One of my colleagues found it on Facebook, and since then we started coming here every two weeks and we are enjoying it. It’s actually really amazing to be here.”
In Khasib’s most recent trip to Burns Point Park in the latter part of June, he and another student pulled an all-nighter and caught five black drum, channel catfish and redfish.
Better and better
Burns Point Park rests on East Cote Blanche Bay. The bay is somewhat shallow and does tend to be influenced by cold fronts and local showers that can stir up the water at times.
There’s also the influence of the Atchafalaya River. Each spring, when the snows melt in the north and the Mississippi River rises, the Atchafalaya River typically drains approximately 30 percent of that freshwater.
The currents in the Gulf of Mexico have a westerly flow in this region and move the freshwater towards East and West Cote Blanche Bays. As a result, the saltwater fishing tends to get better and better the further into summer and fall you get, as the fresh river water levels recede back to normal, far below flood stage.
What occurs next is the tides and southerly wind patterns influence these brackish water regions throughout the summer and fall, where the higher salinity is more conducive to saltwater species of fish.
Nothing could demonstrate this natural pattern more than 2023’s severe drought conditions throughout the state. The Atchafalaya River stage in Morgan City was 1.9 feet and with little to no rain the bank fishermen at Burns Point Park were catching redfish from early June until Christmas last year.
Fully equipped
Jared Primeaux from New Iberia has been going to Burns Point Park with his family for quite some time to both camp and bank fish. Primeaux also bank fishes Cypremort Point State Park.
In comparing the two parks, Primeaux said both have good fishing, but Burns Point Park has more space.
“Man! I just like how much room there is at Burns,” he said. “It’s not that Cypremort Point doesn’t have room, but you only have two areas that you can really fish. At Burns, you have a lot more room, a nice view, and the water lilies aren’t too bad over here most of the time.”
When it comes to bank fishing at Burns Point Park, what you won’t see is artificial baits. Recreational anglers that find this location all bottom fish. Therefore, what you will see is Carolina drum rigs and single and double Gulf drop rigs.
“I use a double drop rig with a lead weight on the bottom and typically just bait the bottom hook because the set up really doesn’t work most of the time with two hooks baited,” Primeaux said.
While making rounds, speaking with and seeing how other anglers were doing, the one thing I noticed was most of the drop rigs had 1-ounce diamond-shaped lead weights and 1/0 or 2/0 J-hooks and circle hooks. The other thing I noticed was these bank fishermen were using medium to medium heavy tackle.
These 6-foot-6 to 7-foot rods were loaded with anywhere from 10 to 40 pound line. Khasib’s black drums all measured 34 to 45 inches in length. In short, these bank fishermen all came to Burns Point Park loaded for bear.
Live bait
Patterson resident Bannon Lightsey regularly bank fishes around St. Mary Parish. Burns Point Park is one of his favorite locations.
When it comes to the tackle he uses for saltwater fishing at the park, Lightsey said, “I like to use a fishing rod and reel that has got a little backbone, because they have some monsters there. I’ve caught bull reds, big drum, big catfish and garfish, so you want to be ready.”
Dead shrimp and cut bait are the most popular baits used along the fishing pier. Cut baits observed included mullet, shad and small croakers.
“It’s pretty much shrimp on the bottom for us, but sometimes we’ll use croakers,” Primeaux said. “Depending on if they’re small enough, we’ll use them for bait to try and catch something and entice a bite.”
Lightsey fishes Burns Point Park from late summer and early fall all the way into the winter months. Besides cut baits and shrimp, Lightsey said he also fishes crab baits on the bottom.
Bring the family
Besides good fishing, Burns Point Park is a great place to bring the family. The park has both camper and tent camping for $14 and $10 per night, respectively. Besides 35 camper sites with electric, water and sewerage hook ups, there are several pavilions for gatherings and picnics, a playground for kids, bathrooms with showers, and a boat launch.
Severe weather fronts and tropical storm systems can be problematic, where high water will flood the park on occasion. When planning an extended stay, it is best to pay attention to the weather forecast and contact the park for current conditions.
One camper said, “Where else can you be 10 feet from the water and see wildlife, like alligators and eagles, and watch fishermen catch redfish.”
Burns Point Park is 100 miles west of New Orleans and 70 miles east of Lafayette. It’s been one of those obscure, off-the-beaten-path locations where folks can enjoy themselves for a reasonable cost.
“It’s a great place to go fishing with the family,” Lightsey said.
