Anglers might miss out on some outstanding fishing if they drive past this overlooked gem
A narrow, semi-flooded grassy peninsula marked one shoreline where a bayou flowed into a large lake. On the other side of the peninsula, a V-shaped indentation in the marsh created a pocket.
“A big bull red lives in this pocket,” said Timmy Molinere. “I saw him the other day. We’re going to catch him today. It’s too shallow for us to get in there, but we can cast over the grass to get that fish.”
Molinere should know. Half Cajun and half Native American, he’s roamed these marshes as a shrimper and fisherman all his life. He and his wife, Terese, now run Timmy and Terese’s Cajun Paradise Lodge at 1581 Highway 55 in Montegut.
Prophetically, just as Molinere finished speaking, some terrified bait erupted along the far side shoreline of the V-shaped indentation. Then, almost like a scene out of a shark movie, a huge wake sliced through the placid mirror-like surface on this calm morning in a smaller pocket on the far shoreline near the vertex of the V-shaped indentation.
“There he is,” Molinere exclaimed! “He’s still home. That pocket where the redfish lives is very shallow, so place the cork with the shrimp just outside that little pocket. He’ll come to it.”
Making a great cast over the peninsula right to the spot Molinere suggested, I popped the cork once. It never came back up to the surface. Microseconds later, the reel sizzled as the spot-tail marsh marauder realized he bit into trouble for himself. The big fish raced out toward deeper water, but then reversed direction and rocketed into grass flooded by about two inches of water on the peninsula. He pushed up into the grass until he could go no farther.
I tried to pull the flopping, splashing redfish across the grassy spit, but didn’t want to break the line or lose it. Molinere maneuvered the boat as close as possible to the shoreline until he could finally net and land the fish.
I’ve fished grass for redfish many times, but I’ve never seen a hooked fish rush into grass with water barely deep enough for it to breathe like that. I didn’t think we were going to pull that fish through the grass and land it.
Less pressure
Northeast of Dulac, Montegut sits on Bayou Terrebonne in Terrebonne Parish. Slightly south of town, Timmy and Terese’s Cajun Paradise Lodge sits almost where Highway 55 dead-ends. Many people probably drive past these marshes and lakes as they head to Cocodrie and other places to fish without realizing the great fishing near Montegut.
“People driving down to Cocodrie or Dulac go right past some of the best fishing in this part of the state and don’t even know it,” Molinere said. “We have just as much fish here, maybe more than many places. Around Montegut, we get a whole lot less fishing pressure than Cocodrie or Grand Isle so we have less boat and automobile traffic. We can fish in peace where we want without other boats all over us.”
Molinere’s property sits close to Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area, which conserves 33,488 acres of marshes in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries manages Pointe-aux-Chenes through several water control structures. The water varies from intermediate to brackish to salty. People can fish and hunt on the management area if they hold the proper licenses and permits. For a map and special regulations, see wlf.louisiana.gov/page/pointeauxchenes.
“The drive from New Orleans is not quite as far as to Cocodrie or Grand Isle,” said Billy Jordan with Cajun Comfort Charters, who operates a lodge in Montegut and has guided for more than 26 years. “We’re less than an hour by car from New Orleans and about the same from Baton Rouge. Anyone who passes through our area to go fish somewhere else misses some things. In the fall, fishing is on fire. This is redfish heaven. Also in the fall, black drum is almost a given. We always find sheepshead and black drum around the hard structures.”
Many options
Despite Louisiana losing marshland daily all along the coast, visitors to this area still see abundant marshes crisscrossed by a labyrinth of natural bayous and canals dredged for the petroleum industry. Grassy islands dot many natural lakes. Marshy shorelines provide habitat for many saltwater species, but most prominently redfish.
“The fishing in this area is very good,” Molinere said. “We have a lot of redfish in these marshes and lakes. The canals have deeper water. The rocks in the water have barnacles growing on them. Redfish and black drum love to hang around anything with barnacles. Sheepshead too.”
These marshes sit north of the Terrebonne Bay and associated waters on the coast. Strong winds can whip wide-open waters like Terrebonne or Barataria bays into muddy cauldrons. However, with more marshes, canals and protected waters around Montegut, anglers can usually find a place out of the wind to fish. Some major waters include Madison Bay, Wonder Lake and the Humble Canal. In some places, especially the more northern sections, anglers might catch freshwater catfish, bass and other species.
“The good thing about fishing in Terrebonne Parish, we have freshwater as well as saltwater fishing, so we have many options,” Jordan said. “Right off any dock on Terrebonne Bayou, we might catch freshwater catfish and redfish.
“Many private docks have lights on them. When the lights go on, thousands of fish school up underneath those lights, especially in the fall. People can find some public launches with lights where they can fish from shore.”
The trout bite
Jordan’s clients typically fish with shrimp under a cork. Dangling a shrimp in the water, anglers might catch anything found in a Louisiana marsh, but the guide loves to catch speckled trout most of all.
“Any day, we might catch 50 to 100 trout,” Jordan said. “Unfortunately, the trout here tend to be a little bit on the smaller size, but we catch huge numbers of them. Sometimes, we do catch big trout. We’ve caught some in the 26-inch range and a few bigger ones. This area is just not conducive to producing many huge trout.”
Anglers normally find larger trout during colder days. In cold water, fish slower and deeper. In the winter, trout seek deeper water in the larger natural bayous and dredged canals. Bounce jigs tipped with soft-plastic minnows or shrimp imitations off the bottom.
“October is the best time to fish this area, when cold fronts start hitting and the tide falls,” Molinere said. “The day before a cold front hits is the best day to go fishing around here. The day before the front, fish bite like crazy. Three days after the front is another good time to fish.”
Dragging a live cocahoe minnow on a jighead along the bottom can produce good action from trout, redfish and other species. Hook the minnow through the lips and out its nostrils or through the eyes. Toss it to shore and slowly pull it over the drop-off into deeper water. Drag it a couple feet and pause. Then repeat. The minnow wriggling on the bottom provides sufficient enticement.
“People can catch other species in the winter, but we concentrate on trout,” Jordan said. “We look for deep holes. The oilfield canals are great places to fish in the winter. Waters around platforms are also generally a little deeper. In the winter, the bite will be much slower, but the quality of trout seems to be a lot better.”
Cajun hospitality
At the end of my day with Timmy and Terese Molinere, we returned to their lodge where Timmy cleaned our catch. I cleaned myself and took a nap in the cabin next to their home. For special guests and overflow, the Molineres open a spare bedroom in their home.
Later that evening, we gathered in their home to feast on fresh fish and boiled shrimp. In his thick Cajun accent, Molinere regaled us with tales of his shrimping adventures and touring the nation with a Cajun band. Guests could also relax in the pool or hot tub. Some guests do their own barbecuing, but most people enjoy eating Molinere’s savory Cajun cooking. I know I certainly did.
“We want people to know that Montegut has great fishing and other things to do, like crabbing and throwing cast nets for shrimp,” Molinere said. “I want to give everyone the full Cajun experience. We have crab or shrimp boils because we just like to do it. People fish in our pond for bass, bream and giant catfish. The sign out the front says ‘In God We Trust.’ Before I do anything, I always talk to God first and I let him guide me. People might come here as strangers, but they soon become family!”
For booking Timmy and Terese’s Cajun Paradise Lodge, call 573-230-4695 or 985-232-1778. Online, see timmyandteresecajunparadise.com or Facebook. For Billy Jordan with Cajun Comfort Charters, call 225-806-3719 or look him up on Facebook.
