Went for a one night trip to my favorite spot- Lake Verret. Same camping spot as the Great Pirogue Expedition. Had to work yesterday til noon, so I got a late start. Went down the 5 miles of blacktop and 4.5 miles of a 5 mile gravel road when I came upon this.
Yep, there's half a mile of road there under that water. I know the area so I was confident I could EASE down the road to the landing. This is the landing.
Dead center of the photo is where Piper , Jack and I launched on our trip. I figure the water came up about a foot due to rain and a south wind holding the water back. Unlike rivers most everwhere else, the bayous here are right about sea level and when they come up they flood dozens and dozens of square miles aroung the lake.
Wind was blowing 20-25mph and the lake was rough. Probably the roughest water I've been in with the pirogue. One foot swells with quite a few white caps. She handled them pretty well.
I pulled up to the campsite and the landing site we used on our trip had about a foot of water over it.
I broke out my "Cajun Trangia" kit and made some of Ron's frito chilli pie. Washed it down with a Coke and sour mash. Yum.
Right at dark I checked one the bush lines and found a straightened out hook and catfish slime amost two feet up the line and no fish. I had attatched the line to a log in the middle of the canal and it didn't have enough give and the fish thrashed until he pulled free. Had to be over 20 # to straighten out my stout hook.
Well, this is my birthday breakfast. Fresh coffee and some fire warmed banana bread.
Left for home about 9:00 because the lake was getting rough in a hurry. I had just turned in to Little Grand Bayou and rounded the first curve when all hell broke loose. :shock: I surprised a BIG gator and it took off about 15 yards from the boat with a splash that sounded like somebody threw a car off a cliff. He surged out in front of me and came up for a couple a seconds and turned and went back under some floating water plants. He made the 11 foot gator I saw on that other trip look like a mere pup. He was probably 14" long and several hundred pounds. Made for some tense moments at less than 50 feet.
Joey
Yep, there's half a mile of road there under that water. I know the area so I was confident I could EASE down the road to the landing. This is the landing.
Dead center of the photo is where Piper , Jack and I launched on our trip. I figure the water came up about a foot due to rain and a south wind holding the water back. Unlike rivers most everwhere else, the bayous here are right about sea level and when they come up they flood dozens and dozens of square miles aroung the lake.
Wind was blowing 20-25mph and the lake was rough. Probably the roughest water I've been in with the pirogue. One foot swells with quite a few white caps. She handled them pretty well.
I pulled up to the campsite and the landing site we used on our trip had about a foot of water over it.
I broke out my "Cajun Trangia" kit and made some of Ron's frito chilli pie. Washed it down with a Coke and sour mash. Yum.
Right at dark I checked one the bush lines and found a straightened out hook and catfish slime amost two feet up the line and no fish. I had attatched the line to a log in the middle of the canal and it didn't have enough give and the fish thrashed until he pulled free. Had to be over 20 # to straighten out my stout hook.
Well, this is my birthday breakfast. Fresh coffee and some fire warmed banana bread.
Left for home about 9:00 because the lake was getting rough in a hurry. I had just turned in to Little Grand Bayou and rounded the first curve when all hell broke loose. :shock: I surprised a BIG gator and it took off about 15 yards from the boat with a splash that sounded like somebody threw a car off a cliff. He surged out in front of me and came up for a couple a seconds and turned and went back under some floating water plants. He made the 11 foot gator I saw on that other trip look like a mere pup. He was probably 14" long and several hundred pounds. Made for some tense moments at less than 50 feet.
Joey
