December 27th

Cold was the word for this morning, as the temperature hovered around the 33 degree mark. The fish also must have been cold because the area that had limits of trout the previous day only produced a few fish. The good news is that Jimmy Cordova and his son Joe had a wonderful time catching Reds. As the temperature warmed up so did the fish, and we managed to squeeze out 15 Redfish to go with the few trout we had. They left the marina with three full gallon bags of filets to bring back to Texas. It really was a beautiful day on the water and I hope to see you guys again in June so we can load up on those large Barataria Bay Speckled Trout.

December 26th

Had a great time fishing with 2 of my sons today. We filmed a TV show for sportsmans-paradisetv.com. We got off to a slow start when we departed the marina a little late but it was a beautiful day for fishing with light winds and clear skies. We put together a strong finish with about 20 really big fish at what turned into our last stop of the day. Tom, on the left, is my youngest son and was here for the holidays from Orlando. Joe, on the right, is my webmaster and lives here in New Orleans. That's me kneeling in the middle. And how about those Black Drum? They hit us strong for almost 2 hours before they finally slowed down enough that we didn't feel bad about quitting. Normally we'd only keep a couple of these fish, but our cameraman--who looks like he knows how good Black Drum taste on the dinner table--was intent on keeping as many as possible. Even so, we still had to throw the last few fish back because they wouldn't fit in the ice chest.

Webmaster's note: Had a great time today, Dad, thanks for taking us out. -- Joe

December 21st / 22nd

Larry Martin and his buddy Wayne drove in from Macon Georgia to fish with Papa Joe for 2 days. They stayed at the marina 2 nights, and ate at Lafitte’s finest restaurants. In addition to that however, they managed to catch a lot of fish. Both Larry and Wayne are excellent fisherman, they fish a lot in Georgia as well as Florida. I hope we converted them to making a few trips in Louisiana. Here are a few pictures showing a couple of the different fish they caught. Thanks guys, I hope to see you again soon. Enjoy the fish.

December 7th

The weather has been extremely warm, so the fish are still in the larger bodies of water but still pretty close to the marina. Today I fished for speckled trout with a friend, and managing director of the Louisiana Charterboat Association, Charlie Smith. We both had a terrific time using crank baits and of course Charlie with his famous top water baits. While we did not catch as many as some of the other boats, our fish were somewhat larger because of the size of our baits. Here is Charlie with a couple of those nice trout.

• GUEST REPORT! • December 7th
Submitted by Joe, Papa Joe's son and webmaster

My brother Mike and I had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Pier Milito of South Florida. Our trip started with a pre-dawn drive to Everglades National Park where we launched just ahead of the rain. Believe me, if I'm fishing...it's raining. We had action all day long from the first spot to the last but we couldn't seem to get anything into the boat (hey, our dad's the fishing guide, we're just enthusiastic amateurs). After being outsmarted by four or five fish big enough to eat the large chunks of ladyfish we used as bait Mike finally boated a nice-looking snook. There was a nice collection of wildlife on display, from birds to crocodiles. On our way out of Hell's Bay we spied a porpoise, saw a couple of alligators, and two saltwater crocodiles were sunning themselves across from the boat launch as we pulled in to end our trip. Except for the fact that the vegetation was different the scenery and the wildlife reminded me a lot of Southeastern Louisiana. All in all Capt. Pier made sure that Mike and I had a great time fishing a really beautiful part of the country. And a big "Thank You" to my brother Mike for taking me fishing.

November 30th & December 1st

It would be hard to describe the past 2 days as anything other than fantastic. The Cleveland Winnelson Group invaded the C-Way Marina to fish with Papa Joe and 6 of the best fishing guides in Lafitte.

There was something for everyone, close to 800 Speckled Trout, 25 Red Fish, 100 Black Drum, and several Flounder. There were two 110 quart and four 48 quart ice chests full of fillets by the end of the 2nd day, and the things our guides like the most such as smiles, and plenty of stories. This picture is of Don's crew on Papa Joe's boat the first day. There was no room for the Trout, Reds, and Flounder. Jimmy and her husband from Capt.

Terry Giles boat slipped into this picture to show off a couple of reds they caught. There was a bet on the largest red and trout for the 2nd day, and a dead heat for longest trout sent Ed Fordhum and Steve Irylett to the scales where there turned out to be one ounce difference. The winning trout came from Capt. E.J. Plaisance's boat. There is no picture because the fish cleaning crew was so efficient, they had them cleaned and bagged before the pictures began. Red fish was won here by Chris Payne from Capt. Mike Daigle's boat, with Don and Gene Alexander runners up from Papa Joe's boat.

The accommodations and service at the C-Way Marina helped make the trip very successful. So there you have it, a fantastic 2 days of fishing with Papa Joe and some great guides. Thanks to all the folks in Georgia that helped and participated. I heard talk of an annual event, and it sounds like a good idea to me.

Papa Joe

November 25th

Last night I came close to canceling today's trip because of the bad weather report, but the weather turned out great, and the fish bit real good. You can see from the group picture on the bow of my boat that Laurie and Dale Maas, their children Rachael and Benjamin and Laurie's father Gerald Berenson are grinning ear to ear. That's because they caught over 100 fish today. Boy was I busy. They were catching faster than I could take them off the hooks and get their lines back in the water. The kids used everyone's poles and man they had a ball. This was the first trip for Rachael and Benjamin, and there is no better way to get kids hooked on fishing. Everyone will have fond memories of this trip, including me. Thanks to all of you and I hope to see you again real soon. Enjoy the fish.

November 8th

When I picked up Mike Mitchell, Brad Giles, and Willie Piispanen, I was feeling confident that this would be a good day. The winds were light and the sunrise was beautiful as we pulled into the first stop. The birds were working the calm water and you could see the trout popping the surface. We spanked the trout for about 2 hours in a very small area above an oyster reef. The next stop was reds and on the second try we hit them big time. Mike was first, and within seconds Brad caught this fish, and a few minutes later Willie hooked up on this beauty. Needless to say, the guys were extremely happy and can't wait to come back.

November 5th

It was sure a pleasure fishing with Larry, Schatzie, Karen from Texas. The wind blew, and the water was murky, but that did not stop us from catching fish today. Look at Karen with this pretty trout she caught first thing this morning. Larry and his wife have been coming to New Orleans for years for a special anniversary. I think a fishing trip will be on their schedule each time they come from now on. Jan cooked up the fish we kept for lunch, both fried and sautŽed along with onion rings and a bowl of gumbo. All I can say about that is wow. We had so many fish we needed 2 "go boxes" after we finished eating. Larry, thanks for fishing with me and I hope to see you, Schatzie, and Karen again real soon.

This is the e-mail Karen sent to me upon her arrival home re the November 5th trip:

Capt. Joe, Just looked up your web site. Thanks for the great pictures! I had a "Whale" of a time! Everything about the trip was fantastic. Thanks for a great time!

Karen Sisler

October 27th

Well fall is here and there sure was a chill in the air this morning when Glenroy Dickens, and his buddies from Longview Texas boarded the boat. The short 20 minute ride was the coolest of the year so far, and for a windy day we did good catching speckled trout and a few other species like reds, black drum, and a sheepshead. These guys were not new to the sport and got right after them. They went home with several bags of fillets ready for corn meal and hot grease. Glenroy said they would be back in the spring to do it again. Thanks guys, hope you enjoy the fish!

October 10th

Kevin Speight and his wife included a fishing trip with Papa Joe in their trip to New Orleans, and had a great time, even though the fish were a little hard to find. Some days are just that way on the water. However after catching a few small reds they managed to get into a group of scattered trout and catch more than enough for lunch. Here they are at the cleaning table with the last trout waiting to be cleaned. I hope you got the sautŽed at Jan's Restaurant, and enjoyed eating them as much as Papa Joe enjoyed your company on the trip. He said you were the kind of people that just after a few minutes with you it seemed like you were old friends. I hope your trip home was uneventful. Come see us again.

September 9th

Fished today with Dr. Boyd Favalero and Dr. Richard Granger. The bite was a little slower than yesterday, but we managed to catch a few as you can see by the fish board. Papa Joe (far right) joined them for a photo opportunity. The biggest surprise was the weather. The TV painted a pretty gloomy picture for the early AM but as usual the forecast was wrong and it was beautiful. We had a great time--these size fish really stretch the line. Some of the Drum took 10 minutes to land. Richard, let me know how the recipe for the drum turns out. Thanks guys, see you soon.

September 8th (Update)

Dr. Bob Smith e-mailed me a couple of "Before and After" pictures connected to yesterday's trip. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the trip and I hope that fish tasted as good as it looks!

BEFORE: The first is his grandson, Ben Carroll, with a nice-sized Redfish.

AFTER: The second is a nice shot of a fully prepared redfish that looks delicious.

September 8th

The Human Performance group arranged up by Daron Walters included Bob Russell, Christie Hull, Phil Hull, Tim Cunningham, Harry Childs, Johnny Van Hosse, Ben Carroll, and Robert Smith. As you can see by the fish board these guys did real well, especially since the weather ran us off the honey hole at 10:30 AM. We had 5 people in Capt. John's boat and 4 people in mine. Even though we fished the same hole, John's boat caught the first fish and got a head start on us, but within 15 minutes everyone was catching fish. Not counting the numerous throw-backs we ended up with 42 Reds and 17 Black Drum. The best part of the trip was everyone had a great time. Thanks Daron, I hope to see you all again real soon. Enjoy the fish and have a safe trip home.

September 1st

John White and Isabella from Los Angeles, CA made the best of a long weekend here in New Orleans, including a fishing trip with Papa Joe. Because of their late arrival Friday night we made an afternoon trip. The over cast skies and stiff wind kept us cool enough, but the fish were very shy. Even the ones we could see seemed to be running away from us. John caught this red on top water after we spotted him coming out of the marsh. Isabella caught this red on shrimp under a cork. I hope the rest of your weekend was also enjoyable. Thanks, I hope to see you again soon.

August 31st

Frank Stewart and his buddy Harold caught these Reds today. It was the first time Harold had the opportunity to fish reds with plastics. This was Frank's 3rd trip in the last year. The weather and the water are both very warm and the bite is a little on the slow side. But there are still plenty of fish to catch and the cooler fall weather is on the way. Frank will be back in October and Harold said he would be back soon. I think its called the fishing bug and I have it worse than anyone. I'm looking forward to our next trip--and finding out what Harold's wife stuffed that big flounder with. Thanks guys!

August 28th

Good news and bad news today. The Bad news was the bite was very slow today, but the good news is Mike Mitchell and Bradley Giles caught some pretty nice redfish. The best news was the thunder storms stayed to are west and we didn't get wet, while the clouds kept it a little cooler than it's been for some time. Mike and Bradley caught both these fish on top water baits. Mike said he would rather catch one on top water than 10 on the bottom. He should be more careful what he wishes for. It was his idea to try top water because of a previous trip he and I made a while back. Boy when they hit they smacked as hard as I've ever seen. As always it was a fine day on the water and everyone had a good time. Hope to see you guys back soon! The fall fishing gets fabulous.

August 18th

Greg Yates and Charles Bentley made a trip to New Orleans with their 4 sons Brock, Evan, Brady, and Chad. Included in their plans was a fishing trip with Papa Joe. After a fun filled day in New Orleans they spent the night at the marina so we could get an early start. Brady got off to an early lead with this large black drum. Chad followed with this red. All the fish were released to fight again, and I'm sure the fisherman will be back to find them. The porpoise at one point were all around the boat, and the group stopped fishing to enjoy them, and to hear Greg call them in. Thanks guys hope to fish with you all again some day.

August 13th

Matt Leavell, Tyler Hendrix, Chase Grogan, and Tim Ruff drove down from Vicksburg, Mississippi last night and stayed at the marina so they could get and early start and beat the afternoon weather. They have fished Southeast Louisiana before, but this is the first time they fished speckled trout and it didn't take them long to learn. On the first demo cast I made this morning the cork kept going down. And even though I missed the fish, it sure raised the excitement level. We successfully dodged a few showers, but other than that we had a perfect day. A couple of last minute reds at the end looked real good on top of the ice chest. Enjoy the fish guys and I hope to see you again in the fall.

August 8th

Freddie and Justin Edgecombe absolutely spanked the speckled trout today. Early in the morning we had to contend with the wind, and one rain shower caught up with us, but by 9 AM it turned into a trout Mecca with partly cloudy skies. Once we got our limit of trout, we took off to find a red or two, but they were still hiding from the earlier storms. Freddie, have a good trip back to Virginia and Justin, it's almost time to hit the books back at LSU. Hope to fish with you guys again in the fall.

Papa Joe

August 7th

Lou Morales, his wife Chris, and his two lovely daughters were at the launch bright and early, and ready to catch fish. They all watched the video from yesterday, and wanted to see the porpoises up close, but as mother nature would have it, the wind was blowing pretty good. The bite was not as fast as Monday, and the storms were threatening, but everyone still caught trout. This picture of Chris doesn't show the largest trout, but it is the one we took a picture with. About 9 AM we headed north to try the reds and had to outrun a very large rain shower. After taking refuge in a camp for about 45 minutes the rest of the day turned out great. We went to the duck ponds and caught Redfish and Black Drum till it was time to head for the launch. Lou, it was a pleasure sharing the wetlands of Louisiana with you and your lovely family. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation as well.

Papa Joe

August 6th

Plenty of trout today, for Lou Morales from California. We left the dock at 5:45 AM and headed south toward the gulf hoping to find clear water. No problem, by 9:30 AM we had all the trout we needed. Lou really got some good video of the porpoises, they were all around our boat huffing, puffing, and splashing water. I on the other hand took some pretty jumpy video of Lou hauling in the fish. Then it was time to try out the Redfish, but although they were a little on the slow side we managed to get a few, and this big Drum. Lou will be back tomorrow with his wife and two daughters. IÕll let you know how they did tomorrow.

Papa Joe

August 2nd

Kevin and Jenny Mueller from Austin braved the winds today and were rewarded with Redfish. It was a tough day fishing, but everyone had a good time. Jenny turned into an expert with a spinning rod in just a short period of time. The most exciting moment was when Kevin hooked a 25" red, and the fish swam around a stick, I thought the 12 pound test line would break any second, but we managed to get him in the boat. Kevin and Jenny, thank you very much. I hope the redfish recipe turns out good for you!

Papa Joe

July 19th

Capt. E.J. and I had the pleasure of taking Mr. Geert Schepens and his customers from Belgium fishing today. They were in town for a trade show and this was a great way for him to treat them to something special. The fish board and the smiles tell the story of how well they did, except the part where Carla caught the most fish. I wish I had a picture of everyone's face on the boat when she hooked the first big redfish. I know it was a thrill for me, so you can imagine the excitement for those on their first fishing trip ever. Once the fish were cleaned it was off to Jan's Restaurant to eat. As hungry as everyone was there were still plenty enough "leftovers" for a late night snack. Papa Joe arranged all the details of their trip--including transportation--and it worked like a charm. Thanks Geert! Have a time in New Orleans and a safe trip home. Hope to fish with you again.

Papa Joe

July 12th

It was a slow day at the office today, but size does matter when there are two young fisherman on the boat. Speckled trout, Redfish, and a bunch of big salcats under the birds made for an exciting day for Phil Muscarello, his son Joseph (who, by the way, found me on the internet), and friend Trent. We managed to get around all the thunderstorms, see the Dolphin, and a tremendous amount of birds feeding on shrimp in Barataria Bay. The smiles in this picture tell the rest of the story. Thanks guys! Come and see us again, and enjoy your picture on the net.

Papa Joe

June 30th

Fishing with Irvin Breaux of Big Eeasy Adventures and his gang was as good as taking a reality pill after that vacation in Florida. What a trip! As you can see we had a very mixed bag today. While the fishing was a little off, the weather and the fishermen made up for it. Who got to eat the flounder? Your guess is as good as mine. Thanks guys, hope to see you again real soon.

June 22nd

On vacation in Florida this week, but just had to go fishing. So I teamed up with Matt Lembrich to fish the Bannana River near Titusville. Matt lives in Florida and is a big time fisherman. We met through Grady Warren Director of the Professional Redfish Tour. Florida Redfish up on the flats are very spooky and hard to catch because the water is so clear and shallow. Matt quickly found 3 areas holding fish, but they keep runnung away from the lure instead of toward it. Some were so close when they went by the boat you could see the spots on their tail. I had a fantastic time fishing with you Matt, thanks for all the polling. And as we discussed there is a trip waiting for you in New Orleans.

June 16th

They're "ba-ack." Those wild and crazy guys from Metairie, Todd Ducote, Kevin Rankie, and Sam Smith originally fished with me in March and came back to see if they could top that trip. Well they did it, even though we had a slow start. 15" of rain just days before the trip pushed the trout out, but we still managed to get 30 plus, a couple of which were over 4 pounds. The topper was a limit of big redfish and 4 black drum in just a little over an hour. The leader board changed many times but when all was said and done everyone was a winner. You guys sure kept me busy and I loved it. Hope we can do it again.

Thanks,
Papa Joe

June 14th

The Ron Baskin party was just that--a big party. Ron was accompanied by Will "Muppet" Sykes, Jon "Minger" Bass, Steve "catfish" Robinson, and Brian Sullivan. And boy, do these guys like to fish--or maybe I should say "catch." The morning started off a little on the slow side, but by 9:30 AM look out. We switched from artificial bait to shrimp and "WAMMO!" We were in the land of the big fish. It was like a different world. The redfish turned on big time and they were BUSTERS. Will Sykes landed the biggest fish. We only needed enough for lunch, but in the heat of battle and our excitement we may have kept enough for lunch and a midnight snack. Guys, I hope you enjoyed the day as much as I did. LetÕs see: fried fish, onion rings, cold beer? Maybe youÕre one up on me.

Thanks again for fishing with me and I hope to see you next trip!
Papa Joe

May 28th

Those Favaloro boys were back today and went home with a load of trout. The bite today was slow but steady. The wind shifted and became strong first thing in the morning, so it took me a little time to adjust and find a new pattern. Jeffery was the highlight of the trip, and was supported buy his father Guy, Grandfather Jimmy, and Uncle Mike. Jeffery went from being a little on the cautious side to netting fish, taking fish off hooks (supervised), and getting his hands in the live shrimp well. We all enjoyed and saw a big change in Jeffery during the trip. I bet there was a fish fry at the Favaloro house today. Thanks Guy, I hope to see y'all again reel soon.

May 26th

A great day of fishing with some fine folks from Montgomery, AL. Don Griffen and Richard Williams were my guest today and what a day it was. Don and Richard came to New Orleans on friday night and fished with me on Saturday. They caught a lot of fish and kept a limit (50) of Speckled Trout. They started out as a party of 4, but a couple of the guys had trouble getting away at the last minute. Both Don and Richard are coming back for the redfish next time. Thanks Don and Richard, I really enjoyed fishing with you.

May 1st

This was the 2nd trip in a week and a half for Yoshi and his crew from Japan. Between the Jazz Fest and fishing they are going to need some rest by the time they get home. Today's trip was great, even though we caught a few less fish. Yoshi managed to get a very big redfish that he proudly shows off in this picture. The trout that his wife and friend are holding were about the average size. They got to eat plenty of them between trips. Yoshi, I hope you, your family, and friends had a good time here in New Orleans, and a safe trip home. Hope to fish with you the next time you're in town.

Thanks,
Papa Joe

April 30th

The wind blew hard today as Capt. Mike Daigle helped me out with a 2nd boat. Mike fished with Michael Brannam and his buddy Gary from Columbus Ohio. I fished with Donald Woolridge, Donald's father-in-law, and their friend John. When all was said and done we managed a combined catch of 49 Speckled Trout. Many of the trout were 18 to 21 inches. When this wind finally lays down the trout are going to go crazy. Even with the wind we had a great time today.

Thanks guys,
Papa Joe

April 28th

I had the extreme pleasure of fishing with Ed and Tammy Valencia today. Although catching 50 large Speckled Trout is rewarding and fun, there were other challenges to overcome--mainly the wind. Both Ed and Tammy are experienced fisher people and I have to say Tammy had to stop and eat a sandwich while Ed caught up. We all had a lot of fun, and they have a lot of fish to take back to Denver. Thanks guys, come back and see me real soon.

April 27th

Did a quick fishing trip/swamp tour for some out of town folks today. The Gators were out in force and this picture was taken during the trip. The beauty of the Louisiana marsh still amazes me after all these years, and visitors always have the same response. "It's so quite, and peaceful, you are a lucky man to be out here all the time". They're right and I love showing my outdoor office to everyone on a daily basis. I hope all of you will come see it soon.

April 23rd

No bad luck today. Yoshi Morita, his wife and another couple from Japan, had a great day on the water. The winds diminished just long enough to allow us to fish the birds in the lake. Trout everywhere, and while the trout in some schools were not keepers, we caught enough to keep me cleaning for an hour. Yoshi and his wife fished with me 2 years ago when he was here for the jazz feast. We plan to make a second trip before he returns to Japan on May 9th. Enjoy the festival, Yoshi, see you soon.

April 22nd

Wow!!! I've been fishing these Louisiana waters since 1971, and fished the East Coast prior to then. Today however, was one of the worst days I've had. The first mistake was mine. No landing net. I know it was there because I used it the day before. Consequently, the first huge Redfish got off by bending the hook at the boat while I frantically reached for it. The second was a string of pure bad luck. Somehow we lost several large fish that simply got off the line for no good reason. Just as we managed to land a couple very large fish the wind put the bay in whitecaps, and from that point on we just couldn't get out of the wind. Guy, Boyd, and Guy Favaloro, and Dr. Bob are very good customers of mine. The final count, 6 trout and 1 red. Sorry guy's -- I will make it up to you next time. Was it really better than a good day at work?

April 21st

Even tough days fishing can be fun. That's what Mike Roberts and his buddy said after a tough day on the water. A dozen Speckled Trout may be a great day elsewhere but here in the New Orleans area it's a tough day. Being out on the water here in the Louisiana marsh is an experience that most people treasure for a long time, or till the next time. The Trout have been on the large side for most of the season, and as soon as this wind calms down we will catch our share. Mike thanks for your understanding, you can't win a fight with Mother Nature.

April 14th

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. The decision I made to fish the ponds took the strong south winds out of the picture. George Troxell and his wife fished with me several years ago, so when the relatives came in from Salt Lake City for the Easter holidays they gave me a call. George and his brother Jeff, along with son Scott, and Chris Mauty had a fine day on the water. These guys normally fly fish the streams and rivers in Utah for fresh water trout, but certainly enjoyed the pull of an 18” speckled trout. We had 28 in the box by 9:30AM and decided to see if we could find a few reds that would stretch our lines. Although we managed to catch 8 or 9 the big fish eluded us, as we only had two above the 16” limit. Jeff I hope those pictures of that beautiful sunrise came out good, and that all of you have a great holiday in New Orleans.

March 11th

Fishing is all about having fun, and after this trip, if you were to look up the definition of fun in the dictionary you would see this picture. Todd Ducote, Emmett Humel, Kevin Rankie, and Sam Smith (haha--Sam never would tell me his REAL name), had a fabulous time fishing speckled trout on a marginal weather day. We kept 50 trout to eat and must have thrown back another 25 that were too small. Non-stop jokes, intermittent fish, and constant laughter was the best way to describe this perfect day. Thanks guys! I hope you come back to see me soon. Enjoy the fish. 

March 7th

Today I had the pleasure of fishing with Bob Trottier and his lovely wife. After an hour I felt like I was fishing with old friends. The weather was beautiful and called for sun screen. The fishing was a little slow but it didnÕt stop. Bob's wife caught the largest red of the day. Bob did an excellent job trying to catch up and landed this black drum while catching the most speckled trout. By the end of the day everyone was ready for a nap. Now that's what I call Fishing. I really enjoyed the day with you guys--come back and see me again!

February 2nd

Curt Hemmel, Donald Woolridge, Steve Antrobus, and Woody Crochet, Fished with Capt. E.J. today. As you can see from the fish board they limited out, well all most. There was some talk of a mis-count, after throwing at least 10 keepers back they came up 1 short. Most fish are still being caught in the deeper bayous, using a slow retrieve with plastics. When Donald booked this trip he asked if he would catch reds like the pictures on this web site. Well I think that question was answered. As you can see the guys had a great time, and can't wait to get back. My boat will be in the shop for a few more days, but no trips are canceled, and we're accepting all bookings. I would hate to disappoint the fish when the're biting so good. Call Papa Joe at 504-392-4409, to get in on this great redfish action. 

January 31st

The bite was a little slow today, but Chris Russo and I managed to catch a limit (10) redfish and several nice trout. The quick change in the  weather was bad, but you know the saying about a bad day fishing and a good day at work. The beauty of the bayous and south louisiana marsh still amazes me every day. We got some good pictures, check them out here.

January 29th

We beat the heavy rain today, good thing I could read between the lines on the weather report. Mario Calonje, retired physian and avid outdoorsman fished with me today in the light rain and heavy wind. Soft Plastics in Purple and White as well as the White-glow with chartruse tail did the job with a slow jerkey retreive. Mario had 10 reds relatively early and than a nice mess of trout. Only 5 reds were keepers, but all the trout were very nice with several around 20". (see pictures) Wildlife and fishery surveyer was at the dock waiting for us. He looked lonely so Mario answered his questions while I cleaned the fish. Looks like the rest of the week is a little iffy but they are out there. We currently booking trips for 2001, if you are comming to New Orleans be sure to take a day to fish with Papa Joe. Call today and reserve your spot. 504-392-4409

January 15th

WHAT A DAY. Wind, Rain, Fog, and Fish, what more could a guide and his customers ask for. Nash Brown and Dwight Walker fished and fought the eliments today with Papa Joe. They had a great time and experienced the fight of the mighty redfish (click here for their picture), as well as the soft bite of the speckled trout in cold water. They were in New orleans to attend the shot show and stayed an extra day to fish with Papa Joe. After a big supper at Bouttes and a restful night at an appartment at the C-Way Marina they were ready to go. Thanks Nash, hope to see you again real soon. If you are coming to New Orleans Papa Joe has many plans to fit your schedule. The fishing is fabulous and we want you to also experience the adventure. Call Papa Joe today at 504-392-4409 
 

January 7th

It's been a while since I posted a report because I've been guiding Duck Hunts with Marshland Adventures. It's been the best duck hunting I have ever experienced. Those gray ducks make you think you can call. I fished this weekend both days from Lafitte and the Reds were fantastic. Today Joe Bananno treated his son to a fishing trip for his birthday, and what a present it was. A limit of Reds by 8:30 than catch and release for most of the morning. Only 6 Specs, but they were all real nice fish. Purple cockahoe with white tail was the only bait we had to use, but you need to bring plenty of them because the fish were inhaling them. When you think you're moving the bait too slow, move it slower. Want to book a 1st class trip? Call Papa Joe at 504-392-4409.