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No Fishing Allowed In This Marsh Near Bayou Bienvenue
What was supposed to be another fishing trip ended up being another disappointment. Read on to learn about this fishing closure.
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The other day I went fishing in Chalmette to target bass near the dock before taking a ride to scout out some redfish I had heard were biting in Lake Pontchartrain.
The morning went fairly well, flipping lillies and docks with a Texas rigged creature bait (Missile Baits Baby D Bomb in Bruiser Flash, to be exact).
The tide was rising and bass were biting!
But there was a problem: the bass were small.
The solution? Time to move to find something a little bigger.
So I moved out into the marsh, taking a chance on a large pond with clean water that just "looked good".
Driftng that with a buzzbait produced some fish, and that was satisfying.
However, the next move revealed a bright orange sign with a startling message:
No fishing allowed!
Wait, what?
That's what it said, but to be exact:
POSTED AND PATROLLED
Private Property
Hunting, fishing, trapping or trespassing on land or water is strictly forbidden.
Violators will be prosecuted.
Greenhead Hunting Club
108 Branch Drive, Slidell, LA 70461
Don't believe me? Here's a picture I took.
This is a problem.
A huge problem.
One that raises a lot of questions you may be thinking right now:
Who is this property patrolled by?
Will I be held at gunpoint or fined?
How do I know where these property boundaries are?
Was I trespassing the entire time?
Isn't tidal water free and open to the public?
Who do these people think they are?
It's enough to make you feel helpless, like there's nothing that can be done to fight back.
But We Are Not Helpless
This trend of posted water is growing across Louisiana.
It's a complicated one, and it can be tough to decide where to begin tackling it.
That's why I joined Louisiana Sportsmen's Coalition and ask that you consider doing the same, too (if you have not already).
They are the only organization fighting for our fishing freedom!
P.S.
I left that marsh to head into Lake Pontchartrain and search for those redfish mentioned earlier.
It took a little moving around, but I was able to hit paydirt and catch my limit. You can read that report here.
I Googled the address, and it appears to be a business run from home. National Wildlife Studios and the National Taxidermist Association
What area? Where? Can you possibly mark it on a map?
If these land owners think that the marsh is so valuable that they need to post it no access. The legislature should tax it appropriately, perhaps valued 4,000. Per acre. I will write my local and state representatives that as a starting number. Ralph Herrmann
Maybe these land owners can go to the private deer leases and hunt deer since there are roads into their properties . With the millions of sq miles to fish and wildlife mgt areas there is not a lack of fishing areas.