A Look at the Hurricanes Effect on Gulf Coast Fishing
Fishing Calcasieu with Kirk Stansel
 Editor’s
Note: After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the fishermen
at Lake Calcasieu near Lake Charles, Louisiana, still
had good lives and enjoyed outstanding fishing. The
storm brought in plenty of speckled trout and redfish.
Many of the tourist areas along the Gulf Coast had shut
down, but the fishing business boomed. However, anglers
knew that good times generally didn’t last, and
bad times might follow. Four  weeks
later, Hurricane Rita jumped right in the middle of
Lake Calcasieu. Although most people around the nation
remember Katrina and its devastating effort on New Orleans,
the anglers at Lake Calcasieu never will forget Rita.
But, on the heels of Rita came some of the best trout
fishing Lake Calcasieu has had in years. We’ve
talked to two fishermen who guide and operate businesses
on Calcasieu – Captain Jeff Poe of Big Lake Guide
Service and Kirk Stansel of Hackberry Rod & Gun.
Let’s listen to their stories about what happened
and what you can expect this summer and fall, if you’re
planning a fishing trip to Lake Calcasieu.
“One of our best and most-successful fishing trips
has been our night boat trips,” Kirk Stansel says.
“The fishermen eat dinner with us at the lodge
and then board a 40-foot houseboat that carries six
people out fishing. We put out lights over a reef and
anchor-up, and as soon as the bait shows-up, the trout
start following them. After dinner, the boat  leaves
the dock, and the fishermen stay out until about 4:00
a.m. The night boat usually brings in mostly trout with
a few flounder and redfish in the catch. With all the
fish in the lake now, the night boat should really be
a great way to catch a lot of speckled trout and redfish
and dodge the summer heat at the same time. The night
boat, which usually runs through October, has been so
popular that most of our weekends are booked-up already
through the summer. But we still have some openings
during the week.
“Hackberry Lodge starts its cast-and-blast trips
for ducks and trout with teal season in
September. Our big duck season generally begins the
middle of November, depending on when the state sets
the season. We have a lot of people who like to get
up in the morning, eat a good breakfast, shoot ducks,
come in for gumbo at lunch, and then fish for speckled
trout and redfish until dark. A cast-and-blast trip
is a before-daylight-until-after-dark hunting and fishing
trip that everyone really enjoys. Based on the numbers
of fish we’re seeing now, I predict that this
summer and fall, we’ll have the best fishing year
that we’ve had in the last five or six years.”
To learn more about fishing at Hackberry Rod &
Gun, call 888-762-3391, or visit www.hackberryrodandgun.com.
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