30 LIVING HERE 2021
ROADSIDE FISHING
By Kelly McElroy Correspondent
No boat? No problem
Who says you need a boat to catch fish in Terrebonne and Lafourche? From canals along area highways to surf fishing at the beach, area fishermen have many fishing opportunities where a boat is not even needed. So if you don’t have a boat or want to leave it at home, there are no worries because the area is filled with many saltwater and fishing spots that local fishermen can walk to. And with cooler weather, fish begin stacking up closer to area shores. Here are some of the area‘s top shoreline fishing spots.
hing spots for anglers, but rubber boots may be needed to reach some of the marshy areas.
CHAUVIN-COCODRIE Without a doubt, the most popular shoreline locations in this region are Boudreaux and Robinson canals. Both are along La. 56 and can get crowded in the winter months. Lake Boudreaux is a hot spot for speckled trout in the winter, and Boudreaux Canal provides a migration route for the fish to and from the lake. Finding areas of moving water in these regions can prove fruitful.
THIBODAUX Freshwater fishing is popular in Bayou Lafourche near Nicholls State University and the Jean Lafitte Historical Park and Preserve Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. The Adley Landry Water Reservoir is also a popular spot for bass fishing.
LEEVILLE Deep water near the site of the old Leeville lift bridge off La. 1 provides warmth for redfish, sheepshead and black drum during winter. There are many shell parking spots along the highway for people to access these popular fishing spots. POINTE-AUX-CHENES-ISLE DE The Leeville Boat Launch and Fishing JEAN CHARLES Pier, under the Gateway to the Gulf ExCatch fish and crabs along Island Road pressway along La. 1, opened in 2017. It TERREBONNE PARISH in southeastern Terrebonne Parish. DULARGE includes a handicap-accessible aluminum fishing pier and a pavilion Fishing Bayou Dularge Road no farther Roadside anglers have long frequented the spot, but new public piers and and has lights for nighttime fishing. south than Falgout Canal can produce an upgraded boat launch completed in some nice catches, and Falgout Canal late 2020 have made it safer and easier. PORT FOURCHON Road between Dularge is also a good Louisiana coastal officials completed During the summer, nice catches of spot for redfish. the five fishing piers, boat launch and speckled trout can be found in the surf of With a pirogue, fishing weirs and parking lots using $3 million from the area beaches. dams can also be productive. The pontoon bridge over the Houma Navigation state’s settlement with BP over the 2010 Canal is also a popular spot for redfish oil spill Gulf of Mexico oil spill. GOLDEN MEADOW and other species of fish. La. 57 between Oakridge Park’s levee canal is a prime Cocodrie and Dulac also has many fisLAFOURCHE PARISH spot for some freshwater fishing in
south Lafourche. Sac-a-lait and other perch are traditionally the top catches. SOUTH LAFOURCHE Roadside fishing along La. 1 is popular among saltwater anglers, as Bayou Lafourche can provide an abundance of speckled trout and redfish, especially in winter and fall. Fishing in Bayou Lafourche provides good catches from Larose to Leeville. LOCKPORT Bayou Side Park is a popular fishing spot for many central Lafourche residents, as people can reel in freshwater catches in Bayou Lafourche and Old Company Canal. JEFFERSON PARISH GRAND ISLE Anglers are often found fishing off the pier near the Grand Isle Bridge and in other spots off La. 1, especially in the winter when the fish are stacked up in area canals and marshes. It also includes lights for nighttime fishing. For those looking to be a bit more adventurous, surf fishing is popular along the Grand Isle beaches. The most popular catches are traditionally speckled trout, redfish, white trout and flounder.
9 local museums that are worth the visit By Dan Copp Staff Writer
membership. 2. Terrebonne Folklife Culture Center, 317 Goode St., Houma, 873- 6406. AcMuseums allow us to learn from the tivities, classes, workshops and exhibits past to better understand our present. about local life, art and culture, past and They provide visitors a place to expepresent. rience Terrebonne and Lafourche’s rich 3. Southdown Plantation House and history and culture under one roof. Here Terrebonne Museum,1208 Museum Driare nine local museums that are worth ve, Houma, near La. 311 and St. Charles the visit. Because of the coronavirus Street, 851-0154 or southdownmuseum. pandemic, visitors should call museums org. Daily tours, exhibits on Terrebonne ahead of time to check hours of operaParish history and former plantation tion. owners’ lives. 1. Finding Our Roots museum, at 918 4. Edward Douglas White Historic Roussell St. in Houma, showcases variSite, 2295 La. 1, Thibodaux, 447-0915. ous periods of black history in Terrebon- Exhibits on Gov. E.D. White and U.S. ne, Lafourche and other area parishes Chief Justice E.D. White II are inside the including slavery, the Civil Rights Move- antebellum Creole cottage. ment, Reconstruction and contemporary 5. Bayou Lafourche Folklife and Hertimes. The museum is open from 10 a.m. itage Museum, 110 Main St., Lockport, to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 532-5909. Housed in National Register Admission is $7 or via a $40 museum of Historic Places building. The museum
features artifacts of early life along Bayou Lafourche and other rotating exhibits. 6. Laurel Valley Plantation, 595 La. 308, Thibodaux, 446-7456. The oldest standing sugar plantation in the country has a farm with various animals and an old store with various historical artifacts. 7. Center for Traditional Louisiana Boat Building, 202 Main St., Lockport, displays and works to preserve some of the boats that are intrinsic to our way of life in the swamps, marshes and bayous of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. It’s open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call 532-5106 or visit the center’s Facebook page. 8. Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum offers displays and interactive panels to introduce visitors to the industries, traditions and personal stories that collectively comprise the area’s unique culture. The museum, 7910 West
Park Ave. in downtown Houma, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for kids ages 2-12 and $2.50 for seniors. Group rates are available. Call 580-7200 or visit the museum’s Facebook page. 9. The Regional Military Museum at 1154 Barrow St. in Houma takes visitors back through time to see real artifacts from World War II and other military campaigns that shaped history. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for veterans and seniors, $2 for students and free for active members of the military. Call 8738200 or email rmmuseum@gmail.com for more information. --Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@ houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.
