Drop a line at one of our handpicked roadside fishing spots

No boat? No problem

By Kelly McElroy

Correspondent

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.

TERREBONNE PARISH

DULARGE

Fishing Bayou Dularge Road no farther south than Falgout Canal can produce some nice catches, and Falgout Canal Road between Dularge is also a good spot for redfish.

With a pirogue, fishing weirs and dams can also be productive. The pontoon bridge over the Houma Navigation Canal is also a popular spot for redfish and other species of fish. La. 57 between Cocodrie and Dulac also has many fis-

By Dan Copp

Staff Writer

Museums allow us to learn from the past to better understand our present. They provide visitors a place to experience Terrebonne and Lafourche’s rich history and culture under one roof. Here are nine local museums that are worth the visit. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, visitors should call museums ahead of time to check hours of operation. 1. Finding Our Roots museum, at 918 Roussell St. in Houma, showcases various periods of black history in Terrebonne, Lafourche and other area parishes including slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, Reconstruction and contemporary times. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7 or via a $40 museum 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.

POINTE-AUX-CHENES-ISLE DE JEAN CHARLES

Catch fish and crabs along Island Road in southeastern Terrebonne Parish. Roadside anglers have long frequented the spot, but new public piers and an upgraded boat launch completed in late 2020 have made it safer and easier. Louisiana coastal officials completed the five fishing piers, boat launch and parking lots using $3 million from the state’s settlement with BP over the 2010 oil spill Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

LAFOURCHE PARISH

membership. 2. Terrebonne Folklife Culture Center, 317 Goode St., Houma, 873- 6406. Activities, classes, workshops and exhibits about local life, art and culture, past and present. 3. Southdown Plantation House and Terrebonne Museum,1208 Museum Drive, Houma, near La. 311 and St. Charles Street, 851-0154 or southdownmuseum. org. Daily tours, exhibits on Terrebonne Parish history and former plantation owners’ lives. 4. Edward Douglas White Historic Site, 2295 La. 1, Thibodaux, 447-0915. Exhibits on Gov. E.D. White and U.S. Chief Justice E.D. White II are inside the antebellum Creole cottage. 5. Bayou Lafourche Folklife and Heritage Museum, 110 Main St., Lockport, 532-5909. Housed in National Register of Historic Places building. The museum

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.

The Leeville Boat Launch and Fishing Pier, under the Gateway to the Gulf Expressway along La. 1, opened in 2017. It includes a handicap-accessible aluminum fishing pier and a pavilion and has lights for nighttime fishing.

PORT FOURCHON

During the summer, nice catches of speckled trout can be found in the surf of area beaches.

GOLDEN MEADOW

Oakridge Park’s levee canal is a prime spot for some freshwater fishing in 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 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

9 local museums that are worth the visit

trout, redfish, white trout and flounder. 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.