My Best Fishing Trip Ever

With over 25 years of fishing local waters, Captain Mike is ready to take your family on the trip of a lifetime.

BY CAPTAIN MIKE GALLO

AS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR of Angling Adventures of Louisiana, I’m often asked, “Captain Mike, what is your best fishing trip ever?” While this seems like an easy question to answer, it isn’t.

Angling Adventures of Louisiana has run over 5,000 charters since I started in 1997. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, or in my case, memory bayou.

Sure, there are hundreds of fishing trips with young children who, after catching a nice fish, exclaim, “This is my best fishing trip ever!” I appreciate that type of compliment, knowing I may have created a lifelong fisher. One trip that sticks out in my mind took place on Lake Pontchartrain on a nice, calm spring morning. I fished with a 9-yearold boy and his dad. We caught a nice box of speckled trout, some redfish and one flounder. As the action slowed, I made a move to a new spot along the bridge.

Ten minutes later, the boy hooked into something that was fighting harder than any fish we had in the box. I coached how to fight a bigger fish and stood ready with the net. Under the boat I could see an odd-shaped fish. When the fish came close, I netted it. On closer look the boy caught two fish on one hook.

I’ve never seen anything like that before or since. The first fish had the line running through its gills and the second fish was hooked in the lip. As we released both the ladyfish and the catfish, I remember telling that boy, “You may never catch two fish on one hook again in your lifetime.”

I’ve also been hired to create one last memory with a senior or terminally ill loved one. To have someone entrust me with such a trip is an honor.

I started fishing with Dutch in 2006 after he sold his boat. A World War II veteran, he was a young 80 years old back then. Dutch loves to fish the Biloxi Marsh for redfish and had been fishing it with his dad since 1939. We have made over 100 trips to the Biloxi Marsh together over the years. In October 2022, Dutch, my uncle Dan and I headed to the Marsh for another fishing adventure. Dutch caught most of the fish as we relived trips from years gone by. Now at 98 years old, we have to pick just the right day, but I can assure you Dutch still enjoys a day on the water. I look forward to every opportunity to spend time with him, and we have become good friends. We call just to say “Hello” and celebrate our birthdays with cake.

I have recalled trips with youngsters and seniors. Take the story of fishing with Bob, which is going on 23 years. I fished with Bob in November of 1999 while he worked for MCI. November, being a great month to fish in the St. Tammany area, led us to a box full of speckled trout, redfish and several other species of fish. Bob recommended me to a coworker named Steve. Steve and his brother, Butch, booked a trip in the early spring of 2000, and I quickly learned that they loved to fish and were good at it, too. That trip was the beginning of something special. Soon, Steve formed his own company and fished with me four times a year with his clients and employees, often needing two boats or more.

Because I lived on the water and operated Angling Adventures of Louisiana from my home in the early years, clients parked in my front yard and loaded the boat in my backyard. It couldn’t be more convenient. As the world watched Hurricane Katrina blow through Southeast Louisiana on August 29, 2005, my home was severely damaged. My wife and I moved off the water, but my Uncle Dan and I rebuilt our damaged home, which became the Spots & Dots Lodge. Now offering on-site accommodations, local outdoors enthusiast Don Dubuc called to ask if I would share fishing knowledge on his radio, news and television shows. As the joy of St. Tammany fishing grew, I began to have local and regional fishing magazines write stories capturing our fishing adventures, which later led to filming with C.T. Williams’ television show, The Big Fish, a local news highlight and TV show viewed across the South.

Through this growth, Steve’s business also flourished, bringing him back for 20 to 30 trips annually. This trend continued until 2013 when Steve merged with another fishing fanatic named Scott. Together, they now book 50 to 75 trips a year and our friendships have grown into a brotherhood. I added a second lodge in 2017 and have several captains working from my dock to accommodate even more outdoorsmen and -women. We often have groups of 10 to 15 people per day fishing while visiting St. Tammany, and we sometimes boil local Lake Pontchartrain Blue Crabs, which is always a big hit.

My entire career has been a wonderful angling adventure. I have made many great friends doing what I love with a passion. Of course, we have caught thousands of fish along the way and have made lasting memories for thousands of anglers from all over the world. I’m glad to have chosen St. Tammany for my family and my charter service. We have everything you could ask for—great fishing, great food, outdoor activities, shopping, music, festivals, street fairs and more.

To answer that opening question, my best fishing trip started in 1997 and continues on every trip I take. I plan to continue chartering for St. Tammany visitors for as many years as life allows me.

HERE’S TO TIGHT LINES

Captain Mike Gallo’s Angling Adventures of Louisiana welcomes expert anglers and novices alike. For bookings, call (985) 781-7811 or visit AAofLA.com.