im on West fork, i have the lil Burns behind my house (nothing but stumps!) but i dont think there are many white perch back there. Not after rita.

I'll try Indian Bayou, and Gulf States Ditch some more.

Man, when I was young we use to tear the bass and bream up back there. We caught a few white perch and frogs as big as a small dog. That's where I use to hang out in a 14 foot alum with a 6 hp Johnson. No trolling motor back then on my boat. Short handled paddleor a pole. I also learned how to throw a bait caster up in there. That was a few years back.....probley 38 years ago. It hadn't been fresh water that long then. Before that we use to go crabbing at the ferry (where the bridge is now) about 42 years ago. Between Mossbluff and Westlake.

There should be another ditch between Gulf States Ditch and the Saltwater Barrier, I don't know anything about the developements to land since I left there 26 years ago. Only visited land based areas since. I have just gotten back into the saltwater stuff a year or so back. I am finding out there are a lot of changes.

Yo Yos are Good Umm K
 

Every god fearing, whiskey drinking, red blooded American should run yo yo's atleast once in their life. It really is a thrill when their hitting good; they will keep you running in circles if its good. One night we stayed out like 4 hours because they were hitting so fast; as soon as we would get to the end of our string there would be fish at the begenning.

Tear em up Fool.

Quackhead this is some nice information/experiences being exchanged between you and Fool. Your experience being passed to the younger generation.
Like hearing those back in the day stories of the way things were here in the Bluff area. Did you live in the Bluff? I have been residing in the Bluff for 13 years.

Yes, that ditch is still there.

does anyone remember the signs that was in the little burns that u could see off the hey rf bridge

Feesh im assuming yall talking about on the West Side of the river?

Quackhead,the westlake/mb bridge?? Didn't know a ferry crossed there, at the end of my road i know one crossed (hints the "ferry Rd")

The ditch is on the west side, same as Gulf States Ditch. I was kinda young my self at the time but it seems it was pretty much where the bridge is. I can remember once we crossed it you was on hwy 378. Moss Bluff wasn't much back then, but there was a small hardware store up close to where the High School is but across the road, you could get basic fishing supplies there. There is alot of Marsh land on the Westlake side an either sider of 378. As you are crossing the Bridge to Westlake , if you turn right and follow the road, it use to dead end about 300 yards. We would shoot Wood Ducks roosting late in the evening. On the other side of 378 about where the rope swing (Been there for years)is if you walk thru the woods just a couple hundred feet you will hit a big marsh there aswell. It use to be a good blue gill hole there. The water was about 2-4 feet deep in most of it. The P. ferry road had always been horrible to drive from the time you turned off of 378. It was paved about 1/2 mile then pot holes and mud to the end. The old wooden bridge that crossed the ditch that fed water into that marsh was the only access to get your boat back there. There wasn't many Houses on the road back then and the ones that were was close to 378.

What is the "hey rf bridge"???

:)

I'm on my phone sorry 171 bridge.....moss bluff was big in kkk there was a sign in the burns

hey hey hey back backi gimma 50 ft away from my house! :*****:


yep that rope swing marsh is now about 6ft deep in areas.

the wooden bridges are now tank cars split in half (culverts)

that said "you are now entering KKK terriorty...Welcome to Moss Bluff" or something like dat"

Same here fool, no patience but is fun when there biting.

yeah thats it also they used to have big meetings on coffee rd

didn't know dat....

When the old 171 wooden bridge was in service(where the boat launch is now), as you crossed the bridge heading North, there was a ice cream stand on the corner. There are metal buildings(businesses) there now.

The old bridge? the one they blew up??


Dad used to tell me stories how they used to go camp on that thing after they tore it down.

That is the one.

That was the Old Town Road Bridge. Wow, I almost forgot about that one. It was a wooden bridge that was very narrow. 2 cars could cross it each direction but if an 18 wheeler came across it he had it by himself. Fool, we were both right on the Ferry's that crossed. I called my brother and asked him about it. He said there use to be one that went from Smith Ferry Rd in Westlake to Perkins Ferry back in the late 40's thru the late 50's. The road was bad on both sides so they decided to close the one that had gone back and forth and made a better pass at Hwy 378. That was toward the end of the 50's or early 60's. The new ferry was just north of the current bridge about 70 yards. I do remember that it did not use a conventional motor and prop to go back and forth but 2 cables that was used to pull the ferry back and forth. If a boat needed to cross the ferry's path the ferry had to release the tention
on the cable and it would drop the cable to the bottom of the river, once the boat passed the ferry pulled tention back on the cable and would pull itself across again.

Adam, I remember the sign very well. I'll discuss more of the sign when we ever meet. There use to be one on the Moss Bluff side of the new Bridge also when it was put in back in the late 60's or early 70's when ever it was put in.

2ndAmendment, As you probley have figured out I was raised in Westlake. I worked at Olin Chemical till 84. They had a big lay off as did most of the plants. With no work in the area I worked here and there and finally decided to join the Navy. I got very lucky and was accepted into the Bio- Medical repair school. After the Navy I went to work for the VA. 20 years later I'm writing a book on Salty Cajun. lol Lots of cool memories...:D

Man you guys are making me want to go set some yo yo's for some sac a lait and cats now!! :)

My paw paw retired from Olin. Retired a looooooong time ago so not sure if you may have known him or not. His name is Ferdie Vidrine. Anyway, I was raised in Westlake as well.

olin turned to MSRC right? Or lyndell?

I knew a Vidrine from school but can't recall the first name.He was also in the Volunteer Fire Dept when I was there. As far as your paw-paw, I don't recall him either, but you never really got to meet people in the other units.

Fool, I think your right, once I left LC area I never turned back. You go to MBHS? Tell the Brad B His Uncle Bryan said hi and wished he was going to Grand Isle with me and his dad next month.

Brad Book?


I go to the Middle school last year in mddle and then ill be up der.

You hung out with W today fool??

Fool works for NASA.

That would be him.

You prolly know my niece. She is Madison Murphy.

i live right next door to her grandma and her dad.

I'm sorry.

lol

you sorry about which one the dad or grandma?? lol

The sperm donor.

ahh yeah.....



we don't talk to em much..they 1 house down

You ain't missin nuttin. Now the girls are sweethearts. Madison pretty much don't go over there anymore. She wise to his ways.

Yep. Madison's a year younger than me...

Just a little tip for you yo-yo guys...i used to fish them alot back in the day...they are alot of fun...if you want to keep your fish alive longer especially in the summer months....put a split shot weight about 6" from the yo-yo on the line this will kepp your fish in the water....the smaller ones will be like beef jerky in the morning if they stay out all night......

Useful tip....Thanks

use to fish yo-yos at lake d'arbonne up north of ruston and set em overnight catch them sacs everytime we set em.