Man, this thread has something for everyone.
Don't know about trolling the ship channel, but I've fished the Causeway and Trestles in Lake P. and have seen the technique work there.
Many years ago in the cove at Cypremort Point I was having a decent day on the trout. Saw a guy paddling a pirogue with two rods with lines out in the back. He was slaying the trout! I actually stopped to watch for a while. That trolling required a lot of work.
MG, I'm going to disagree on your assessments of fishing with guides. First off, where a guide launches is dependent on so much more than whether hs is industrious or lazy. On BL I've only fished out of Calcasieu Point but I can't see it making a difference since the entire lake is accessible with an appropriate boat.
I fished three days with a guide in Dularge and we left from his camp each day because he kept the boat in the water. We fished completely different areas each day, and I don't know if other launches were even an option.
In Lake P. the guide launched in Mandeville for the causeway and Dockside for the trestles because the run across open water could be minimized.
Here on the east coast of Florida we have many areas requiring idle speeds because of Manatees. I make occasional scouting trips with a guide friend I build rods for. In the past we always used the most central launch, but now we do select different ramps because it's not practical to have to go through the idle zones to move from one spot to another.
Fishing with a guide can be as lazy or as intense as you make it. I don't treat it any different than a trip with any other good fisherman. I always want the guide to fish because I learn local techniques as well as areas. I like to bring home a few fish, but I expect to fish for the entire time of the charter, not just come in with an early limit. I can clean my own fish. I do my share of netting fish and handling the boat as necessary, and I take care of my own tackle.
Want to help my son with his calculus and physics
