Is big lake done?

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by ahlangle

Interesting stuff on this one.
One thought I had was about property value on the water: why are camps listing at $200+/sqft on the lake if things are as bad as people say? Is there a govt aspect preventing any more waterfront property from being allowed for homes? Just absolutely asinine listing prices for camps at Big Lake and when people say it is because the LNG companies, I don?t see how that affects it (a guy working on building those facilities is not likely to buy a $600,000 Camp on the lake, nor is an owner of a camp ?valued? at that price going to rent it out). What is the deal?!

Capitalism works. Supply and demand. My brother owns multiple properties in Cameron, and they are bringing in top dollar. Other than staying with my bro, we can't afford space down there for fishing trips. In the next year, it's looking like rentals at Grand Isle are cheaper than the Big Lake area.

But frankly, we'd prefer Cameron. Fishing has always been better, even though 2018, and we expect that to continue for many years.

[ahlangle]

So what are you saying

[Xpress21]

Come again

[Bumfisherman]

I am in the process of building a new home now on the water in Hackberry. The building codes after the hurricanes have driven up construction costs astronomically. These costs have nothing to do with LNG?s. The demand for housing due to the LNG construction has caused rental rate increases and workers have made leases on camps that were historically fishing camps rented by the weekend. The reason for high prices on vacation type rentals has a lot to do with rising property tax rates and insurance costs. If you pay cash for a $500,000 camp the taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities can easily cost $1,500 per month.

[ahlangle]

Originally Posted by Bumfisherman

I am in the process of building a new home now on the water in Hackberry. The building codes after the hurricanes have driven up construction costs astronomically. These costs have nothing to do with LNG?s. The demand for housing due to the LNG construction has caused rental rate increases and workers have made leases on camps that were historically fishing camps rented by the weekend. The reason for high prices on vacation type rentals has a lot to do with rising property tax rates and insurance costs. If you pay cash for a $500,000 camp the taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities can easily cost $1,500 per month.

Good to know thank you for the info

[cajun]

Originally Posted by ckinchen

Is this thing done?

No, but I think SaltyCajun.com is.

[RAKEDLAKE]

A question I would like to ask. In the past there were guides catching and posting. In the past year there are fewer and fewer post. Also I have heard from someone that knows more than I know about big lake. They say that the washout has been blown out and the fishing will continue getting worse until they put out the rocks like they have done all the way down the channel. Can anyone tell me why they are not doing the last few miles to close off the massive hole we have on the washout. Don't make any sense to me.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by RAKEDLAKE

A question I would like to ask. In the past there were guides catching and posting. In the past year there are fewer and fewer post. Also I have heard from someone that knows more than I know about big lake. They say that the washout has been blown out and the fishing will continue getting worse until they put out the rocks like they have done all the way down the channel. Can anyone tell me why they are not doing the last few miles to close off the massive hole we have on the washout. Don't make any sense to me.

The whole issue with the rocks probably boils down to one thing--the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). There was a time (we may still be in that time) that NMFS was adamantly opposed to rocking shorelines because it was "bad for fish". If that sentiment still stands, then it will not happen.

Not to mention the cost to rock that likely isn't small.

["W"]

Last year was by far the toughest year on Big Lake in my life but IMO those two 18 degree nights with 3 days below freezing took a toll on system.

Last year I ended year with 19 full Trout Limits with customers and several more scouting .
Vs over 50 full trout Limits with customers in 2017 season

The new revised SPR # will be released in April this year .

Think the lake needed a bad year because it thinned out a ton of guides . Most had to get other jobs and now only guide weekends.

Guiding became easy money and easy do to for so many because fishing was real easy and consistent. When you have hard times like last year only strong Fisherman survive .

Ones who put in extra hours searching and scouting to find fish made it . Ones who just depend on cell phones and someone to find fish for them didn?t .
Was not a whole lot of sharing info last year with other guides .
I know when me or Chris found trout we keep it to ourselves until our cover was blown .
Learned a valuable lesson last year also about pictures .
When other guides are not catching and you catch limits of trout .
Do Not post pictures because they will find you !!!
Me and Chris found some trout last March .
We had trips 4 days in a row and limited out 3 days in a row then on that 3 day one guide found us and phone calls started .
It was like vultures that 4th day.
I left hour before daylight that 4th day and had two boats on the spot already I had been fishing last 3 days ..
At least 25-30 guide boats in the area





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by "W"

Think the lake needed a bad year because it thinned out a ton of guides . Most had to get other jobs and now only guide weekends.

Guiding became easy money and easy do to for so many because fishing was real easy and consistent. When you have hard times like last year only strong Fisherman survive .

Ones who put in extra hours searching and scouting to find fish made it . Ones who just depend on cell phones and someone to find fish for them didn?t .

Astute observations. Thanks for chiming in. Hope you and yours are well.

[takeemnow]

Originally Posted by "W"

Last year was by far the toughest year on Big Lake in my life but IMO those two 18 degree nights with 3 days below freezing took a toll on system.

Last year I ended year with 19 full Trout Limits with customers and several more scouting .
Vs over 50 full trout Limits with customers in 2017 season

The new revised SPR # will be released in April this year .

Think the lake needed a bad year because it thinned out a ton of guides . Most had to get other jobs and now only guide weekends.

Guiding became easy money and easy do to for so many because fishing was real easy and consistent. When you have hard times like last year only strong Fisherman survive .

Ones who put in extra hours searching and scouting to find fish made it . Ones who just depend on cell phones and someone to find fish for them didn?t .
Was not a whole lot of sharing info last year with other guides .
I know when me or Chris found trout we keep it to ourselves until our cover was blown .
Learned a valuable lesson last year also about pictures .
When other guides are not catching and you catch limits of trout .
Do Not post pictures because they will find you !!!
Me and Chris found some trout last March .
We had trips 4 days in a row and limited out 3 days in a row then on that 3 day one guide found us and phone calls started .
It was like vultures that 4th day.
I left hour before daylight that 4th day and had two boats on the spot already I had been fishing last 3 days ..
At least 25-30 guide boats in the area





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm no way a guide, but I know what you're saying. Last year during the week I'd see hardly any guides. Weekends, they were everywhere and with no direction. When I could break from work, I'd only come during the week down. Last year I boated 18 limits of reds and one limit of trout. Me, my son and friends that would go down. We caught 4 flounder all year. Haven't been down yet because of bass fishing in east TX but hopefully in the coming weeks will make our first trip. No such thing as luck if you study your craft. Good to see ya post W!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[ahlangle]

Originally Posted by takeemnow

I'm no way a guide, but I know what you're saying. Last year during the week I'd see hardly any guides. Weekends, they were everywhere and with no direction. When I could break from work, I'd only come during the week down. Last year I boated 18 limits of reds and one limit of trout. Me, my son and friends that would go down. We caught 4 flounder all year. Haven't been down yet because of bass fishing in east TX but hopefully in the coming weeks will make our first trip. No such thing as luck if you study your craft. Good to see ya post W!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

So if I can only fish on weekends, where exactly should i fish? coordinates appreciated

[Robert Haynes]

I have been coming to Calcasieu about 1 week a year for several years. Since it has been a easy lake to fish, even a guy like me who does not fish much can catch a few. Last year, we fished the first week of November, mainly targeted flounder. We caught so few flounder and trout that we question coming back this year. Was the flounder catch down this last fall or was it just bad fishing on my part?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Robert Haynes

I have been coming to Calcasieu about 1 week a year for several years. Since it has been a easy lake to fish, even a guy like me who does not fish much can catch a few. Last year, we fished the first week of November, mainly targeted flounder. We caught so few flounder and trout that we question coming back this year. Was the flounder catch down this last fall or was it just bad fishing on my part?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We rocked the first week of November, but the flounder had not turned on yet, so we targeted bull reds. Limited out all 6 days we fished.

[Crawl79]

Originally Posted by Robert Haynes

I have been coming to Calcasieu about 1 week a year for several years. Since it has been a easy lake to fish, even a guy like me who does not fish much can catch a few. Last year, we fished the first week of November, mainly targeted flounder. We caught so few flounder and trout that we question coming back this year. Was the flounder catch down this last fall or was it just bad fishing on my part?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Last year we may have only put 2-3 flounder in my boat at Big Lake. Some years its 50-100.
I did see some good reports recently, hopefully it is better. Flounder is normally our go to confidence fish when we are struggling with trout.

[RAKEDLAKE]

By my way of thinking the people with the big *** boats need to put up rocks all along the washout. big rocks leaving 2 50' yard opening on the north and south end of the washout.

[RAKEDLAKE]

I am still curious why it hasen't been mentioned that the most logical explanation is to get the shipping countries make a massive reef across the wash out. It won't change unless they fix it.

["W"]

Originally Posted by RAKEDLAKE

I am still curious why it hasen't been mentioned that the most logical explanation is to get the shipping countries make a massive reef across the wash out. It won't change unless they fix it.

There is a plan in place already now for few years
Suppose to start 2020-2021 time frame




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cutty713]

https://cims.coastal.louisiana.gov/o...projID=CS-0065


http://coastal.la.gov/wp-content/upl...euSalinity.pdf

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Cutty713

https://cims.coastal.louisiana.gov/o...projID=CS-0065


http://coastal.la.gov/wp-content/upl...euSalinity.pdf

Great information..... most I have seen, but this covers the topic very well.