Old Jetties in Big Lake

[ScubaLatt]

When will the coast guard ever do something about marking the old jetties? Someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed and then it is too late. Doesn't the coast guard have a responsibility to mark navigation hazards? Now, more than ever, with all the fishermen from the East coming over, it is very dangerous. The jetties used to be very visibile even in high tides. Now, you can hardly see them even in low tides.

Those of you fishing Big Lake who don't know about this major navigation hazard (and pretty good fishing area) should heed caution while motoring on the south side of the lake.

[calcutta37]

i agree

[Ray]

There was a red kighted marker on the west end. but it got wiped out. Now it is just a piling with a small white blinking lite.

["W"]

Originally Posted by ScubaLatt

When will the coast guard ever do something about marking the old jetties? Someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed and then it is too late. Doesn't the coast guard have a responsibility to mark navigation hazards? Now, more than ever, with all the fishermen from the East coming over, it is very dangerous. The jetties used to be very visibile even in high tides. Now, you can hardly see them even in low tides.

Those of you fishing Big Lake who don't know about this major navigation hazard (and pretty good fishing area) should heed caution while motoring on the south side of the lake.

The jetties are marked a few times.....GPS maps.....Markers on both ends....Its the boaters responsibility to know and navigate waters for obstructions... Any map of the lake or simple GPS has the old jetties marked...

I dont think the Coast Guard is liable for the rocks......They are stationary...

You should know common knowledge of navigated waterways..Thats from the WL&F

[yak'em-n-stack'em]

Ray. What were the exact purpose of these jetties originally

[huntin fool]

Originally Posted by yak'em-n-stack'em

Ray. What were the exact purpose of these jetties originally

Would like to know aswell!!!! Always wondered that

["W"]

Old jetties were built to funnel the water to the east side of the lake after the ship channel was dug....

[all star rod]

Buy you a Hook-in-Line map....it gives you the GPS points of the Old Jetties from one end to the other and it shows where it is located.

[Jordan]

I know this from experience. Blew out a prop

[longsidelandry]

Originally Posted by all star rod

Buy you a Hook-in-Line map....it gives you the GPS points of the Old Jetties from one end to the other and it shows where it is located.

x2, these are some good maps for showing underwater obstructions

[all star rod]

Longside just trying to earn my keep.....as someone said I never post anything in regards to fishing. BTW, the person Who said this, I see his post on this thread was VERY, VERY helpful in regards to the members questions about the location/marker for The Old Jetties!!!

[swglenn]

Back in the day, before the ship channel and highway 27, the only way to get to Cameron was by boat. The steamship ferries, Borealis Rex for one, would transfer people and goods from Lake Charles to Cameron. They built the jetties to reduce silting and to protect the boats as they made their turn to get into the old part of the river in front of what is now T-Boy McCall's place, where the Russian trawlers sit. When the new jetties were built they took a lot of the rocks from the old jetties. There was an article in the American Press years ago recounting a trip on the ferry. They talked about how clear the water was, you could see the grass on the bottom and tarpon rolling in the water. After the ship channel was built the salt water came in and killed off the grass and muddied everything up.

[Montauk17]

Heard at cocahoes yesterday that a guide totaled his boat with clients in the boat at the old jetties over the weekend. Not sure if thats true or not,but they should be marked better.

[BayBolt23]

U could only see part of them Friday & Saturday. Maybe 50 yards of um. Very dangerous!!!

[Zachary Boy]

Originally Posted by Montauk17

Heard at cocahoes yesterday that a guide totaled his boat with clients in the boat at the old jetties over the weekend. Not sure if thats true or not,but they should be marked better.

Those people probably hired a guide so they could learn how to SAFELY navigate the area. Bummer...

[Ray]

All boater are supposed to learn an area before putting the boat into that water.
You just cannot launch and haul a$$ around the lake.
If you hit a stationary object, you will be at fault. If you are not sure about the
area you are boating in, go slow. The slower you hit an object, the less damage
you will do to both you and the object you hit.
You also need to figure in tides before you go fishing. Ask me how I know.
The river ran thru the lake before there was a ship channel. The lake was shallow
so they had the Rex shuttle supplies to Cameron(Leesburg was the name back then)
so they could be put on deep draft ships that brougt supplies in and out of Cameron.
The old jettys directed water thru the river channel by T-boys.
In my younger days, we shrimped along the Southeast bank and there was still
grass along the banks. We would dump the bag and shake the shrimp out of the
grass.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Ray

All boater are supposed to learn an area before putting the boat into that water.
You just cannot launch and haul a$$ around the lake.
If you hit a stationary object, you will be at fault. If you are not sure about the
area you are boating in, go slow. The slower you hit an object, the less damage
you will do to both you and the object you hit.

well said...well said

[Gerald]

During one of my first trips fishing big lake, I learned about the old Jetties.

I was drift fishing on the south side and there was a big gap in the rocks so I figured I could just drift to the north. The water was a little off color so I could not see any danger. The boat passed with no problem but the engine got caught on the rocks. I raised up the engine to float on over the rocks.

[BayBolt23]

At least you were drifting & not running

[longsidelandry]

Originally Posted by Gerald

During one of my first trips fishing big lake, I learned about the old Jetties.

I was drift fishing on the south side and there was a big gap in the rocks so I figured I could just drift to the north. The water was a little off color so I could not see any danger. The boat passed with no problem but the engine got caught on the rocks. I raised up the engine to float on over the rocks.

We did the same thing on our last trip there but we picked up the motor before drifting over them just to be on the safe side.