Re: Where do you Boat in South Louisiana
I'm on the westbank so I launch at Bayou Segnette a lot. Also launch at Bonnabel to fish the causeway or Lakefront Airport/Industrial Canal. For more serious fishing, Chalmette or Hopedale are other choices. Have been known to wander up to the I-55 boat launch at Maurepas, or the launch off of Airline Highway at Norco, on occassion. Actually, there are so many really great places to boat/fish in South Louisiana that you could spend a lifetime going to them all!
Joe's at Westend is open and they have rebuilt the boat dock better than it was before. I don't see boats tied up there much so space should be available if anyone wants to cruise by for a meal.
Lake Catouachie has changed a lot in the past 3 - 4 years, when the fresh water diversion was opened up. It is now consumed with weeds most of the year and is not passable anywhere for the most part, other than the "boat lanes" that have been carved out in straight lines between the main entry/exit points. Lots of people fish along these lanes though and I am hearing that fresh water species are being caught quite a bit. My guess, however, is that the lake will become a shallow swamp in about 10 - 15 years. Bad for boating but probably good for hurricane protection.
Lake Salvador is pretty much the same as it has always been, with easy access from Bayou Segnette, Crown Point, Bayou Des Allemandes and the Intercoastal Waterway/Catahoula Bay. There is now a good sized shrimp trawler sunk (Katrina victim) along the northwestern shore of the lake with the outriggers sticking up out of the water. I haven't fished it personally but lots of people do.
The camps at Bayou Segnette State Park are still closed, which is a shame because they were one of the better weekend/vacation deals around. The last time I rented one (the Christmas before Katrina), they were $65 a night. For those that haven't seen them, they have a bedroom downstairs with a double and six single beds in the loft. There is vehicle access on the land side and each cabin has a dock on the bayou. The boat launch is in the park also and is a 5 minute run away from the cabins.
There used to be a small bar along Bayou Gauche (off of Bayou Des Allemandes), which was a nice stop for light snacks if you launched at the Highway 90/Des Allemandes ramp. I don't know if it is open post Katrina but it would be worth a look if you are in the area anyway.
My way of dealing with the chop on Lake Ponchartrain is to throttle back to about 12 mph, which causes my boat squat in the rear even though it is still planing. The result is a bow high attitude, which gives a reasonably comfotable and dry ride.
17.5' Glassmaster Trihull/Johnson 65hp/Johnson 6hp
