Sportsmans Paradise Outdoors Fishing Guides

Capt. Ron Ph#225-445-101

spoutdoors.com email -hope19@cox.net

                    Hello fellow anglers and concerned Louisiana sportsmen. I made an information trip with some media from the associated press yesterday to get some photos and check out the impending oil progression.I met the reporters at Capt. Franks camp and after getting his satellite link up equipment calibrated we headed down to the boat. I knew it was going to be bad when I was driving down from Baton Rouge this morning and around Hammond I started to smell the distinct stench of oil heavy on the south breeze. We left the dock and headed south to check it out in the Breton Sound area and we were greeted by the wildlife and fisheries flotilla they checked us out and asked where we were going and after they found we were the media they stressed their saftey concerns and sent us on our way.

                          We started our fact finding mission at the mouth of bayou Loutra on the eastern most part of Breton Sound and we were greeted by the flotilla of boats and wildlife agent putting out the oil booms in preparation of the oil making land fall which no one had seen any signs of oil or oily residue in that area at all thank god. So we made our way west towards the ship channel checking out the outer islands for any signs of wildlife in peril or any signs of dead seafood but the only sign of any distressed wild life was a few dead cat fish floating on the surface of the water around the ship channel with some seagulls feeding on them but we couldn’t tell if the fish were a directly affected by oil contamination or died from some other causes but the press took plenty of pictures that were posted on the world wide Webb via satellite phone link up from the middle of Black Bay. We did see plenty of shrimp skipping on the surface of the water being scooped up by hungry speckled trout that it was all I could stand not being able to cast a bait at but the shrimp were every where. My main concern was that with the tides about 2 to 3 feet above normal and the costal waters washing over a lott of the islands  grass lands and if the oil reaches the islands and contaminates the the grass I think the impact to our coastal wetlands will be devastating. Bou for the time being from the mouth of bayou loutra to the west all the way into Black Bay there was’nt even an odor of oil or any sign of oil or oily residue. Some the worst news we heard was that while we were out the press talked with their bosses and they had pictures of oil that had reached the Chandler Islands and was progressing inland from there. All in all the all clear signs were out for our coastal ares for the moment. I was glad to see the impending front with some north winds in them to help keep the oil away from our fishing area for the time being any way.I hope every one would keep our indusrty and its hard working people in their everyday thoughts and prayers.

                          Thanks Capt. Ron