Crabbing season in full swing on Northshore!
Keith Lusher Jr
Summertime has officially set in on South Louisiana and with
it come the barrage of weekend warriors lined along the shell roads that
boarder the rivers and bayous of the North Shore. Tailgates open, radio
blasting, and the obvious silhouette of one person slowly pulling in a line and
the other crouched over with a scoop net just ready to pounce. Its crabbing
time! For most people it’s just a way to
relax and spend some quality time with the family. “It’s a long-time summer
tradition for our family. When the kids get out of school end everything
settles down, we like to just take it easy and throw a few lines out” says
Kelly Smith of Mandeville. “It doesn’t matter how many we catch or how big the
crabs are, the kids always have a good time and it’s nice to spend some quality
time as a family.” She added.
While commercial crab fishermen struggle to repeat last year’s catch, there is no shortage of crabs that are being caught in the shallow outlets that spill into the lake. John Farley works at a local bait shop in Lacombe and he said they are seeing an uptick in sales on chicken necks, string, and scoop nets, all signs that the crabbing season is underway. “The crabbing here in Lacombe began slowly this year with the cold spring we had. It started getting better after the weather started warming up. It’s a little inconsistent right now but it’s getting better every day. Last year we had people catching 10-12 dozen a trip. It’s not that good yet but I expect it to get there soon with the heat setting in. John says a typical trip these days yields a couple dozen with a few hours effort.
Finding a good crabbing spot on the North Shore is easy! Any river or bayou will have crabs in it as long as it is relatively close to lake. The farther you get away from the lake, the fresher the water and the less plentiful crabs will be. I’ve listed some of my favorite crabbing spots on the North Shore and some tips on how to put a few in the hamper!
While commercial crab fishermen struggle to repeat last year’s catch, there is no shortage of crabs that are being caught in the shallow outlets that spill into the lake. John Farley works at a local bait shop in Lacombe and he said they are seeing an uptick in sales on chicken necks, string, and scoop nets, all signs that the crabbing season is underway. “The crabbing here in Lacombe began slowly this year with the cold spring we had. It started getting better after the weather started warming up. It’s a little inconsistent right now but it’s getting better every day. Last year we had people catching 10-12 dozen a trip. It’s not that good yet but I expect it to get there soon with the heat setting in. John says a typical trip these days yields a couple dozen with a few hours effort.
Finding a good crabbing spot on the North Shore is easy! Any river or bayou will have crabs in it as long as it is relatively close to lake. The farther you get away from the lake, the fresher the water and the less plentiful crabs will be. I’ve listed some of my favorite crabbing spots on the North Shore and some tips on how to put a few in the hamper!
Slidell
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One of the most popular places to put out a few lines in Slidell is Salt Bayou. Head down Old Spanish Trail towards the Rigolets and when you get to the Salt Bayou Bridge, pull over! That area is chock full of crabs and is ideal for throwing out lines or nets. Don’t forget your fishing pole! On a falling tide that canal can be quite productive and has been known to produce speckled trout and white trout around this time of year.
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Bayou Lacombe
5-year old Cameron Martin of Mandeville
Home of the Bayou Lacombe Crab Festival, Lacombe is noted
for some of the best crabbing on the North Shore. Head down Lake Rd and cross
the bridge. When the asphalt road turns to shell, you’ll know you’re in the
right place. Space your lines approximately 15 feet apart and don’t forget to
bring something to anchor the lines to. If you have access to a boat, launch at
the end of the road and head out towards the mouth of the bayou. Anchor along
the shoreline and run your lines directly out of the boat. You’ll find more crabs with fewer crowds out
on the water!
Madisonville
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If you are familiar with Main St. in Madisonville then you
know that this is a definite crabbing hot zone! The pier at the end of the road
makes it easy for crabbers to run lines or nets. When the water is high you can
even run lines directly over the bulkhead that runs the length of the parking
lot that accompanies the launch. If you want to avoid the crowds just pull off
the road by one of the two small bridges that cross over the canals that spill
into the Tchefuncte River. Those two canals are loaded with summertime crabs.
Net’s and lines both work well here and during the right conditions you should
have no problem catching a hamper of crabs in a couple hours’ time.
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Saintsations visit Lacombe__________________________
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The 2014 Santsations stopped in on Bayou Lacombe for a photo-shoot. Shannon Villemarette, owner of Bayou Adventure bait shop in Lacombe rented out bicycles and kayaks as props for the team to use. The dance team is in the process of putting together their 2014 calendar entitled “Sportsman’s Paradise.”
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Saintsations and Bayou Adventure owner Shannon Villemarette
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