Cajun country in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana is a virtual plethora of legendary and mouthwatering cuisine and fantastic fishing! One can feast on such prize dishes as shrimp, crawfish etouffee, crawfish pie, oyster, shrimp, crawfish po boys, catfish, fried gator tails, crabmeat, redfish, and, of course, world famous gumbo that is prepared differently by every chef. Other than the food, the best parts of Lake Charles and all of Southwest Louisiana, however, are its wonderful, friendly people and the phenomenal fishing opportunities! Therefore, this historical and colorful section of our country is certainly a destination that all food and outdoors lovers should experience!
Locals refer to Lake Calcasieu fondly as “Big Lake,” but it is one of the best places in the world to land a limit of tasty sea trout, redfish, or flounder. Also, the numbers of each species that you are allowed to keep is much higher than in most other areas of the country, so you can bring plenty home to eat.
When I visited Big Lake, I was fortunate enough to spend a day on the water with the owner of “Gotta-Go Charters” and a local legend, Capt. Sammie Faulk. Not only did we catch lots of trout and redfish, but the local lore we learned in Capt. Sammie’s unique, cajun, story-telling style was unforgettable. He took us to his favorite fishin’ holes, but also pointed out bird rookeries and explained why this productive natural environment is home to some of the best duck hunting and birding in the nation.
Though much of our fishing was accomplished using spinning tackle and several varieties of swimbaits, we landed some larger fish on topwater lures and crankbaits. I had a blast using my lightweight spinning rod and one of my Doug Hannon WaveSpin reels with 6 pound line and one of my Swirleybird lures. Some of the bigger trout and redfish stressed my tiny outfit to the breaking point, but what a rush! Read more….