Louisiana remains one of the best sport fishing destinations in the country

BATON ROUGE, La. — Whether fly fishing in shallow water marshes or deep sea fishing off the coast, sport fishermen are still sure to catch their limits this summer on Louisiana waters.

There are ample places to catch fish off Louisiana’s coast in spite of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Nevertheless, the sport fishing industry has been dealt a serious blow due to water closures and wide-spread misperceptions about water quality. Some precautionary closures of recreational and commercial fishing have been issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF) based on the best information from field biologists, WLF staff and trajectory models from NOAA. However, the majority of Louisiana’s coastline is still clean, safe and open.

“Fishermen seeking to take advantage of some of the best fishing waters in the world can still come to Louisiana and have an amazing experience,” said Assistant Secretary of Tourism Jim Hutchinson. “Some of our waters have been affected, but Louisiana has 7,700 miles of tidal coastline, more than three times the tidal coastline of Florida, and 70 percent of it is still open for fishing.”

“We’ve caught quite a few speckle trout, several reds and a couple big flounder,” said Captain Sammie Faulk from the deck of his boat off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. “Everything is open where I am. The water is pretty – it’s clean and clear. Right now is a good time for fishing. It’s a little warm, but the fishing is outstanding,” said Captain Faulk.

Further east, Captain Bill Lake and the groups he is guiding are catching red fish by the dozen. However, his bookings suffered as a result of the spill, “About 80 percent of my business has been affected since May 1. In April I had 27 groups booked for July, now all but six have cancelled. This is the worst season in 16 years,” said Captain Lake. “From where I fish to the west the waters are safe and just as plentiful as they have always been.”

Though Captain Lake has not seen oil in areas where he fishes, the closures have had an impact. He is no longer able to take groups deep sea fishing in federal waters, but he is guiding tours near the coast to catch red fish with great success.

Charter tours further east on the front line of the tragedy in Plaquemines Parish are facing similar difficulties. “Many fisherman aren’t visiting because of the perception that fishing in the delta is shut down. In reality, a majority of the delta is still open and producing excellent days out on the water,” said Foster Creppel, Innkeeper at Woodland Plantation & Spirits Hall, which offers guided fishing and birding tours year round. “Many of our guides have gone on to work with the Vessels of Opportunity program, but many of them are still fishing and need the support of people who have enjoyed fishing here in the past.”

In New Orleans spirits are high, though some tar balls have entered Lake Pontchartrain. “I’ve been fishing on the lake my whole life, and I’m still out there most days,” said Justin Duncan, a 20-year-old tournament champion and host of the local radio show Hooked Up with Justin Duncan. “There is no oil on the east side of the lake where I fish, and I’m still banking on catching the big one.”

Louisiana has long been known as the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” Not necessarily a beach destination for tourists, the state’s marshy coast plays host to an abundance of life, including more than 70 rare, threatened and endangered species. In fact, 95 percent all the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico spends all or part of its life cycle in Louisiana’s estuaries.

To find fishing spots across the state and other information about the unique opportunities Louisiana offers visitors, visit www.LouisianaTravel.com.

Available fishing areas are updated daily and can be found at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/oilspill/.

Louisiana Office of Tourism
Louisiana Office of Tourism is a multi-faceted marketing organization devoted to unifying the state’s large and diverse tourism industry. In light of the recent oil spill, Louisiana Office of Tourism is reminding the world of Louisiana’s unique culture born from phenomenal seafood, rich musical history and pristine outdoors. While parts of the state have been impacted, a majority of Louisiana remains untarnished and continues to host the 24.1 million visitors who experience the state each year. These visitors create a $9.4 billion tourism industry and sustain more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism maintains contacts with tourism professionals, a variety of leading experts and representatives of numerous organizations to supply spokespeople on behalf of multiple topics.