Gulf reopens to fantastic fishing for big yellowfin tuna, cobia, snapper and bull reds

VENICE, LA -- The boys and gals of Marsh Madness got it done big time as the newly opened Gulf and the pristine Mississippi Delta marsh gave up the awesome fishing this watery paradise is justly known for.

The timing for Marsh Madness, an annual gathering of fishing industry friends to Venice, Louisiana, has been shaky at best the last half-dozen years, topped of course by the cancellation caused by the direct hit of Hurricane Katrina. Then this year's major oil spill just 50 miles out threatened another cancellation.

Organizers Artie and Eric Cosby of Top Brass Tackle sent word out early that if the event was possible, everything was a go, especially since the Lighthouse Lodge had preserved our reservations in spite of the demand from BP employees and the rest.

Writers and editors from across the country also said they would go if there was any chance at all to fish, while WileyX sunglasses, Realtree camo, Seaguar line, Plano tackle boxes, UnderArmour clothing, Skeeter Boats, The National Wildlife Federation, Mustad hooks and Live Wire Electric all stepped up to provide sponsorship and give the beleaguered waters and the people who rely on the fishery a chance at redemption.

Well, justice was served in spectacular fashion as the last, and best, portion of the Gulf was opened to fishing just days before we arrived and the Feds put in a Friday through Sunday opener for red snapper. To top it off, not only did the weather cooperate, but both marsh and gulf produced abundant action and the basis for a string of great seafood meals.

The first was the kickoff shrimp boil, but fresh shrimp was the only thing that was scarce. Many of the local shrimp boats were still tied up at the dock, their owners working for BP. It looked like some of the yellowfin tuna or red snapper Artie and the "scout team" caught might have to substitute. Then Artie was given the number for Kathy "the shrimp lady" and 50 pounds was soon on the boil.

Turns out there were plenty of boats shrimping out in the Gulf, but most were from Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Florida, where any catch brought home would not have the "taint" of the oil spill's bad publicity. Let me tell you the "Louisiana" shrimp was as sweet and crisp as any I have ever tasted out of the Gulf - and I have to say that since I first tasted Gulf shrimp, I rarely eat it from anywhere else.

The best part of the shrimpers' return to action, however, was the associated tuna fishery. The nets pull up a lot of bycatch that includes innumerable species of fish and crabs and both blackfin and yellowfin tuna feast on what's dumped over the side. You can throw topwater lures and catch blackfin and get worn out by giant yellowfin, but the key is to get a couple bags of the freshly netted bycatch and use it as chum and bait.

On the Friday when the bulk of the Marsh Madness crew arrived, Artie took his new (to him) 26-foot Century offshore and on the first drift filled the boat with a 126-pound yellowfin. That was after loading up on snapper on an inshore rig

Unfortunately, a faulty guide bunk on the trailer gouged a scratch into the foam when he pulled the boat out after fishing. This writer was supposed to fish with him the next day, but that was now out. There were plenty of boats available, but only a few fit to go as far as the inshore rigs, much less offshore. One of the offshore boats skippered by Devlin Roussell headed out that night with James Hall of Bassmaster to try for swordfish. Another was already full with writers, including Gerald Bethge of Outdoor Life and Chris Woodward of Sport Fishing magazine

I wasn't worried. Eric sent me up with Clyde Pritchard from Starkville, Mississippi. Clyde has always put me on fish.

To be continued

PHOTO: ARTIE COSBY AND KEN BLAKE with a Gulf yellowfin tuna.