No signs of oil, just massive amounts of life surround the Mississippi Delta ecosystem
Huge boils ripped the surface on the Gulf side of the South Pass breakwater and when a massive shark blasted Clyde Pritchard's topwater lure three times in succession leaving massive potholes and a shredded line, we knew chances were slim of hooking the occasional bull red you could also see blowing up on the thousands of mullet fruitlessly seeking shelter up against the rock wall.

The Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf through an intricate series of passes that resemble a tree root and those fingers of land, rosa cane and elephant ear are truly the life source of hundreds of fish and bird species. Coming out of Venice Marina you can turn right into the West Delta via Red Pass, or jog left and right again down Tiger Pass. Make the second turn a left and you hit the main river. Turn right and you come to the Head of the Passes and multiple choices.

The run down to our first stop was smooth as could be and there wasn't even a single thunderhead on the horizon for 360 degrees. We were accompanied by Eric Cosby in his Skeeter along with Lew Carpenter of the National Wildlife Federation. The marsh has withstood millennia of hurricanes and fresh and saltwater floods and it's amazing how verdant and lush it is again just a handful of years after Katrina literally turned it into a wasteland of sticks and salt-burnt vegetation. You literally had to look hard to find any sign. And nowhere do you see any sign of oil from the spill. I got a whiff that reminded me of the rigs in California's coastal Huntington Beach/Bolsa Chica/Long Beach area when we rode by Cypress Cove, but that's adjacent to storage and refinery facilities.

With our chances literally blown up at South Pass, we made a long run east that included another stop on boils that again turned out to be sharks feasting on mullet. The mullet are congregating to migrate offshore, where they will become tuna food. Meanwhile this batch was pinned up against a shallow beach and the sharks ripped up the surface with their backs and tails out of the water as they chased them down. It reminded me of porpoise chasing flying fish.

Clyde found a bank along Freshwater Bay that put us on the reds and it never ceases to amaze me how hard those fish hit a lure. You have to wrestle them out of the cane after that and it's just pure fun.

Later on a bay known as Jackass didn't do much until we hit a gap where the outgoing tide was funneling the marsh water and sheets of pogies (a small shad-like baitfish) sparkled in the air as they were chased up by reds and speckled trout. The action only died down after we called in Eric and Lew

The fishery in the Louisiana Marsh is in fantastic shape, but there are still threats besides the natural ones. According to the experts, a football field of land disappears out of the marsh each day because the replenishing silt from the river is blocked by the levees. Strange that what's meant to protect land actually makes it go away. There are ways to remedy the situation, but we have to act now. Carpenter's organization has a site that can tell you more about the situation and how to help. Go to www.vanishingparadise.org for more information.

Meanwhile it was back to the Lighthouse Lodge for margaritas (they have drive-thru stands where you can buy them by the gallon) and Mark Hilzm of Louisiana Sportsman's Crawfish Monica pasta

Back at the lodge, the first folks we saw were Eddie Permenter and Steve Herbison and a logpile of cobia they caught off the inner rigs. Next was a beaming James Hall. Devlin's boat had spun a hub and they never did get to fish swords, but one of the boats on the way out in the morning brought a replacement and Hall landed a personal best 166-pound yellowfin.

At dinner, Artie Cosby asked me if I wanted to join him for a tuna trip with Capt. Peace Marvel the next day. Oh yeah, I did.

To be continued

PHOTO: LEW CARPENTER captured this image of a shark coming out of the water in an attempt to eat mullet off the Mississippi River's South Pass.