I’ve said it before, Cocodrie is a piece of South Louisiana I hold a special place for in my heart. It’s the place where I was introduced to inshore fishing, redfish and speckled trout, fall fishing, and ultimately kayak fishing.
Over the summer, my usual fishing spots have been overrun with other kayak anglers and recreational boaters. Because of that, I’ve been searching for more secluded and less-popular waters. Earlier in the summer, I was turned-on to a location in the Cocodrie area, a flooded marsh. I had been wanting to check it out, but a friend beat me to it, and told me I needed to go. So I did, and I was impressed with the quantity and quality of fish there.
Fast forward to the beginning of August. Karl and I decided to go fishing and I wanted to check out that spot again… see how different conditions and the 100+ degree heat had been affecting it. When we got there, I headed to a pond that seemed almost land-locked. It’s only easily accessible for kayaks on a higher tide. I almost immediately started seeing black drum, and before I knew it, redfish too. The second one I pitched a Vudu Shrimp to ate it right up!
Karl and I started exploring the marsh around the pond and saw plenty of tailing drum, and every once in a while a red would be mixed in. I was working my lures way too fast, and was spooking most fish I was casting to. Eventually, I realized my problem and after hearing a splash at a nearby clump of flooded grass, I looked up to see a redfish on it’s side attacking bait. I quietly maneuvered my Cuda into casting distance and pitched a Buggs Curl-tail Jig in front of him and he snatched it up. Bad thing was, I didn’t get a great hookset and as he headed into the grass, the hook came shooting back to me.
I regrouped. By this point the sun was high above us and reds were becoming scarce in the shallower areas, so I just began circling the pond. I’d see and try to get a cast off to about three redfish (and more drum) on every round. I ended up picking up another one on the Vudu shrimp as well as a black drum…
While Karl was on the other side of the pond, I was coming up the west-side and saw a glowing orange shape in the water. It was pretty large too. Again, I casted the Vudu Shrimp out and worked it slowly, trying to correct my mistakes from earlier. He took it, and it was on! I’m not unfamiliar with reds darting underneath my kayak in shallow water, but he went under and about an extra 20ft. It was then that I realized that my line was caught on something under the boat. I tried and tried to free it with no luck, so decided to start pulling him in despite the hang-up. He swam around the stern of the kayak and off in the other direction. I tried to put pressure on him and again, my lure came back at me. I almost lost it (my cool). Karl later told me that he heard me yelling from across the pond and figured I lost something big.
Still, I came home with two fish, and a reason to return. Sorry guys, I won’t be sharing this spot with too many people.
Bayou Yakin 
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