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In Pictures: A day on the water in Plaquemines Parish
By Tom Adkinson
October 21, 2022
PLAQUEMINES PARISH, Louisiana – Plaquemines Parish is the end of the road, so to speak, of the Mississippi River. The final 70 miles of the river’s 2,340 miles snake through this parish, where only about 23,000 residents cling to dry land behind levees on both sides of the mighty river. Two-thirds of the parish is water, and that’s why the parish is a magnet for sport anglers. They cast for redfish, spotted seatrout, drum, white bass, sheepshead and other species. While the sport anglers chase their quarry, commercial fishermen harvest shrimp, oysters and crabs. It is a region of narrow channels, open bays, golden marshes that sometimes go to the horizon and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Quiet sunrises and glorious sunsets bracket many days – all only about an hour from the French Quarter in New Orleans
Waiting to go
An angler peers across a canal and an expanse of marsh while waiting for a fishing guide to complete preparations. Image by Tom Adkinson
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At the ready
The sun rises behind a trio of rods that are rigged and ready for action when the day’s first casting location is reached. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Recreation, meet commerce
A shrimp boat passes behind a recreational angler whose concentration is on the single shrimp at the end of his line. Image by Tom Adkinson
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A prized redfish
This angler shows off a hefty redfish, a prized target for sports anglers. The Louisiana minimum keeping size is 16 inches. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Patriotic fish camp
This Plaquemines Parish fish camp has an American flag on permanent display. Many fish camps are elevated to protect against hurricane storm surges. Image by Tom Adkinson |
Ready to fillet
Every sports angler dreams of a scene such as this after a day on the water – a mess of fish for the guide to fillet. Image by Brian Rushing |
Day’s end
A golden sunset offers a calm moment after a hard day’s fishing in Plaquemines Parish. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Trip-planning resources: PlaqueminesParish.com and LouisianaTravel.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com.)
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