L_S_2015_04_

http://www.LouisianaSportsman.com April 2015 | Louisiana Sportsman 113

Mangrove Snapper

This isn’t at all what these guys were doing. They did cast as

close as possible to a rig leg on one corner of the platform, but

everything else was different.

They steadily began to feed out line after the bait hit the water,

stripping it from the reels with their free hands.

The intent was to keep slack in the line at all times and allow

the baitfish to go where it wanted and swim naturally.

Sometimes, Heikamp explained, the mangrove snappers are

right at the surface. Sometimes, they are 60 feet down.

On his reels with line counters, Heikamp has stripped off as

much as 100 feet of line from the reel.

At first glance, it seemed insane — a sure guarantee for the line

to be cut on the barnacle-cov-

ered pipe jungle down there.

But, amazingly, most of the

time it worked.

A strike was indicated by

one of three things:

• The line twitched


• The rod tip moved


• The bite was felt with the
  free hand that was feeding
  out line.
  That’s when the fun started.
  The reel was slammed into
  gear and, at the same time,
  the angler with the fish on
  immediately and as quickly
  as possible walked toward
  the stern of the boat, duck-
  ing under the rods of all the
  other anglers who raised
  their rods to accommodate
  him and simultaneously work
  their way forward toward the
  bow — the best spot from
  which to fish.
  Heikamp hectored his crew
  to move, move, move.
  “If you don’t move your feet
  you lose your meat,” he said.
  He explained that, for most
  people, the first instinct is to
  strike and after a moment
  start reeling, and only then
  start walking.
  But you can walk faster than
  you can reel, he pointed out.
  You have to get the fish away
  from the structure of the rig
  so you don’t get broken off,
  and you want to make room
  for the next guy on the bow.

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Heikamp is always

ready with the gaff

to help boat a fish.

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