http://www.LouisianaSportsman.com April 2015 | Louisiana Sportsman 117
947 Florida Blvd. West • Denham Springs, LA 70726
225-664-5141 • [email protected]Denham springsfrom the rest of the team.
But everyone was jerking everyone else’s chain every chance
they got, which was a lot. Even the skipper got his share.
When Heikamp hooked a good fish and charged to the back of
the boat, Lopez irreverently counseled him.
“Come on, come on,” Lopez called. “Put up your purse and
reel, Kenny.”
The day faired off beautifully after the morning started ugly,
with the boat seemingly surrounded by vicious-looking squalls.
A gentle breeze under mostly blue skies, produced at best a 1-
to 2-foot chop.
Best of all, water currents were light.
“If the current is running 7 knots, I won’t even drop a bait,”
Heikamp said. “The bait never gets a chance to go down, and
the fish hold a lot tighter to the rig.”
The water was a dingy green, not what most mangrove snap-
per fishermen would like. But then again, these guys weren’t
sight-fishing.
The bite was good, but they soon got interrupted again: A big
supply boat approached the rig ominously.
A quick check on the radio confirmed that the boat needed to
go to the very spot they were fishing.>FACING PAGE: Heikamp occasionally tossed out a handful of
dried dog food to encourage mangroves to feed more aggres-
sively. RIGHT: Fishing efficiently requires ballerina-like grace.
Here, Brady Mouton charges toward the stern while Rene
Deshotel passes his rod over Mouton’s head.continues on page 120