Ducks swarm Lake Salvador

This past weekend, many hunters headed to their favorite deer leases with the anticipation of killing a wall hanger.

Gun season opened in our area and will run until Jan. 24.
But for local hunters, the Lake Salvador Management area was the place to be for duck hunting.  Reading a report from Ducks Unlimited, many ducks are still in the upper part of the United States. Local duck hunters Ross Monet, B.J. Madere, Greg  Loupe, and Garret Loupe did not let the discouraging new stop them from venturing out this past weekend. 
On Friday, a Pacific Cold front passed through the state pushing new birds into our area. Saturday and Sunday had plenty of hunters in the marsh of Lake Salvador.  According to Ross Monet; "Each morning we had plenty of blue wing teal and gray ducks all over us.  We killed our limit each morning we went out." Sunday morning was the best according to Greg Loupe, "We had blue wing teal and grays sitting in our decoys. "
Sunday morning was a cool 50 degrees with a light wind out of the West.  It was cloudy and foggy the entire morning.  Great conditions to hunt in according to the duck hunters.  Ross and B.J. hunted an area north of the La. Cypress Canal in the marsh. 
They set their two dozen decoys in a V shape facing the 17-foot XL aluminum boat.  Their boat had a Fast Grass camouflage system. 
The 35hp Mud Buddy runs around 25 mph.  It takes 30 minutes from launching at Pier 90 till the time they are set up and hunting.  Daisy, the black retriever, had two busy mornings retrieving birds.  Ross can't wait for his Mom, Rhonda, to return from a deer-hunting trip in north Louisiana to cook the teal he killed.  His favorite is when she smothers the teal down in a black iron pot and puts it over rice.

Fishing  
Locally, the canals north of Des Allemands have been producing catches of sac-a- laits. Dead end canals off of Humble in the Bayou, the Providence Canal, the Airplane Canal, and Dead Cow Lake.  Fish the corners where Wax Myrtles or Willows hang over the water edge.  Black/chartreuse, blue/white, red/white/chartreuse, and shiners under a cork work well.
 Lake Cataouatche has been producing good catches of bass.  Fish the north shoreline in the Whiskey Bay area for bass.  White spinner baits, watermelon colored worms, shad colored crank baits, and the red bloodline rattletrap will do the trick.  Lake Salvador has produced good catches of specs and reds.  From the mouth of Bayou Couba, Bay Badeaux, the Christmas tree line, Bayou Viller, and Bayou Perot, Captain Pete reported, "It's been great!"  Any color sparkle beetle with a gold spinner, but purple/white and black /chartreuse have worked the best. The ¼ ounce gold spoon and market shrimp on the bottom and under a cork works.
Rabbit and squirrel season opened Oct. 3 and runs until Feb. 28. 
The second split of dove season opened Oct. 17 and runs until Nov. 29.  
The first split of duck season opens in the East zone on Nov. 21 and in the West zone on Nov. 14.