What a difference a year can make!
Last year at this time the anticipation of the yearly Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo was on everyone’s mind. With the recent oil spill, everything has changed.
A day-long celebration is scheduled for this weekend in Grand Isle.
Most local fishermen are wondering if the waters will remain open to recreational fishing. Trying to keep up with the openings and closures can be tricky.
Gretchen and I headed to the Parish Canal to catch a few crabs. Armed with 48 drop nets, a 10-pound bag of chicken leg quarters and 10 catfish heads, we launched at the end of Williams Boulevard, near the Treasure Chest.
We headed west toward the Parish Canal, a 2-mile run by boat. We began setting out the drop nets as soon as we entered the canal.
The first 10 drop nets were baited with catfish heads to determine if they worked better. We used the chicken for the rest of the nets.
Reaching the end of the drop nets, we noticed the water was coming into the Parish Canal. It is better to run the drop nets against the current. We decided to wait a while, and began running the nets.
After the first run, we had caught three dozen crabs. In the summer, we usually catch up to five dozen a run.
This year has been a special one.
A cold spring and an oil spill have made it hard to catch crabs this summer. We checked our drop nets three times, and decided to call it a day. We managed to catch more than seven dozen. For a two-hour adventure, we were satisfied with our catch.
It is easy to find the Parish Canal. Anyone going to Kenner from the Luling Bridge on Interstate 310 crosses the canal.
After getting home, we began setting up for a crab boil. Neighbors, friends and relatives gathered for the feast.
Our method of boiling crabs is simple. Using one box of salt and 4 ounces of cayenne pepper, add the ingredients to boiling water. Boil the potatoes 10 minutes before adding the crabs. Bring the water back to a boil for 9 minutes.
Then shut the fire off and cool the water by adding frozen corn on the cob and additional water to lower the water temperature. Let set for 25 minutes, and serve.
On the second boil, add cut-up sausage, mushrooms and sweet potatoes, and repeat the process. Make sure to have plenty of cold drinks, and enjoy.
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