By Capt. Owen Langridge
Have you ever been in a bar fight? I’m not talking about the fake western movie fight with broken whiskey bottles and chairs. I’m talking about a real, knockdown, drag-out bar fight with just you and your opponent, no holds barred.
Well, if you’re looking for a real bar fight, come on down to Venice, La. We have plenty of bars down here… sandbars, that is. And on these sandbars there’s a bunch of bull reds with chips on their shoulders. They’re just looking for a fight.
The fight isn’t over until someone cries “uncle.” Big Red will kick, bite, pull, hit, and spit to win. Don’t let him get close to your ear. You could come up missing an ear lobe. If you’re not up to it then stay home: the bull red gives no quarter.
All of our main passes off the Mississippi River have sandbars. They are like beaches built up by the river’s flow and the wave action of the Gulf of Mexico. Southwest Pass, South Pass, Pass a Loutre, Main Pass, South East Pass, etc., all have sand bars. Bull reds love the bars. They roam along the current looking for an easy meal. So if you want a fight, drift across the bar and give them something to eat.
I use a 7-foot medium rod with a baitcasting reel. A good drag is important along with good line. I use braid, but quality mono will work. I tie on a noisy cork. The ones with beads on both ends and a scooped top are my favorite. Then 2 feet of 30-pound mono leader and either a 2/0 kale hook or a ¼-ounce jig should be tied to the end of the leader. Buy a quality hook; a bull red will straighten out a cheap one.
I like a 4-inch plastic eel or a Queen Cacahoe in purple and gold (LSU). I also like Gulps if the bite is slow. Cast your bait as far away from the boat as possible. The fish can hear you banging around in the boat. Pop the cork two or three times really hard and let her sit. If there is a bull within 40 yards he will come to see what’s making the noise. He may slam your offering or the cork may just slide under the water. Either way, the fight is on. Make sure you have your nitro glycerin pills, because these bruisers’ will give you a coronary. Usually you can turn a bull after the second run. If you can’t, hit your trolling motor and chase him. Once he gets close to the boat, he will look for the big motor, the anchor, the trolling motor, anything he can wrap around to break your line. This is a cagy adversary. Once you think you’ve whipped him, he’ll make another run. So be ready.
Once he’s worn down, he’ll roll on his side. Either net him or reach down and remove the hook with pliers. I never keep a bull, but you are allowed to keep one per person. He’s very hard to clean and you will have to cut out a lot of blood line. However, the meat makes a great courtbouillon.
Capt. Owen Langridge owns Big O Charters and can be contacted at 225-978-1136 or through his website www.bigocharters.com.
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