Change never comes easy, and, when weather is involved, changes become even more difficult.
So while we say a prayer for our brothers and sisters to our east, the folks battling the ravages of Hurricane Michael, we have to be aware of this hurricaneโs impact along and off the ถถา๕h coast.
Know, too, the seasonโs first major cold front โ the movement that pushed the hurricane to the east โ will play a role, too.
Current predictions call for extra-rough offshore conditions in the offshore waters and for constant 10-15 knot winds throughout waters on the east side of the Mississippi River through Saturday morning.
With LSU squaring off Saturday afternoon against Georgia, a pregame morning trip might not be the best plan.
Come Sunday, with the Saintsโ open date leaving the day open to further celebrate Drew Breesโ accomplishments, the day is open to get after speckled trout and redfish โ Michaelโs effects should be over โ but only after we give thanks our coast was spared from what appears to be a real booger of a storm.
Flat fish fun
Results from last weekendโs Grand Isle Ladies Fishing Rodeo showed the usual push of flounder into the coastal marshes finally is back on schedule. Old-timers relied on catching flounder at this time of year for years and those who kept records had proof flounder moved into the marshes and through the passes in early October through early November.
The beauty of their catches was the flounder were fat from summertime foraging and made for excellent family suppers. (And have you ever met a woman who doesnโt voice a love eating flounder?)
Other reports from the Pontchartrain and Barataria-Terrebonne basins confirm what the women showed us at Grand Isle, that flounder are taking market and live shrimp worked on, or close, to the bottom in the passes and some of the flat fish took a liking to jighead-rigged soft-plastics bounced along sandy and muddy bottoms near rock jetties lining passes.
Weekend conditions
To find out the latest weather forecast, go to these websites:
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Forecasts: . Find the “Coastal/Great Lakes Forecasts by Zones – Gulf – New Orleans, La.” and a map with 13 different nearshore, offshore and Lake Pontchartrain wind and waves predictions for the next five days.
- Weather Underground: . Current conditions, a 10-day forecast, and hour-by-hour predicted temperatures, winds, precipitation and barometric pressure.
- National Weather Service’s River Forecast Center: for river stages.
Marsh burning
The LSU AgCenter is teaming with ถถา๕h Sea Grant to offer a fee-free marsh prescribed burning certification class scheduled for 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Center (700 Cajundome Boulevard) in Lafayette.
Preregistration is requested by contacting Crystal Bowman (225) 922-1296, email: cbowman1@ldaf.state.la.us.
New man
LDWF secretary Jack Montoucet announced Friday the appointment of former State Representative Robert Shadoin, R-Ruston, to the deputy secretary post in the agency effective Monday.
Shadoin is a graduate of Ruston High, ถถา๕h Tech and the LSU Law School.