ROAD TRIP * VENINCE, LA ~YOU are INVITED ~ CONTENDER BOATS GET AWAY!!!! >>]]]]>

[LuckyLady]

Mary have you contacted bill butler? I am sure he will have all info on accommodations and boat slips, wet or dry. If it is possible the lodge is your best bet if considering a large group. The food is or was unbelievable when I stayed with John, Barry, Dennis, and Marty on our southern trek. Please visit the riverside restaurant for a great meal. It is only a mile or two out of the marina. If and when you go down, I have some gifts for Acy and his family, if you do not mind delivering them. Thanks Flatbottom

Flat comes thru again... You the best!

Remind me when the time gets closer

[dtradin]

I wouldn't plan on fishing a 23 Contender at the Lumps. You're just as likely to get weathered out as you are to fish. You will need radar to even consider the run and even then a 23 CC monohull is not the boat. Twins are a must and lump fishing can be some of the sloppiest fishing imaginable.

It's great fishing when the bite is on and there are some awesome days, but 5' gulf chop in a 23 Contender is not going to work. Anyway, you're looking at about 25 miles down river in heavy fog avoiding tankers, crew boats and other ships before you hit the gulf. From the gulf, it's another 25 miles or so to the lump. You're anchoring in 250' or so and you'll need plenty of rope and plenty of chain. Most small boats bring a release ring and float so they can ditch the anchor and chase the fish.

For what its worth, I'd strongly suggest you all consider chartering or hiring experienced guides to run your boats. A 50+ mph collision with a freighter in the fog will ruin your day!

[LuckyLady]

I wouldn't plan on fishing a 23 Contender at the Lumps. You're just as likely to get weathered out as you are to fish. You will need radar to even consider the run and even then a 23 CC monohull is not the boat. Twins are a must and lump fishing can be some of the sloppiest fishing imaginable.

It's great fishing when the bite is on and there are some awesome days, but 5' gulf chop in a 23 Contender is not going to work. Anyway, you're looking at about 25 miles down river in heavy fog avoiding tankers, crew boats and other ships before you hit the gulf. From the gulf, it's another 25 miles or so to the lump. You're anchoring in 250' or so and you'll need plenty of rope and plenty of chain. Most small boats bring a release ring and float so they can ditch the anchor and chase the fish.

For what its worth, I'd strongly suggest you all consider chartering or hiring experienced guides to run your boats. A 50+ mph collision with a freighter in the fog will ruin your day!

Appreciate your advice.

50mph collision will with a tanker will ruin your day any where! I can't speak for everyone but a good portion have ran their boats in unfamiliar waters before and understand the dangers involved with fog and freighters.

For anyone that does not have radar, the majority of the boats do have it and we would never let you leave blind

This might turn out to be a factory supported event and I know that the southern half has fished there plenty of times.

[Cool Hand]

Welcome aboard! It will be a great trip!

Do you have a boat or want to fish?

Yes and yes, but it is not your brand.

[LuckyLady]

Yes and yes, but it is not your brand.

Don't write it off yet, we are trying to work out some logistics with this

[Water Damage]

we stayed at Venice Marina when we went this past spring, they were very nice and helpful and its about as close as you can get to any of the main passes out of there. They have some cabins you can rent and they were pretty nice, some were raised onpiles and some were ground level. We stayed on a guys barge (house boat kinda deal) - either way it is pretty fun. One thing, take anything you may want with you because it is a LOOOONNGGG way back to any store.

And yes, running the river in that heavy fog and hearing the horns off the large ships that you can't see but know you are very close to - is NO FUN!! What I remember the most about the seas is not that they were large but they they were very tight and steep - hard to run fast comfortably for our World Cat group and any of the many other brands we saw run out of there those few days.

I have some World Cat friends in that area who may be interested in a trip back if you guys won't pick on a twin hull boat too bad. Course, you will be very surprised at just how many of the guides run cats out of there - there were probably 6 or 8 guides out of just our 1 marina running cats out to the rigs.

anyways, sounds like ya got a good thing working out. Keep us posted and maybe I can sneak in - don't worry, I won;t wear any of my World Cat stuff!!!!!

[squirtis]

Hey guys and GAL

I spoke to a guy who fishes out of the area occasionally and has fished for swords and YFT and Wahoo etc. on the midnight lump and the surrounding rigs and ledges. I invited him to LOGON and become a member. Hopefully he will join up and add some help for this trip especially.

His name is Angelo and he has a 23 CONTENDER...NICE CHOICE

Welcome him if he shows please...

Curtis

[LuckyLady]

Hey guys and GAL

I spoke to a guy who fishes out of the area occasionally and has fished for swords and YFT and Wahoo etc. on the midnight lump and the surrounding rigs and ledges. I invited him to LOGON and become a member. Hopefully he will join up and add some help for this trip especially.

His name is Angelo and he has a 23 CONTENDER...NICE CHOICE

Welcome him if he shows please...

Curtis

Pretty cool

[Jim Dupree Jr]

We just finished up fishing for kings in the west delta in last weeks FLW Championship. The boys that went over to Venince prefishng said it was not much there in the form of food resturants or grocery stores. You will need to take everything you plan on eating and drinking while you are there.
There is a lot of cold water over there now however with time it should improve before your trip. The trip will be a lot of fun if you do your planning and understand that the gulf region is far from being 100% back. The fishing should be outstanding, good luck. Not trying to wreck your plans but just giving you a heads up so your trip will be what it should be, a trip of a life time.
Jimmy
OBX GIRL/TEAM CALCUTTA
31 Contender cc