This week I had the opportunity to experience some of the fastest paced fishing I could possibly imagine. My good buddy Bryan Brasher and I headed down to Biloxi, MS to see for ourselves the impact the recent oil spill has had on what has always been a great fishery and one of the largest sectors of the economy in that area. Admittedly, I had no idea what to expect going in.
We met with our charter Captain at 7am on Wednesday morning and headed out in windy conditions with a heavy chop that I was afraid might hinder our trip but Captain Robert Brodie from Team Brodie Charters had other plans. We didn’t have to go far before he had us on the fastest action I have ever experienced with a rod and reel. Within just a few minutes of the launch and with the Biloxi coastline casinos in the background Captain Brodie idled over a shell bed where he told us he had been catching some pretty good numbers of white trout and after studying his electronics for a minute or two he dropped anchor and we decided to give it a shot. Over the next couple of hours we boated 109 trout as fast as we could reel them in. The action finally slowed just a little and Captain Brodie wasted no time in getting us set up to catch another species in a nearby location. Within minutes we were sitting on another of his hotspots where we reeled in 14 keeper black drum over the next hour or so. We had123 fish in the cooler and our arms were aching from literally getting bit on every cast when a quick glance at my watch showed that it was not even noon yet. Captain Brodie decided to make a little longer run to go try a few flounder but we waved the white flag and decided a half day trip was enough for us. In just a few hours we caught numerous species of fish including white trout, sand trout and black drum as well as gafttopsail catfish and croakers that immediately became cut bait. We had over 200 fish total in about 5 hours of fishing.
The focus of the trip was to see what impact the recent oil spill has had on the fishery going in but there were no thoughts of oil after that first cast. It soon became obvious to me that the spill has had a much larger impact on public perception that the fishing and that is was more of an economic disaster than an ecological one in that area of the Gulf. Many of the charter captains that have made a living providing customers with hours of enjoyment are now suffering more from a lack of clientelle than a lack of fish. The only evidence of the oil spill that we witnessed was a crew of workers removing the man made barriers around some of the marsh grass near the dock and some empty parking spaces at the boat launch. I would highly encourage anyone to take advantage of some of the best fishing I have ever experienced while at the same time supporting a sector of the economy that has suffered Hurricane Katrina, the worst recession in recent history and finally the oil disaster in the Gulf. Many of the charter captains have thrown in the towel after this combination punch but there are some really good guys down there doing what they love and providing a service to those of us who want to experience it for ourselves who have refused to quit and are determined to fight the odds and contiue making their living by fishing.
Captain Brodie is one of these determined guides. He works as hard as any guide I have ever fished with to make sure that you feel at home and catch a ton of fish. Within minutes of boarding his boat I felt like I was fishing with an old friend and he treated us like he had known us his entire life. He kept us on fish during the entire trip and this was the first guided trip I have ever taken where we decided we had had enough before the captain did. Our catch was cleaned and packaged with great care and pride and we left worn out and happy to shower and change, have a few drinks and hit the bed early while Captain Brodie still had several hours of work to take care of preparing for his next day on the water. He told us that a large percentage of his clientelle are repeat customers and after fishing with him I can see why.
I am already planning my next trip with Team Brodie Charters and if you would like to do the same you can contact Captain Brodie by calling (228) 697-7707 or via email at captainbrodie@teambrodiecharters.com. You can also visit his website at http://teambrodiecharters.com/. He updates the site daily and I was surprised to see my ugly mug on there within hours of coming of the water. One of the more unique options that Captain Brodie offers is a combination duck hunting/fishing trip that he calls “Blast and Cast”. You get to experience a morning of duck hunting followed up with an afternoon fishing trip. For you duck hunters out there, I can’t imagine a better trip or a better guy to take it with. Thanks again to Captain Brodie and my good friend Bryan Brasher fora trip that I will never forget and enough fish in the freezer to hold me over for a while. I’ll be back soon so keep doing what you are doing Captain Brodie.
