One is Better Than None
By Sr. Agent Winston Michel

One day Sr. Agent Jim Venable and I, Sr. Agent Winston Michel, were patrolling St. Mary Parish when we received a call from an agent in Region 6. He heard that three subjects going fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin, and they were supposedly going to be bringing in several limits of undersize black bass into the Charenton Beach landing. We were given a description of the truck and boat.

When we were in route to the landing we saw a truck and boat fitting the description given to us. However, when we arrived at the landing there was no vehicle fitting that description. We then decided to check all the nearby landings. After checking several landings and not finding the vehicle, we thought they might have seen us and changed their mind about going. We then decided to check the Charenton Beach landing again. When we pulled over the levee we saw the truck and trailer. They had gone fishing after all. The only way to watch the landing without being seen was for one of us to be dropped off and the other to drive back over the levee. We saw there was an old broken down camp next to the landing that would give up the perfect view. The camp looked pretty rotten but I told Sr. Agent Venable that I would hide out in there. My first concern was that I would fall through the floor of the camp but when I stepped on the floor it seemed secure.

I then found a place to sit. When I started looking around I noticed several really large wasp nests. The wasp didn’t seem to be happy I was there but I knew that if we were going to catch these guys I had to wait. Well after an hour and a half of waiting and being swarmed by mosquitoes and wasps the subjects finally arrived at the landing to pick up. After they put their boat on the trailer I called Sr. Agent Venable by radio to drive over the levee and assist me in checking the subjects. We found that only one of the subjects had one short black bass and none of them had over their limit. I guess the fish just weren’t biting that day. Well after all that waiting with the wasps and mosquitoes we only had one short fish but I guess one is better than none.