Gulf Cos' Crabbin

On day three of our trip we left what we hoped would be the last of an epic storm in the Southeast. What we at first believed to be a hiccup in the weather of the low lying plains of Tennessee and Mississippi turned out to be an atrocious combination of flooding and chaos that thus far has taken the lives of almost two dozen people. Our final decision in a plea to avoid anymore bone shaking thunder and saturating rain was to head west. We took the advice of a former Louisianan (and Tyler’s high school biology Professor), Bill Sanderson, and left Lafayette destined for highway 82. This stretch of pavement escorted us along the Gulf Coast through endless marshes and bewildering bayous. Just before we hit the coast we passed through an area littered with enticing gravel side roads, and as this is an adventurous group, we took one. At first it appeared as though there were high grasses on either side, but the grasses soon thinned and before we knew it we were surrounded by water on a road 10 feet wide. The Valkyrie (our car) was being pushed to the limit on the gravel path and with no sign of a turn around in the distance we decided to back up, slowly, and continue on down 82. All was not lost down the gravel road though, Alan spotted a pair of Mottled Ducks and a migrating flock of Sandpipers



While the day started with the simple task of escaping the storm, it ended with the more difficult assignment of catching our dinner. Southwestern Louisiana is crawling with Blue Crab, and if you know how and where to catch them they can make for a tasty treat (or a delectable dinner). Unfortunately (for us, fortunate for the species), you can only catch and keep males. Males are distinguished from the females by a small patch on their belly that looks well, rather like a penis.

Crab fishing 101 - as described by Tyler to Alan and me
Supplies - String, chicken necks, a net, and a cooler




Chicken necks thawing on dashboard

So, you tie a chicken neck to about 20 feet of string and attach the other end of the string to a rock. Toss the neck into some shallows and wait. When you feel something on the other end of the string tugging at the chicken (and you will feel them tugging), slowly begin to reel the chicken in. If this is done properly the crab should follow the bait almost all the way to the shore, at which point an awaiting teammate will slash the net across the water. The slashing motion should mimic that of Eowyn from Lord of the Rings slaying the Nazgul. If you are successful, crab will be on the menu for the night.




We purchased a net and some chicken necks from a small store along 82 and began to get hyped for the hunt. After three stops along the marsh, with Zydeco and Swamp Pop thumping over the radio, we had snagged our booty.





As we continued our trek westward en route to a campsite in southern Texas I was overcome with the feeling that despite our short time along the Gulf Coast we had experienced an authentic part of the Cajun lifestyle.

As a result of what is now one of the largest oil spills in history, Crab fishing has been banned on the Gulf Coast. It looks like we may be some of the last to legally catch Blue Crab in Crab country for a while.