Page 100 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2019

SPORTS & OUTDOORS the crappie psychic
S
ometimes when life gives you lemons you really are able to make lemonade. Recently, we headed
down to Houma, Louisiana to fish with Captain Clyde Folse, a.k.a. The Crappie Psychic. Having
filmed two previous episodes of our television show, Find Your Outdoors, with Captain Clyde, we had seen him find the fish first hand.
We arrived at the Rock-N-Dock lodge to learn that we were the very first guests. The owners, Rick and Michelle, had just completed an extensive renovation to convert a property they owned on the Intercoastal Waterway into a lodge. And they had done a remarkable job – everything was first class.
One thing I found of interest was the unusual foundation for the fine, split-level dock overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway. A barge, sunken at the edge of their property, had served as a bulkhead to protect the property from erosion. In a display of Cajun ingenuity, they simply left the barge in place to serve as a base for the dock.
Shortly after we arrived and had our tour of the lodge, Janelle Folse had the first of a five-course meal ready. I had heard that she was a remarkable chef and soon tasted the proof.
“Tonight we are having homemade salsa with tortilla chips followed by a shrimp tart,” she said. “Then a Caesar salad with homemade dressing and croutons, which proceeds
the entree of blackened fish with roasted asparagus and a squash boat with shrimp dressing. For dessert, your choice of a fresh blackberry or Godiva chocolate parfait.” Wow, what a meal!
We waddled off to bed after dinner and rose before daylight to more of Janelle’s culinary treats, after which we loaded up and headed out.
After a forty-minute ride on slick water through a series
of channels, we arrived in a picturesque bayou lined with cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss. We began fishing the banks using Crappie Psychic artificial baits as we eased along with the trolling motor. We fished hard for an hour or so, catching only a few “goggle eyes” and some perch but no crappie.
Most places where I have fished, it is against the law to prevent access to any navigable waterways. “In Louisiana, private land owners can place signs restricting access to bayous that cross their property and even erect barriers,” Captain Clyde said. “As a result, I can no longer fish many
100 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2019
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story by Frank Wilem photos courtesy of Tom Schubert