Black Tank this week's fishing top spot

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on July 31, 2009 at 1:30 AM, updated July 31, 2009 at 1:38 AM
The Black Tank in central Black Bay remains a major angling landmark -- even though the tank is gone and only a few pilings and rusting metal are visible, because big specks can still be found there.

Great fishing spots along coastal Louisiana are a lot like icebergs in the North Atlantic. What you can see above the surface usually tells only a small part of the story -- and a rather insignificant one at that.

Energy platforms, for example, attract fish not because of the towering steel forests growing into the Gulf of Mexico sky, but because of the steel roots those structures extend below the surface and onto the bottom, where they act as artificial reefs. When marsh islands disappear below the surface because of subsidence and erosion, the real important fish-attracting ingredients are still there in the form of oyster reefs, shell banks and tree roots. At least for a while.

This is especially true across Black Bay, where hurricanes, erosion and subsidence have removed above-surface features that gave many of the state's best-known speck-producers their names. For example, if you motor out of Bayou Terre aux Beoufs looking for Snake Island without a GPS fix, you'll still be looking when you run out of fuel. But if you have those coordinates, you won't mind, because you're more than likely to catch your limit, even if the scenery is now less interesting.

Which brings us to the Black Tank. Perhaps no spot in Black Bay was more appropriately named or harder to miss than this one. It was an energy platform built on a concrete barge topped by -- you guessed it -- large black holding tanks. At least two generations of local anglers knew how to find it; just head south-southwest out of Bayou Terre aux Beoufs and look for a black tank.

Hurricane Katrina ended all that. The tanks came down, and the barge was broken at least in half. Now all that remains above the water is a rubble field about 100 yards long consisting of a handful of pilings, and a few rusting pieces of jagged steel.

But that doesn't matter. It still offers some of the best fishing for specks each summer.

"Oh, the only thing that has changed about the Black Tank is that they're harder to find," said Freddie Dietz, owner of Destination Delacroix Lodge, as he pointed his big catamaran toward the location on a recent trip. "You've still got all that structure in the water, which is what made it a good spot to begin with.

"The structure attracts the bait, and that brings the specks and reds. The only difference is, you don't have those black tanks anymore."

So, the tip of the iceberg may be gone, but the working sections are still very much alive -- and producing big catches of big specks this summer.

Getting there

GPS location: N: 29º 30.932, W: 89º 29.245

From Delacroix just make the 21-mile run don Bayou Terre aux Beoufs to Mozambique Point.

Gearing up

This will be bottom fishing for specks over a reef of twisted iron, concrete and oyster shells. That means you can expect to lose a lot of terminal tackle -- whether using Carolina rigs for live bait, or plain plastics. If you're going to be using live bait, make up at least a dozen extra swivel/leader/hook rigs for quick replacements.

Live bait typically will produce more fish for the average angler. Shrimp is the standard, but croakers and cockahoes also will work.

Lures that can get the job done include the Saltwater Assassin (Opening Night, glo/chartreuse), H&H Cockahoes (black/chartreuse tail) and Deadly Dudley (Blue Moon).

A trolling motor is nice to find where the fish are holding, but you'll want an anchor to keep your position once that is done.

Remember you're a long way from help out there. Make sure your radio and/or cell phones are working, and bring along enough water and food in case of an unplanned overnight stay.

Fishing it

Plan to fish the Black Tank on a day when the tidal range is .7 to 1.5 feet. And don't waste your time getting there during those hours when the tide is slack. This spot demands moving water. Also avoid days when the wind has been up from the west or south for any period of time. The water will get murky, and you'll have a tough time with boat positioning.

Trout typically will hold close to the structure on the down-current side. Approach with the trolling motor and gently lower the anchor. Cast as close to the structure as you dare, then give the bait a crank or two before letting it settle. Remember a stiff current will pull it away from the rig.

Keep moving around the structure until you begin hitting fish.

If the tidal current is exceptionally strong, try backing off about 30 yards from one end of the structure and cast your baits inside the current line in the slower water. Trout often will hang in that cone of quiet water provided by the structure because that means less work for them.

Bob Marshall can be reached at or 504.826.3539.