ADVENTURES OF A BAYOU BOY

BETWEEN THE BAYOUS BONFOUCA AND LIBERTY

THE ADVENTURES OF A BAYOU BOY

PRECIOUS MEMORIES

I SEE THE SOFTSHELL CRAB AS THE FILET MIGNON OF LAKE PONCHARTRAIN.

C’EST SI BON

I remember June being the most productive month of the year to catch soft shell crabs. We would start out early, right at the crack of dawn, and go to the mouth of Bayou Liberty. Then we’d head west hugging the shoreline of the Lake until we reached our favorite spot, where the grass was always thick and the water was clear.

We would only make this trip when there was little or no wind at all, the water had to be clear, and the tide had to be normal.

We would beach the skiff, put the pirogue in the water, put our crabbing gear in the Pirogue, and tie the bow rope to the back of my belt. The purpose of the pirogue is to carry our gear: such as two medium ice chests, one for soft crabs and the other for hard crabs.

The molting stages of a blue crab:

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Green Crab: 14 to 50 days before molt.

Buster: in the process of shedding his old shell

Soft shell, just after shedding

Paper shell: 12 hours after molt

We would walk in front of the pirogue, pulling it behind us and pushing the grass down with our long handle net. Any thing hiding in the grass was exposed and caught with the net. On a good day we could catch a dozen or more soft crabs. Plus busters, paper shell and hard crabs.

Just another day in the life of a bayou boy.

ED PICHON 6/5/2021