The Chandeleur Islands. Just mention these words in a group of true Gulf Coast anglers and you will turn some heads. Those who have been will quickly join in with tales of huge catches of reds and trout. They’ll also tell you what an amazingly beautiful and desolate place it is. Those who haven’t yet made the trip surely have heard these tales before and will be scheming away in their heads for how they can join in the fun.

Until recently I had always been on the wishful end of these conversations. That all changed as I was working in the Fishing Tackle Unlimited booth at the January boat show in Houston. Just across the isle from us sat Captain Troy Fountain in his booth. He was selling trips to the Chandeleurs aboard his 68’ boat, Double Trouble. Captain Troy had a continuous video running that showed fish after fish being caught by happy anglers. Myself and Ruben Garza were drawn to the video like redfish to a gold spoon. A few twitches of the rod tip and Captain Troy had a double hook-up.

Through the remaining days of the show we schemed and plotted to get together a trip. We approached Captain Troy about a special kind of trip. Ruben and I love to fish from kayaks and we wanted to transport our kayaks aboard the Double Trouble. It seemed like a great way to explore the islands. Troy was immediately agreeable to the idea. He noted that the skiffs normally used by his customers are not able to enter into the shallow back lakes and marshes that line the back side of the islands. Most of these places were completely ignored by everyone in favor of the more convenient areas.

The plan was to get a group of twelve willing participants for this exploratory mission. I posted a message regarding the trip on the message board of Texas Kayak Fisherman hoping to get a few takers. The response was incredible. Before the end of the show we had not one, but four trips in the works. The first trip was scheduled for early May. This trip was already half booked and required only six of us kayakers to complete the crew. Deposits were collected and the deal was done. Now came the long wait until the first trip.

As the date loomed closer I checked and rechecked all of my gear. Dozens of new flies were tied, fly lines were cleaned, leaders were replaced, and reels were greased. Everything was packed and ready to go days in advance. I think my wife was as ready for me to leave as I was to get this trip started. When the day finally arrived our crew agreed to meet at Fishing Tackle Unlimited. Some of the guys needed to pick up some last-minute items. One had decided to purchase a brand new kayak and took delivery while we packed all of the kayaks and gear into two vehicles.

The trip to Biloxi went smoothly and we arrived in a little under six and a half hours with a brief stop for lunch. Upon arrival at the docks we were greeted by Captain Troy and his brother, Captain Lonnie Fountain. Lonnie’s sons were soon loading our kayaks onto the roof deck of the Double Trouble. The roof of the boat looked like a Wilderness Systems showroom. Once the kayaks were secured and our gear was stowed we headed out for some dinner. The boat is docked behind one of Biloxi’s many casinos. We found our way to the buffet inside the casino and were treated to a fine meal. Upon returning to the boat we were introduced to the other six fishermen who were sharing our trip.

Captain Troy pulled away from the dock just before midnight. The weather was beautiful and the trip out to the islands was a great chance to get some sleep. I awoke a few hours later when I heard the boat’s engine shut off. After eating a quick breakfast it was finally time to get started fishing. The crew had already off-loaded the kayaks and had them tied to the swim platform waiting for us.

The water’s surface provided a mirror image of the faint orange and purple glow of a pending sunrise as I paddled towards the silhouette of island. Mike Warfield and I paddled silently towards the island wondering what was in store for us. No words were exchanged until Mike said, “Look, right there. Tailing reds.” Sure enough, there were two triangles cutting the glassy surface about a hundred feet ahead of us. As we eased towards them it suddenly became clear that these weren’t two reds. It was a single large shark cruising in a foot of water. I looked at Mike and said, “This is going to be a different kind of place.”

That was the understatement of the trip. The fishing here was comfortably familiar while at the same time new and exciting. The reds, trout, and flounder are common to all of us and they are there in great numbers. However, I’m not used to seeing dozens of sharks cruising around in mere inches of water. It was exhilarating to watch these graceful predators ease past you and then crash into a school of mullet up on the flats. None of us had any encounters of consequence with the ever-present sharks.

The same techniques and lures that work on your home waters will work in the Chandeleurs. Pick your favorite method and go for it. Topwaters, spoons, soft plastics, and flies all were greeted by hungry fish. It was nice not having to reinvent the wheel while at the same time exploring an unfamiliar place.

The Chandeleurs are a series of long narrow islands off the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The mothership anchors on the back side of the islands allowing easy access to the grass flats, bayous, and lakes that are protected by the islands. The surf can be reached by navigating any of the numerous bayous or storm cuts through the island and walking across a short stretch of sand.

The grass flats behind the islands are beautiful and full of all kinds of life. One afternoon while paddling around in search of cruising reds, I came upon a rather large Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. I’m not sure who was more startled. These grass flats range from shin deep to four or five feet. The trout were plentiful in the deeper water while the reds seemed to prefer the edges where the grass met the bare sand.

The surf fishing is incredible. I was able to stand in one spot on dry sand and sight cast to several groups of bull reds cruising by in the first gut. At one point I was casting a chartreuse and white Clouser Minnow at a pair of reds that had to be over thirty-six inches. I watched as one of the brutes turned to chase the fly and was surprised to see a silver flash come from out of nowhere. The fly line came tight and a very large trout wallowed with half her body out of the water. I knew right away that this was by far the largest trout I had ever hooked on a fly. I held my breath as she went on a surging run down the first gut. A couple of head-shaking jumps later the tippet parted and the line went slack. I don’t know exactly how big she was, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that she was several inches larger than the twenty-five inch sow I caught a few minutes later.

While the surf and grass flats were tempting, the real reason for bringing the kayaks on this trip was to explore the virtually untouched back lakes. Nothing I can say will do these areas justice. I’ve fish hundreds of isolated marsh lakes along the Texas coast from Port Isabel to Sabine Lake. This type of water has always drawn me. I love to slip into a small, quiet lake and watch for a redfish to appear along the shoreline with his back exposed. The lakes of the Chandeleurs did not disappoint. On the final morning of our trip I slid through a narrow passage to discover a series of lakes with clear water and grass covered bottoms. I noticed several large v-wakes moving around. The sun was high enough to provide good underwater visibility. I carefully stood in my kayak to get a better view and was amazed to see redfish in every direction. These were fish in the twenty-two to twenty-six inch range. For the next two hours I did battle with some of the most gullible redfish I’ve ever seen. It was as if they had never seen a lure. Truly an incredible way to end a trip that I’ll never forget.

While the Chandeleur Islands belong to the state of Louisiana, the northern end of the chain is most easily accessed from the Mississippi coast. The trip from Biloxi aboard the Double Trouble takes roughly four to five hours depending on the chosen anchorage. Captain Troy stays in touch with several other motherships that service the islands and plans his trips based on where the hottest action has been on previous trips. The accommodations aboard the Double Trouble are very comfortable. The bunks were clean, the showers were hot, and the air conditioning was cold. The boat has more than enough room for twelve anglers and three crew members. Captain Troy cooks some awesome meals including jambalaya and steaks grilled on the back deck. I heard no complaints about the food and nobody walked away hungry. Snacks and cold drinks were always available. The deckhands were eager to help with loading gear, launching kayaks, and any other thing that needed to be done. If you aren’t into kayaking there are six fourteen foot skiffs with fifteen horse motors available for your use.

There are several boats providing service to the islands out of Biloxi, but having been out with Captain Troy and his nephews, I can’t see any reason to go with anyone else. For more information or to contact Captains Troy or Lonnie, go to their website at chandeleurcharters.com.