Typically, a “fish story” is a tall tale about “the one that got away.” It’s usually told by a person relaying details about a peaceful day spent fishing on placid waters when the most exciting thing that happened was a fish that could have been dinner swam away.

Like so many things, it’s different in Louisiana. Here, fish stories include hurricanes. Salt water intrusion. Fishing camps being flooded and destroyed. And “the one that got away” is more likely to be an insurance claim that was denied.

Here, people in the leisure fishing business are not your typical fishermen. Or typical businessmen. They’re larger-than-life characters who are equally adept at battling the elements and battling FEMA. And who can manage balance sheets and change bedsheets.

Fred Lewis has been an actor in a bunch of Hollywood movies, including Blaze with Paul Newman, and Tin Cup with Kevin Costner. In 2003, when the only way to go fishing in Venice Louisiana for longer than a day was to stay at the one available fishing camp, Fred had a houseboat towed in from Alabama. Eventually he started renting it out to other folks.

Before long, Fred had 5 houseboats docked at the Venice Marina. He’s sold one, and his stepson, Steve Brantley, has two. Fred’s company, Venice Houseboat Rentals, keeps the houseboats rented out pretty much continually. They all sleep six to eight people. It’s no exaggeration to say, Fred has almost single-handedly created a short-term-rental leisure-fishing industry in Venice.

Even closer to New Orleans, around 30 minutes south of the city, you can go fishing in Barataria. There you’ll find another impressive renaissance man, Theophile Bourgeois. 

Theophile is the front man of a popular New Orleans-based band, called Them Ol’ Ghosts. He’s a tattoo artist who founded an Uptown New Orleans tattoo shop - Oak Street Tattoo. And in Barataria he’s the owner of Bourgeois Fishing Charters.

Bourgeois Fishing Charters is anchored in a 10,000 square foot guest house that sleeps 52 people. They have their own fishing boats, four charter-boat captains, two full-time cooks, a housekeeper, a reservation department, and even their own seaplane.

In New Orleans we have a number of terms for activities that are unique understatements. For example, “going to hear music” typically refers to a night out that involves a whole lot more than just “hearing music.” “Going by my momma’s” can refer to anything from stopping by for a crawfish boil to painting your mom’s house.

Similarly, in most parts of the world, “Gone fishin’” evokes a kind of mental health day: A temporary checking out of daily life in favor of a slice of solitary, silent, self-reflection. Here, “Gone fishin’” - along with the terms “Going down to the camp” and “Going duck hunting” - typically refers to group undertakings in which the activity of fishing, camping, or hunting is inextricably bound up with socializing.

Whether you tend more toward the serious fishing or serious fun end of the spectrum, there’s a spot for you in Barataria or Venice. Theophile Bourgeois (Toe-feel) has you covered in Barataria and Fred Lewis has you covered in Venice.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

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