Pass A Loutre help.

No air cooled motors allowed at all on Delta. Pass a loutre regs say nothing over 36 hp. Doesn't appear to give any exceptions like those passes that you are allowed to run after 2pm with a mud motor with less than 36 hp. Would have to call definitely.

It's total INSANITY to run a mud boat down the river to Pass A Loutre. That's about ten miles of crew boat, ship wakes, fog, and more dangerous stuff.

Mud boats/duck boat DO NOT have high enough sides to be safe in the river in all conditions. In perfect conditions they are great but if it was always perfect the MS River wouldn't have the reputation it does. PLEASE don't take a mud boat even with high horsepower motors is a bad idea. I realize that lots of people do it, it doesn't make it safer.

Delta.... We saw someone last week camped out on delta and hunting out of a duck boat, both against the regulations down there. All air cooled engines are prohibited there.

Good of you to try and figure this stuff out before going down there. The parish owned land is your best bet down there IMO with the set up you have currently. If you go that route make sure you have your permit from the parish to hunt there.

He is referencing Baptiste Collette. It is directly across the river from Venice. Portions are private and portions are public (Parish). There is a semi reliable map supposedly from the state land office that shows public vs private.

the hp regulation is all about butthurt folks who used to have the marsh to themselves that now have competition.
and btw.... be sure to put on one of those obnoxiously loud mufflers so when u are louder than a airboat people will have another reason to hate you!!!! lol

have fun.

Stop at the parish office on Belle Chasse Highway behind Pivach law firm and in front of the ferry. They have maps and can direct you on if you need a permit to hunt it and how much that will be. Lot of misinformation about permits from the parish stop in and get your own first hand info so you don't screw up.

You say you are ready for rough water....

two days ago I had a 90-125' long crew boat not come of plane for me in the river, I am in a 27' boat with 25" sides, I took on two feet of water in my boat. You think your duck boat won't sink after something like that in the middle of the river at 11'?

The only routes I know that could be alternate take you through no mudboat areas and you would have to follow someone as it's skinny water if you get out of the cut and it's a lot of open water simply knowing where the cut used to be before it washed away to open water and sandbars.

You aren't the only person doing it or considering it. However do some research on coast guard rescues and deaths down there over the last few years. I can think of three incidents just in the last 365 days that involved a duck boat, Venice and death or a close call with rescue and medivac. Just because others do it doesn't make it smart or safe.

I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do but after hunting down there for 40 years now I have learned a little about down there and I see a lot of stupidity leaving the boat launch every time I'm there.

Screw ups and danger can happen anytime anywhere Venice or anywhere else but I like to take as many precautions as I can to try and reduce the chance of error or mishap to myself and the people on my boat when I go out. In my opinion it's crazy to attempt down river in a duck boat.

Maps

Hammer, how was the fog when you were down the last couple days?

Is atchafalaya delta any less sketchy trek then Venice? I realize you have to cross the ICW which is heavily trafficked by oil supply boats but I imagine it won’t be as bad the Mississippi.

On the fog is it persistent only when it’s warmer weather out or is there pretty much full time?

I understand a duck isn’t worth dying for by any means maybe it’s best I get one of my buddies with a bay boat to tag along and we can just drag the mud boat behind us.