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In 1950, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hegan operating an exploratory 

 research vessel, the Oregon, in the gulf. Berthed at Pascagoula, Mississippi, 

 most of the four years it operated in the Gulf of Mexico were spent in shrimp 

 investigations, hut attempts were made to catch the tuna that were occasionally 

 sighted. Blackfin tuna were seen in 1950. In 1951 large yellowfin tuna, the species 

 commonly canned, were sighted. EfEorts were made to take them in purse seines, 

 but they failed. 



The following years, efforts were made to take by traditional West Coast 

 methods. That called for chumming with live bait and "slaughter" poles. In 

 180 days at sea, only one yellowfin tuna was taken. 



In June of 1954, the Oregon employed the Japanese long line method and 

 reported taking large yellowfin tuna, swordfish, marlin and sailflsh. The Japa- 

 nese long line is actually a long trot line. The main line was fished at a depth 

 of 120 feet and was about eight miles long. From it were drop lines about 25 

 feet long and connected to two-foot-long cables, to which baited hooks are 

 fastened. In short, the Japanese long-line resemhles a trot line eight miles long 

 and strong enough to hold tons of fish if they take the bait 



One particular "set" was made by the Oregon about 40 miles from the mouth 

 of South Pass. When the mechanical puller had been stopped and the end of 

 that set made there were 15 yellowfin tuna, two hlue marlin, one white marlin, 

 three Mako sharks, eight silk sharks and three white-tipped sharks. The fish 

 were weighed and measured — all but the blue marlin. It was more than 12 

 feet long and too heavy to weigh. 



The second set on that particular trip was made closer to South Pass, about 

 30 miles south and east. Only 300 hooks were put out on the long line. That 

 set brought in 15 yellovs^n tuna, seven white marlin, one sailfish and a yellowfish 

 tuna. 



This triggered the imagination of a numher of Lousiana fishermen. There were 

 big game fish here and in 1956, three relatively small sportfishing boats ventured 

 out of South Pass seeking big game fish. They stayed fairly close together 

 because sport fishermen had never gone that far offshore. It was pay dirt. The 

 first two white marlin, and one yellowfin tuna, were taken. 



Word of big game fishing so close to South Pass spread like wildfire through- 

 out Louisiana. Other anglers made trips and additional big game fish were 

 hooked and lost. Some were taken ; but none added up in size to the catches 

 made by the Oregon. The fish were there and could be taken by rod and reel, 

 yet there was much to be learned. 



In 1958, Louisiana's angling fraternity was startled when a Shreveport angler 

 brought in a 463% pond blue marlin, taken on rod and reel. This was the start 

 of intensified big game fishing that led to formation in 1961 of the first big 

 game fishing club in the state. Today there are three such clubs. 



Louisiana's big game fishing did not stop at South Pass. It spread westward 

 virtually to Texas. Finding new haunts of hig game fish wasn't easy. There 

 were countless thousands of man hours spent in the fighting chairs ; and boats 

 ventured farther out into deeper water. They found what they sought — the 

 big ones. 



But this is not the full story of two decades of gulf fishing. During the twenty 

 years that have passed, addition of barracuda, pompano, huge blue fish, big 

 "winter" white trout, larger Spanish mackerel, jewfish and larger schools of 

 red snappers ; mark only progressive steps in more fishing opportunity in gulf 

 waters for sport fishermen. 



There was another development that greatly enhanced the coastal lake, bay 

 and bayou fishing in the southeastern half of Louisiana. We're referring to the 

 Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, a 70-odd mile long ship channel that was dredged 

 by the U.S. Corps of Engineers as a straight, shorter outlet to the Gulf of Mexico 

 from the Port of New Orleans, linked to the port by the Intracoastal Canal. 



From the outset, it was also dubbed the "tide-water channel". That means 

 that it was an infusion cut that remained at gulf level and introduced gulf 

 water and more salt water fish into the lakes, bays, bayous and canals of south- 

 east Louisiana. This greatly improved fishing by increasing water salinities and 

 bringing salt water fish close to the "average fisherman's" reach. 



How much has this twenty year change in the pattern of gulf fishing meant 

 to the people of Louisiana in the form of outdoor recreation? That would be 

 difficult to answer, but there are signs everywhere that serve as symbols of 

 what all of this has meant. About twenty years ago, there was only one full 

 time fishing boat available for charter. Today, from Cameron to Mississippi, it 



