Baja St. Martin

The weather lately has been beautiful but I keep having a deep-down niggling feeling that when it changes it will be a whopper! I’m just being too pessimistic, I suppose. Hearing about and seeing the pictures from the Houston area certainly makes one nervous. I can remember when we had about 11 or 12 inches of rain in one day here, but can you imagine getting 17 inches? That is just mind-boggling.
The spillway and Belle River continue to stay a little above normal. At the Belle River landing, all the launch ramps seem to be in use although the most northerly is the most popular because you can launch and load without getting your feet wet. Last I heard the price to the fishermen was 75 cents a pound and most are limited to the amount they can bring in.
I spoke with a crawfish pond owner not long ago who, of course, said his business was taking over the wild crawfish production. He was bragging, naturally, but I suspect he’s correct in many respects. This year, in particular, when the ponds were producing crawfish early and the spillway was late, the farm-raised places took prominence. I guess they always will do so under these circumstances. Hopefully, it will never get to the point where there are only farm-raised crawfish, but given the uncertainties of weather, water, et al., a wise fisherman would do well to have a second job. Sometimes a hard working, probably young fisherman can make a good amount of money from the spillway, but this year, it might have been wise to have had another job.
This is my own opinion you understand, but fishing for a living is a wonderful way to live as long as you use your profits wisely. You can make a “ton” of money in a few months fishing, but if you spend it all buying a new truck, partying, gambling, etc., and wind up at the end with unpaid debts and broke, that’s not so good.
I did love fishing. It was hard, smelly, dirty, exciting, depressing and often profitable work, but so much fun to have such an immediate result to your labors.
It’s hard to believe that it won’t be long until school is over for the year. Pierre Part schools will be taking a spring break on April 21 and 22. Stephensville seems to not have that same break, but both schools start the week of April 25 with iLEAP and LEAP testing.
Leroy Gros at Gros’ Marina says business is doing well. The houseboat slips are popular. The Gros family is adjusting to the loss of their father, Roy, still. It takes time. Sandra is back at work as Stephensville Elementary’s secretary, which I’m sure the school appreciates. School secretaries are absolutely critical to the operation of any school.
It would be nice if the Four-mile Bayou road was paved the entire way, not only for the Gros’ but for all the people who have camps along the road. I don’t know why it’s being paved in pieces but I’m afraid I think it’s just another incident of Baja not being given priority because we’re so far away. Maybe that’s not the reason, but you must know that I’m still trying to get Council on Aging services for our three communities and not having much luck with that. Yes, we do have bingo and a potluck now and then, and a rabies clinic (which has nothing to do with the COA), but we are part of St. Martin Parish and should have the same services as the rest of the parish. It’s not our fault we have the Atchafalaya Basin between us and the parish seat.

Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be e-mailed at lindacooke1939@gmail.com.