Cameron prarie refuge
 

Gonna go tomorrow with my family. Just wondering if any of you guys have been and what you thought? Anybody know what kind of shape the boat ramp is in and if the fishing is any good?

Where exactly are you talking about?

I was wondering that also.

?? Me too. Are you talking about gibbstowns bridge. The only place I know of in Cameron prairie to fish is behind the wiers. Wiers are on. I suggest you find a good day and take the family back there. Catch some crabs and shrimp.

I honestly have no clue, it says its located in Bell City. Ive never been and know nothing about it. It just says there's fishing.

Ok yes, it is the gibbstown bridge area

Hmmm? Bell City drain ditch? But thats not Cameron Prairie. Got a map or road that its on?

The launch under the bridge or south of the bridge?.....think you're gonna need a permit either way depending on where you are fishing.

As far as I know there is no fishing in Cameron prairie on that end. Cameron prairie is pretty much jus behind the wiers in big lake where you can fish. If you launch in gibbstown you can fish anywheres you want down the intracoastal. And also lacassine.

You talking about the Burns? 45 Ditch?

Take exit 36 (highway 397 south) off of Interstate 10 east of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Follow highway 397 south 8 miles. Turn left at the stop sign on highway 14. Follow highway 14 to Holmwood, Louisiana. Where highway 14 turns left continue straight onto highway 27. From this point the refuge headquarters is located 11 miles south on the right hand side.

1428 Bell City, LA HWY 27

There is nothing there as far as fishing in the refuge.

There is one spot to fish right there off the bank across from Pintail drive before Giggstown Bridge.

But its pretty much a big ditch.

Well on the website it said, crappie,bass,redfish,flounder etc. it must be the burns area it said 25hp max. That sucks then about the fishing

I used to work with a guy who caught a lot of sac au lait in the big ditch. Also, if you put in at gibbstown and go east(left) and turn in the first ditch on your left and go down it a ways and make another left. You can catch a lot of good eatin size blue and channel cats back there.

Whats the big ditch? So the launch for the gibbstown bridge will put you in the ICW?i was hoping to get on some crappie over that way and some bluegill

Yes, the launch is under the bridge and will put you in the ICW.

The "big ditch" is the canal on the side of the Hwy(westside) that starts as soon as you pass the headquarters. There is a spot to park and bank fish, this is across the Hwy from Pintail Drive just north of Giggstown.

Ok i just found that area. It looks like its right in front ofcameron praire road entrance? The road that the boat launch is on can you fish off the bank there?

The launch is very good.....or it was 10 years ago when I used it one time.

The area southeast of there is called the "Big Burns" and you need a permit [$ 40 ?] to fish there and max 25 hp.

About 7 miles east of the boat launch is Lacassine NR. Not sure of all the regulations, but no horsepower restrictions. Fishing is closed during the winter. Fishing can be fair to good in that area. Lots of gators and the babies probably are just hatching now.

I think lots of people fish for catfish in ICWW and do fairly good.

Sweet lake and White lake are to the west, but I think both are private.

[QUOTE=thegr8cody;479802]Ok i just found that area. It looks like its right in front ofcameron praire road entrance? The road that the boat launch is on can you fish off the bank there?[/QUOTE]

I guess you could fish at or near the boat launch. The "road" is not very long and is probably no access to the water.

There is a canal on the refuge about 3 miles east of gibbstown bridge on the north side of the intracoastal. Not sure if it is open to fishing or not.

That canal is on the eastern boundry of the Cameron Prairie NR.

It looks like the road that the ramp is on has a good bit if water access to the cut that the ramp is on. Im gonna have to find me a map that better explains the burns area and laccasine before i go out there

the intracoastal is often muddy and the only real fishing in there is for catfish and gar on trot lines or jug lines or limb lines. the canals that feed off it are usually muddy until you get far back into them. the burns is a decent place to fish if you have a permit. it will be expiring soon, though, for 2012.

You would be alot better off trying somewhere eles. Water is always muddy around there and it's really only good for catfish. The burns can be good but need a permit and it's bout to close. Bell city drain ditch is good if the waters clear but you'd be better off launching in bell city.

Well i didnt plan on fishing the ICW i thought it would be a different area. Ive fished the ICW and black bayou numerous times with no luck. After reading the info online i thought i found a place for bream and bass amd crappie closer than the calcasieu

It's talking about that roadside canal. You can fish it but you have to park at the refuge and walk along the side of the canal. You can walk down the west side of the canal, the grass is usally mowed and what not.

Any sacalait in it?

Don know, I don fish from the bank and have never fished there. I know der is bass and bream in it.

Yes there is sacalait in there.

If there are sacalait down there, why arent there any in black bayou? Ive fished it numerous times with shiners and jigs and never got a bite

One thing you gotta remember about down there is that it was all recently hit by two major hurricanes and filled with saltwater. The fish are just starting to make a decent comeback. Sacalait gonna take a while they don't handle saltwater very well.

Big burns is closed as of Sunday. There is a canal off of the north canal that is in refuge you can fish it until mid October. You go east under gibbstown bridge and then go north at the first canal then go west at the first canal. Went a few months ago and it was very grassy and had quite a few limbs in the water. It is pretty good for catfish but it was very hard to navigate through last time i went