28 Words You Should Learn Before Fishing in Louisiana
By: Keith "Catfish" Sutton
If your Louisiana fishing buddy says he wants to take you fishing for poisson rouge, will you know what he's talking about? The language of fishing is different in the Bayou State. (Photo by Keith Sutton)
The first time I went fishing down in the Louisiana, I wasn’t at all prepared for the deluge of new words that would fall upon my ears. It was like I was visiting another country where everyone spoke an entirely different language. For example:
“Look out yonder in my bateau and find youself one of dem poles what’s got a red and sparkletail gigue on the ling,” my host said as we pulled up to the dock. “If we can find us a bande of hungry sac-à-lait, dey’ll bite dat fo’ sho.”
I had not a clue what he said and just stood there, dumbfounded.
As Louisiana is a favored destination for many non-resident fishermen, I thought I might save some of these out-of-state “pêcheurs” from the same embarassment by sharing a few Cajun words and phrases likely to be heard on a Bayou State fishing trip. If you spend some time studying them, maybe you’ll be able to interpret what is being said. Maybe.
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