“IMMOVABLE” - BORN IN THE MARSH AND STAYING THERE

From the age of five, Cajun Phil Broussard and his dad would leave the house before light, in hand was their day’s provisions - a peanut butter sandwich, a quart jar of water and never a cooler to put them in.   Each day looked much like the one before it, but their fishing and hunting at the time were much more than bonding or any sort of past time, it was a matter of sustenance.  The father and son duo had their own ‘grocery store’ filled with assorted delicacies of freshwater and saltwater fish, ducks, geese, and other small and large game. 

Their time together inspired Cajun Phil to consider the kind of relationship that he hoped to have one day with his children.  So, when son Kevin was born, it was a foregone conclusion that he too would spend father and son time in the marsh.

Since then, Cajun Phil and his son Kevin have followed their love of the outdoors together with a bond most father’s and son’s wish they had. “My Dad’s not only my Dad, but he’s my best friend. We’ve hunted and fished together and shared every aspect of life together,” Kevin shares. 

The elder and younger have shared their love of the Louisiana marsh with millions of viewers around the country by way of their “Outdoors & Fishin” television show where Kevin began his TV debut as a six-year-old co-host of the show.  The following 51 seasons of broadcast have delivered the beauty of their ecosystem to an entire nation, inspiring people near and far to book a guided trip and experience the marsh grandeur for themselves.

Decades ago, the Broussard’s diverse background and fishing experience caught the attention of several Minn Kota engineers who were looking to create a more technical shallow water anchor. Much of the Broussard’s fishing happens shallower than 5 feet, and the soft marsh mud, makes it tough to hold anchor – especially with tides and winds. But it was time for a new kind of hold, and it had to be adaptive, much like their life in the marsh. 

“We like seeing the early stages of the products they’re developing. We make sure we punish them, so when they come out, we KNOW they’re gonna be good after all our testing,” shares Cajun Phil. 

FROM PRODUCT TO PRACTICALITY
As the spring temps begin to climb, baitfish, shrimp and crabs all return from deeper, more stable environments to once again fill the marsh.  With the base of the food web again in place, game fish like redfish and flounder return right with them.  “It’s like following a moving grocery store”, shares the Captain of 40+ years.  “The fish just follow their dinner and that brings them right back to our home – the marsh.

“A Gulp grub and live shrimp presentation is as effective as they are practical. It’s hard to think of improving on Gulp, or live shrimp, but when you put them together, it’s like a one plus one equals three kind of thing,” says Cajun Phil. But it’s not just about what you’re fishing as where. If you can find the right intersection point, you can really catch them,” adds Kevin. 

“Areas where currents neck down and funnel the flow, are best by far. The spring tides bring a flowing buffet of shrimp, pogies and crabs that draw lots of fish, but especially the flounder. The bottom gets scoured leaving sandy or shell-bottom flats that the flounder really like,” explains the guide of over 40+ years. 

 “We look for areas of marsh that have cuts with current moving through, but you’ve got to find that sweet spot. Even though they look good, some cuts just aren’t deep enough to hold fish. Sure, anyone can spot areas of current, but the Broussard’s have some help from their Humminbird units. “We’ve been using the AutoChart Live feature on our Solix units to find the deepest parts of the cuts. The unit creates a custom map, combining the depth and the exact GPS location into a spot-on map. “It’s nice because you can see how the current bends around in each cut and I can put my boat a short cast away from the best spot,” comments Cajun Phil. The tech revelation makes Kevin lament the earlier days and adds, “I just wish we had this kind of technology years ago.”

GETTING THERE AND STAYING THERE
“Now here’s where our work with the Raptors really pays off. I usually have several clients in the boat, so I need to position us broadside to the current, so every client can cast at the best spot in the cut. Holding securely is a must. There’s an Auto-Bottom mode built into the Raptors that senses how much force is needed, so the spike doesn’t over drive in soft marsh mud. But when the tides change or the wind picks up, they also have an Active Anchoring feature that monitors the force needed to stay put and it re-drives the spike automatically. So, once I set my boat position, I know we’re not going anywhere. It doesn’t matter what the tides do or how angry winds whip, once our Raptors are down, we have the peace of mind to know that we’re not fighting any gear or conditions.  All we do is focus on the fish, which is all a guide like me hopes for.”

ENDURING ADVERSITY 
The lifetime in the marsh and all the fishing success hasn’t come without some heavy prices though. In Cajun Phil’s home was destroyed by Hurricane Rita.  But the family fought through the trials and rebuilt both their home and their lives went back to normalcy.  More recently, the outbreak of Covid-19 saw the fishing guide industry all but shut down and that included the Broussard’s 33-year guide business. 

Just as things were loosening up in the fall of 2020, Hurricane Laura devastated their Hackberry, LA homes and guiding lodge. As if that wasn’t enough, then the haymaker with Hurricane Delta all but finished off the guide business, the lodge where they host their clients, and most devastatingly, their personal homes. 

“One thing that gets us through are the clients we’ve met and the friendships we’ve made over the last 60 years of doing this. “Our faith and the relationships we have had like with Minn Kota and Humminbird are what pulls us through.  I won’t lie, the thought of packing up and heading to somewhere else to live has come to mind, but where would we go? This is our home. This is where we’re from and we’re not leaving.” 

So, call it resilience, call it determination, or just call it the Cajun way, tenacity is part of the DNA for anyone growing up in the marsh. And despite all life’s challenges, the Broussard’s will be staying put in their marsh, just like the Raptors they helped test. 

This story of Cajun Phil and his son, Kevin, emphasizes the importance of family and community, and Johnson Outdoors and our family of brands are proud to have a positive impact on families, like the Broussard’s, all around the world. Visit the new Outdoor Adventure Blog to learn more about the positive influence our brands are making in communities everywhere.    

Tagged Fishing