Printer-friendly format

Last August, just before Hurricane Katrina barreled through the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Captain Tom Becker of T&D Charters moved his 40-foot custom sportfisher with twin diesels to the Tchoutacabouffa River basin, where charter fishing boats were rafted together to ride out the storm.

As a result, Becker's boat received minimal damage even though waters rose to 21 feet above sea level and trees marked boat rubbings 15 feet above sea level. Much like the beloved fictional character Forrest Gump whose shrimp boat survived when most others didn't, Becker recovered quickly and was soon busy navigating the Gulf waters with sportsmen seeking adventure, especially physicians from Mississippi, Memphis and south Louisiana. Several regular sport fishermen, including specialists from New Orleans and Jackson, chartered trips on the Gulf of Mexico as soon as weather permitted.

"They know I'll give them what they want," said Becker, a United States Air Force retiree who has been boating for 22 years and serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Charterboat Operators. "The first thing I tell them when we go fishing for the first time is to disregard everything they heard from Bill Dance. I'll teach them to fish with a circle hook. Then they keep coming back."

Becker moved his base from the Broadwater Marina, which was demolished during the category four storm, to Point Cadet in east Biloxi. Getting to his boat requires driving past the still heavily damaged Isle of Capri. Even though hurricane damage remains evident in the parking lot leading to the marina, Becker's boat is docked close to the wide-open Gulf waters, which were calm on the anniversary of Katrina's landfall.

"People aren't so concerned anymore about going out into the waters," said Becker, casting a wary eye to the south as weathercasters on the radio discuss a hurricane moving toward the east coast. "At first, nobody was certain what was underneath, but the waters have been cleaned up and everyone's getting back to their routines for the most part."

Becker offers four, six, or eight-hour bottom fishing or trolling trips — and a 12-hour combination of bottom fishing and trolling — on his Coast Guard certified 22-passenger, air-conditioned boat that sleeps eight. He provides free ice, free bait, free tackle and a fishing license.

Depending on the season, he fishes for king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, red snapper, bonita, flounder and Jack Crevelle, a fighting fish "that shuts up a lot of braggarts," he quipped. Or he might head to the shallow fields of Ship Island reefs in search of white trout, ground mullet, red drum and sheep's head, a "poor man's snapper" that has "a set of chompers that dentists would love to work on," he joked.

Popular overnight trips include marlin fishing off the mouth of the Mississippi River, located 100 miles away to many folks' surprise. This year, he targeted amberjack that thrive in dark, cooler waters. Also on the menu: wahoo, tuna and bigger groupers.

"I once caught a 12-foot hammerhead shark on a 40-pound line, but thank God, I didn't get him in," recalled Becker.

Becker generally knocks off in December to prepare for the next season, and picks up bottom fishing in early spring. Winter days give him time to contribute to various healthcare charities. Every February, he treks to Memphis loaded with sacks of Mardi Gras beads and stuffed toys to dole out to St. Jude's patients.

An avid supporter of St. Jude's Catch-A-Dream program, he has helped several terminally ill children achieve their goal of deep-sea fishing. He also makes certain his boat remains wheelchair accessible. "These folks have suffered enough in their lives," he said. "We want to make fishing with us a happy day for them."

ie.
October 2006

Tags:

None