Geaux Fish

Who would have ever thought I’d pick up a neat little fishing tip while touring the Aquarium of New Orleans? I mean, seriously, who would have ever thought I would even want to go back to that city? But that’s another story. A few weeks back while at the aquarium, I found out how rainforest fishermen use Mother Nature to “lure” their fish to the supper table.

The display, entitled “Fish on a Binge“,  taught me that fish feed on seeds and fruit that fall into the water, and as the fruit decays, fermentation occurs and the resulting alcohol intoxicates the fish, making them very easy to catch. Some even leap right into the boat. I guess if the fish aren’t “biting”, the fishermen can jump in and swim around and soon, they won’t care if they catch anything or not.

I can’t wait to try it, so if you see pomegranates, kiwi fruit, orange peelings and the like floating around my boat dock, you’ll know what I’m up to. Might even throw in a banana, but I have heard those things are bad luck to fishermen. I’ll just save them for a pudding.

While I’m on the Aquarium, I was interested to see a section sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries entitled “Geaux Fish”. It is an collection of interactive exhibits, mostly designed for kids to touch and see things they might not ordinarily see. A major portion of the exhibit brings the Gulf Coast fishing industry to life and explores it’s importance to south Louisiana. Guests can cast a virtual reel, identify local species, visit a seafood market or hop on a fishing boat.