Almost time to fish: Abbeville, Wildlife and Fisheries to hold event on May 8

It’s been a long time in the making, but the wait to fish at Abbeville’s Lafitte Drive-in Park is almost over.
And it will begin in a big way.
The City of Abbeville is teaming up with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for a fishing event on Saturday, May 8. It will begin at 7 a.m.
“This will be the first official fishing event at the park,” said Councilman Francis Plaisance, who helped spearhead the creation of the park. That’s going to signal the opening of the park for public fishing.
“This is exciting.”
Located off South John Hardy Drive, Lafitte Drive-in Park, which has been in development for years, and officially opened in 2019, features a large pond. When the city completed that detention pond in ‘11, Plaisance said at the time that he saw the area’s potential for recreation.
“I have been waiting for this for a long time,” Plaisance said Monday morning.
The pond is now primed for fishing.
“It’s ready,” Plaisance said. “It’s fully stocked.”
Agents with LDWF have been heavily involved with preparing the pond for fishing.
“This is something that we have been working on for years now,” LDWF’s Brac Salyers said.
Things were ready to go last year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped those plans.
“We had everything lined up to go last year,” Salyers said. “Then COVID shut everything down. We are back on track.
“This pond is stocked and ready to go.”
Among the fish ready to be caught are largemouth bass, bluegill, Redear sunfish, channel catfish and blue catfish.
“I think people are going to have a great time,” Salyers said.
Prior to the event, Salyers said a hatchery group will come out to the pond to release 1,000 pounds of adult channel catfish.
“That’s going to help the kids and parents have a better chance of catching a fish,” Salyers said. “That’s especially for the kids. You want them to have that rewarding feeling of trying and doing it.”
Salyers said this will be a put-and-take event.
“We put them and you take them,” Salyers said. “We want the people to keep the fish. If you catch five catfish, take them home and have a good meal.”
Everyone 16 and older who takes part in the event must have a fishing license.
“It’s just a basic fishing license,” Salyers said. “We do ask that people have their own fishing poles.”
As it will be in early May, Plaisance had another suggestion on what to bring.
“Bring some sunscreen,” he said.
For Plaisance, this event marks the sunrise of the park becoming whole.
“This is the pinnacle of an exciting idea of having this pond for public fishing,” he said.
After the May 8 event, the park will be open to the public for fishing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays.
“People are going to be able to fish,” Plaisance said, “and that makes me happy.”