ESPN Freshwater

Editor's note: Anglers across the U.S. are buying fishing licenses in record numbers. Following is a story in our new series, Fishing America, representing a slice of American angling pursuits.

HOPEDALE, La. — The fishing was slow on that late-July morning in the marshes near Hopedale, Louisiana, but that didn't deter long-time fishing guide Shane Robin from making cast after cast with a spoon, searching for the unmistakable tug of a redfish.

The tide that day had the redfish shallow, scattered and spooky, but Robin (pronounced roh-ban) clearly relished looking for signs of redfish and getting a chance to catch one. On most days, he guides his clients all day — no chance to fish, just help make sure the passengers on his inshore vessel leave the docks happy.

A day of slow fishing allowed his tale to unfold, interrupted only occasionally by the scream of his drag as another redfish was fooled by the gold Johnson spoon at the end of his line.

Robin's training in the ways of the redfish came at an early age. His earliest memories are of his grandfather and father taking him out fishing near their home on the outskirts of New Orleans.

"I caught my first redfish when I was three years old," Robin said. "I had it mounted and it hung in my dad's office until Katrina took it away."

Katrina took a lot of things from Robin. He lost his boat and his house had to be gutted, then renovated from only the frame. The guide business that he shared with Redfish Cup pro Charlie Thomason had to be completely rebuilt. His father had an oyster-shucking house that was completely wiped out, basically forcing him into retirement.

Even in the face of the hurricane's destruction, Robin knew there was no question he would come back.

"I was born and raised here," Robin said. "My family is in the seafood business. I am a full-time guide, but I also own two oyster boats — my whole life was down here."

Fishing has always been a family affair for Robin and that made his choice of careers easy — he was going to be a fishing guide.

"I love being on the water, getting the chance to take people fishing every day," Robin said. "It's not always glorious, it's still work, but it's a great job to have. I could never do a mundane 9-to-5 job."

Those earliest trips with his father and grandfather not only got him used to an early-morning routine, but also instilled in him important values of family that he carried with him into adulthood.

"The best fishing days were always with my family," Robin said. "I remember getting up really early and going around to wake up my dad and my sister and going fishing. We used to bring a little propane stove and cook the fish we caught on an island out in the middle of the marsh."

Now, Robin has a two-year-old son of his own and looks forward to the time when he can first take his son to catch a fish. Those promise to be his most memorable days on the water.

Until then, Robin spends his time guiding at Thomason's "Bayou Charters," where he takes his clients out for speckled trout, redfish and black drum. After the hurricane, he and Thomason had to rebuild the dock and everything from the ground up, knowing that they couldn't get back to business until all the work was done.

"We started the week after Thanksgiving using generators because there was no power in the area," Robin said. "By February 1st, we were able to take their first charter out. It took another year after that before the whole fishing camp was complete"

Robin guides for Thomason 4 to 5 days out of the week and during the busy months of May, June, October and November even puts in 6 days on the water. Robin is usually flexible around the clients wishes, able to head out for speckled trout or stay in the maze of marshes for the tasty redfish.

Rigging for the powerful red drum is pretty simple for Robin. A Castaway 7-foot medium-action rod with either a Shimano Curado (casting) or Sedona (spinning) and Power Pro braided line provided a strong enough combination to fight and land the redfish he tempted that day.

Sometimes he uses lighter tackle just for fun. His biggest redfish actually came on a day that he was using only 12-pound line.

"I was fishing with a cork and shrimp and hooked what I thought was a jack crevalle," Robin said. "A jack will strip every inch of your line off a reel so we had to follow it with the boat. About 30 minutes later the fish surfaced and it was a giant redfish, 44 pounds, my biggest to date."

When planning a trip to the Louisiana marshes, keep Shane Robin in mind — he's got a lifetime of experience in the delta and is dedicated to providing an enjoyable experience to his clients. To book a trip with Bayou Charters, call 504-278-FISH (3474) or visit them on the web by clicking here.