Buras, La. – The headquarters for Blaize Charters is a fishing lodge built in 1928 – but it’s not your typical fishing camp! It’s a cheerful green historic home sitting on a friendly corner in Buras, Louisiana. Four generations of the Blaize family have made memories here, and the house has survived several major hurricanes; now it’s home base for some of the most exciting adventures possible in South Louisiana.
“We needed a place for people to stay and we wanted something nice and comfortable, Cajun-style,” says Captain Jacques Blaize. He and his cousin, Patrick Dickinson, are partners in creating incredible memories for guests from around the world.
“We offer in-shore fishing, off-shore fishing, duck hunting, airboat tours,” says Jacques. Basically if you’re looking for an adventure on the water in Plaquemines Parish, Blaize Charters can make it happen: bachelor parties and family celebrations are popular.
The lodge has 3 bedrooms, with 4 beds in each one, so it can sleep up to 24. Prizes from past hunting and fishing trips decorate the walls: deer, fish and ducks. When the WGNO crew was there, a family from the Atlanta, Georgia area checked in to celebrate a 40th birthday with a fishing trip.
One delicious perk: The lodge comes with a full-time chef, who cooks a fabulous redfish!
Our Travel Girl, Stephanie Oswald, opted for an airboat eco-tour; it was her first time riding on an airboat. Captain Jacques explained the safety rules and gave her a life-jacket and ear protection.
In some places the water was only a few inches deep.
“There’s Teflon on the bottom of it and it allows it to slide over any surface without damaging the hull,” explained Jacques.
“It feels like we’re riding on a high-speed magic carpet!” says Stephanie, who loved the adrenaline rush of flying across the marsh in a boat powered by a giant truck motor.
The boat powered across the bay, powered by a 454 Big Block Chevy engine, as the riders watched nutria scamper into the reeds, red-winged blackbirds and flocks of pelicans take flight, and shrimp and mullet jump from the water.
After a high-energy thrill ride, they found a peaceful place to watch the sunset into the Gulf of Mexico. As the orange orb melted into the horizon, Jacques told Stephanie, “This is why they call Plaquemines Parish ‘God’s Country.”
If you have an appetite for adventure, and some incredible fresh seafood, put this place on your ‘to visit’ list, and give Captain Jacques of Blaize Charters a call.
