I'll keep this as short and as sweet as possible, and please bear with me as I'm really just shooting from the hip here, as I wanted to explain what's been going on with myself and Louisiana Fishing Blog, especially if you're one of the relatively few people who actually visit my website (thank you for that).
First off, one of my continuing struggles with LAFB has been finding the right kind of content that people enjoy consuming, that I enjoy making and isn't incredibly difficult or time consuming to make. For example, people liked the produced and heavily edited fishing videos I published to YouTube — and I like them, too! — but those videos are an absolute pain in the ass to film, edit and produce. The video below is one such example, and in the opening scene at 0:49 you can see the timeline and the media on it. It's no slouch!
It took about three days of filming to get everything I needed for that video, and another couple weeks of editing. This video was actually pretty easy to edit because I only fished one spot, whereas videos where I go on a journey to find fish end up taking upward of 45 days to edit. This wouldn't be a problem except for one thing: hardly anyone watches them. It's not like these videos have hundreds of thousands of views. So I'm squeezing a lot of fruit and not getting a lot of juice in return.
I've also created other kinds of content that took non-trivial amounts of time and effort to create and, again, not much juice to match the squeeze. Some of that content you will find here on this website. It's great. It's banger. But you have to apply yourself and r-e-a-d. Being that focused is a high ask of people these days. Nevertheless, it's to your benefit if you can muster the willpower.
This was leading to burnout. I was beginning to get seriously bored with LAFB and ask "what's even the point?" A lot of my grievances can be found in this blog post about quitting social media. That's a dangerous road to go down, because what fuels something like LAFB is passion. Believe me, I can take the skills learned and honed here and apply them to greater effect elsewhere. I've thought about it a lot. But I've also spent the last fourteen years working toward what you see here, and it'd be great to keep it going.
So, if I'm not writing here and if I'm not making highly-produced YouTube videos, then what am I doing?
Well, it's been on my mind for awhile to try uploading entire fishing trips, unedited, or at least edited very little. Last month I finally said "F it" and tried. That's this video below:
That video is three hours long. This pales in comparison to the usual 15-45 minutes my videos were before. And what kills me is that this video is out performing the highly produced one embedded above. It is crushing the produced videos in analytics. I can attribute this to a litany of reasons, but I'd like to point out that editing and rendering this video took about a day's worth of work. That's great. That means I can crank these out at a much better rate. But there's more! Forget the analytics, the dry and inhuman numbers, all you need to do is look at the comments. People really notice and love this "long" format. That and this longer format is in keeping with my own digital ethics (i.e. not hacking your brain stem).
So, to answer the question posed earlier, I am making these long-form videos now. But I am also posting fishing reports inside LAFB Elite Community and helping members plan their fishing trips. I am also making content for LAFB Elite, whether that's more courses or behind-the-scenes stuff like developing an app. Finally, whenever there's free time, I am writing a book for inshore fishing in Louisiana. I hope to have that published some time in 2025.
I really enjoy writing here and taking time to deep-think inshore fishing ideas, tactics and techniques, but I just don't have time to do that and everything else. So, for the time being, there are the new YouTube videos and — if you're not scared to apply yourself, use the search function and r-e-a-d — you will find a ton of great fishing advice and information in posts from years past. Patterns repeat themselves, after all. If you're in my email list then you'll get a link to whichever guide or article currently applies to the season and/or conditions.
Last, but not least, the best way to learn everything I know to finding and catching speckled trout, redfish and more on Louisiana's coast is to join LAFB Elite and complete Inshore Fishing 101.
Colin Bamber / Free Mason
My experience was excellent, I found that the knowledge gained in Inshore Fishing 101 is priceless. I found that a lot of the things I thought I knew were not what I thought I knew. This course has expanded my knowledge and has already honed some of my skills.
I am forever grateful for finding LAFB and for joining LAFB Elite.
Devin, I can honestly say there is nothing in this course I dislike.
I made it through the course in 3 days watching all videos and webinars. I live in Greensburg Louisiana and managed to make a run to the Long Rocks to check out the action Wednesday, this within the 3 days it took me to get through 101.
To do everything I've done in the last three days and manage to make it through this course means it had my unconditional attention. Thank you so much for the knowledge!
Jamie Traweek / North Louisiana Transplant
LAFB Elite is great. I earned a lot and look forward to putting that knowledge to use!
Also, I love being able to go back into the courses and refresh what I’ve learned before and after trips in order to see what can make the next trip better.
I may only get to go a few times in a year so I need to make the most out of my trips!
Dannie Spivey / South Carolina Angler
I too was frustrated with the many times I went and fished all day only to come home with little to nothing.
I have been an Elite member now for a couple of months, and while I haven't loaded the boat yet, I can say that I have learned a lot.
Some of the stuff that Devin teaches, I think that I already was doing but not understanding why. Plus I learned the things that "I didn't know that I did not know".
I am very pleased with LAFB Elite, and recommend it to anyone who's on the fence considering if they should join or not.
Like Devin says: it costs less that a bucket of live shrimp, so what do you have to lose?
Ira Burge / College Teacher
I really appreciate Devin's teaching & how he is "to the point" and down to earth, yet professional and gives a great presentation of what I need to know in order to catch speckled trout and redfish.
Before taking Inshore Fishing 101 I have not had very many successful trips to Louisiana, but with these great learning experiences, since completing 101, I have had more success. Finding the best conditions, using the right tackle, Google Earth Desktop & technical stuff on my Lowrance, etc., the list is too long for this, so THANKS from a rookie inshore fisherman!!!
Captain Devin has done an excellent job with these classes! As a speaker, preacher, college teacher, & singer I appreciate the research, experience, time, & knowledge he put into the great presentations of each class. I can not suggest any changes for such an excellent course!
Jacob Ridgedell / Avid Outdoorsman
One think I loved discovering inside Inshore Fishing 101 are the various tips and tricks to using Google Earth Desktop to find fishing spots.
I have used it a lot in the past but applying it the way Captain Devin demonstrates is great. I also loved the instruction on bait presentation and how to set up on a spot.
Thank you so much, Keith! I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon!
I sure hope you don’t give up on LAFB. I’ve been fishing the La coast all of my life and I’ve learned more in the past two months from you than the whole 50 years of doing it the way dad showed me, not saying dad was entirely wrong just old school. Inshore 101 I by far the best tool I’ve seen, hands down. Keep it up Cap you got this!