INSIDE:
DOUBLE “D” MEATS
Running the family biz
Running a business is never easy, and
running a family business can have added
consequences and pressures because
you’re becoming part of something that is
bigger than you, and the last people you
ever want to let down are those in your
own family. So with that in mind, I asked
Josh how he became involved in the family-run Double D Meat Co., when did he
know he wanted to continue the family tradition, and what keeps him motivated.
Without hesitation, Josh quickly responded, “As a teenager, I worked at the plant
(ICW), the tips of the Paris Rd.
Bridge or “green monster” were
shining, and for a minute it
seemed that everything stood still.
But just as I was attempting to take
a few pictures, I was reminded by
the comical captain, “It’s now fishing time.” We made our way to
the back corner section, south of
the gates, and nosed our way
slowly closer to the wall. Bubby
and I were jigging Matrix Shad in
Lemon Head and Limbo Slice,
while Josh was Carolina rigging
live shrimp. Within minutes, Josh
was hooked up, and it didn’t take
us long to figure out it wasn’t a
trout as the drag was screaming off
the reel. Josh hooked into a gorgeous redfish that did everything
he could in his attempt to elude
the net. He made runs around several crab pot buoys, which we had
to unwrap by hand while Josh continued to fight the beast, and after
what seemed like 10 minutes, we
finally had the first fish in the boat.
During this time, a couple of other
boats had pulled up and started
working the back corner of the
wall.
As we high fived and took a
few pictures, we were quick to get
back to the task at hand. Within
minutes, there were trout flying
into the boat from every direction.
After 10 or 15 yellow mouths in the
box, Capt. Bubby decided to make
a move. His sights weren’t set on
just catching trout, he wanted to
catch big trout; so with that in
mind, we cranked up and moved
32
to another section of “The Wall”
about a mile or two away.
As we arrived at location number two, there wasn’t a boat in
sight. Capt. Bubby positioned the
boat along the wall in an effort to
set us all up working a small ledge
in 27 feet of water, and as expected, the trout began flooding
the floor of the Ranger Bay. These
trout were all keepers and a little
bigger, but still not what Capt.
Bubby was looking for. After
about 30 minutes and another 20
trout, Capt. Bubby decided it was
time to move again; but this time,
he gave us options. The Captain
looked at Josh and asked him if he
had ever sight fished reds, and
with as straight a face as one can
have, Josh simply said, “Nope, but
I’m open for anything.”
That’s all it took, you could see
the excitement on Capt. Bubby’s
face; he was like a kid on Christmas morning, and I just knew what
lay ahead for Josh was going to be
an experience he would never forget.
As we arrived in the middle of
nowhere, all you could see was
crystal clear water and marsh grass
for miles. Capt. Bubby and Josh
got in the front of the boat, and I
climbed up the t- top and was
perched like a bald eagle searching for his next meal. Capt. Bubby
knew these waters well and was almost able to point out the fish before we could even see them.
With Matrix Shad hooked up to
spinner blades, the flash and
December 2015 www.marshandbayou.com
during my summer and Christmas breaks from school, so I knew at that time I
wanted to stay in the family business when I graduated. I’ve learned a lot from my
dad, Mike, and my Uncle Tillman, two of the greatest all-around men I know, who
trust me to run the family business just as Grandpa Dutch trusted them. We strive
every day to continue to produce a high quality product that our loyal customers
love, and we continue to treat our customers as friends. Whether we are called
D&D, Two D’s or Double D, it gives us a sense of pride when we hear customers
say they grew up eating our sausage, and in their eyes, there is no other. We’ve
been blessed and try to h