Fishing in Venice, Louisiana

Brandon Carter hooks up with a redfish where the Mississippi River meets up with the Gulf of Mexico, a place known as “the end of the world.”  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Guides Brandon Carter and Susan Gros, who’s a world-record angler, fish in the waters near Venice, the southernmost tip of Louisiana. Gros formerly was a corporate manager who gave up the 9-to-5 grind to become a full-time fishing guru and promoter of the small Louisiana town.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Sports fishermen, bundled up against the early-morning chill, head out of Venice Marina to their favorite Mississippi delta fishing spot. Nearly two years after Katrina, the fishing is better than ever, and the anglers are starting to come back.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Fishermen try their luck in the waters south of Venice. The small Louisiana town’s backyard, a spectacular confluence of fresh and salt water, is considered by some the nation’s finest fishing spot.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Sorry, Charlie: The day’s catch — some impressive-looking tuna — awaits its owners on the dock at Venice Marina in Louisiana.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Fishermen gather at the Venice Marina after a day of angling to admire their catch and swap tales. Their prized tuna are on display. Gentlemen, let the bragging begin.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Sports fishing guide Brandon Carter carefully pilots his boat through the reeds south of Venice, La. Carter grew up fishing these parts, and he knows where many of the best spots are.  (Mark Boster / LAT)

Signs of Katrina are still in evidence nearly two years after the hurricane roared through southern Louisiana. Here, a wrecked boat and house await their fate near Venice.  (Mark Boster / LAT)