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David Iverson

Phone: (225) 978-6649
Location: Venice, LA

As a native and life-long resident of Baton Rouge, LA, I always had an abundance of good fishing within my reach, in both fresh and salt water. My Dad and older brother both loved fishing, so it just came naturally. I went to work for Exxon Chemical as a machinist apprentice when I was 20 years old, and bought my first boat when I was 21. Having my own boat allowed me to start salt water fishing on the very productive Louisiana Gulf Coast.

I married Margie Watts when I was 23, and helped her choose a rod and reel as a wedding gift! We have enjoyed many awesome days on the water from the Atchafalaya Basin to the Gulf of Mexico. When our children were growing up, we would camp on sandy Gulf Coast beaches only accessible by boat and catch many different species of fish from red drum and spotted sea trout to cobia, red snapper, flounder, and sharks.

When I was in my late 20’’s I started fishing bass tournaments mostly in Louisiana and Texas. One of the most exciting moments of my life was when I won my first bass boat! As much as I loved competition bass fishing, the allure of salt water big game fishing prevailed, and after 20 years I gave up bass fishing.

Working a 12 hour shift for Exxon allowed me a lot of time off, so I started guiding part-time. This allowed me to start building a clientele for an early retirement guide business. I worked my last day for Exxon in December 2002 and started ramping up my full-time guide business.

I have fished fresh and salt water in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico, as well as other parts of the US. After spending a lot of time and money I realized that I had some of the best fishing in the world right here on the Louisiana Gulf Coast! In the late 90’s I started learning the habits of the Big Bull Red Drum. This is the one fish that still gets me excited every time I hook up to a Big Bull Red. One of the things I really love is to get a new customer hooked up to a big bull red on light tackle and watch their amazement at how spontaneous and brutally strong they are.

I guide at Venice because I believe there are more red drum from 20-40+ pounds there than any place in the world! Anyone who likes to fish will love light tackle bull red fishing.