Discover the Magic of Pollywog Cabin with Jake Valois!
Perhaps it was by the grace of God something Jake Valois of Fifth Ward truly believes in that his special Pollywog cabin was built.
Perched on the edge of the vacillating waters of Spring Bayou, Pollywog is more than a place to fish from the front porch it’s a place of peace and refuge for Jake and his family.
He readily admits that “at the time I didn’t know anything about building it was a learning process. A friend helped me build the platform and Dad helped too.”
His father, Dwaine, showed Jake a lot about taking lumber and constructing a solid livable building.
“It was a good leaning experience because sometimes I just had to figure it out myself.”
The lagniappe came when Jake saw he was “learning good life skills I’d use all the time.”
After an addition the cabin measures 16x20 not too big yet not too small.
There’s a loft with a bed an old Franklin wood stove and he cooks on the front porch over propane.
Jake said “it’s just enough it’s a simple life.”
Then he added “Ever since I was a little kid I drew that cabin. Going into middle school Dad helped me build one on the Red River.”
The name came from the small catfish he would catch off his porch.
“Pollywog are actually tad poles but here in Avoyelles we say everything differently and call small catfish pollywogs” he explained.
Now he has his very own cabin and not only loves it uses it for bigger and better things.
“I started sharing scripture and encouraging messages to give a positive balance to social media” he said. “It’s so easy for kids to see negative. I like to bring my Bible apply the Word of God to everyday life share and hopefully get kids out of the house to hunt and fish.”
His messages come straight from Pollywog where he also makes videos on cooking.
Jake has 800,000 followers on three platforms: YouTube Tik Tok and Instagram. But he’s on Facebook as well.
Jake created his own seasonings that viewers can purchase. They include:
- Crawfish boil
- Fish fry
- Seafood boil
And of course the products were named after the cabin Pollywog Cabin Cajun Seasonings.
His seasonings have less salt and more granulated garlic than most. They can be found in local outlets like Harvest Foods, Lyons, and meat markets.
The biggest store where Pollywog products are is Rouses which is across the Gulf Coast region. They can also be found on Amazon.
The retail side of his online presence was based on a simple idea the proceeds support his messages of faith motivation as well as his cooking demos.
By profession Jake is a riverboat captain and spent 19 years working for a harbor tug company in New Orleans docking the big ships.
“After I graduated high school my grandfather the late Wesley Valois suggested I go to work for the company since several family members were already there. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at the time so I took his advice and ended up staying. I didn’t even own a car then so he drove me down himself.”
Jake is now closer to home with an easier on-off schedule piloting the Angola ferry.
One of the best things that happened while working on the Mississippi River in New Orleans was how he learned to cook.
“There was a cook on board that showed me how to cook a whole meal. Up to that point I could make certain dishes but he showed me side by side a lot more. He cooked from scratch simple meals but very good.”
It’s this experience Jake brings to his online videos when he smothers a chicken or prepares another entree.
A bonus Jake has really appreciated for his many years on water is “all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets” he’s seen. As spectacular as they have been they can’t be as special as the ones he’s seen from his Pollywog cabin.
Jake Valois stands with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Emmett and Eli, on the porch of Pollywog Cabin overlooking Spring Bayou.
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