Ok, I'm from Illinois, but I did live on the bayous for a couple of years, and I found that gumbo is extremely versatile. Just like a soup or stew, you put in whatever you have on hand.
I always use chicken and good smoked sausage, then go from there. I start the day before, and boil my chicken like can'tcook, till the meat is falling off the bone. I strain the stock, bone and chop the chicken, then save it and the broth separately in the fridge. When I'm ready to use the stock, I skim the fat off the top if I'm feeling health conscious. If I have shrimp shells in the freezer, I boil up some of them and add that broth to the chicken broth.
We're so landlocked here that I don't have access to much fresh seafood, so I usually use shrimp and crabmeat. I think the seafood and chicken go together just fine, but that's what I'm used to.
I don't use okra or tomatoes in mine, but I've tasted it that way, and it's good too.
I always use vegetable oil for the roux, but I've known people who used lard or butter.
I have trouble standing long anymore, and what I used to cook in one day now takes me two days or more. I've considered making my roux the day before while my chicken is cooking, then refrigerating it and putting it all together the next day.
Have any of you ever tried that?