Louisiana Sportsman

With spillway closing, Lake Pontchartrain enters next phase

June 18, 2011 From News Reports

Last Saturday (June 11,) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began closing the Bonnet Carre spillway. Closing 20 to 30 bays per day (river stage permitting), the structure may be entirely closed in a couple of weeks.

With the closure comes the next phase of impacts to Lake Pontchartrain. Lake users are asked to contact the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation if they happen to encounter anything out of the ordinary so the foundation can track locations of events.[…]

July issue of Louisiana Sportsman heads to printer

June 17, 2011 Louisiana Sportsman

Here in the Bayou State, the heat of summer can make outdoor activities a bit toasty, but the fish we pursue don’t seem to notice.[…]

Boat crash leaves one dead, one injured near Hopedale

June 16, 2011 Andy Crawford

A boating accident near Hopedale left one person dead and another injured early this morning (June 16).[…]

Grand Isle hotspots produce more fish

June 15, 2011 Jerald Horst

Grand Isle is a perennial favorite because it’s a consistent producer, but there is so much water around the barrier island that fishermen can get overwhelmed. Here are some options to consider.[…]

Portion of Atchafalaya Basin reopens to all boat traffic

June 14, 2011 From News Reports

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has reopened all boat traffic for a four-mile long stretch in the Atchafalaya Basin in St. Martin Parish starting at noon today (June 13).

The department closed an area from the Henderson levee on the west side to the Butte La Rose levee on the east side to all boat traffic on May 26. The width of the previous closure ran from the Interstate 10 Bridge on the south side to a line 1/2 a mile north of the bridge on the north side.[…]

New products offer relief from gnats

June 14, 2011 Chris Ginn

The gnats started eating me alive just as soon as I got out of my truck to meet Scott Walker at the boat ramp beside Bush Canal off LA 56 between Chauvin and Cocodrie.[…]

The mangrove record that wasn’t

June 14, 2011 Todd Masson

The 19+-pound snapper caught by a rig worker last week, thought to be a mangrove snapper, was actually a dog snapper.[…]

Pocket Rocket — Ruger’s new LC9 Compact Pistol

June 10, 2011 Gordon Hutchinson

A couple of years ago, at the Louisville NRA convention, I wandered over to the Ruger booth to watch Randell Pence, national sales manager for Ruger Firearms, doing a land-office business.[…]

Deer, turkey seasons over, but management work continues

June 9, 2011 David Moreland

When the hunting seasons end, many hunters leave the fields and woods, and never look back until next fall rolls around. For them it’s off to the lakes and rivers, baseball fields, NASCAR tracks or whatever gets them excited now.[…]

Snapper season off to an incredible start

June 9, 2011 Chris Ginn

Snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico has been as good or better than many anglers can ever remember in the week that it’s been open. Crews are landing 10-man limits of snapper in as little as 25 minutes.

Capt. Joey Palmisano and his son Billy Joe with Cocodrie Fishing Charters have been getting it done like this every day since the opening of snapper season, and he believes the bite will stay this good the entire season.

“Snapper season opened on June 1s, and it’s really just been incredible,” Palmisano told me as we idled away from Trade Winds Marina in Cocodrie earlier this week. “We’ve been fishing every day, and we’re fishing the snapper on the top.[…]

Speck-tacular flyfishing comes to those who wade

June 9, 2011 Catch Cormier

Flyrodders who had to cancel their trips to Grand Isle, Fourchon, Holly Beach and Breton Island last summer don’t want to ever again hear the word “Maconda.”[…]

Trying to manage bluegills can be tricky

June 9, 2011 Jerald Horst

Bluegills are a member of the sunfish family, Centrarchidae. The two largest members of the family are largemouth black bass and spotted black bass.[…]

It’s time to perform a safety gear tune-up

June 9, 2011 Hank Johnston

Summertime is here. The kids are out of school. Boaters all over are making plans to hook up their boats, load up the family and head out on the water for some special boating pleasure.[…]

Oil slick being investigated out of Baptiste Collete

June 9, 2011 Andy Crawford

Capt. Ron Price was heading out to Breton Sound to put his clients on some fish this morning (June 8), but was surprised when he came across an oil slick about 2 miles northeast of Baptiste Collette.

“It stunk really bad,” Price said.

Photos and a short video showing the slick are being obtained by LouisianaSportsman.com, and will be posted as soon as possible.[…]

Rig-jumping in Lake Borgne productive despite river water

June 8, 2011 Chris Ginn

Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne have been getting an underserved bad rap since the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway several weeks ago. Nervous anglers have been watching the mud line creep eastward across Pontchartrain, but those in the know have discovered that mud hasn’t as shut down the trout bite.

“Guys in Venice have been dealing with mud for as long as they’ve fished down there,” Capt. John Falterman with Therapy Charters said. “And that hasn’t stopped them. They’ve learned that beneath the ugly surface is the green water that trout love. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”[…]

Artificial reef completed north of Grand Isle

June 8, 2011 From News Reports

Construction of Louisiana’s largest artificial inshore reef at the eroded Independence Island wrapped up Monday (June 6), the Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana announced.[…]