Columns

Smithwick Elite 8 Suspending Rogue

It wasn’t too long ago that the Elite 8, the eight best college basketball teams in the country playing in the NCAA’s “Big Dance,” were thrilling fans and television audiences in a hopeful waltz to the Final Four and, ultimately, to the title game at the center of every bracket in the U.S.[…]

Coastal Projects

The CWPPRA process

February 25 — A task force made up of representatives from federal agencies such at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Service and coastal parish governments met to narrow down over 60 projects to 21 nominees for funding.[…]

Freshwater Fishing

It’s a family tradition

“I call it ‘grabbing.’ I don’t know where they came up with ‘noodlin,’ ‘grampling’ and ‘grabbling,’” Josh Andrews sneered. “I’m grabbing fish. Most of the time, when they’re protecting their eggs, they grab you.”[…]

Freshwater Fishing

A different world

Grabbers are handicapped in a fish’s world.

“You’re in a different world down there,” Josh Andrews said. “It’s black 10 feet down; you can’t see nothing! You have to feel for it. Everything is different — like being shut in a closet. The deepest we go is 22 feet.[…]

Inshore Fishing

Fishing the Leeville area

Bob Bateman said fishing the Leeville area is no big mystery.

“If you want to catch redfish, talk to the local marina operators,” Bateman said. “They will direct you to the general area that is best at the time. After that, it is trial and error. Try to find moving water and fish points, cuts into the marsh and run-outs from the marsh.[…]

Bass Fishing

Peg it and Flip it

Denny Brauer, possibly the most-accomplished flipper in all of bass fishing, knows that preventing his sinker from sliding up his line enhances precision by keeping that weight centered over the bait.[…]

Bass Fishing

Two-way conversation

Inevitably, every bait wears out its welcome at some point. But rather than completely shifting to another scenario, chatterbait anglers can often extend their bite — and adapt to changing conditions — by pairing their bladed package with the similar, yet more-subtle swim jig.[…]

Bass Fishing

Lake D’Arbonne details

If you aren’t familiar with the details of making a trip to Lake D’Arbonne, no problem. The lake is located on the west side of Farmerville and is easily accessible from Monroe on Highway 165 North from West Monroe via Highway 15 or from Ruston on Highway 33.[…]