Louisiana Sportsman

Slip corks are the best tools for working live shrimp over fish-holding trash in Timbalier Bay because it’s easy to cast the rigs no matter what depth you need to be fishing.

Why sliding corks are best

July 15, 2018 Andy Crawford

After the early morning topwater action dies out, it’s pretty much a sure bet Capt. Tommy Pellegrin will turn to live shrimp.[…]

Never pass wood in Blind River without casting to it.

Tips for Blind River summertime bass

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

• Look for places that bass go to eat. That’s where they congregate. Focus on sloughs and points without ruling out bank fishing.[…]

Overall, a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Tail Rage Craw is Johnson’s go-to lure on Blind River.

Johnson’s Blind River bait calendar

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Topwater frogs and Texas-rigged craws are “in season” on Blind River for Lyle Johnson from March to November. But he is quick to admit that the Texas craw is his mainstay lure. The clear water coming out of the sloughs draining into the river is what prompted his heavy use of the frog the day we fished.[…]

Lyle Johnson serves both as president of the Louisiana Outdoor Writer’s Association and chairman of the Louisiana Fish Records Program.

Don’t cook a record fish

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

“Get in the books.” That’s Lyle Johnson’s message to his fellow fishermen.

As chairman of the state’s Fish Records Program, he encourages people to enter their fish, even if it isn’t a No. 1.[…]

Lyle Johnson devotes a lot of time he could be fishing to maintaining the Louisiana Fish Records Program.

A ‘consumptive conservationist’

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Lyle Johnson wears a lot of hats.

The Gonzales native is the long-serving president of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA), the state’s professional organization for outdoors writers and communicators.[…]

July is a month where you might have to bounce around a bit, picking up a few fish at each stop. But those fish will quickly fill the cooler.

Be flexible to fill trout limits

July 15, 2018 Andy Crawford

Capt. Tommy Pellegrin always has a plan in mind when he leaves the dock. But he said he’s ready to zig and zag because, well, stuff happens.[…]

You might not catch absolute hammers at the islands, but you probably won’t have to measure many trout, either.

How to tie a uni knot stopper

July 15, 2018 Andy Crawford

Tying a uni knot stopper is easy and quick, once you get the steps down.[…]

Thomas Dameron caught this nice redfish while kayak fishing in Pointe-aux-Chenes.

July’s Best Bets

July 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

How: Even though it is hot, the fishing on Toledo Bend has been good. Early mornings and late evenings are the most productive — and the most comfortable. Bass are hitting topwater baits fishing shallow early morning and evenings, but as the day wears on, they are heading deep. Throw drop-shot rigs, Texas-rigged plastics and deep-diving crankbaits.[…]

SeaDek foam traction pads offer stylish looks while making your kayak stealthier through noise reduction. They also reduce standing fatigue and make the deck cooler to the touch. The pads are easy to clean and resist mud and blood stains.

New gear reviews

July 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

SeaDek Kayak Traction Pads

Made from closed cell PE/EVA foam, SeaDek pad kits for kayaks offer an exceptional traction surface, and also add to a kayak’s stealth factor by reducing noises caused by dropping or hitting gear against the plastic deck. The cushiony foam also lessens fatigue from prolonged standing, and keeps the deck much cooler to the touch on hot summer days.[…]

Kayak anglers can rent mini-sheds at PAC Kayak Rentals and keep their boats on site, eliminating the need to transport ‘yaks for each trip. It’s proven a popular option, and additional sheds are currently being built.

PAC Kayak Rentals Revisited

July 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

It was a little over two years ago when we reported on Louisiana’s first and only kayak-specific marina. When Eddie and Lisa Mullen opened Pointe-aux-Chenes (PAC) Kayak Rentals, it was something special. It’s even better now. They wanted to make a place that was specifically designed for the needs of kayak anglers.[…]

Leonard Kleinpeter applies vanilla extract from a pump spray bottle to keep gnats at bay.

Tip of the day

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

He smelled so good I wanted to lick him.

Leonard Kleinpeter has just sprayed himself with bug repellant, but not the stinky stuff in a can.[…]

Leonard Kleinpeter keeps one hand on the trolling motor to position his boat carefully to avoid spooking the fish, while fishing with the other hand. Note the homemade pedestal seat mount.

The man and his boat

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

In spite of having lived a high-powered life, Leonard Kleinpeter is living proof that effective fishing doesn’t demand investment in an expensive fiberglass bass boat.[…]

Grass shrimp are tiny but lethal baits. Virtually every fish species eats them. The larger shrimp is a female bearing eggs on the swimmerets beneath her tail.

How to catch your own grass shrimp

July 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Leonard Kleinpeter stresses that a proper dip net is needed to effectively catch grass shrimp from their preferred habitat, dense beds of coontail and other aquatic plants. […]

Keeping your distance from a top and fishing it from the outside in helps you catch more crappie.

What’s a “top”?

July 15, 2018 Kinny Haddox

A top is simply a submerged brush top, the top of a bush or tree or a fallen tree with lots of submerged limbs. Tops sometimes lay where they fall, and other times current washes them onto sandbars or into river lakes.[…]

When Bobby Phillips gears up for Ouachita River crappie, you can bet these lures will be on deck.

Geared up and ready to go

July 15, 2018 Kinny Haddox

With tackle stores full of a thousand sizes, shapes, styles and colors of crappie jigs and fishing equipment, you could spend days or weeks just trying to figure out what to fish with. Or you could just let Bobby Phillips tell you his favorite go-to gear, and copy this veteran guide’s success.[…]

Time invested in thoroughly probing laydowns is usually rewarded.

Hot topics

July 15, 2018 David A. Brown

When planning your summer bass outing, keep these points in mind:[…]