Features from February 2024
We reviewed all of our 2023-2024 big buck stories and share a few of the latest with a look back at the top of the class.
Located on the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou Cane is a hit when it comes to wintertime bass fishing.
Bastrop, Farmerville, Grand Isle, Holly Beach, Madisonville, Many, Morgan City and Venice provide elite outdoor recreational opportunities.
There are different fish tagging programs. There is a fishery research and management program and there are at least two reward programs.
February and early March probably offer hunters the best time to hunt hogs and put some wild pork in the freezer.
Hunters can successfully hunt rabbits without dogs. It just requires planning, effort and considerable luck.
Columns - February 2024
- Here we are in 2024 and duck hunters got their wish. Miserable cold isn’t what everyone wants, but there are benefits for the outdoors.
- Kayak fishing lends itself to winter fishing, as anglers are moving slower and tend to give an area more time to produce before moving on.
- The Live Roam'R from Bobby Garland Crappie Baits can be rigged a number of ways to entice crappie to eat in late winter and spring.
- The author has been on several adventures with George when he had to take his boots off. None were more funny than one late January afternoon.
- Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian soup that can be enjoyed year round. It is perfect for chilly winter evenings at home or the hunting camp.
Outdoor Updates - February 2024
- On Dec. 9, Benjie Carpenter was hunting with his 9-year-old daughter, Presley, when he shot a Winn Parish 13-point buck.
- David Branch, a farmer, was hunting on his farm in Richland Parish on Dec. 11 when he shot a giant 8-point buck.
- ULM Fishing Team angler Connor Nimrod hooked and boated five bass weighing 42.10 pounds while fishing a tournament at Caney Lake.
- Colby Dark and Gage Struben had their hands full when they caught five heavy bass on Dec. 28 at Caney Lake.
- Matthew Futrell of Colfax was hunting on private property in Grant Parish on Nov. 18 when he bagged a trophy 9-point buck.
- Louisiana Governor-elect Jeff Landry has named Madison Sheahan as his secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
- Keith Manuel of Grand Prairie harvested a huge 12-point buck with a single shot from his .35 Whelen on Dec. 29 in Concordia Parish.
- This big 14-point buck was shot by Chase Sonier with his Browning 6.5 Creedmoor in Lafourche Parish on Dec. 17.
- Ray Curlee of Vidalia was hunting on the Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge when he took a big 8-point buck with his bow on Nov. 18.
- Minimum proposed changes to current hunting and fishing regulations were introduced to the LWFC at their monthly meeting.
- Noah Louviere of Loreauville was fishing at Caney Lake with his brother-in-law, Connor Nimrod, on Dec. 21 when he hooked an 11.22-pound bass.
- There’s no better place to check out the latest fishing and hunting gear than the 44th annual Louisiana Sportsman Show in Baton Rouge.
- Paisleigh Stephenson was hunting with her dad, Brandon Stephenson, on Nov. 21 in Morehouse Parish when she shot a big 11-point buck.
- Thomas Broadway of Morrow downed a giant 184-inch trophy buck on family land in Rapides Parish on Dec. 25, 2023.
- On Dec. 10, Yancy Phillips of Lake Charles shot a big 11-point buck on his private lease in Beauregard Parish.
- Corey Jeffers and Christopher Minnehan of Ohio were fishing in Venice when Jeffers landed an 118.05-pound catfish.
- Joshua Pryor of Deville was hunting in Grant Parish on Nov. 23, 2023 when he bagged his target buck, a big 11-point.
- James Letlow of Oak Ridge shot a giant 14-point buck that measured 184 5/8 inches on family land in Richland Parish on Dec. 27.
Hot Spots - February 2024
- Capt. Kris Robert finds great success fishing the Lake Pontchartrain area this time of year. Speckled trout and redfish can be plentiful.
- False River’s habitat, especially on the flats at both ends of the old oxbow lake, has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years.
- The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and the Smithwick Rogue, both introduced in the 1960s, were tailor made for the fishery in Toledo Bend.
- Capt. Mike Gallo said one of the reasons the Chalmette area is so good in the winter is because the water is deeper and significantly warmer.
Field Notes - February 2024
- If you want to have some fun, with lots of action, scout out a location with plenty of rabbit sign and try your luck on a walk-and-stalk hunt.
- Baylor Allen has devoted a lot of time to studying and researching techniques on how to most efficiently deal with alligator gar.
- LSU Bass Fishing anglers Alex Blanchard and Richard “Alex” Hebert won the Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation College Trail tournament on Oct. 7.
- If you like small coastal towns and accessible natural environments, you should take a look at what St. Marks, Florida, has to offer.
- The marshes along the lower Mississippi River are full of fish. One could even argue that this area has the best fishing in Louisiana.