Features from March 2023
After a complete renovation, Bussey Brake Reservoir in Morehouse Parish is producing some of the biggest bass in the state.
Cypress trees are great places for bass because they provide them with so much cover. To a bass, a cypress tree is essentially a big reef.
The most important thing to know about mullet is that they are a favorite food for speckled trout in the spring.
Catfish is an underutilized resource. All the big rivers throughout Louisiana hold big blue and flathead catfish as well as channel cats.
Mark Sagerholm and Kevin Dean specifically target sheepshead in both inshore and offshore waters. Here are their March tactics.
It’s a great time of year to fish the magical shallow water marshes of Louisiana. You can trick monster speckled trout and make your day.
A better understanding of wild turkeys, their breeding cycle, nesting habits and other factors could help Louisiana turkeys thrive.
Columns - March 2023
- When it comes to fishing all waters covering our beloved Sportsman’s Paradise, March goes through its lions-to-lamb scenario many times.
- A well-stocked first aid kit is good insurance and can prove invaluable in the field should your hunting dog need it.
- The time is now for kayak bass fishing in Louisiana. Largemouth bass generally spawn in Louisiana from January through March.
- The Black Label Tackle Prowler Squarebill crankbait does just what its name suggests — invade the habitat to trigger pressured, finicky bass.
- Snow Goose Confit Banh Mi is a complex dish to make, but it's a great way to use late season geese in a recipe.
- Wild hogs are among the most reproductively efficient breeders on earth, and can thrive in most any environment.
- There will never be another Duck Dynasty. There will never be another Phil Robertson. The show made West Monroe famous.
Outdoor Updates - March 2023
- Tucker Moses harvested a trophy buck, which scored 150 ½ inches, on private property in West Baton Rouge Parish.
- With hunting season in the books, it’s time to make plans to bring your bucks to the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest, scheduled for March 17-19.
- Bowie Outfitters will have a big inventory on a lot of hunting and fishing items at the Louisiana Sportsman Show this year.
- Ryan Semmes of Crowley landed his personal best largemouth, an 11.79-pound whopper, working a submerged creek on the south end of Toledo Bend.
- A big buck stepped out, one with an unusually tall rack and McGehee immediately identified it as the one he had seen on camera in velvet in October.
- Back at the show is the Fetch-n-Fish Tub, with nationally known Jason Reynolds combining fishing seminars with dog shows.
- Billy Gunther was hunting on private property in West Feliciana Parish on Dec. 17 when he downed a trophy12-point buck.
- College student Cade Cavin was hunting on family property in Beauregard Parish when he killed an impressive 10-point buck on Dec. 30.
- Feral hogs remain a major problem in Louisiana. The swine, which ruin precious crops and ravage hunting grounds, have invaded all 64 parishes.
- Gary Patterson of Central took down a 147 4/8-inch buck with his bow on public land in West Feliciana Parish.
- Four anglers caught double-digit bass at the Feb. 4 MLF Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir.
- Sean Habetz was hunting family land in Concordia Parish next to the Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge when he shot this big buck on Jan. 14.
- Casey Osbon of West Monroe caught a 10.25-pound bass on Feb. 6 from Bussey Brake Reservoir north of Bastrop.
- Cody Pitt from Elmer, La., landed a 10.09-pound largemouth bass on Jan. 27 and a 13-pound, 6-ounce monster bass on Feb. 4.
- The 43rd annual Louisiana Sportsman Show and Festival will be held March 17-19 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.
- Davis Oates killed this trophy buck on Dec. 21 on private property in Natchitoches Parish on Dec. 21, 2022.
- Fisher Brown was hunting at the Panther Lake Hunting Club in Madison Parish when he shot a big buck with palmated antlers.
Hot Spots - March 2023
- Allen and Richard Anders indicate the Caney Lake lunker largemouth bite has turned on. Grass and the hydrilla is the key to catching fish.
- March is a prime time to check out Black Lake, a close neighbor of Calcasieu Lake. It gives up speckled trout, redfish and flounder.
- Avid angler Chris Macaluso loves to target Chef Pass bass this month, and he bases his whole approach on the weather conditions.
- Capt. Eric Ellison has got the knack for catching speckled trout on Sabine Lake. He said trout will start making slicks this month.
- Charter Captain Gabe Boudreaux of Bayou Boudreaux’s Charters said March means taking the longer run to the MRGO Rocks and beyond for big fish.
- All bass don’t spawn at the same time, so there could be several weeks of peak spawning season on Toledo Bend.
Field Notes - March 2023
- The LDWF launched its Get Out & Fish! program where channel catfish are stocked in the spring and fall, and rainbow trout in the winter.
- Northwood High School senior Emily Waits of Lena is focused on her last semester academically and on the archery range.