Don Shoopman, Author at Louisiana Sportsman

Paul Begnaud, left, and his father, Chester Begnaud, hold five bass that went 16.89 pounds on the first day of the Henderson Lake Dog Fight Classic in 2018.

Henderson Lake bass run is on!

Topwaters of every kind retrieved seductively at choice locations around Henderson Lake fuel the bass fishing passion of a Lafayette native. […]

Jeff Poe on a foggy day with a nice speckled trout.

How to get easy limits at Calcasieu Lake

Don Shoopman

If you aren’t catching speckled trout under the birds in May at Calcasieu Lake, you’ll want to be on the lower end of the lake system around reefs. […]

Cayden Meche of Duson, who loves to fish and hunt, shows off two “big hammers” he caught at Henderson Lake.

9 Henderson hotspots

Don Shoopman

Here’s a list of nine hotspots for April sac-a-lait hand-picked by one of the most experienced anglers on Henderson Lake. […]

LiveTarget Skip Shad

Don Shoopman

The Skip Shad is the latest in ultra-natural, lifelike products from LiveTarget Lures. […]

Painting a crankbait, even with a state-of-the-art airbrush paint, is a process that takes many, many steps and coats of paint to give the bait a perfect finish.

Tie on a Black Label balsa crankbait

Don Shoopman

Mississippi pro’s hand-crafted balsa crankbaits are square-billed, bass-catching creations. […]

Calcasieu rebound?

Don Shoopman

Will Calcasieu Lake rebound from what many speckled trout fishermen believe was a subpar year in 2018? […]

Redfish between 18 and 30 pounds are regular catches this month around the mouth of Grand Bayou du Large.

Battle bayou bulls

Don Shoopman

If you want to do battle with bull reds and the bull drum that also bite in the same locations, several areas at Grand Bayou Dularge offer the opportunity in March. […]

Rat-L-Trap’s new MR-6 crankbait

Don Shoopman

Rat-L-Trap’s new MR-6 crankbait has everything in it tour anglers want, including a low-pitched knocking sound unlike the rattle of a Rat-L-Trap. […]

Zachary Brazda of Arnaudville caught a 9.4-pound beauty, while fishing a Carencro Bass Club tournament.

Lake Fausse Pointe Borrow pit hawgs

Don Shoopman

More and more big bass are coming from the borrow pits along the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee from Lake Fausse Pointe State Park south along what is locally known as the Borrow Pit Canal. […]