Louisiana Sportsman

July 15, 2026

Steve Savoy uses his trusty pirogue to silently get up close to bass hanging tight to tree-covered shorelines. Tossing unweighted, weedless jerk baits, provides heart-stopping, in your face action.

Jerkbaits are great weapons for kayak anglers

September 16, 2019 Chris Holmes

On a recent trip to a freshwater lake, Steve Savoye showed a technique he uses to get up close and personal hunting bass in his trusty pirogue.[…]

An angler shows a speckled trout hooked and landed on a Pencil Popper.

Pencil Poppers

September 13, 2019 Don Shoopman

This fisherman has been smiling ever since Cotton Cordell Lures downsized one of his favorite artificial lures for speckled trout: the Pencil Popper.[…]

One advantage of rigging a soft-plastic jerkbait with a nose hook? Most fish are hooked solidly in the corner of the jaw.

Nose-hooked soft jerkbaits

September 12, 2019 Chris Bush

Try nose-rigged soft-plastic jerkbaits when speckled trout aren’t responding to traditional offerings. It can be the difference between success and failure.[…]

The red circle indicates the adjustment screws used to adjust the second and third axes on your bow’s sight.

The axis of bow accuracy

September 6, 2019 Sammy Romano

Many archers still don’t realize how critical it is to properly level all three axes of their bow’s sight. Failure to do so can result in severe misses.[…]

RTB kayak anglers gather at Wake Side marina for last minute preparations before the shotgun start of the tournament.

Kevin Schexnaider is champion of Ride the Bull 10

September 3, 2019 Chris Holmes

The Ride the Bull 10 Champion was Kevin Schexnaider of Erath. He caught his 26.8-pound bull just a few minutes after the tournament began.[…]

Getting the wily sheepshead to eat a fly is a difficult challenge, thus earning it's nickname "Cajun Permit."

When it comes to goats, this fly is the G.O.A.T.

August 26, 2019 Catch Cormier

Catch Cormier has caught sheepshead while fly fishing on a wide variety of flies. But by far, the largest number have come on Charlies.[…]

The author has captured several hunts on trail camera video.

Trail camera video benefits

August 21, 2019 Josh Chauvin

Give video mode a try this deer hunting season on trail cameras. All of those passing animals missed in pictures are captured when video mode is turned on.[…]

The author and his son discovered this deer, dead of unknown causes on their hunting lease. LDWF was notified and the head was submitted for CWD testing.

Taking steps to stop CWD

August 20, 2019 Keith LaCaze

In an effort to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission modified a law on deer-urine products.[…]

Charleigh Champagne, the 2 1/2-year-old daughter of Matrix Shad owner Chas Champagne, admires a huge speckled trout that fell for a Matrix Rip Shad.

Matrix Rip Shad targets the ‘tweener’ depths

August 13, 2019 Don Shoopman

The Matrix Rip Shad is a hard-body artificial lure, a jerkbait, that’s already a favorite of his and charter boat captains in Louisiana.[…]

Steve Neece recently caught this sailfish in Delray Beach, Fla., fishing with Deep Blue Kayak Fishing Charters. Steve is an Elite Angler in the BCKFC Master Angler program. With the addition of his sailfish and a shark he caught on the same trip, he is one species away from attaining Master Angler status.

Are you a master kayak angler?

August 13, 2019 Chris Holmes

The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club offers a unique event allowing members to challenge themselves to successfully catch a wide variety of different species.[…]

Mathews’ 2019 Vertix has a handful of tremendous features at price comparable to most manufacturers’ top-end bows. Below: Mathews’ Ultra Rest Integrate MX arrow rest is a special addition to the Vertix bow.

Mathews’ Vertix is a bow to cherish

August 13, 2019 Sammy Romano

The new Mathews Vertix offers several features, including Switchweight technology, and an integrated arrow-rest mounting system.[…]

Take notes on which lures worked this past year, and when, and put that knowledge to good use next time out.

What lures worked for you and when?

August 13, 2019 Chris Bush

To prepare for fishing the latter months of the year, you should look at the lures you used last season and consider why and where they were successful.[…]

Where did all our big trout go?

August 5, 2019 Chas Champagne

A subject that many trophy trout anglers across Louisiana continue to discuss is where have the big trout gone in Louisiana?[…]

African Pompano

August 1, 2019 Brian Cope

African pompano (alectis ciliaris) are saltwater fish that are usually caught in deep, offshore water around wrecks and artificial reefs.[…]

Rattlesnakes make a delicious dinner

July 25, 2019 Josh Chauvin

Venturing into the woods during the hottest months of the year can produce some delicious foods, but that is when the most dangerous animals are active.[…]

Fly fishing clubs routinely conduct hands-on rod building clinics, where participants walk away with a fly rod ready for final coating.

Build your own rod?

July 23, 2019 Catch Cormier

Look to the dog days of summer as an opportunity to prepare for great fall fishing. For a few, that will be building a custom rod.[…]