Ask Captain Paul
Spotlight on Myrtle Grove
The Myrtle Grove area provides one of the most diverse spots for fishing in the Louisiana coastal marshes. Wintertime fishing is great, but it also offers good fishing year round. […]
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Crappie can be hard to figure out
Winston Churchill coined the term “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” He was referring to Russia, but he could just as likely have been talking about crappie management.[…]
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A crossbow built for supreme accuracy
A little over a year ago, I heard rumblings that Matt McPherson and his engineers at Mission Crossbows were working on a revolutionary new crossbow design that would raise the bar for the entire industry. […]
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Exotic ‘yak trips
Catching fish in a kayak never gets old. However, there is always that quest for bigger and different species. Nothing provides that opportunity better than a trip to an exotic location.[…]
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Tourney tip: Target tide lines
The Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) Kayak Fishing Tour is a premier catch-photo-release kayak tournament series that spans from South Carolina to Texas. The five divisions (Atlantic, Florida East, Florida West, Louisiana and Texas) attract some of the best inshore kayak anglers from across the country.[…]
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New gear reviews
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced spinning reel that’s built like a tank, the Penn Slammer III is it. Kayak fishing is tough on reels. Kayaks sit low to the water, and your reels will get wet and occasionally dunked.[…]
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December’s best bets
Of course, Toledo Bend is a large lake and it’s difficult to pinpoint any one area. However, the diversity of terrain and varying depths allow for finding fish no matter what the conditions are. In Louisiana, December can mean heavy coats or short pants. If fishing a sustained warm stretch, the fish move shallower and the bite is a bit more determined.[…]
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Working the duck beat
Working migratory game bird seasons — particularly duck seasons — was always one of my favorite parts of the job. […]
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Oyster recipes perfect for the holidays
From now through February and into March, Louisiana oysters are in their prime — fat and flavorful.[…]
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LiveTarget’s BaitBall Spinner Rig
LiveTarget has an answer for those who want to fish a compact, manageable “umbrella rig” in gin clear or stained water — in the spring, summer or fall, and at any depth of the water column.[…]
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Big Bayou State bucks going down
No doubt the excitement in the deer hunting fraternity soared when news broke on the big non-typical arrowed by Frank Sullivan in October. The buck will easily make the Pope and Young record book, and depending on how the typical frame scores, might surpass the state record for archery-killed non-typicals.[…]
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Fly-fishing gift ideas
There’s a popular commercial set in medieval times where guests present a particular brand of beer to the king. Appreciative, the king responds, “You are a true friend of the crown. Dilly, dilly!”[…]
Apex Predator
Apex Predator: Hog Smackdown, Part 2
October was another great month of hog action for me. I had to put down the shotgun for the first week of bow season until small game opened, so I focused on getting some bow-harvested pigs.[…]
Ask Captain Paul
GPS unit trumps smart phone in the outdoors
A friend of mine advised me not to carry my GPS handheld unit while hunting, as he claims that his smart phone can provide all the information that he needs. What about maps? Where can I get some hard copy ones? What is your view on this and why? […]
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Map out the deer rut
A few things regarding the rut that can be critical to hunter success during December. Here are the three whitetail rut phases.[…]
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Cubera snapper
Some people call them “menacing.”
But pound for pound, cubera snappers probably are no meaner than red snappers, themselves well-known bullies. […]