Louisiana Sportsman

May 3, 2026

Redfish are making their way out of the interior marshes this month, so focus on outer bays for plenty of action.

Reds in transition

September 1, 2018 Andy Crawford

The water was a sheet of glass when Capt. Austin Plaisance wheeled his Blazer Bay out of the canal into the shallow, grass-filled pocket.[…]

Cranking the rocks in the main river can still produce lots of bass as long as you can find some that aren't silted in.

Hills and valleys

September 1, 2018 Chris Ginn

After Chad Wiley weighed-in on the final day of the 2014 Bassmaster Central Open on the Red River, his three-day total of 34 pounds, 14 ounces landed him in fifth place.[…]

Lance Hebert busted this nice 7-pointer featuring a 23 ½-inch inside spread on Sherburne Wildlife Management Area.

Biologists from each of Louisiana’s seven wildlife management area regions crunched the numbers and analyzed data from last year’s hunting seasons to give you an idea of how some of the 50 state WMAs might perform this fall.[…]

Bull bream beatdown

September 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

It was September.

It was hot, and it was late in the day.[…]

Spotted bass, named for the rows of small spots arranged longitudinally on their lower sides, are Joe Lavigne’s fishing passion.

Hitting the spots

September 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

The grizzled veteran perched on the bow of the small flatboat expertly swung it in a half-circle in the swirling current of the Tangipahoa River.[…]

Gary Fryou drilled this 197-pound 9-point from 7 yards on the Atchafalaya Delta WMA in 2015.

Taking the heat

September 1, 2018 Jonathan Olivier

It takes a diehard deer hunter to brave the elements that are pervasive during Louisiana’s early bow season, which opens for most residents on Monday, Oct. 1. […]

Jerry Coutee with a huge Black Lake largemouth.

Black Lake big boys

September 1, 2018 John Flores

The drive from Morgan City to Natchitoches was a long four hours after I knocked off from my day job at 5 o’clock. And, by the time my wife and I checked into the Chateau Saint Denis Hotel downtown, it was after 9 p.m. — and I was just hearing from Pure Fishing ambassador Jimmy Jeansonne.[…]

Push-poling for slabs

August 1, 2018 Chris Ginn

With the advent of today’s electronics, this national champion crappie angler says old-fashioned spider-rigging is a thing of the past.[…]

Taking a trophy buck like this is possible in hunting clubs that are properly organized and managed.

Get the most bang for your buck

August 1, 2018 Capt. Steve Himel

You’ve dreamed about it — a private sanctuary loaded with trophy deer, abundant food plots, all-weather stands, improved roads, a beautiful lodge and a great group of friends and family to share it with. […]

Seeing red

August 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

Louisiana’s Red River used to be a mud hole.

Or at least, something close to it. […]

Jigging up Old River slabs

August 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

Determining when to fish Old River isn’t guesswork. Dave Pizzolato watches river gages, specifically the Mississippi River station at Baton Rouge.[…]

Despite the Delta’s abundance of redfish, Capt. Ryan Lambert still enjoys tugging on largemouth bass.

Busting Delta marsh bass

August 1, 2018 David A. Brown

With morning glories blooming across the canal, Capt. Cody Obiol was pushing away from the dock as I waited for his boss, Capt. Ryan Lambert to launch his Skeeter bay boat. Obiol was after bull reds that morning, but he knew my mission involved something much different, so his gracious salutation stoked my optimism.[…]