Louisiana Sportsman

July 8, 2026

Fertilizing small ponds this month will kick-start growth at the bottom of the food chain that leads to healthier fish populations, good fishing.

March is time to fertilize small ponds

March 14, 2019 Jeff Burleson

With spring just around the corner and water temperatures on the rise, pond owners should proceed to the next level of their continual improvement program. […]

It’s tough to beat a spinnerbait when the water is dingy to muddy in the early spring.

Try three baits for March bass

March 14, 2019 Dustin Wilks

These three bass fishing patterns have always seemed to be among the best to fish in March.[…]

Spring speckled trout will move miles to get away from muddy water because they need water with higher salinity.

Move, move for specks

March 14, 2019 Sam Davis

Spring speckled trout will move miles to get away from muddy water because they need water with higher salinity.[…]

Finding a concentration of rubbed trees can give a hunter an idea where a buck that survived the season might have a bedding area.

Whitetail scouting starts now

March 13, 2019 Jeff Burleson

Feb. 1 is the prime day to start scouting deer for next year across most of Louisiana.[…]

Medium swimbaits make highly effective search tools for finding big fish.

Swimbaits key for prespawn success

February 20, 2019 David A. Brown

These swimbaits will serve your bass plan well in the spring months.[…]

Planting and cultivating a buffer of thick trees or bushes around a popular feeding area for deer can give animals a little more security to venture into the picture during daylight hours.

Make deer feel more secure

February 10, 2019 Jeff Burleson

Deer hunters can improve their chances with a little buffering and protection around attractive sites on their properties.[…]

Prespawn fish are moving and looking for food, so crankbaits allow you to effectively cover water to find the hot spots.

Crank up crankbaits for the prespawn

February 7, 2019 David A. Brown

Prespawn bass are moving and looking for food, so crankbaits allow you to effectively cover water to find the hot spots.[…]

Be aggressive when targeting Lake Pontchartrain reds under birds

January 27, 2019 Patrick Bonin

Be aggressive when you see birds diving in Lake Pontchartrain if you’re targeting reds — time is of the essence to hook up, according to Matrix Shad’s Chas Champagne. […]

Mississippi pro Brock Mosley said a short mono leader is all that’s needed to provide a little stretch between braid and topwater lures like the Bill Lewis StutterStep.

Add a topwater ‘shock absorber’

December 1, 2018 Andy Crawford

How to create a shock absorber between the main braid and your lures.[…]

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs said a topwater frog is a great all-around lure for shallow wintertime bass.

Nothing like topwater frog explosions Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs has to put fish in the boat year round, but he experiences what every other angler does during the summer: Tough fishing, when five

Put a skirt on – and punch that jig

November 20, 2018 Todd Masson

Punch skirts are popular with many bass anglers because they turn normal creature baits into essentially jig presentations.[…]

Recycle old fishing lures into brand-new baits

November 19, 2018 Todd Masson

Caleb Meyer recycles old lures by melting them down and pouring them into his own soft-plastic mold.[…]

Glenn Young caught this redfish and a host of others on a Z-Man ChatterBait while fishing Venice last month.

How to have redfish success with a chatterbait

November 16, 2018 Todd Masson

Most Louisiana anglers have seen, either in person or in videos, redfish in water that’s so clear, it looks like it should have been delivered by the Kentwood man.[…]

The key to effective decoy spreads is to make them realistic.

Duck decoy spread details

November 8, 2018 Patrick Bonin

The waterfowl study leader for the LDWF comes across hunters’ efforts at producing realistic decoy spreads from his seat in the plane. Here’s his advice for the best set-ups.[…]