Louisiana Sportsman

Boo Grizzaffi of Morgan City holds a bass he just caught on the Stephensville side of the East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee.

How to find bass in the Atchafalaya Basin

August 15, 2018 Don Shoopman

Unless the lower Spillway turned on in late July, at least one Morgan City bass angler will be fishing on the other side of the East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee in August.[…]

Capt. Chad Dufrene with a Delacroix Island redfish caught tight-lining glow soft plastics on a ¼-ounce jighead in deep bayous.

Delacroix’s redfish summer

August 13, 2018 Rusty Tardo

Previously, on a typical August day, Delacroix anglers would head out into Black Bay and fish the same islands and structures that have produced trout for decades. Stone Island, Lonesome Island, Belle Island, the Wreck, the Black Tanks, Iron Banks and Battledore Reef were landmarks thick with trout and consistent producers, year after year.[…]

Capt. Frank Dreher likes to downsize his tackle and free-line croakers so specks don’t spook in the ultra-clear water on Grand Isle beaches this month.

Minimal tackle key for Grand Isle beach bite

August 13, 2018 Joel Masson

No matter what kind of fishing you’re doing in the marsh, finding clean water is almost always helpful.[…]

Capt. Nick, Kimmie and Cooper Poe are all smiles after boating a big tripletail. Jeff Poe, Nick’s father, advised anglers fishing anywhere from the beach to the near-offshore rigs to target any trash floating on the water because it could be a tripletail

Big Lake beach fishing

August 8, 2018 Don Shoopman

With speckled trout fishing success up and down this year in Calcasieu Lake, particularly during a summer plagued by high west winds, it’s time to point the bow of the boat to the beach from Johnson Bayou to Holly Beach.[…]

Capt. Hook poses with some Breton Sound hammers at the dock.

Stay on the move to find Hopedale trout

August 8, 2018 Rusty Tardo

Hot. Sizzling, searing, scorching, broiling, roasting — all describe our summer weather, and the trout don’t seem to like it any more than we do. Perhaps it’s why they pulled a disappearing act in June and have had anglers scratching their heads ever since.[…]

Get an early start, keep an eye on the radar and take advantage of the falling tide for Lake Borgne trout this month.

Beat the heat for August specks

August 7, 2018 Joel Masson

Fishing is all about stacking as many odds in your favor as possible, and something you should certainly put in your favor this month is leaving the dock early. Not only do you beat the heat, but you also get a much better speckled trout bite, according to Slidell guide Capt. Matt McCabe.[…]

Capt. Johnny Nunez with a good eating-sized redfish out of Shell Beach.

Three keys for Shell Beach specks

July 24, 2018 Rusty Tardo

Capt. Johnny Nunez, AKA the Fishing Magician (504-239-3159), was born and raised in Shell Beach and has spent his life pulling fish of every kind from the surrounding waters. When Nunez speaks, fishermen listen — and he told me the keys to speckled trout success this month are rocks, reefs and rigs.[…]

A rip line is a great place to land a big bull dolphin like this 45-pounder, caught with Capt. William Wall of Pelagic Charters.

Rip lines provide lots of options out of Venice

July 18, 2018 Capt. Martha Spencer

Summer is in full swing, and that means rip lines and red snapper.[…]

Live shrimp and croakers are your best bets to target spawning speckled trout in July around Grand Isle, according to Capt. Mark Scardino with Hard Times Fishing Charters.

Target spawning specks at Grand Isle

July 7, 2018 Patrick Bonin

July means another month for big spawning speckled trout in and around Grand Isle, and Capt. Mark Scardino with Hard Times Fishing Charters said bait selection couldn’t be any easier.[…]

From left to right, Rick Bergeron, Capt. Brady Giroir, Andy Ruff and Clayton Breaux show off a nice box of fish.

Fill the box at Cocodrie

July 6, 2018 Don Shoopman

Catch two speckled trout at a time, before the heat of the day, then add a limit of redfish — now you’ve got the scenario for a day in the life of saltwater fishing guide Brady Giroir in July.[…]

Big bluegills like this one are why Finch Lake is a hit with summertime bream anglers.

Catch big bream on little Finch Lake

July 4, 2018 Kinny Haddox

It was a bad year for flooding on Finch Lake and the Ouachita River near the small community of Haile — so that means it’s a good year for big bream.[…]