Bass Fishing

Bass Fishing

Prehistoric Pearl

May 25, 2005 Jeff Bruhl

As the Pearl River flows past the town of Bogalusa on its way to Lake Borgne, the winding path provides a state line for Louisiana and Mississippi, but the scenic beauty offered by the river is boundless.[…]

Bass Fishing

Lure Review

May 25, 2005 Don Shoopman

The Texan whose artificial lures speak for themselves with their productivity, so much so that they have become a staple in the tackleboxes of pros and weekend anglers alike, can’t help but be proud of a spinnerbait series that’s hooking up bass from Texas to all points of the compass, including Louisiana.[…]

Bass Fishing

Living the Dream

April 24, 2005 John E. Phillips

I admit, when it comes to bass fishing I am only a novice at best. That doesn’t keep me from daydreaming, however, that I just might be able to hang with some of the pros if the conditions were right.

Like most fish stories, this “hanging with the pros” stuff sounds like stretching a 14-inch fish into another category. But isn’t a guy entitled to his dreams? Moreover, I realize that if I were a betting man, I certainly wouldn’t be betting on yours truly. Yet, note that I said, “I might be able to hang … if the conditions were right.”

My first condition would be to fish the canals south of the Intracoastal Waterway and east of Bayou Sale Bay. It is in these canals that I dream of going pro.

The second condition would be making sure I was ready to start fishing the moment the tide started to fall. The short time frame where the tide sort of stands motionless is when you should be running to the canals to rig up your favorite bait.
[…]

Bass Fishing

Rockets to Ribbits

April 24, 2005 Marty Cannon

It was a steamy summer afternoon, and we were fishing in Mama’s Pond in the western Atchafalaya Basin. The water was just high enough to back into the trees and bushes along the shoreline.

My partners and I were throwing chartreuse buzz baits into the cover as far as we could, and we got a few good strikes on top. Still, in some spots, we could see about 8 more feet of good-looking water that we couldn’t touch with those buzz baits. That was 8 feet of fish-holding water that we couldn’t access, and it deeply annoyed us.

We all fiddled with some of the lures in our tackle boxes, and the three of us probably all gave a frog or a rat bait a brief look. It was weedless and maybe suitable for the situation, but that kind of lure is more of a novelty isn’t it? It catches fishermen, right, not bass?

That was our thinking, and it probably cost us dearly.
[…]

Bass Fishing

Perfecting Patterns

April 24, 2005 Chris Ginn

Roland Martin is given credit for having coined the phrase “pattern fishing” during the 1970s. He was one of the first anglers in the country to understand that replicating the exact set of water conditions like depth, cover, structure, temperature, clarity and current prevalent when he got a bite would lead to many more bites.[…]

Bass Fishing

Paradise Parks

March 24, 2005 Andy Crawford

Louisiana’s state parks offer outstanding bass fishing in the spring and throughout the year. Here’s Louisiana Sportsman’s top-five picks, and tips on how to fill the livewell.[…]

Bass Fishing

Crawfish Class

March 24, 2005 Chris Ginn

While learning the biology of crawfish might turn off those of us who enjoy them surrounded by potatoes, corn and garlic, the opposite is true for those who want to catch more bass with them.[…]

Bass Fishing

Jerk in a Jam

February 23, 2005 Glynn Harris

Occasionally, you awaken to one of those special mornings when you have a compelling urge to hook up the boat and head for the lake. It’s a day when everything just feels right. Your confidence level is elevated because you sense that today, it’s going to happen.

I recall one of those mornings a couple of springs ago. An early-spring front had blown through three days prior, chasing the bass from the shallows.[…]

Bass Fishing

Houses of the Holy

February 23, 2005 Chris Ginn

The Holy Grail of bass fishing can be found in North Louisiana. Didn’t know there was a Holy Grail of bass fishing, much less that it could be found in your own back yard?[…]

Bass Fishing

Black Magic

February 23, 2005 Charles W. Frank

You step off the LAB aircraft after a 4 1/2-hour flight from Miami to Manaus, and are surrounded with fishermen — the long the short and the tall, all wearing hats that proclaim their quarry. They’re here for tucunare’— the fabulous peacock bass of the Amazon basin.[…]