Louisiana Sportsman

Henderson Lake for sac-a-lait

September 27, 2018 Don Shoopman

It’s easy to find the prime fishing spot to catch bass and sac-a-lait in October at Henderson Lake.[…]

How to clean bream the Francois way

September 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

This is one of the coolest bream cleaning methods around. It gets rid of all the small bones of the fish, but keeps its flavorful skin and tail fin intact.[…]

Francois always begins hooking her crickets through the tip of the abdomen, what she calls the “butt,” rather than under the collar behind the head.

Like any dedicated fishing specialist, Padra Francois has twists on how she likes to do things, beginning with the crickets she always uses for bait. She inserts the tip of the long shank No. 6 cricket hook into the butt of the insect, and then threads it onto the hook.[…]

Fishing rafts are never out of sight on Old River.

Old River rafts and raft courtesy

September 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Rafts is the local term for well, rafts — essentially floating platforms that people fish from. […]

Old River offers excellent sac-a-lait fishing, as well as bream fishing, and Padra and Gene often “combo fish” for them.

The Old River bream cycle

September 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

“Bream fishing in Old River is good from spring through October,” advised Padra Francois. “And the fishing is good. When people think of bream in Old River, they think of fish nearly a pound in weight.[…]

Whether you call them white perch, crappie or sac-a-lait, that’s a nice fish Jeff Collins is about to put on ice.

No bull about Boeuf River crappie

September 3, 2018 Kinny Haddox

The Boeuf River’s name comes from the French, and means beef or bull. The Bouef won’t win any beauty contests or make it on many peoples’ Top 10 lists, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to fish — and that’s no bull. […]

Bull bream beatdown

September 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

It was September.

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

Shimano Curado DC Baitcasting reels

September 1, 2018 Patrick Bonin

The DC stands for Digital Control, and quite honestly it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I got the chance to fish with one this spring at Grosse Savanne Lodge during a Shimano media presentation, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.[…]

A plastic boat and plastic lures make a good combination for catching a mess of panfish. Reliving childhood memories, Robyn Bordelon shows off a hefty basket of hand-sized fish just like she caught when she was a child.

Plastics for panfish

August 18, 2018 Chris Holmes

Many kayak anglers dream of catching giant fish from their small plastic boats. However, going in the completely opposite direction can be even more fun. Imagine catching scores of tiny, delicious fish — using nothing more than worms and a cane pole, or lightweight spinning gear.[…]

Rio Grande chichlids are an invasive species that has spread throughout the southeast. They are beautiful and tasty little creatures, but they compete with native fishes and therefore, by law, cannot be returned to the water alive after being caught.

Be on the lookout for Rios

August 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

Rio Grande cichlids are an invasive species that has spread throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area. Found in fresh and brackish areas, they are becoming a more common catch by anglers fishing for bream and sunfish. Rios are more aggressive at defending their territory, and the concern is they could possibly totally displace native bream. […]

New gear reviews

August 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

Reel Steady Rod Stabilizer

Designed to add stability to heavy offshore fishing rods, the Reel Steady is a great addition for kayak anglers who need all the help they can get. Be it snapper or tarpon, fighting these bruisers from the seated position of a kayak makes handling heavy rods even more difficult.[…]