Columns
Here kitty kitty
Gaze over the mighty Mississippi River in southern Louisiana and you’ll see a parade of tugs and barges, work boats, ocean-going cargo ships and the weekly cruise ships.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Freshwater Fishing
You gotta have an attitude to clean a turtle
Before Dirk Matherne sits down to clean turtles, he has to dispatch them. For this, he uses a .22 pistol, placing each shot neatly through the top of the head.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Louisiana’s turtles
Louisiana has 25, maybe 26 species of turtles within its borders or along its coastline. Not all of these are targets for freshwater turtle fishermen.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
What’s legal as a turtle trap?
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division, the definition of a turtle trap is quite liberal, essentially calling it any device used to catch turtles.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
The feast
“This is plain, old pot-frying, not turtle soup like at those French Quarter tourist restaurants,” Dirk Matherne said wryly. “Of course, ours has turtles in it. I don’t know if those restaurants even have any turtle in their soup.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
How to make a turtle trap
Dirk Matherne’s turtle trap is simple in construction, requiring nothing more than 2-inch-by-4-inch animal wire fencing material and hog rings to hold it together.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Bait care essential to crappie-fishing success
When crappie are feeding, they might hit a jig or a skirted hook, but everything tastes better with a Missouri (aka Arkansas) minnow on the back.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Chains help slow down drift for more crappie success
Crappie pro Mark Williams knows that working with the wind is a make-it-or-break factor for spider rigging.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Tackle talk for spider-rigging crappie
Williams said his standard spider-rigging outfit comprises a 14-foot medium-action Wally Marshall rod with a Wally Marshall spinning reel strung with 8-pound monofilament terminating in a snap swivel for quickly attaching and switching out rigs.[…]
Contents
Up the Creek — How to catch bream, Kentucky bass and catfish in Florida Parishes streams
The weatherman called for a scorcher as Artie called for another beer. But the keg balked — coughing and sputtering and foaming.[…]
Contents
Turtle Man — How to catch, clean and cook turtles
Louisiana sportsmen do some odd things.
In few states will full grown men spend all night running around in boats trying to catch frogs. In most states, crawfish, almost always called crawdads, are something kids play with.[…]
Crappie/Bream
Crappie Cops — Tips for summertime crappie-fishing success
Covering water and watching the speed limit are keys to success when crappie scatter during the oppressive summer heat. Here are some tips.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Waters in front of Grand Terre islands closed to all but rod-and-reel fishing after tar mats found
The waters in front of Grand Terre islands have been closed all but recreational rod-and-reel fishing after tar mats were found in the area, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced today.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Go deep for Toledo Bend crappie
The sales personnel at Lafayette’s Service Chevrolet had anticipated the big trip for quite a while. It was a once-a-year excursion for Toledo Bend crappie — and lots of them.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Lake Bistineau drawdown underway
Water levels on Lake Bistineau are being dropped as part of the battle against giant salvinia, which has plagued the lake for years, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge
Another national wildlife refuge that is an absolute must for canoe and kayak anglers is Lacassine. As in years past, the refuge’s pool that is reserved for non-motorized boats has produced monster bass this spring.[…]