Inshore Fishing
Life on Grand Isle
Arthur Bellanger and his wife Anna Lee are officially the longest-married couple on Grand Isle. Now 83 years old, Arthur first appeared on the island “as a kid, building camps with my daddy.”[…]
Inshore Fishing
Inshore Fishing
Best tackle and tactics for Grand Isle speckled trout fishing
Unless their customers request the use of artificial lures, the Bellangers habitually use live bait for speckled trout. They bring live shrimp and live croakers with them on every trip.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Ready-made lures
If you want to try fishing with big, hard swim baits but you don’t have the time, tools or expertise to tackle the task of making your own, you can purchase them online.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Pat Bellanger’s tips for Grand Isle trout
• People new to the island should fish the beach and the rocks (breakwaters on the Gulf side of the island). Then venture farther from the island if the weather is good. A variety of fish can be caught at the rocks.[…]
Columns
Vudu Shrimp
Can an artificial lure — a soft plastic — outfish a natural creature? That day has arrived and it’s like magic, hence lure’s name, thanks to Ken Chaumont of Lacassine.[…]
Inshore Fishing
LDWF investigating fatal boat accident in Flat Boat Pass
One man died and two were injured — one seriously — in a collision yesterday between a 24-foot bay boat and a 28-foot crew boat in Plaquemines Parish near the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said today.[…]
Apex Predator
The Bachelor Fishing Trip Reboot
Last year, my younger brother had his bachelor party in Cocodrie for a fishing weekend with the guys. Since this year I got married, I decided to do the same thing, except my trip was a post-wedding party labeled “The Non-Bachelor Party.”[…]
Inshore Fishing
Oyster shells to be recycled to provide fishing habitat, aid in coastal restoration
For generations, oyster lovers have filed into Acme Oyster House and Drago’s to sample the succulent bivalves plucked from Louisiana waters. Now, those landmark restaurants are joining with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to help protect Louisiana’s shoreline for future generations.[…]
Inshore Fishing
LDWF investigation of Breton Sound bull-red kill continues
The mid-May die-off of bull redfish in Breton Sound is still a mystery to state fisheries managers, although they said menhaden boats are not suspected in the incident.[…]
Ask Captain Paul
Freemason Island
Dear Capt. Paul:
I’m trying to locate the coordinates for Freemason Island.[…]
Columns
ABC means ‘all about crabs’
The blue crab is one of the most-fascinating creatures in coastal marshes. This is one creature whose scientific name (Callinectes sapidus) completely describes it.[…]
Contents
Catching Up —The basics for recreational trawling for shrimp
It was opening day of the 2012 trawling season for the east bank, and I had arrived a little early at the boat launch.[…]
Contents
Greener on the Other Side — How to fish Raccoon Island without fighting the crowds
Fishing the islands means different things to Louisiana speckled trout connoisseurs. Masses of pulverized shell, thick spartina grass rimmed by hidden oyster reefs and even near-perfect circles of roseau cane all have their place in different areas along the coast for anglers to hoist healthy yellowmouths over the gunnels.[…]
Contents
Phony Fishermen — Live bait isn’t needed to load up on Dularge trout
Live bait was designed by Satan himself.
It’s surely not a coincidence, then, that it’s all Louisiana speckled trout will hit in the heart of summer when the air is thick and heavy, and temperatures are hotter than hell.[…]
Contents
The Back-up Plan – Fishing for Biloxi Marsh reds is easy
Because the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the exact opposite of ours here in the Northern Hemisphere, their hurricanes occur when our tropics are as calm as a bottle of Valium.[…]
Contents
Redfish Central — Redfishing is crazy in this stretch of marsh near Empire
Eddie popped his cork, pointed toward the shoreline with his rod, and blurted, “Looks like that otter’s interested in my cork! Food must be scarce for him around here!”[…]