Louisiana Sportsman

Rig worker lands possible state-record mangrove

June 7, 2011 Todd Masson

Offshore oilfield worker Marty Trahan thought he had caught the fish of his life last summer when he landed a 31-pound red snapper, but Trahan cranked up a fish Monday (June 6)that may propel him into Louisiana’s fishing immortality.

While between shifts on a platform in South Marsh Island 128, Trahan and some other workers decided to kill time dropping baits to the myriad fish in the aquarium-clear water beneath them.

“We were on one side catching red snapper, and I told the guys, ‘I’m going to go catch some mangroves,'” Trahan said.[…]

LDWF sets recreational red snapper season , annonces closure for greater amberjack closure

May 21, 2011 From News Reports

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials on Friday (May 20) set the recreational season and limits for red snapper and announced a two-month closure for recreationally caught greater amberjacks.[…]

SKA returns to Louisiana

May 18, 2011 Louisiana Sportsman

After a season of offshore fishing lost in the Gulf of Mexico due to the catastrophic oil spill last year, the Southern Kingfish Association is returning with a full schedule of events from Fourchon to Orange Beach, Ala.[…]

Jindal raid on artificial reef fund not devastating, LDWF officials say

May 6, 2011 Andy Crawford

LDWF officials have said they would not oppose the move by Gov. Bobby Jindal to nearly empty the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries fund dedicated to building artificial reefs.[…]

Tuna Town: Head out of Cocodrie for some first-class tuna fishing

May 4, 2011 Todd Masson

Every school has its legends.

In the hallowed halls of Metairie’s Ridgewood Prep, deep in the dusty corners of painted hallways, amidst the clanging of slammed locker doors, the faint echo of one name still resonates.[…]

Feds propose fall gag grouper recreational season, upping commercial quota

April 28, 2011 From News Reports

The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing the setting the recreational gag grouper season to run Sept. 16 through Nov. 15, according to the agency’s newsletter. Public comment on the proposal is being accepted through May 6.

The proposal, announced April 21 in the Federal Register and apparently coming at the behest of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, also includes a temporary rule to reset the commercial gag grouper quota and continue the suspension of the use of red grouper multi-use individual quota commercial allocation.[…]

Gulf of Mexico eddy driving great offshore fishing

April 27, 2011 From News Reports

Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service has been monitoring what appears to be the formation of a relatively large Loop Current eddy in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.[…]

Tuna fishing still hot off mouth of Mississippi River

April 2, 2011 From LouisianaSportsman.com forum

Tuna fishing is picking up off the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to LouisianaSportsman.com regular Josh Howard of Deep South Charters.[…]

Season of Plenty

April 1, 2011 Jerald Horst

It was still dark as guide Kevin Beach’s big 33-foot catamaran zipped down Tiger Pass near Venice. Anthony Puglia had pulled his head down into his jacket like a turtle retracting its head into its shell.[…]

Three men cited for shark violations in federal waters

March 21, 2011 From News Reports

Three men were cited Thursday (March 17) for allegedly possessing more than twice the legal number of sharks, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported.[…]

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, NOAA begin survey of the economic contributions of Gulf fishing

March 8, 2011 From News Reports

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are surveying saltwater anglers across the Gulf of Mexico to update and improve estimates of the overall economic contributions of saltwater recreational fishing to the Gulf and U.S. economy.[…]

Join Sportsman for billfishing frenzy

December 27, 2010 Jeff Dennis

A group of Sportsman anglers and their friends will be flying to Costa Rica on April 3 for three days of offshore fishing – and there are still a few spots left on this trip of a lifetime.[…]

Greater amberjack to remain legal through end of year, LDWF and NOAA say

December 8, 2010 From News Reports

Recreational anglers can take take home their greater amberjack catches in state and federal waters off the Louisiana coast throughout the remainder 2010 and into the 2011 season, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported today (Dec. 8).[…]

Saltwater Series: Delacroix Island

December 3, 2010 Chris Ginn

Capt. Jack Payne can see his own version of a winter wonderland from his front porch. The owner of Sweetwater Guide Service and Marina, Payne poured his pay-to-launch ramp right at the intersection of Bayous Terre Aux Boeufs and Gentilly.[…]

This weekend last chance to catch red snapper in 2010

November 19, 2010 From News Reports

This weekend is the last chance for recreational anglers to enjoy a special red snapper season, which opened in state and federal waters on Oct. 1, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a news release.[…]

More than 8,000 square miles of Gulf reopened after testing of seafood

November 15, 2010 From News Reports

Federal authorities today (Nov. 15) reopened 8,403 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico previously closed because of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, bringing the amount of Gulf waters open for recreational and commercial fishing to 99.6 percent, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.[…]