Louisiana Sportsman

August 24, 2026

Matthew Loetscher grips the lip of two crappie he caught last January at Toledo Bend. The Living the Dream Guide Service veteran guide finds the crappie anywhere from 25- to 50-feet deep, usually suspended around standing timber.

Big crappie are the stars this month at Toledo Bend

January 2, 2026 Matthew Loetscher

Plenty families take extended holidays in December and January to catch crappie on Toledo Bend with Living the Dream Guide Service.[…]

Bundle up to ward off the elements and you can catch nice-sized speckled trout like this one caught by a fisherman did aboard Capt. Tommy Pellegrin’s boat.

January trout fishing out of Cocodrie or Dularge

January 1, 2026 Don Shoopman

Veteran charter boat captain Tommy Pellegrin of Houma knows just how good the speckled trout fishing gets at Cocodrie and Dularge[…]

A classic Myrtle Grove speck caught near the entrance of one of the subdivision canals that hold fish each January.

The Myrtle Grove Canal is top-notch trout spot

December 31, 2025 Keith Lusher Jr.

If you are looking for classic dead-end canal fishing this month, the Myrtle Grove Canal is hard to beat for speckled trout.[…]

An angler shows off a couple largemouth bass he caught. When waters turn cold, bass often go deep in the main river channels.

Dig deep for bass

December 31, 2025 John N. Felsher

Tempting largemouth bass in frigid conditions might take considerable endurance and persistence, but any cast could bring huge rewards.[…]

Gulf Council holds public hearings on shallow-water grouper

December 30, 2025 From News Reports

The Gulf Council will hold three in-person hearings and one webinar to gather public comments on Draft Reef Fish Amendment 58A.[…]

Peyton Fisher may be familiar to regular Louisiana Sportsman magazine readers. She was on the cover of the May 2024 issue.

Teaching someone the basics of wade fishing

December 29, 2025 Christopher Harp

Peyton Fisher made her first fishing trip with her husband, Jonathan, and Capt. Bruce Baugh in the summer of 2021.[…]

More and more saltwater anglers are getting their hands on redfish like this one, plus beaucoup speckled trout, when they tie on a new Vudu Mambo Shrimp.

The new Vudu Mambo Shrimp

December 26, 2025 Don Shoopman

Whether fishing grass flats, marsh, docks or open water, the new Vudu Mambo Shrimp is hard for fish and anglers to resist.[…]

Using a small assortment of hard and soft plastic baits slowly trolled behind the kayak, Eric Muhoberac was well on his way to a limit of nice speckled trout.

Trolling and drifting are excellent techniques for winter kayak fishing

December 21, 2025 Chris Holmes

Two techniques that all kayak anglers should employ this time of year are trolling and drifting. Kayaks make excellent platforms for both.[…]

LSU-S bass angler Miles Smith with two bass he caught while fishing solo in a B.A.S.S. collegiate bass tournament at Lake Sam Rayburn.

Miles Smith finds success after move to LSU-Shreveport

December 19, 2025 Don Shoopman

Miles Smith, 21, is a proud member of one of the top collegiate bass teams in the country at LSU-Shreveport.[…]

Matt Migues holds a 3-pound speckled trout that bit his soft plastic bait this year in Vermilion Bay. In December, he’ll look for fish like these and bigger in The Cove.

Vermilion Bay is the perfect place to target December trout

December 18, 2025 Don Shoopman

Matt Migues shares some of his top fishing destinations to target speckled trout in and around Vermilion Bay.[…]

Toadfish Carbon Elite II Spinning Reel

December 13, 2025 Brian Cope

Featuring seven internal seals for top-notch watertight performance, the Toadfish Carbon Elite II Spinning Reel is lighter, smoother and stronger than the original Carbon Elite,.[…]

NOAA announces the reopening of the 2025 federal red snapper recreational for-hire season

December 11, 2025 From News Reports

The Gulf federal red snapper for-hire season will reopened at 12:01 a.m., on Dec. 11, 2025, and will close at 12:01 a.m., on Jan. 1, 2026.[…]

Joey Jeanfreau caught this hefty trout in the MRGO on a Rapala Twitchin’ Mullet.

Chalmette gets hot when it’s cold

December 11, 2025 Rusty Tardo

The Chalmette area waters remain a great place for colder weather anglers to catch a variety of highly prized fish.[…]

LDWF to release Florida Largemouth Bass into Lake Buhlow

December 8, 2025 From News Reports

The LDWF will release 140 adult Florida Largemouth Bass into Lake Buhlow on Dec. 10 as part of efforts to enhance the lake’s bass population.[…]

The author shows off a redfish he caught while fishing in the marshes of the Barataria Estuary. (Photo courtesy John N. Felsher)

Bundle up for winter variety in the Barataria area

December 8, 2025 John N. Felsher

During December, watch the weather for great and varied saltwater fishing in the Grand Isle-Barataria Estuary area.[…]

Chas Champagne is all smiles as he looks at the 26-inch long speckled trout weighing a fraction under 7 pounds that he caught while fishing one of his favorite wintertime Lake Pontchartrain hotspots along the Highway 11 Bridge on Nov. 26.

Lake Pontchartrain hotspot gives up nearly 7-pound speckled trout

December 7, 2025 Don Shoopman

Chas Champagne hooked this speckled trout weighing a nearly 7 pounds at one of his favorite wintertime Lake Pontchartrain hotspots on Nov. 26.[…]