Louisiana Sportsman

After being devoured by speckled trout and redfish, clear-plastic baits like the shrimp creole-colored Matrix Shad on top, can change colors. A fresh new clear bait is shown below. (Photo by Todd Masson)

Keep a close eye on clear plastic baits

October 12, 2018 Todd Masson

After a few fish, clear baits are more white than they are translucent, and that can make them less attractive to speckled trout and redfish.[…]

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will be discussing potential changes to cobia harvest regulations at its meeting later this month in Mobile, Alabama.

Gulf Council requesting input from anglers on potential cobia changes

October 11, 2018 From News Reports

In response to a potential decline in cobia numbers, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is considering ways to reduce harvests — including increasing the minimum size limit, decreasing the possession limit, imposing a vessel limit — or some combination of all these measures.[…]

Good days very near at Lake Pontchartrain bridges

October 11, 2018 Todd Masson

The first cool front of the autumn of 2018 has finally blown through. If you’re a deer hunter, that means your neck just swelled up, and you’re walking around the house rubbing the top of your head against door frames.[…]

Marsh Man Masson vid: I cheated to catch redfish. He didn’t.

October 11, 2018 Todd Masson

Some days, you want the challenge of catching fish difficult ways. Others, you just want the deck stacked as unfairly as possible in your favor.[…]

VIDEO – How to catch crappie in thick grass beds

October 10, 2018 Brian Cope

For many anglers, fishing for crappie is an open water game. And whether they look for deep holes or shallow water with sunken brushpiles or stumps, you’ll find many anglers watching their electronics closely for any sign of fish or submerged debris that could be hiding the fish. It’s a great way to put crappie in the boat, but it’s not the only way.[…]

Endless redfish in hard-to-reach area

October 9, 2018 Todd Masson

Marsh Man Masson targets redfish the most basic and efficient way to put them in the boat — with dead shrimp under a cork.[…]

Two cited for over the limit of bass on Bayou Black

October 8, 2018 From News Reports

Enforcement agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries cited two men for alleged fishing violations last month after they were allegedly found with 53 bass in Terrebonne Parish.[…]

‘Red’-hot action with BASSMASTER magazine editor

October 5, 2018 Todd Masson

Redfish on their most-persnickety day are more dependable than speckled trout, and they fight harder than Ali in his prime. So, it’s not a surprise that anglers who visit South Louisiana usually want to target spots rather than specks.[…]

Redfish are thick in Dularge right now

October 5, 2018 Andy Crawford

October is normally when Capt. Marty LaCoste pounds Dularge’s speckled trout population, however it just hasn’t happened yet this year.[…]

Let’s call a spade a spade

October 4, 2018 Jerald Horst

They are everywhere. If you fish offshore at oil and gas platforms, clouds of the convict-striped fish are often visible underwater. Atlantic spadefish are a dominant species in the fish communities that develop around platforms.[…]

Mike Malone shows off a nice 7-pound largemouth he caught last weekend at the Lacassine Pool. Higher-than-normal water levels are currently giving anglers access to water normally matted over by now, he said.

Big time bass bite now at Lacassine Pool

October 3, 2018 Ann Taylor

If you thought the fishing season was over in the Lacassine Pool, think again.[…]

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales turns to several baits during the fall, including (left to right) a Sixth Sense SplashBack popper, a Sixth Sense Dogma, a Delta Lures buzzbait and a Missile Baits D Bomb punching rig.

Best fall bass baits

October 3, 2018 Andy Crawford

Fall can be an unnerving time for bass anglers, as the fish seem erratic while transitioning out of summertime patterns. But Gonzales Bassmaster Elite Series pro Gerald Spohrer said that unpredictably is actually a misunderstanding.[…]

A summer of battling redfish in the salty waters of South Louisiana can shorten the life of your reels. But adding a little Corrosion X before putting them up for the winter can have them ready for action next spring.

Prep your reels now for 2020 season

October 3, 2018 Andy Crawford

The 2019 fishing season is almost over for those of us diehard hunters. Charter guide Capt. Brent Roy said a little TLC on your reels could save you money.[…]

Marsh Man Masson vid: Catching speckled trout with a grizzly bear

October 2, 2018 Todd Masson

In recent weeks, speckled trout have been moving into inside waters across much of the Louisiana coast, with one glaring exception — southern Terrebonne Parish. […]

Head to Buras to find willing redfish

October 2, 2018 Andy Crawford

The Mississippi River was absolutely beautiful a month ago, signaling a great fall run of redfish and trout. And then torrential rainfall swamped the Midwest, sending the river sky high.[…]

When action is jam-packed at the Trestles in Lake Pontchartrain, head over to Lake Catherine for specks.

Lake Catherine is a solid choice for trout

September 29, 2018 Joel Masson

Speckled trout anglers hammer the eastern Lake Pontchartrain train trestle every year, and when it’s on, the fishing can be lights out. However, when too much boat pressure gets on the bridge, the fish will turn off faster than they started.[…]