Bass Fishing
Don’t cook a record fish
“Get in the books.” That’s Lyle Johnson’s message to his fellow fishermen.
As chairman of the state’s Fish Records Program, he encourages people to enter their fish, even if it isn’t a No. 1.[…]
Fishing
Bass Fishing
A ‘consumptive conservationist’
Lyle Johnson wears a lot of hats.
The Gonzales native is the long-serving president of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA), the state’s professional organization for outdoors writers and communicators.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Tippets
Early July should be great surf fishing for speckled trout. Try poppers starting at first light. An hour after the sun rises, switch to Clouser Minnows or other baitfish patterns. An intermediate or sink tip line will help get the fly down in the trough areas where the larger trout are feeding.[…]
Bass Fishing
Blind River: Pros and cons
Blind River is one of Southeast Louisiana’s secret spots. Located between the major population centers of urban and suburban New Orleans and Baton Rouge, it may be accessed from U.S. Highway 61, which parallels Interstate Highway 10.[…]
Fishing
PAC Kayak Rentals Revisited
It was a little over two years ago when we reported on Louisiana’s first and only kayak-specific marina. When Eddie and Lisa Mullen opened Pointe-aux-Chenes (PAC) Kayak Rentals, it was something special. It’s even better now. They wanted to make a place that was specifically designed for the needs of kayak anglers.[…]
Fishing
New gear reviews
SeaDek Kayak Traction Pads
Made from closed cell PE/EVA foam, SeaDek pad kits for kayaks offer an exceptional traction surface, and also add to a kayak’s stealth factor by reducing noises caused by dropping or hitting gear against the plastic deck. The cushiony foam also lessens fatigue from prolonged standing, and keeps the deck much cooler to the touch on hot summer days.[…]
Bass Fishing
Pitching tips for Bayou Black
Pitching plastics at Bayou Black doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are a few tips Engerran passed along to help you be more successful.[…]
Columns
LiveTarget’s Scaled Sardine Twitchbait
A veteran saltwater fishing guide out of Sarasota, Florida, has an artificial bait that looks so much like the real thing, it’s irresistible to speckled trout, redfish and snook in the shallow waters he fishes along the coast.[…]
News Breaker
LDWF: Snapper landing estimates through July 1; weekend-only season reopens
Through July 1, Louisiana’s recreational anglers had landed about 344,000 pounds — or 46 percent — of the state’s 743,000-pound allocation, according to catch estimates from LA Creel and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.[…]
News Breaker
Spoon-feed Delacroix’s summer reds
The sun was just above the horizon, peaking from behind building thunderheads, when Capt. Austin Plaisance brought his Blazer Bay off plane. Redfish scattered across the grassy flat, pushing submarine wakes.[…]
Fishing
U.S. House passes Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.R. 200, a bipartisan bill including the Modern Fish Act — legislation which addresses the challenges faced by recreational anglers in the current federal fisheries management system and seeks to balance management between the commercial and recreational sectors.[…]
Field Notes
Apex Predator goes ‘sight-crabbing’ for monster blues
I vaguely saw a quick fleck of blue in the moss 2 feet below the surface of the clear marsh water. Unsure of what actually was beneath the ripples, I tossed my jighead hooked with catfish skin next to the grass pile. It laid on the mud bottom for two seconds, when a huge claw suddenly flashed out of the green growth.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Marsh Man Masson vid: Cranking up crabs with incredible underwater footage
Lots of parties in South Louisiana, of course, include some type of boiled seafood. Being a native of the best region on the planet, I wanted to celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s birth with some red, white and blue crabs.[…]
Big Bass
Guide lands sixth Toledo Bend lunker bass
For a little while at least, Toledo Bend guide Jason Courville figured his trip on June 28 would be about the big one that got away.[…]
Columns
Hair today, bugs tomorrow
If you love flies made with hair, then July is your lucky month.
The second weekend of this month, the annual Contraband Fly Fishing Expo in Lake Charles will feature America’s premier deer hair tier, Pat Cohen.[…]
Field Notes
Guide shares Top 3 tips to catch more tripletail
Capt. Kris Robert targets tripletail around crab trap buoys. He shared three great tips to catch more fish this summer.[…]