Freshwater Fishing
Scaled-down Matrix Shad a super crappie-fishing bait
Until the big trout start showing up in Lake Pontchartrain, just about all Ty Hibbs — who will fish for anything that is biting — fishes for is sac-a-lait.[…]
Fishing
Freshwater Fishing
Use a rake, small jigs for grass-bound crappie
If sac-a-lait are off points, Fontenot motors over to hyacinth mats and other grass patches and use a homemade, pronged aluminum rake to make holes in the mats about 12 inches in diameter.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
The fishing chef
Only in Louisiana is fishing and cooking so closely intertwined. More often than not, anglers take as much pride in their skills in the kitchen as on the water.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Best kayak-fishing tackle
Dustie Latiolais had armed himself for the morning with two casting and two spincasting rods. One baitcaster was rigged with a Rat-L-Trap and the other with his favorite bass lure, a 5-inch Zoom Finesse worm rigged wacky worm style on a weighted 3/0 hook. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Why fish from a kayak?
“All my fishing is kayak fishing,” Dustie Latiolais said with a grin. “I’ve been doing it three years. Cory Werk, who owns Bayou Teche Experience in Breaux Bridge, got me into it.”[…]
Offshore Fishing
Dog snapper provide more meat for the table
Few of these other species turn up in catches while mangrove snapper fishing. But one does, and it’s not all that unusual — the dog snapper.[…]
Offshore Fishing
How to snell a circle hook
Capt. Kenny Heikamp snells all his hooks rather than tying them on with knots. Here’s 5 steps to show you how to snell a hook.[…]
Bass Fishing
When to throw a spoon
During the shad spawn in April and May, Johnston fishes spoons around Styrofoam docks or muddy banks where the baitfish do their thing.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Best Atchafalaya Basin fishing tactics for chinquapin and bream
Berwick resident Michael Broussard knows a few things about fishing the lower Atchafalaya Basin. It’s like a second home for the naval architect student who works as a draftsman for Conrad Shipyards.[…]
Offshore Fishing
Live bait is the ticket for mangrove fishing
Capt. Kenny Heikamp, like many other fishermen, believes mangrove snappers are wary fish and learn quickly how to avoid danger.[…]
Bass Fishing
Modifications to get the most out of spoons
While spoons will definitely put fish in the boat, there are some modifications that help make them even more effective — and can eliminate a nagging problem inherent with the lures.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Top fishing tips for Atchafalaya Basin bream
1. Be there when water temperatures are right for the spawn — 68 to 75 degrees.[…]
Offshore Fishing
The making of the master
Kenny Heikamp is built like a 5-foot, 7-inch coiled steel spring. He moves about his 32-foot Twin Vee catamaran with latent, ready to unleash energy. His chin has a determined set to it and his dark eyes burn intensely, like hot embers. I would hate to be a fish, knowing that he was after me. […]
Inshore Fishing
Tackle, lures and presentation
Since they are competitive anglers, Frederick and Broussard use tackle that is most effective in getting redfish into the livewell quickly.[…]
Bass Fishing
Coastal fish love spoons, too
In coastal marshes, a gold weedless spoon like the Johnson Minnow or Bomber Saltwater Grade Who Dat is standard issue for redfish seekers.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Where to go bream fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin
Beadle has several regions that are easy to get to with short runs from local landings in Berwick and Morgan City.[…]