With the combination of redfish and largemouth bass becoming more prevalent around Lafitte because of the Davis Pond diversion canal, it only makes sense for anglers to throw baits that target both fish at one time.[…]
Most anglers think of soft-plastic baits when bed fishing comes to mind, and they are an important part of Craig Graham’s arsenal.[…]
With largemouth bass taking the place of speckled trout alongside the redfish around Lafitte, it’s no wonder these “green trout” are replacing speckled trout in coolers and on cleaning tables.[…]
Anglers might be afraid to spook a big bass off a bed, but St. Francisville’s Craig Graham intentionally targets the fish with his bait.[…]
It was late evening in the early summer. The five men assembled on the back deck of the Petrus family camp, set on a hill slope overlooking Lake D’Arbonne, were engaged in a masculine redneck ritual. Bobby Petrus, a.k.a. “The Claw,” was grilling meat, and all of them were exchanging humorous insults.
The rough-and-tumble humor, mixed with an equal blend of braggadocio and self-deprecation, was delivered with powerful North Louisiana twangs in what a Cajun or a New Orleanian would consider a foreign language.[…]
The early morning sky was grey and overcast, and a cold chill greeted us as we stepped out of the truck at the Sweetwater Marina in Delacroix.[…]
Craig Graham and I looked across a Caney Lake cove and saw another sight-fisherman who had a distinct advantage: His front deck was rigged out with a stainless steel tower.[…]
Catfish noodlers, grabbers or wrestlers, whatever you call them, take advantage of an important trait in the biology of North American freshwater catfish. They need to spawn in cavities of some kind.[…]
Pretty much any plastic lure will work to snatch big sows off beds, but Craig Graham has a particular affinity for a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw.[…]
Catfish noodlers use a variety of man-made objects to entice flatheads into confining spaces where they can be grabbed. The “Women, Whiskey and Wrastl’in” crew have settled on bathtubs as their favorite. Preparing one takes substantial work.[…]
Wind is the sight-fisherman’s enemy, but Craig Graham said there is a way to minimize the waves that break visual contact with bedding bass.[…]
“Wrestl’in” catfish demands a few specialized tools. The piggin stick, described elsewhere, is important for more than riling up catfish. It is used in communication.[…]
The Sebile Magic Swimmer Soft is a jointed, sinking soft plastic bait that can be rigged weedless with no weight or rigged weight forward or toward the back for a varied descent.[…]
Pelayo motioned me over with frantic gestures and wide eyes. Then he managed a frozen smile and turned back to the conversation with Artie’s spanking-new brother-in-law, Steve.[…]
Angler’s Fish-N-Mate Powercart will fulfill many uses from skeet shooting, pressure washing and lawn and garden maintenance to carrying large loads of equipment to fishing piers, bridges or the beach for surf fishing.[…]
For those deep jobs with a lead head inserted into your tube, you’ll enhance the bait with a few well-placed snips. First, cut a ¼- to ½-inch slit in the tube’s body along the inside edge of the hook shank.[…]