Events & Announcements

Construction of latest Lake Pontchartrain artificial reef to add fishing opportunities

Work that began recently on an artificial reef near the St. Tammany Parish Fishing Pier south of Slidell will increase fishing opportunities for shore-bound Lake Pontchartrain anglers, the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana said.

The work is being done between the new westbound span of Interstate 10 and the pier — the latter of which is part of the old Interstate 10 Twin Spans Bridge that partially collapsed during Hurricane Katrina. The pier opened on Lake Pontchartrain in 2012 to enormous support, but has been closed since Hurricane Isaac battered Slidell last August. […]

News Breaker

359 rigs slated for decommissioning, leading scientist says action is detrimental to red snapper plan

The number 359 has taken on a new meaning for some Louisiana anglers and conservationists: That’s the estimated number of Gulf of Mexico rigs and platforms scheduled for removal this year, according to a release by DecomWorld distributed on Jan. 15.

And according to Dr. Bob Shipp, chairman of the University of South Alabama Department of Marine Sciences, that number is way too high because removal of any decommissioned rig is premature, if not blatantly detrimental to reef fish habitat.

“As a fisheries scientist, I think it’s a very big mistake,” he said.[…]

Fishing Tournaments

ALBC adds youth division to tournament offerings

The state’s largest non-professional bass-fishing group has added a junior division to its offerings in an effort to add new blood into the sport of tournament bass fishing, the Association of Louisiana Bass Clubs announced recently.

Participants in the ALBC’s junior division will consist of young anglers 14 to 18 years of age who are enrolled in high school.[…]

Bass Fishing

Poverty Point Reservoir produces second 12-pounder in a week

Ken Chapman of Crowville had initially planned to fish a bass tournament on Saturday, but the 30-year-old angler inadvertently turned off the alarm instead of punching the snooze button.

“Well, guess I’ll be going to Delhi this morning,” the angler said to himself when he did finally wake up.

In retrospect, the angler admitted that was one of the best turn of events that has ever occurred to him.[…]

General

Coastal-restoration projects approved in St. Tammany, Terrebonne parishes

In late January, the Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Task Force, better known as CWPPRA, approved construction of marsh-building projects in both the Bayou Bonfouca area in St. Tammany Parish and Terrebonne Parish’s Lost Lake.

The projects are sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in conjunction with the state. CWPPRA projects are funded by the federal government with a 15-percent funding match coming from Louisiana.[…]

Bass Fishing

14-inch minimum size limit for Atchaflaya Basin bass should go, LDWF says

The 14-inch minimum size limit imposed for Atchafalaya Basin bass following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew will be a thing of the past in a few months if a Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries proposal receives final approval.

And that’s fine with Denham Springs angler Darren Cooper.

“It’s hard to catch 14-inch fish,” Cooper said. “How many fish do you catch in that 13-inch range?”[…]

Bass Fishing

Poverty Point angler lands 12-pound bass

On Wednesday, veteran bass angler and Vietnam War veteran James Bryan of Delhi left his home a mile away from Richland Parish’s Poverty Point Reservoir State Park to do what he enjoys — bass fishing.

That decision resulted in his catching the biggest bass of his life — a fish that topped the 12-pound mark.[…]

News Breaker

Duck numbers fell in January, LDWF survey shows

Most duck hunters in South Louisiana would not be surprised to hear that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries duck estimate for January was below the long-term average and last January’s duck count.

The 2.62 million birds estimated to be in the state this January topped the December count in all areas except for Catahoula Lake, but results were 6 percent lower than the January 2012 estimate of 2.79 million waterfowl, the LDWF reported.
[…]

News Breaker

2013 Louisiana red snapper to begin March 24

Offshore anglers launching out of Louisiana can begin hauling in red snapper on March 24 this year — more than two months before the expected opening of the federal red snapper season in federal waters.

That’s because a notice of intent to take Louisiana waters out of compliance with federal fishing regulations issued back in June has gone into effect, officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries’ said today (Feb. 7).[…]

Events & Announcements

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission member Voisin dead at age 59

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission member Michael C. Voisin, who in the mid-1980s helps found the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, died Saturday (Feb. 2) from a heart condition, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board announced.

Voisin was the owner of Motivatit Seafoods based in Houma, and was set to remain on the commission until December 2015, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. He was serving as the commission’s vice chairman at the time of his death.[…]