Bass Fishing
Best lures for marsh bass
Jeff Bruhl uses a variety of lures to target Pearl River marsh bass this time of year.[…]
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Tools of the Trade
• Box calls
Box calls are the loudest of the bunch. On a windy day, it’s best to use one so the sound carries farther. According to Saale, box calls are the most realistic sounding. “To me, a box call sounds like a turkey more than anything,” he said. “It does all of the vocalizations. It’s got a good high front end with a raspy sound to it.”[…]
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Sounds of the season
• Gobble
A tom produces this sound as a way to let the hens know where it is during the breeding season. While a gobble can draw in a mature tom looking for a fight, it can also drive away birds that are less dominant.[…]
Bass Fishing
Caleb Sumrall’s gear
The specific gear used by Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Caleb Sumrall depends on the lure he’s using.[…]
Fishing
Gator trout in Leeville
Sean Rastanis is the assistant tournament director for the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club, and on Dec. 30, he was doing some scouting in Leeville. […]
Crappie/Bream
Tippets
This month, redfish enthusiasts welcome the return of thick grass in coastal ponds. The grass not only attracts small crabs and baitfish, it also maintains clarity. And that means great sight-casting opportunities.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Guess who’s coming to dinner?
Having spent a lifetime eating my way across the watery landscape of Louisiana, I’ve eaten a lot of fish that were delectable, a few fish that were really close to inedible and quite a few fish that were good if you knew what you were doing in the kitchen — and bad if you didn’t.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Rigging crawfish the Kelley way
Mike Kelley doesn’t like to dip for “ditch crawfish” as do many fishermen who use mudbugs for bait. “They are on the small side and you can’t get them early in the season,” he explained.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Tip of the day
Leave the dainty little hemostats at home. […]
Bass Fishing
Search mode
During that transitional time when fish are moving up, the last thing you want to do is go racing into shallow water ready to pitch beds. Fine if you’ve already found a few beds and know just where to go; but what if there are more new beds on your way in?[…]
Bass Fishing
Get pushy with spawners
Your trolling motor is essential for easing in and out of spawning areas, but when matching wits with skittish bed fish, even low power can ice the game.[…]
Bass Fishing
The birth of a lure
Lots of anglers can claim tournament wins, but few can claim a lure invention.
Keith Poche can.[…]
Bass Fishing
How to properly rig a Keith Poche Power Spinner
Before putting the worm on a hook, Keith Poche uses his teeth to bite about ¼-inch of plastic off of the worm’s tail (the smaller end). Then he simply screws the corkscrew on the Keith Poche (KP) Power Spinner into the bitten end of the worm.[…]
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Shot placement
“The target area you’re aiming for is about the size of a grape fruit,” Lafleur said. For that reason, shot placement is everything. A heart and lung shot is ideal, but one that disables the bird due with an arrow in the body so that it can’t fly away is also lethal.[…]
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How to make a pre-rig
Making pre-rigs is Tommy Pellegrin’s answer to the nettlesome task of trying to put together a new rig in the middle of a hot bite.[…]
Fishing
Kayak tourney news
Fishing a kayak tournament is a great way to meet new kayak-fishing friends and hone your fishing skills. A wide variety of formats are available across the state, and the friendly competition offers a chance to win some great prizes and bragging rights. […]