Catfish
Tools of the trade
“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.[…]
Sidebars
Bass Fishing
‘Be mean to the fish’
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.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Lure lore
“What they bitin’ on?”
Odds are that will be the first question one angler will ask another who is having a good day. It is easy to assume that professional guides, people whose livings hinge on catching fish, would have the biggest assortment of lures.[…]
Bass Fishing
Tower above it all
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.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Transition tactics
Capt. John Aucoin defines the spring transition period in eastern Terrebonne as the months of March and April. Through February, speckled trout will be found bunched mostly in waters north of Catfish Lake.[…]
Bass Fishing
Go white for sight-fishing
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.[…]
Bass Fishing
Boat block
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.[…]
Bass Fishing
Crankbait tip
On our recent trip to Bayou Teche, Foulcard and I used crankbaits almost exclusively, and switched to soft plastics around mid-morning, when conditions and terrain warranted.[…]
Bass Fishing
Optimizing your tube
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.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Redfish and bass love swimbaits
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.[…]
Bass Fishing
Titan tubes
Fishing is a spectrum, and just as tiny baits and delicate tactics hold a solid position at one end, the opposite end sees the profound relevance of big and bold.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Guide targets “green trout” for fun
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.[…]
Deer Hunting
Lots of public land in the area
You don’t have to own land to have a great time taking some eastern Mississippi deer.[…]
Offshore Fishing
Predator fish grow fast
One of the most fascinating aspects of the information I learned from offshore fishing guide Josh Howard was just how quickly predator fish can grow.[…]
Deer Hunting
Deer Darlene
Dr. Scott Tynes’ wife Angie and sister-in-law Kim don’t have to scratch their heads wondering what they’ll make for dinner whenever a member of the family kills a deer.[…]
Offshore Fishing
Beat line-shy tuna with fluorocarbon leader
Tuna are notoriously line shy, and Josh Howard says that’s why he uses fluorocarbon leader all year long, but this time of year especially.[…]