Mackerel
Load the well with a day’s worth of live baits
Everyone appreciates a packed livewell, but minding the details of kingfish bait collection can advance your trip’s success. […]
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Fishing
Tippets
It’s been a rough spring so far, but if May is normal, it’ll be a popping-bug lover’s paradise. Bluegills will be blowing up bugs in blue, green, or yellow. Cast under trees, near docks and along grass lines. […]
Catfish
One fishes, the other cooks – both like catfish
Rudy and Larry Roussel live in St. James Parish, along the Great River Road that follows the east bank of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.[…]
Bass Fishing
Meal delivery schedule
The good Lord knows that postspawn bass will be hungry, so He timed nature’s progression to make sure those recuperating fish had plenty to eat. Bluegill sacrifice many of their numbers to feed the bass who were probably holding a grudge for all that nest raiding the bream attempted.[…]
Bass Fishing
How to pick a bass ‘yak
For input on how to pick a kayak suitable for largemouth bass fishing, I turned to the Lafayette kayak guru John Williams, who with his wife Becky, owns Pack & Paddle in Lafayette. […]
Bass Fishing
Lake Martin in a nutshell
As lakes go, Lake Martin isn’t a big one, covering only 800 acres. What is called the lake today was formed in 1952 by the building of a ring levee around a low cypress swamp.[…]
Bass Fishing
Why bass fish from a kayak?
Picture a bass fisherman.
Odds are, what comes to mind is a heavy fiberglass v-hull, powered by the largest horsepower engine allowed in its class. […]
Bass Fishing
Lake Martin really is for the birds
Even a die-hard fisherman like Butch Ridgedell quickly admits that Lake Martin is about more than fishing.[…]
Bass Fishing
Best lures for marsh bass
Jeff Bruhl uses a variety of lures to target Pearl River marsh bass this time of year.[…]
Sidebars
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.”[…]
Sidebars
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.[…]
Bass Fishing
New cull system protects bass
There was a day when cull floats were attached to large clips that were stuck through bass’ jaws, but more and more tournament circuits are moving to non-penetrating floats.[…]
Bass Fishing
New gear reviews
The Power-Pole Micro anchor is specifically designed for small boats and works great on nearly any kayak. At the push of a button, your ‘yak is securely anchored in up to 8 feet of water. The bracket is permanently mounted to the kayak, but the light-weight driver unit is easily removable and transferable to other vessels.[…]
Catfish
Gearing up
Although they caught catfish in about equal numbers, the two men had different philosophies when it came to choice of rods and reels. […]
Bass Fishing
April’s Best Bets
Where: Interstate 55 corridor (St. John the Baptist/Tangipahoa parishes)
What: Bass, bream, sac-a-lait[…]