Farmers are cursing the recent dry spell, but self-professed river rat Joe Lavigne couldn’t be happier.
The Independence resident has been taking the short hop from his home to the Tangipahoa River to do battle with the most tenacious fish in Louisiana.
What river-run Kentucky bass lack in size (the state record is 4.88 pounds) they more than make up for in ferocious fighting ability, and Lavigne loves to target them as sparring partners.
His chances are never better than in the fall, when South Louisiana historically sees its lowest rainfall levels of the year. With less water running through creeks and spilling into rivers like the Tangipahoa, these waterways fall, slow down and get as clear as bathtub water.
That’s when the Kentucky bass absolutely smash artificial lures.
“If you came here after a rain, you’d swear this river didn’t have a fish in it,” Lavigne said.
The rivers can get right during rare summertime droughts, but the cooler weather of the fall helps to really inspire the fish.
Successfully fishing the rivers requires a partner with a pickup truck. The two anglers meet at the take-out spot, and leave one truck there. They use the other pickup truck to carry the boat up to the put-in spot.
Lavigne fishes out of a small bateau. He sits on the bow of the boat, and uses a small paddle to scull the boat into fishing position while the force of the current carries the boat downstream.
Blowdowns and shallow rapids preclude the use of any type of motor on the river.
During a recent trip, Lavigne and I caught more than 40 Kentucky bass and two largemouths. Louisiana Sportsman Sales & Marketing Manager Mark Hilzim and I followed that up with 35 fish on Thursday fishing from a canoe.
Lavigne’s favorite lures are topwater frogs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and buzz baits.
Lavigne fishes the Tangipahoa most because it’s so close to his house, but he also frequently makes ventures to the Tickfaw, Tchefuncte and Bogue Chitto, all of which he said are extremely productive.
In fact, the state record fish came from the Tickfaw River in 1976.
