Louisiana Sportsman

Lessard’s lure selection for chasing a slam.

Fishing the magic zone for bigger fish

December 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

Whether the term “Magic Zone” is Steve Lessard’s invention or not is irrelevant.[…]

Lessard credits much of his competitive fishing success to the Hobie-built Mirage Drive, a pedal propulsion system.

Stuck on Hobie

December 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

Steve Lessard started kayak fishing seven years ago. The Dutchtown resident was tired of the expenses and work after trips that went with the motorboat experience, but wanted to keep fishing. […]

The Ballays only fish two color combos of plastic year round, black-and-chartreuse or purple-and-chartreuse.

It is easy to check off the major advantage of using live bait. It can produce bigger fish catches because it is easier to fool fish with the real thing. Of course, the bait has to be put where the fish are: The best bait in the world can’t catch fish where they aren’t.

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The Ballays use unpainted jigheads, braided lines and keep their lure color selection simple.

Artificial lure advantages

December 1, 2018 Jerald Horst

1) Bottom bites are very subtle. Leave the monofilament at home. Braided line is much more sensitive. Both Brandon and Brent use 30-pound PowerPro line.

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A redhead captured in flight by Kevin Hynes

How to prepare trophy ducks

December 1, 2018 John Manion

The reasons duck hunters choose for mounting a particular bird are as varied as the waterfowl family itself. Regardless of why a bird is chosen for a trip to the taxidermist, duck hunters generally agree they want a finished product worthy for display.[…]

Making the big bucks

December 1, 2018 Kinny Haddox

The past several seasons, big buck contests and social media posts have exploded with impressive photos of true trophy bucks, more than most anyone can remember in the recent past. […]

Bucks like these are the result of taking time to invest and following the ‘Six Ps’ for positive results.

Cashing in on big bucks

December 1, 2018 Kinny Haddox

Pam Streeter works in the banking business, and she plays in the woods. But she’ll tell you the same principles for making “big bucks” apply in both worlds.[…]

This is one of the big bucks Pam Streeter Garrett helped her dad mount.

How to prepare a trophy buck for mounting

December 1, 2018 Kinny Haddox

Putting on her taxidermy hat, Garrett said these steps are critical for maximizing full shoulder trophy deer mounts. […]

Black magic

December 1, 2018 David A. Brown

From short jokes to hand-me-downs that don’t quite fit, it’s tough being the smallest kid in the family.[…]

Late night delight

December 1, 2018 David A. Brown

Anyone fortunate enough to see the Delta’s offshore waters at night, knows the incredible vision of flood lights illuminating the many oil and gas platforms. The bright stuff is intended for human safety, but fish know how to leverage this bait-gathering influence to their benefit.[…]