Louisiana Sportsman

Tripletail out of Venice, if you’re crazy enough to target them

August 28, 2018 Todd Masson

Are you crazy? I mean, literally, are you crazy? So crazy that you’d dive 70 feet down in shark-infested waters with no air tank just to shoot a fish?[…]

Although trout fishing has been tough this summer in Buras, a falling Mississippi River combined with the annual migration should result in more specks hitting ice.

Buras fishing ‘will be off the chart’ this month

August 27, 2018 Andy Crawford

Redfish have been the star of the Buras stage throughout the summer, but this month should add speckled trout to the mix for anglers heading to the fishing village south of New Orleans.[…]

As September progresses and water temps cool, bait — and specked trout — move further up into Big Lake.

Catch Big Lake’s transition trout

August 27, 2018 Andy Crawford

September is a month that drives anglers crazy.

“You can smoke them one day, and then next day wonder where they went,” Calcasieu Charter Service’s Capt. Erik Rue said.[…]

Louisiana hunters and fishermen are being asked to not transplant or transport roseau cane from a quarantine area south of Highway 10, in an effort to prevent the spread of an insect that is destroying large swaths of the plant in the Delta.

LDWF asks duck hunters not to transport roseau cane

August 27, 2018 From News Reports

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has issued a quarantine for about the southern one-third of the state which prohibits transporting and transplanting roseau cane, to prevent the spread of roseau cane scale.[…]

Ricky Smith. left, and Dustin Adams show off their winning checks from the Ride the Bull 9 kayak fishing tournament Saturday on Grand Isle. In addition to the cash, both anglers won brand new Wilderness Systems kayaks.

Tandem kayakers team up to win Ride the Bull 9

August 27, 2018 Chris Holmes

If you were anywhere near Grand Isle this weekend, you probably couldn’t help but notice kayaks everywhere you looked. More precisely, 628 kayak anglers were spread across the island before gathering at Bridge Side Marina Saturday morning for Ride the Bull 9, the world’s largest kayak fishing tournament.[…]

Marsh Man Masson vid: This confirms it. Speckled trout definitely inside the marsh

August 27, 2018 Todd Masson

Just a few days after locating a bunch of keeper speckled trout in an interior lake, Marsh Man Masson went way deep into the marsh looking for redfish and bass, and what did he find?[…]

Dylan Laborde landed this 19-pound red last month near the Leeville Bridge. It had a weird growth on its nose, and was released to swim another day.

Nosy redfish surprises Leeville angler

August 27, 2018 Todd Masson

Curiosity killed the cat, and apparently nosiness can do the same thing to redfish. Just ask Dylan Laborde.[…]

James 'Cowboy' Fernandez, who co-founded Sure-Shot Game Calls and helped develop the first double-reed duck call, passed away last week in Beaumont. The world champion caller was 86.

Inventor, founder of Sure-Shot game calls passes away

August 24, 2018 From News Reports

Sure-Shot Game Calls co-founder and world champion caller James “Cowboy” Fernandez passed away last week in Beaumont, Texas at the age of 86.[…]

Whitetail deer program manager Jonathan Bordelon (left) and private lands biologist Justin Ebarb inspect plants browsed by deer during a late June survey.

Summertime prep for fall hunting

August 24, 2018 Keith LaCaze

A line from a Mark Chesnutt song goes: “It’s too hot to fish, and too hot for golf and too cold at home.” I have an amen for his estimation of the current fishing and golf conditions, and am happy to report good weather at home.[…]

Tyler Carriere, of Youngsville, is currently in third place after Day 1 at the Bassmaster Elite Series stop on the St. Lawrence River. Thursday, he weighed in 26 pounds of smallmouth bass and is less than 2 pounds behind leader Matt Lee.

Youngsville’s Carriere third after Day 1 at St. Lawrence Bassmaster Elite

August 23, 2018 From Bassmaster.com

Giant limits of smallmouth bass exceeded expectations during Thursday’s opening round of competition as Matt Lee of Guntersville, Ala., weighed a tremendous 27-pound, 12-ounce limit of smallmouth bass to take an early lead at the Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.[…]

West Indian manatees migrate from Florida across the northern Gulf Coast during summer months. If you see one, contact the LDWF so they can track the mammals' movements and respond promptly if one is injured.

LDWF cautions boaters to be aware of manatees

August 23, 2018 From News Reports

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has placed caution signs at boat launches throughout South Louisiana advising boaters to be aware of West Indian manatees. […]

Agents cite alleged alligator violators

August 23, 2018 From News Reports

Enforcement agents on patrol near Catahoula cited two men for alleged alligator violations in St. Martin Parish on Aug. 19.[…]

Want crabs? All you need to know to fill a hamper

August 22, 2018 Todd Masson

Crabbing is in full swing across the Louisiana coast, and it’s downright silly in certain areas, like the lower Barataria Basin.[…]

If you want to consistently bag a buck like the author’s, pay attention to the little details.

Time is short

August 22, 2018 Bill Garbo

My goodness, where has the time gone? In another month, SEC football games will be playing live on television, and the opening of archery season for deer will be less than 30 days away.[…]

Marsh Man Masson vid: Speckled trout? Inside? In summer? Oh, yeah!

August 21, 2018 Todd Masson

Autumn is still officially a month away, but Louisiana’s speckled trout don’t seem to realize that. The fish have already begun to move into shallow marshes in the eastern Lake Pontchartrain Basin, and probably other areas as well.[…]

Josh Chauvin shows off a couple of big bullfrogs he speared caveman-style during daylight hours this summer.

Apex Predator: Daytime bullfrog spearing

August 21, 2018 Josh Chauvin

Hunting massive bullfrogs during the daytime is one of my favorite summertime activities. After shooting many frogs with my bowfishing rig, I wanted to take the experience to the next level: So this year I went after them caveman-style with my throwing spear.[…]