Inshore Fishing
Top 5 live pogie tips to catch big Grand Isle trout
Carl “Tommy” Vidrine was in full-on beast mode Monday — not intent with just catching specks, but focused instead on reeling in some true hammer trout on Grand Isle. […]
Field Notes
Palm baitcasting reel to feel subtle trout bites
When you’re deepwater jigging for speckled trout, palm your baitcasting reel when the lure is falling through the strike zone to detect subtle bites.[…]
Fishing
Put your hitch ball on TV
When hooking up to your boat trailer, how many times do you have to get out of your tow vehicle and walk back to check on the stormy relationship between its hitch ball and the trailer’s coupler?[…]
Columns
Fishing facts vs. fiction
Isn’t it strange how some myths and misinformation seem to enjoy immortality? Some myths arise regularly, just to confirm they are still out there waiting for the perfect opportunity to create fresh confusion.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Snagged 120-pound blue cat doesn’t qualify as new state record
Justin Coco reeled in a giant blue catfish for the ages early Sunday morning, but the big fish won’t qualify as a new No. 1 for the Louisiana record books because it was snagged — not hooked in the mouth.[…]
Fishing Tournaments
Alleged kayak cheater booted from tournament trails
When money is on the line, sometimes it brings out the worst in human nature, and a Kentucky angler will have kayak tournament directors across the country taking a closer look at photos submitted in CPR events nationwide.[…]
Columns
Mississippi earns No. 1 ranking for whitetail deer hunting
Well, if you’re one of those folks who crosses the state line to hunt deer in Mississippi, I have some very good — if not totally surprising — news.[…]
Events & Announcements
For sale: Turner’s Bay Island in Calcasieu Lake
All that remains of what was once a 220-plus-acre island just south of Turner’s Bay in Big Lake is a scant 1 ½-acre patch of shell-based marsh grass that’s a little too soggy to walk on right now — but it could be yours later this month, if the price is right.[…]
Bass Fishing
Target shad spawn to find Toledo Bend bass
Although there might be a smaller, secondary spawn on the horizon with this Friday’s full moon, for the most part the spring spawn is over and bass are starting to head back to deeper water at Toledo Bend, according to a local fishing guide.[…]
Events & Announcements
Nicholls conducting blue crab tagging project
Researchers at Nicholls State University hope to tag 30,000 female blue crabs Gulf-wide in the next two years to gain insight into their spawning habits and preferred migration routes.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Sight-fishing tips for Point-aux-Chenes reds
High-dollar powerboats are certainly nice for big water and they can handle waves, but they cost a lot of money.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Don’t let ‘dirty’ Lake Pontchartrain water discourage you, guide says
Despite lots of dirty water still in Lake Pontchartrain, one fishing guide said April’s recent windy weather — more than any clarity issue — has been a bigger hinderance so far in catching springtime speckled trout this month.[…]
Fishing
Opportunities and challenges
When asked about the biggest opportunity he sees ahead for Louisiana’s freshwater fishing, retired biologist Mike Wood didn’t hesitate.[…]
Bass Fishing
Don’t get blown around
Toledo Bend’s a big lake, and even though it’s a lot longer than it is wide, you really don’t want to get caught in the middle during a big spring wind[…]
Inshore Fishing
Getting your lure or bait hook back
Snags are the harsh reality of fishing around shell bottoms. And if an oyster reef grabs your lure or bait hook, breaking your line is the last option.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Tippets
April gives us the choice between prime freshwater action, epic saltwater adventures and — for those willing to travel — awesome days on a mountain stream. Tough choices.[…]