Features from February 2024
- We reviewed all of our 2023-2024 big buck stories and share a few of the latest with a look back at the top of the class.
- Located on the northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou Cane is a hit when it comes to wintertime bass fishing.
- Bastrop, Farmerville, Grand Isle, Holly Beach, Madisonville, Many, Morgan City and Venice provide elite outdoor recreational opportunities.
- There are different fish tagging programs. There is a fishery research and management program and there are at least two reward programs.
- February and early March probably offer hunters the best time to hunt hogs and put some wild pork in the freezer.
- Hunters can successfully hunt rabbits without dogs. It just requires planning, effort and considerable luck.
Columns - February 2024
- Here we are in 2024 and duck hunters got their wish. Miserable cold isn’t what everyone wants, but there are benefits for the outdoors.
- Kayak fishing lends itself to winter fishing, as anglers are moving slower and tend to give an area more time to produce before moving on.
- The Live Roam'R from Bobby Garland Crappie Baits can be rigged a number of ways to entice crappie to eat in late winter and spring.
- The author has been on several adventures with George when he had to take his boots off. None were more funny than one late January afternoon.
- Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian soup that can be enjoyed year round. It is perfect for chilly winter evenings at home or the hunting camp.
Outdoor Updates - February 2024
- On Dec. 9, Benjie Carpenter was hunting with his 9-year-old daughter, Presley, when he shot a Winn Parish 13-point buck.
- David Branch, a farmer, was hunting on his farm in Richland Parish on Dec. 11 when he shot a giant 8-point buck.
- ULM Fishing Team angler Connor Nimrod hooked and boated five bass weighing 42.10 pounds while fishing a tournament at Caney Lake.
- Colby Dark and Gage Struben had their hands full when they caught five heavy bass on Dec. 28 at Caney Lake.
- Matthew Futrell of Colfax was hunting on private property in Grant Parish on Nov. 18 when he bagged a trophy 9-point buck.
- Louisiana Governor-elect Jeff Landry has named Madison Sheahan as his secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
- Keith Manuel of Grand Prairie harvested a huge 12-point buck with a single shot from his .35 Whelen on Dec. 29 in Concordia Parish.
- This big 14-point buck was shot by Chase Sonier with his Browning 6.5 Creedmoor in Lafourche Parish on Dec. 17.
- Ray Curlee of Vidalia was hunting on the Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge when he took a big 8-point buck with his bow on Nov. 18.
- Minimum proposed changes to current hunting and fishing regulations were introduced to the LWFC at their monthly meeting.
- Noah Louviere of Loreauville was fishing at Caney Lake with his brother-in-law, Connor Nimrod, on Dec. 21 when he hooked an 11.22-pound bass.
- There’s no better place to check out the latest fishing and hunting gear than the 44th annual Louisiana Sportsman Show in Baton Rouge.
- Paisleigh Stephenson was hunting with her dad, Brandon Stephenson, on Nov. 21 in Morehouse Parish when she shot a big 11-point buck.
- Thomas Broadway of Morrow downed a giant 184-inch trophy buck on family land in Rapides Parish on Dec. 25, 2023.
- On Dec. 10, Yancy Phillips of Lake Charles shot a big 11-point buck on his private lease in Beauregard Parish.
- Corey Jeffers and Christopher Minnehan of Ohio were fishing in Venice when Jeffers landed an 118.05-pound catfish.
- Joshua Pryor of Deville was hunting in Grant Parish on Nov. 23, 2023 when he bagged his target buck, a big 11-point.
- James Letlow of Oak Ridge shot a giant 14-point buck that measured 184 5/8 inches on family land in Richland Parish on Dec. 27.
Hot Spots - February 2024
- Capt. Kris Robert finds great success fishing the Lake Pontchartrain area this time of year. Speckled trout and redfish can be plentiful.
- False River’s habitat, especially on the flats at both ends of the old oxbow lake, has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years.
- The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and the Smithwick Rogue, both introduced in the 1960s, were tailor made for the fishery in Toledo Bend.
- Capt. Mike Gallo said one of the reasons the Chalmette area is so good in the winter is because the water is deeper and significantly warmer.
Field Notes - February 2024
- If you want to have some fun, with lots of action, scout out a location with plenty of rabbit sign and try your luck on a walk-and-stalk hunt.
- Baylor Allen has devoted a lot of time to studying and researching techniques on how to most efficiently deal with alligator gar.
- LSU Bass Fishing anglers Alex Blanchard and Richard “Alex” Hebert won the Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation College Trail tournament on Oct. 7.
- If you like small coastal towns and accessible natural environments, you should take a look at what St. Marks, Florida, has to offer.
- The marshes along the lower Mississippi River are full of fish. One could even argue that this area has the best fishing in Louisiana.