Louisiana Sportsman

A real matchstriker, finally

January 30, 2014 Gordon Hutchinson

One of the greatest shots I ever made was with a bolt-action .22 Magnum. […]

Humminbird touchscreens

January 27, 2014 Allan Tarvid

Two years in development, Humminbird’s new ONIX and ION models offer anglers something different in marine electronics.[…]

In November I traveled to Colorado with a couple of friends for an elk hunt. Two of us are retired wildlife enforcement agents and one is still on the job with a few years to go before “graduating.”[…]

More than just photos

January 20, 2014 Bill Garbo

A couple of months ago, here in Happy Trails, I discussed whether or not the use of trail cameras actually diminishes or takes something away from some people’s overall hunting experience.[…]

David and Goliath

January 17, 2014 Chris Holmes

One of the lures of kayak fishing is the ability to launch in remote places and fish areas generally not accessible to powerboats.[…]

Lunker Frog

January 15, 2014 Don Shoopman

There is a soft-plastic frog so lifelike in detail that the legs possess a kicking motion no self-respecting bass can resist, a soft-plastic frog that captures the confidence of bass anglers everywhere and also reigns supreme as the ICAST Best Soft Lure of 2013.[…]

It ain’t like it used to be

January 15, 2014 Jerald Horst

“When I was a kid, squirrel hunting was a big traditional thing, like deer hunting is now,” Bob Childress said. “Men would schedule their time off around squirrel season.[…]

When crappie are super aggressive, double headers are common.

Time to Troll

January 15, 2014 David A. Brown

A veteran long-liner, crappie tournament pro Mark Williams likes to mix things up and dial in what the fish want.[…]

The gem of Louisiana

January 15, 2014 Jerald Horst

Kisatchie National Forest is a gem for Louisiana hunters and fishermen, one surprisingly little known beyond the Shreveport to Alexandria corridor where most of its lands lie.[…]

Crappie typically try to bust up large bait balls into smaller more manageable clusters, which these multi-arm rigs resemble.

Casting call

January 15, 2014 David A. Brown

Unlike those shoulder-straining full-size umbrella rigs designed for largemouth bass, the crappie versions won’t send you to the chiropractor after a weekend on the lake.[…]

Old-fashioned squirrel gravy

January 15, 2014 Jerald Horst

Squirrels have some of the sweetest and whitest meat of all game animals. Here’s Bob Childress’s recipe for Old-fashioned squirrel gravy.[…]

Teaser-style rigs like the Booyah Boo Rig simulate the bait pods that crappie target.

Ups and downs

January 15, 2014 David A. Brown

Working single jigs over brush piles boasts a long history of crappie success, but consider this: For a hungry predatory, if one bait is good, then two is great and more is — well, you get the picture.[…]

Available in many sizes and configurations, multi-arm rigs offer a productive tool for waking up a lethargic school of crappie or targeting active fish.

Options and benefits

January 15, 2014 David A. Brown

Complementing the umbrella rig’s benefit of quantity, you also have an amplified element of experimentation.[…]

Rig roundup

January 15, 2014 David A. Brown

Similar to its bass-market counterparts, the multi-bait crappie rig has seen rapidly expanding creativity. Local models and homemade jobs are many, but here are a handful of commercial models:[…]