Features from March 2019
Plenty of speckled trout get in the big channel on their way to the Gulf as the water warms this month. Not enough fishermen follow them, but one veteran guide lays out the blueprint for success once they do.
When spring reservoirs and river systems are a-flood, here’s how top-drawer bass pro Greg Hackney responds.
Lacassine Pool once again opens up to bass anglers in the middle of March. Here’s how one angler — who caught five double-digit bass there last year alone — fishes the 16,000-acre impoundment inside the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Louisiana.
Look for prespawn bass to stage anywhere there’s aquatic grass this month, then break down those areas for great fishing.
If you want to increase the size of the speckled trout you catch — while also increasing your chances of catching a trophy — consider fishing jerkbaits.
During the latter part of the bass spawn in March, fish around and near Lake Penchant for spring largemouth bass, plus an occasional redfish.
Don’t be afraid to drop a bait or lure right next to a tree when crappie are making their big move to the shallows to spawn.
Bass fishing at Toledo Bend is finally making a comeback after the record flood of 2016.
Hunting opportunities for wild turkeys abound on public land in Louisiana — five Wildlife Management Areas boast a high hunter-success rate.
Follow this expert’s advice and you might end up with a beast of a bass from Caddo Lake.
Columns - March 2019
- How to cast jerkbaits and get the merciless response that speckled trout exhibit after staring down its hard-plastic foe.
- Louisiana Sportsman reached out to several kayak fishermen with various levels of experience to get some personal reviews of popular models.
- Mississippi pro’s hand-crafted balsa crankbaits are square-billed, bass-catching creations.
- Here are a couple of examples of situations where the desire for trophy deer overrode the constraints of legality, ethics and fair chase.
Outdoor Updates - March 2019
- Benji Nelson took a risky shot on a big Catahoula Parish buck in late December - and wound up with the deer of a lifetime that stretched the tape to more than 170 inches of bone.
- With the rights of thousands of Louisiana sportsman on the line, Attorney General Jeff Landry is asking the Louisiana Supreme Court to reverse a lower court’s decision in Cooks & Crooks v. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
- Jim Miers of DeRidder weighed in this 10.96-pounder, the 20th fish entered in the 2018-19 Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program season, on Feb. 4.
- An exclusive club that honors anglers who land a benchmark 30-inch speckled trout.
- Hunters from across the Carolinas competed this past weekend in the sixth annual Carolina Coyote Classic. Together, they killed 149 coyotes.
- Kayak Bass Fishing’s 2019 National Championship, presented by Torqeedo, will take place around Shreveport-Bossier City on March 28-30, 2019.
- Jared Sattler, of Greenwood, reeled in a 11.41-pound bass on the north end of Toledo Bend.
- On Super Bowl Sunday, Phillip “Flip” Frank of New Orleans braved the fog with Capt. Rich Waldner to catch a red that weighed 45 pounds and easily tops the current Louisiana and world records for fly-rod reds.
- Gulf researchers are offering up to $500 for select tagged red snapper in a study this summer to check the accuracy of federal snapper figures.
- Capt. Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing Charters and his crew caught seven great white sharks on Friday, Jan. 18 off the coast of Hilton Head Island, including a 2600-pound male.
- Dillon Savoy got the thrill of a lifetime when he and a 15-point buck got within 10 yards of each other on a spoil bank in Iberville Parish. Savoy ultimately downed the deer with buckshot after some heart-pounding moments for his biggest buck ever.
- Cheniere Lake was basically emptied when flooding in 2016 washed away the bridge and spillway that impounded the 3,600-acre lake.
Field Notes - March 2019
- For an angler, the frog offers a great search bait for covering lots of water and finding key staging areas for bass.
- You can find delicious, oyster mushrooms at high-end markets — or you can harvest them for free in many wooded areas in Louisiana.
- With spring just around the corner and water temperatures on the rise, pond owners should proceed to the next level of their continual improvement program.
- Spring speckled trout will move miles to get away from muddy water because they need water with higher salinity.
- One of the most-overlooked aspects of purchasing a boat is the trailer. Here are some things that need to be considered.
- These three bass fishing patterns have always seemed to be among the best to fish in March.
- Feb. 1 is the prime day to start scouting deer for next year across most of Louisiana.
Hot Spots - March 2019
- If you want to do battle with bull reds and the bull drum that also bite in the same locations, several areas at Grand Bayou Dularge offer the opportunity in March.
- Lots of shallow bass, headed to the spawn, should make March bass fishing great at Toledo Bend.