Inshore Fishing

Calcasieu pipeline holding trout

“If the wind doesn’t blow you off the lake, you can catch some good trout right now,” said Capt. Norman Rester with A-Speck Charters (318-481-0049). “Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we did real well. And just the other day, a friend of mine caught 15 trout in 15 minutes.”[…]

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Mishmash in the Marsh

I withdrew into my parka as Kirk Stansel buzzed his way through the narrow maze of ditches that ran through the marsh. The mix of stinging raindrops and the slapping reeds was a bit too much for the senses at such an early hour.[…]

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Calcasieu in the Fall

The pink rod made a question mark as the MirrOlure She Dog vanished in an explosion on the surface. When the line knifed through the water, my guide, Kirk Stansel, one of the owners of Hackberry Rod and Gun, and I both wondered aloud, “Speckled trout or redfish?”[…]

Bass Fishing

Post-Rita bass swarming in Mermentau

Among the many devastating effects of Hurricane Rita just two years ago was the damage it did to the Mermentau River bass population. Bass have been almost non-existent up until recently, and now that they’re showing up again, they are making up for lost time.[…]

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Off the Charts

I was scheduled to meet Capt. Mark “Hard Times” Scardino (985-787-3529) at the dock of the newly renovated Sand Dollar Marina in Grand Isle at 6 a.m.[…]

Waterfowl & Duck Hunting

Ducks cranking up behind cold front

If a Monday morning marsh hunt with Hackberry Rod & Gun is any indication, Louisiana waterfowlers reluctantly counting down the days of the 2006-07 season may finish with a flurry thanks to the cold front making its way across the state.[…]

Inshore Fishing

Big trout biting in Turner’s Bay

Some trophy trout have started to show up at Calcasieu Lake. Capt. Jeff Poe of Big Lake Guide Service (337-598-3268) caught trout up to 8 pounds a couple of days ago, and he said a friend of his caught a 9 1/2-pound lunker that was 29 1/2 inches long last week.[…]

Inshore Fishing

Calcasieu complex choked with trout

The Calcasieu Lake complex is chock full of everything an angler looks for when choosing which lake to fish. There are more shrimp in the lake than ever before. There is plenty of salt water and an abundance of crabs. And[…]