Louisiana Sportsman

This bluegill taken by Greg Babin may be small, but could be a big winner in a species-related contest.

Tippets

August 15, 2018 Catch Cormier

August is the last full month of “SweatFest 2018,” the festival nobody likes to celebrate. While a combination of hot water and high tides make for tough fly fishing, late summer does offer a few unique opportunities.[…]

Pogy prudence

August 15, 2018 David A. Brown

Prior to a recent mangrove snapper trip, Capt. Ross Montet loaded up with fresh pogies he cast-netted in the West Delta. He started in open water, but found he was chasing fast-moving schools that were outrunning his net in the 10- to 12-foot depths.[…]

Pizzolato exclusively uses Salter’s Jiggin’ Poles. Note how close he has taken his boat to the pilings he is jigging.

Pizzolato’s Top 7 tips for Old River

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

1) Learn to tight-line. Using a cork doesn’t allow fishing to be done deep enough to fish the 12 to 14 feet needed on the most important fish-holding structure — piers and pilings in front of camps.[…]

Rio Grande chichlids are an invasive species that has spread throughout the southeast. They are beautiful and tasty little creatures, but they compete with native fishes and therefore, by law, cannot be returned to the water alive after being caught.

Be on the lookout for Rios

August 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

Rio Grande cichlids are an invasive species that has spread throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area. Found in fresh and brackish areas, they are becoming a more common catch by anglers fishing for bream and sunfish. Rios are more aggressive at defending their territory, and the concern is they could possibly totally displace native bream. […]

Charlie King doesn’t go to the Red without a push pole stowed in his boat.

Tip of the day

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

“A push pole is an absolute must to fish here,” Charlie King half-grimaced and half-grinned. […]

New gear reviews

August 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

Reel Steady Rod Stabilizer

Designed to add stability to heavy offshore fishing rods, the Reel Steady is a great addition for kayak anglers who need all the help they can get. Be it snapper or tarpon, fighting these bruisers from the seated position of a kayak makes handling heavy rods even more difficult.[…]

King is fishing what he calls a ridge, simply the completely flooded old bank of an oxbow lake.

Four seasons of the Red

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

The Red River Waterway system offers a huge array of bass habitats, including stump fields, backwater lakes, the original river’s banks, rock piles, log jams, reeds (cut grass), oxbow ridges and shorelines, as well as lily pad fields that have bounced back after the floods.[…]

Kaleb Kellum hoists a feisty bream while his dad, James, looks on. A simple cane pole and a box of worms are all that;s necessary for a great day of catching some hard-fighting panfish.

August’s Best Bets

August 15, 2018 Chris Holmes

Saltwater

Where: Grand Isle: Caminada Pass, Barataria Pass and Elmer’s Island beach

What: Bull reds and jack crevalle in the passes, and trout on the beach[…]

Movement from one pool to the next is done through locks. Although they are very large, built to accommodate barges and tugs, the lock tenders will lock through the smallest fishing boat without hesitation.

Off limits

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Pools No. 5 and 4 are large complex areas because a variety of habitats and properties were flooded by the 7- to 8-foot rise in water levels that followed damming. The two pools are where Charlie King focuses his Red River guiding efforts, and also where Trent Toups does much of his personal bass fishing.[…]

Navigation buoys mark the river’s barge channel and for obvious reasons, are located outside the ends of toppled wing walls. King stressed that it is dangerous to operate a boat on plane between any buoy and the shoreline.

The big challenge on the Red

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

The Red River system has lots of bass —and it has big bass. Catching fish isn’t the biggest challenge that visiting anglers face. It’s navigation.[…]

Clipping packs of commonly used hooks onto a carabiner keeps the terminal tackle at easy reach.

Tackle organization bolsters efficiency

August 15, 2018 David A. Brown

Wherever you hunt largemouth bass, opportunities can rise and fall quickly, so preparation is paramount. An important element of your readiness is the organization of, and easy access to, your terminal tackle. Hooks, weights, swivels, etc. all need to remain conveniently reachable, lest you miss your chance.[…]