Freshwater Fishing
Bait care essential to crappie-fishing success
When crappie are feeding, they might hit a jig or a skirted hook, but everything tastes better with a Missouri (aka Arkansas) minnow on the back.[…]
Fishing
Inshore Fishing
Spoons for any fishing situation
Jason Shilling and Gerald Roy couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me when I told them I wasn’t a big fan of fishing spoons for redfish.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Chains help slow down drift for more crappie success
Crappie pro Mark Williams knows that working with the wind is a make-it-or-break factor for spider rigging.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Harvey Cut holds big summertime redfish
Even though we had a limit of redfish in Jason Shilling’s boat, my son Matthew still wanted something more pulling on his line.[…]
Freshwater Fishing
Tackle talk for spider-rigging crappie
Williams said his standard spider-rigging outfit comprises a 14-foot medium-action Wally Marshall rod with a Wally Marshall spinning reel strung with 8-pound monofilament terminating in a snap swivel for quickly attaching and switching out rigs.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Dehydration a lurking summertime danger
Capt. Jason Shilling with New Orleans Style Fishing Charters cautioned that anglers should not dismiss the heat with a hot-headed attitude that they’ll do anything to catch the fish.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Lake Pelto Sulphur Mine loaded with speckled trout
Joey Hedrick knows of at least three “sulphur mines” that people fish along the Louisiana Gulf coast. However, the one he most-frequently fishes is the collection of cast iron, wooden pilings and steel cables just north of Lake Pelto.[…]
Bass Fishing
Make fish attack topwater lures
Often you’ll find fish tracking your topwater for considerable distances before striking. Some will wake like a rising submarine or even boil under the bait in a test run.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Advantage drop shot
Although drop-shot rigs are nothing new, they have slowly started pushing aside the venerable Carolina rig from its place as the most relied-upon rig for fishing live bait in saltwater.[…]
Bass Fishing
Best line and knots for topwaters
If you’re aching for a lesson in frustration, tie your topwater onto an outfit spooled with braided line. Light, limp and oh so buoyant, braid tends to gather just where you don’t want it – right in front of that first treble hook.[…]
Bass Fishing
Tag team topwater fishing tactics
Savvy anglers will keep walkers and chuggers/poppers handy, but a deliberate one-two plan can elevate your topwater game — particularly in deeper water.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Toups’ family fishing tradition
Fishing the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo wasn’t something Bootsie Toups did as a child, but when he began fishing the event in 1978 at the age of 23, he was instantly hooked.[…]
Bass Fishing
The right rod for topwater fishing
Murray said the key to effective topwater retrieves — particularly for walking baits — is a 6 ½- to 7-foot, soft-action rod. No spinnerbait or worm rods here: Just something with the right amount of fish-fighting backbone that still has sufficient flexibility.[…]
Inshore Fishing
The Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo’s colorful history
For about 360 days a year, the tiny island of Grand Isle is home to slightly more than 1,200 people.[…]
Offshore Fishing
Wonderland
In the truck on the way from his Houma home to Cocodrie, where he docks his offshore boat, Capt. Tommy Pellegrin explained “Wonderland,” the day’s fishing destination.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Recommended boat gear for fishing Delacroix’s marshes
If you plan to fish the Hopedale/Delacroix marshes, two pieces of equipment that Capt. Ted DeAgano insists anglers should carry with them on their boats is a Cajun Marsh Anchor and long push pole.[…]