Louisiana Sportsman

July 29, 2026

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.[…]

Pizzolato nets every fish — no exceptions.

A crappie hot dog

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Very few people can tell you the exact day they got serious about fishing, especially one with 70 years tucked under his belt.[…]

The tapered end of a wooden chopstick makes a perfect cork peg for Dave Pizzolato because it floats.

Tip of the day

August 15, 2018 Jerald Horst

Dave Pizzolato discards the plastic pegs that come with his corks and replaces them with the tapered tips of wooden chopsticks. “If the peg comes out, plastic sinks but wood floats,” he grinned.[…]

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.[…]

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.[…]

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.[…]

A jig is a very effective spotted bass bait because it casts well and quickly reaches bottom.

Keep the party going

August 15, 2018 David A. Brown

Spotted bass are an aggressive, competitive lot; but even a robust school sees peaks and valleys in its feeding. When this happens, you certainly have the option of giving them a rest and returning later. However, Bassmaster Elite pro Gerald Swindle would first try a little spot stimulation strategy.[…]

This chunky 3-pounder couldn’t resist a white swim jig and trailer after it struck at and missed a black Spro frog on the previous cast.

Frog follow-ups

August 15, 2018 Kinny Haddox

Frogs can’t do it all by themselves. But fishing frogs in combination with other lures is the most productive plan of attack. That’s especially true when a bass blows up on a frog, but misses it. When that happens, Tyler Stewart has three very specific baits he follows up with.[…]

Tyler Stewart is busy landing largemouths in the heat of summer on a topwater frog.

They built a better frog

August 15, 2018 Kinny Haddox

Frogs are becoming more popular fishing lures because they are a more realistic representation of a real frog, said professional fisheries biologist Mike Wood. In other words, they’re building a better frog.[…]