Bass Fishing
Best locations and patterns
Avid bass angler Johnny Watkins loves spending fall days fishing cuts in the central and northern portions of the Calcasieu River.[…]
Sidebars
Deer Hunting
Preseason bow-hunting prep important
Dan Preaus played baseball at Louisiana Tech during his college years, and he said playing that game and bow-hunting deer requires attention to some of the same factors.[…]
Deer Hunting
Stealth a critical factor in bow-hunting success
Dan Preaus has enjoyed a good measure of success in the 10 years he has turned to archery hunting, taking 15 deer with his bow. But each successive season teaches him things about hunting in close proximity to the deer he pursues.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Use caution when leaving Tchefuncte River
When you exit the mouth of the Tchefuncte River, it looks like you can simply turn left and shoot straight over to the Causeway.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Bayles’ bombers
Although Bomber Lures manufactures a 6-inch saltwater version of their Long A, Tracy Bayles insists on fishing with the 4 ½-inch freshwater version of the lure, usually thought of as a bass bait.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Specks aren’t the only ‘trout’ in the area
Where else but Louisiana can you catch speckled trout, redfish and flounder, and then reel in chunky bass after no more than a 10-minute boat ride?[…]
Inshore Fishing
Leeville is perfect fishing location
Leeville, a wide spot on Louisiana Highway 1 between Golden Meadow and Grand Isle, offers saltwater anglers a lot of action.[…]
Bass Fishing
Sea monsters (aka stripers) roam the Florida Parishes rivers
Anadromous, sea-run stripers migrate up all the Florida Parish rivers, and can give you a sleigh ride — at least for a little while.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Why East Timablier Island has disappeared
“Where are the rocks?” I asked Tracy Bayles.
“You’re over them,” was Bayles’ plain-spoken reply. “All these wellheads were once protected by East Timbalier Island.[…]
Deer Hunting
Best deer-tracking equipment
Successful tracking does not require any hi-tech equipment, although special lights and Luminol-type products are available.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Tippets
Down on the coast, it’s prime time for marsh trout, whether they be speckled or not. Trout of the spotted variety will take a weighted clouser or shrimp pattern set 30 inches below a VOSI over reefs and in cuts, canals and bayous. Fish the fly off the bottom, and the result could vary from white trout to redfish to drum.[…]
Deer Hunting
Backing off plots puts less pressure on deer
When former Louisiana Sportsman editor Todd Masson and I began working on my land in Washington Parish, we set out stands right on the edges of the small plots we had planted.[…]
Coastal Projects
In the plan to preserve Louisiana’s barrier islands
Louisiana’s Master Plan for coastal restoration, hurricane protection and flood control has a massive $50 billion budget that will be spread out over the next 50 years or so.[…]
Deer Hunting
Soybeans proved to be the buck meal ticket
If there has been any one magic ingredient that has attracted more deer to my small property in Washington Parish, it has been the implementation of a summer food plot program.[…]
Deer Hunting
Scent-control tips for bowhunters
Curtis Simpson has devised a system of washing, spraying and height that has proven good enough to help him hide from deer noses.[…]
Deer Hunting
Patience required to maximize stand setup
If your property is large enough to hold deer, West Monroe bowhunter Curtis Simpson believes you can help hold more deer by setting up a system of stands that move progressively deeper from the outside edges of the land to the interior where bigger bucks are likely to be.[…]