Bass Fishing

Dazzle ‘em with the Damiki rig

Bass anglers know that few scenarios rival the hair-pulling frustration of suspended fish. Maybe it’s largemouth fleeing heavy fishing pressure on their offshore humps and contour breaks; or perhaps we’re talking about Toledo Bend’s spotted bass suspending in open water because they enjoy being difficult.[…]

Redfish

More popping cork pointers

A good topwater bite can offer an entertaining display of ferocity, but at some point the fish shy away from this game. Maybe it’s the intensifying sunlight/heat, fishing pressure or a combination of such factors; but whatever the case, Capt. Ross Montet knows that the fish haven’t necessarily stopped feeding. In his view, you simply need to descend into the water column — and popping corks offer the perfect transitional tool.[…]

A tournament fish finally makes the livewell. A freshly landed redfish appreciates some oxygen after the fight of its life; but a dead red will keep an angler off the leaderboard.
Redfish

Livewell tips

Weight deductions of half, to as much as a full pound, are assessed if tournament anglers bring in a dead fish. But it’s a delicate process to keep redfish alive in 90-plus degree temperatures in the blistering heat of Louisiana summers.[…]

Deer Hunting

Tools for building a food plot

Hand rake: Often one of the first tools you’ll use when building a food plot. Use a hand rake to remove leaves or other debris from your plot before disking. This tool also comes in handy if you decide to conduct a controlled burn. […]

Deer Hunting

Best plants for the food plot

Iron clay peas: These are packed with as much as 30 percent protein, and they’re also drought tolerant. You can plant this variety from now throughout the summer, which will provide food until the beginning of bow season, depending on the size of your herd and plot. […]

Sidebars

A fisheries football

Red snapper management has been a fisheries football kicked back and forth between federal and state managers, snapper fishermen and environmental groups since 1990, when the first serious regulations were imposed on recreational fishermen.[…]

Sidebars

May 2018 ‘Yakin’ best bets

Black Bayou Lake is a premier fishery for bream, and it’s relatively under-fished. Power boats are limited to a 50-hp maximum engine size, and that prohibits the majority of bass boats. Personal watercraft (jet skis) are also prohibited. The lake is well protected by heavy tree cover, and provides perfect paddle craft fishing in a variety of weather conditions.[…]