Our boat was drifting on a cobalt-blue sea about 220 over a limestone-capped, coralline-encrusted “mountain.” We were out to catch what our skipper, Tommy Pellegrin, called “Cocodrie exotics” — a term he uses to describe the big variety of reef fish he catches from natural bottoms.[…]
A new documentary prominently featuring a book by former Louisiana Sportsman editor Todd Masson and Gordon Hutchinson will show in theaters across the country in the next couple of months.[…]
A 14-inch minimum-length regulation that has been in place since Hurricane Andrew blasted the Atchafalaya Basin becomes a thing of the past Thursday (June 20) after the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved its removal.[…]
Every year, as we enter the summer doldrums, trout start to shy away from live shrimp. Old salts say it’s because their mouths get sore from being pierced by so many shrimp horns.[…]
During the months of May and June, most anglers get a hankering to fish outside areas where the specks are big and hit with more attitude than Tito Ortiz.[…]
Another national wildlife refuge that is an absolute must for canoe and kayak anglers is Lacassine. As in years past, the refuge’s pool that is reserved for non-motorized boats has produced monster bass this spring.[…]
Few people utilize a float plan, plain and simple. But they are important to prevent a mishap from becoming dangerous.[…]
Raccoon Island’s productivity comes with a price, especially for anglers unfamiliar with its dynamics — both natural and man-made.[…]
A section of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is about to get a major shot in the arm.[…]
Live bait was designed by Satan himself.
It’s surely not a coincidence, then, that it’s all Louisiana speckled trout will hit in the heart of summer when the air is thick and heavy, and temperatures are hotter than hell.[…]
The balsawood float sailed through the air like a bullet with purpose to the predetermined target making a sploosh as it hit the water.[…]
Fishing the islands means different things to Louisiana speckled trout connoisseurs. Masses of pulverized shell, thick spartina grass rimmed by hidden oyster reefs and even near-perfect circles of roseau cane all have their place in different areas along the coast for anglers to hoist healthy yellowmouths over the gunnels.[…]
It appears that Ship Shoal 26 — better known as “the Pickets” and serving as a trout-fishing Mecca — will continue to be a fishing hotspot for the time being. But for how long remains the question.[…]
Dear Capt. Paul:
I recently wrote to you about the data card on my Garmin 182c not reading, and you posted the article in the April Louisiana Sportsman magazine. I am writing today to give you the results.[…]
The Pickets are hallowed ground in the Houma trout-fishing world. If you fish out of Cocodrie and Dularge during the summer, the odds are pretty darned good you schedule time at this perennial hotspot to add big specks to your box.[…]
Dear Capt. Paul:
I have a new camp in Cocodrie, and I’m learning the area. I was hoping to hit some of the shallower rigs for a few lemonfish and perhaps even some snapper.
Do you have the coordinates for the Mardi Gras and EnStar rigs that are supposed to be near the shoreline?[…]