Columns
Sheep herding
Mark Sagerholm is an avid kayak fisherman and a self proclaimed “sheep herder.” Sagerholm has developed a great respect for sheepshead — what many Louisiana fishermen consider trash fish.[…]
Southeast LA
News Breaker
359 rigs slated for decommissioning, leading scientist says action is detrimental to red snapper plan
The number 359 has taken on a new meaning for some Louisiana anglers and conservationists: That’s the estimated number of Gulf of Mexico rigs and platforms scheduled for removal this year, according to a release by DecomWorld distributed on Jan. 15.
And according to Dr. Bob Shipp, chairman of the University of South Alabama Department of Marine Sciences, that number is way too high because removal of any decommissioned rig is premature, if not blatantly detrimental to reef fish habitat.
“As a fisheries scientist, I think it’s a very big mistake,” he said.[…]
Events & Announcements
$35,000 up for grabs in Louisiana Sportsman Open Bass Championship
The Louisiana Sportsman Open Bass Championship is scheduled for March 16-17, and there is a lot of money up for grabs. The team that rises to the top of the two-day event will walk away with a cool $12,000.
And the rest of the top-25 teams will split $23,000.[…]
Features
Cold on top — Catch winter specks on topwater baits
When others head to deep holes in Pointe-aux-Chene’s sulphur mine, Capt. Gordon Matherne heads to the shallows to catch topwater speckled trout.[…]
Inshore Fishing
How to set the hook on a topwater bait
The trick to sinking the hooks on a topwater into a fish’s mouth isn’t the same as when fishing a jig. In other words, don’t jerk the snot out of it when a fish picks up the lure.[…]
Contents
A labor of love — How the New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club began
Louisiana is blessed in all things that come from the water. Its reputation as a seafood-producing and consuming state is unequaled.[…]
Contents
Fourchon Meat Haul — Catch boxes of sheepshead by fishing the rigs just off Louisiana’s coast
The call to Doc Fontaine seemed perfunctory, a mere formality — almost pointless. After all, traditionally, mooching a Grand Isle camp for a weekend in February ain’t too hard.[…]
Contents
Rip Dash Rocked — Spend time fishing with this local rock legend
Roughly 15 hours of every day of my childhood were spent fishing in Southwest Florida. In my late teens, I put aside the rod after picking up the guitar.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Dularge camp provides rock muse
Rows of houses out in the water looked in every way like a regular, quaint neighborhood, except totally lacking in roads.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Limits of speckled trout being caught out of DuLarge
Changes in water temperatures are usually the catalyst that causes trout to transition from marshes to the lakes and vice versa.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Drift ‘Yaking
Anchoring and trolling are undoubtedly productive methods of fishing in Southeast Louisiana.[…]
Hunting
Hunting seasons to reopen on three WMAs flooded by recent heavy rains
Hunting seasons on three wildlife management areas closed earlier this month due to high water levels will reopen tomorrow (Jan. 23), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries announced today.[…]
News Breaker
Duck hunting this season in lower Mississippi River Delta poor, guides say
A duck hunt last week with Cajun Fishing Adventures’ Ross Montet in Buras featured low duck numbers, which wasn’t a surprise to the guide — even after a pack of nearly 100 gadwalls flared as his boat entered the open water near the launch.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Redfish and drum abundant in Buras
After a relatively poor morning of duck hunting near Buras last week, Capt. Johnny Hodge with Cajun Fishing Adventures decided to head to the east side of the river to try for some redfish.[…]
Hunting
Hunting on Pearl River WMA stopped because of flood waters
Hunting on Pearl River Wildlife Management Area will be prohibited beginning Friday (Jan. 11) because of high water, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries announced today.[…]
Inshore Fishing
The Gold Mine
If you fish the famed Sulfur Mine in Galliano, you likely won’t find any gold, but you will find lots of silver and bronze. This old industrial mine site is a perfect place to take your kayak for limits of wintertime specks and reds.[…]