Look no further than the license plates on Louisiana residents’ vehicles and you see that the state is officially nicknamed the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” That fitting moniker is earned in no small part due to the fantastic fishing opportunities that abound from one end of the state to the other.
Encompassing freshwater, saltwater and offshore species, whether you fish for trophy, sport or food, Louisiana has the fishing adventure you’re after.
With no closed seasons for most inshore species and liberal limits, Louisiana offers year-round fishing opportunities.
Freshwater
The most popular freshwater species sought after in Louisiana are black bass, black and white crappie, catfish, bluegill and panfish. As in many states, local nicknames are often given to certain species. These nicknames can vary between different geographical locations within the state. For instance, crappie are generally known as “white perch” in the mid to northern regions of the state while virtually everyone in south Louisiana calls them sac-a-lait — pronounced “sock-a-lay.” This nickname comes from the Cajun/French interpreted as “sack of milk” for their delicious and delicate white flesh.
In addition to these popular species, freshwater anglers are also likely to encounter a variety of striped and hybrid striped bass, bowfin, buffalo, drum, paddlefish and a variety of bream. Alligator and spotted gar are also regularly hooked by anglers fishing for other species. The Gulf sturgeon can also be caught, but is protected and there is no legal harvest allowed.
Bass
Bass can be found in all freshwater areas of Louisiana, including southern coastal areas where the water is more brackish. There, it’s not uncommon to catch a bass on one cast and a redfish or speckled trout on another. In addition to native bass species, the state has routinely stocked larger growing Florida strain fingerlings into many areas in Louisiana. Bass in Louisiana can be caught using the same techniques and lures as in any other areas of the country and common live baits such as worms, shrimp, crawfish and minnows is allowed.
The general size and creel limits for bass are the same throughout the state except for a few specific areas that have established special size and creel limits. The normal take is ten fish per person, per day with no minimum or maximum size limits. The limited areas with special regulations may have minimum sizes, a restricted slot size, maximum size, reduced creel or a combination of these factors. Check the current regulations before you go. Louisiana has a healthy bass fishery both in terms of size and numbers. The state is regularly chosen as the location for the Bass Master’s Classic and holds the record for the heaviest five-fish total weigh-in the Classic’s history. In 2011, champion angler Kevin VanDam weighed in a total tournament weight of 69 pounds, 11 ounces fishing in Lake Cataouatche.
The largest largemouth bass recorded in the Louisiana records is 15.97 pounds.
Crappie
Crappie are a popular sport and food fish in Louisiana. So much so that the crappie is designated as the official freshwater fish of Louisiana. There is no minimum or maximum size on crappie. In most areas of Louisiana, the daily creel limit is a generous 50 fish per person with the exception of the Louisiana/Texas boundary waters, Poverty Point and D’Arbornne Lake in north Louisiana where the daily creel limit is 25 per person. Crappie can be caught on a variety of natural and artificial baits including live shiners, worms and crickets as well as small tube jigs and spinners.
Tackle for fishing crappie ranges from simple cane poles to specifically designed crappie rods. However, crappie gear does not need to be expensive. With a bucket of shiners or a handful of tube jigs, even anglers with limited experience can often locate hungry crappie. Regularly found around brush piles, crappie can accessed by small boats, paddle craft and in certain areas, from land or a pier.
Crappie are a great “starter” fish for children. Using a cane pole and a slip cork, young kids can easily fish crappie by themselves. The line is easy to place with the cane pole and the cork gives them visual indication of when to set the hook. Crappie make excellent table fare and the liberal limits allow for the makings of a family fish fry.
The largest white crappie on record in Louisiana is 3.80 pounds and the largest black crappie is 3.84 pounds.
Catfish
Louisiana has a large number of lakes, reservoirs and rivers that support a healthy population of catfish. Blue, channel and flathead catfish can be caught throughout Louisiana. Catfish present the widest legal variety of recreational catch methods than any other fish species in Louisiana. Besides traditional rod and reels and cane poles, catfish can be caught using trot lines, slat traps, wire nets, hoop nets and jugs. Other methods include setting pipes, drums, cans and buckets.
Catfish are generally bottom feeders and setting up your rod and reel with a bottom rig or Carolina rig is a sure way to get your bait in front of hungry catfish. Catfish are most often caught using natural baits or one of many smelly concoctions of blood or cheese-based baits. Worms and live or cut baitfish easily attract catfish. Dough baits and other “stink” baits can be purchased commercially or made from a variety of “recipes” easily found on the internet.
Catfishing can also be done by boat, off the bank or from a pier. Many catfishermen will set out a few juglines or a trotline to enhance the catch from a day’s fishing trip. The jugs or trotline are set at the beginning of the trip and then checked after the day’s rod and reel fishing.
Catfish are also passively caught with a variety of methods including traps, pipes, drums and nets. Catfish will enter traps and nets for a variety of reasons including to get to bait, hide out or nest. The traps are allowed to sit long enough for the catfish to enter and then retrieved to empty out the catfish.
Of course for the more adventurous, there’s always “noodling” where you reach into sunken logs to hand-grab the catfish and pull them out.
Louisiana catfish get big. The state records for the largest of each species are: blue catfish 110.19 pounds, channel catfish 30.31 and flathead catfish 95.0 pounds.
Bluegill & varied panfish
The easiest and most inexpensive freshwater fish to catch are the bluegill and other varieties of bream. With a simple cane pole and a few worms dug from the garden, a mess of these tasty fish can be caught nearly anywhere in Louisiana where there’s freshwater. There are no size or creel limits. Dubbed “panfish” for the fact that they rarely outgrow the size of a frying pan, these tasty fish are hard fighters and offer great sport. Panfish are a great way to get children hooked on fishing.
The record bluegill in Louisiana weighed in at 1.63 pounds.
Saltwater
Louisiana’s inshore and nearshore coastal fisheries offer an abundance and wide variety of common saltwater species. However, it’s no secret that the most pursued are speckled trout (spotted sea trout), redfish and flounder-in that order. With no closed season and relatively mild winters, Louisiana truly hosts a year-round fishery.
Speckled Trout
Speckled trout are prized in Louisiana both for their sport and their flesh.
The rich coastal estuaries of Louisiana provide excellent habitat for sustaining large numbers of trout. An abundance of shrimp, baitfish and other tasty morsels allow the trout to flourish. While not posting the giant sized trout more common to Florida and Texas, Louisiana maintains a liberal limit that is easily sustained from year to year. In most areas, the daily limit is 25 trout per person with a minimum length of 12 inches.
However, several years ago, the regulations were modified in a specific area of Calcasieu and Cameron parishes in the extreme southwestern area of the state. Trout caught in this are subject to a 15 fish daily bag limit with no more that two of those fish exceeding 25 inches.
The list of artificial lures that fool speckled trout is almost endless. Trout can be caught at all levels in the water column. A simple lead jighead with soft plastic tail can’t be beat. Fished “tightlined” on the bottom or under a popping cork, this simple combination has been supplying limits of trout for decades. Tail color possibilities are virtually endless and as a general rule, use lighter colors in clear water and darker colors when the water is darker.
For those who like to add a little more finesse to their technique, suspending lures or topwater baits can’t be beat. Speckled trout regularly feed on topwater and some days full limits of heart-stopping action can be had without changing lures.
For many Louisiana trout fishermen, live bait is king. Shrimp, cocahoe minnows and croaker are seasonally available at local marinas and bait shops. A live shrimp under a popping cork probably accounts for more Louisiana trout caught each year than any other method. Bait dealers are allowed to sell shrimp year-round, but they may become unavailable for several months during the late winter when they are not available to be caught. This is when most live bait fishermen switch to readily available minnows. Live croakers are considered “trout crack” by many trophy trout fishermen, but are not always available and are hard to keep alive.
Speckled trout range inshore throughout areas with salty and brackish water, but are seldom found in extremely fresh areas. They inhabit all coastal Louisiana areas and the majority of trout fishing is accessed by boat. However, good trout fishing can be found off the side of several coastal roadways as well as fishing camp wharfs and public fishing piers.
The record speckled trout in Louisiana weighed in at 12.38 pounds and was caught in 1950.
Redfish
Redfish are the undisputed brutes of the marsh. With gregarious appetites, it’s not often that you will come across a Louisiana redfish that won’t eat. Toss them a live or artificial offering and be prepared to do battle. Redfish act a lot like largemouth bass and can be caught on most of the same style lures.
However, redfish have strong crushers in their mouths and will destroy most common bass lures. Most of the popular lures used to catch reds evolved from bass lures. Saltwater spinnerbaits and topwater lures beefed up with stainless steel wire and extra strong hooks can stand up to tough fighting redfish
Redfish are also caught with the same lures and techniques used for speckled trout. In addition to live bait and lures, redfish are also suckers for dead shrimp. Redfish regularly cruise ponds and shallow shorelines rooting around for something to eat. Toss out a chunk of dead shrimp under a popping cork, sit back and wait. When the cork starts moving sideways it’s a pretty sure bet that a hungry red it attempting to make off with your offering.
Redfish are loosely classed into two sizes based on the catch regulations. Slot redfish fall in the 16 inch minimum to the under 27 inch maximum. Fish 27 inches and over are usually considered bull redfish. State-wide regulations allow anglers to keep up to five redfish per person within the slot range, but allows that one of those five fish can be 27 inches or longer.
While bull redfish are regularly caught in the interior waters, they are more common to the outer coastal areas and barrier islands. Like speckled trout, redfish are best pursued by boat, but can regularly be caught roadside and off of fishing piers and docks.
Redfish are great blackened, “half-shelled” on the grill, fried or cooked in the Louisiana creole favorite, redfish courtbouillon (pronounced “coo-be-yahn”). The largest recorded redfish caught on a rod and reel in Louisiana is 61.00 pounds.
Flounder
Flounder are a prized catch; but, surprisingly, they are not often specifically targeted by most Louisiana saltwater fishermen. While they are regularly caught by anglers pursuing trout and redfish, most catches are “accidental.” Flounder are found all across coastal Louisiana, but they prefer slightly different habitat than reds and trout. Since they spend a lot of time resting or hiding on the bottom, flounder shy away from oyster reefs and soft, mucky bottoms. They prefer to lay around sandy or firm mud bottoms.
Flounders school up less than trout and reds and generally don’t travel far within their area except as they move towards the Gulf during their fall and winter spawning migrations.
Flounder prefer to lay motionless, perfectly camouflaged on the bottom waiting for prey to come within range. With both eyes on the same side of their body, they have great vision and are very accurate when striking a meal.
Flounder have delicious white flesh and their unique flat shape make them a favorite for baking and stuffing with another Louisiana favorite, blue crab.
The state record flounder is a whopping 13.06 pounds.
Miscellaneous
In addition to trout, reds and flounder, Louisiana also has excellent fishing for sheepshead and black drum, To label such fine eating and fighting fish “miscellaneous” may seem strange to fishermen from other areas. However, due to the abundance of the more popular trout and redfish, sheepshead and drum are not often specifically targeted by local fishermen.
Sheepshead are a little more difficult to clean, but they make excellent table fare cooked with a wide variety of traditional recipes. The meat is also regularly boiled in seasoned crab boil to produce an excellent mock crab meat
Although they are difficult to catch on artificial lures, sheepshead will easily fall for a live or dead shrimp. They concentrate around algae and barnacle encrusted wood and concrete pilings. If you’re looking to catch sheepshead, look no further than the nearest coastal bridge or dock. There is no size or creel limit on sheepshead.
Black drum are similar to their redfish (red drum) cousins and can be caught in the same areas and with the same baits. They have the same size and creel restrictions and anglers are allowed to keep five fish between 16 and 27 inches. One of those five fish may be over 27 inches.
Smaller drum are excellent eating, but once they get over the 27 inch range they tend to get a lot of worms in the meat and are best released.
The state record sheepshead is 21.25 pounds and the largest black drum is 79.50 pounds.
Offshore
Louisiana is also blessed with an amazing offshore fishery. The fertile waters of the Gulf of Mexico, laced with the man-made structures built in conjunction with Louisiana’s huge oil and gas exploration industry provide excellent habitat and structure for a wide variety of reef fish and pelagic fish.
The offshore rigs, wrecks and reefs are home to numerous species of snappers, amberjacks, cobia, mackerel, grouper, sharks, triggerfish, tarpon and many others. Fishing the various depths near this type of structure is almost certain to produce. Preferred methods include hooking onto a corner of the rig or using the boat’s engine to hold in position over a favorite location. The fish are often found on different sides of the rigs depending on the speed of the current and water conditions.
The deep-water rigs further out in the Gulf attract a variety of billfish, tuna and dolphin. Trolling around and near these giant structures is a popular method to hook up with the largest sportfish the Gulf has to offer. Current lines or “rips” in the Gulf also trap weeds and debris. The color and water clarity and temperature is often different on either side of the rip. Trolling or casting near this distinct line can provide great action, especially for dolphin.
Offshore record fish:
- Blue marlin 1018.50 pounds
- Yellowfin tuna 251.00 pounds
- Dolphin 71.25 pounds
- Red snapper 50.25 pounds
Charter Trips
Whether you’re after largemouth bass or blue marlin, one of the best ways to experience the finest in Louisiana fishing is to hire an experienced charter captain. These seasoned skippers spend an enormous amount of time on the water and always know what’s biting and where. It’s great way to sample Louisiana without owning a boat or investing in expensive fishing equipment. Louisiana is a world wide destination for premier sportfishing. The fishery is healthy and the fish are hungry.
If you want to catch it, chances are you’ll find it in Louisiana.
By Chris Holmes
