Catfish, sac-a-lait, bass bite big in Cataouatche, Des Allemands waters
The big buzz in fishing is the catch made by Steve Rockweiler last week.
The news of his two 10-pound catfish has spread faster than a cold front across the state this time of year.
Most fishermen never catch one 10-pounder in a lifetime, yet Steve caught two in one fishing trip in the Des Allemands area.
Some might compare this feat to a golfer hitting two holes-in-one in an 18-hole game of golf.
Lake Cataouatche has also produced good catches of bass recently.
John Waguespack and Shawn Schnexayder caught six bass launching out at Pier 90.
They fished last Friday on a bright bluebird day with the watermelon Baby Brush Hog and the white spinner bait.
The pair had never fished Lake Cataouatche and were told to fish the cuts along the north shoreline.
So they took the advice they were given and made a great fishing trip.
After being around the boat launch at Pier 90 and seeing all the fish come in, I decided to run out to the cuts and try my luck at catching a few big-blue catfish.
The earthworms were not in the water for long before one of my three rods bent over.
By the look of it, I knew I had a good fish. Ten minutes later I netted a 30-inch catfish.
In less than an hour, I had caught five big-blue catfish – the largest measuring 32 inches in length.
The five fish filled a 50-quart ice chest.
To make good catches like that you need to find a cut along the north shoreline of Lake Cataouatche with a good to strong current.
Anchor in the middle of the current between 100 to 200 yards from the shoreline.
Rig a ¾ to 1-ounce weight at the end of your line and come up about 10 to 12 inches on your line and tie a sharp No. 2 hook with a short leader.
This will keep the bait above the weight and just off the bottom.
You can also “Carolina” rig your line.
Earthworm, market shrimp and pogies are a favorite bait for catfish.
Remember to use a hook strong enough to reel in fish from 1.5 pounds to 20 pounds.
If one cut doesn’t produce, move to the next one. You can even come back to a cut and catch fish later.
I missed several catfish last week, but one large catfish broke the top of the water, reminiscent of a mini sub-marine.
He was huge, probably weighing in between 20 and 25 pounds.
The one that got away doesn’t make for much of a fishing story, but I was happy to go home with the five I caught.
Des Allemands waters yield fish
Sac-a-lait are still biting in the Lake Des Allemands area.
The canals producing fish are Knights Bay, Stump Canal, Humble in the Lake and the Providence Canals.
The best time to fish is when the south winds push the water up into the canals.
Fishing gets tough when a Northern wind blows the water out.
I recommend that you slow your presentation down, fish deep, and try fishing with shiners.
Best colors for sac-a-laits have been the blue and white, black and white, black and chartreuse, and the pink and white under a cork 6-to-18 inches deep.
Hunting openings and closings
Big-game season with a firearm has finally come to an end. Area 6 has closed for the year, but if you hunt with a bow, your season will stay open until Feb. 15.
Many hunters will be experiencing hunting withdrawals soon, but don’t close the door on the hunting season.
Water fowlers can hunt geese until March 8 with no limits in the East and West Zone.
The Conservation Order for light geese includes Snow, Blues, and Ross.
Turkey season is right around the cornet for areas A, B and C.
Area A is open March 28 through April 26. Area B is open March 28 through April 1, and area C is open March 28 through April 12.
To verify all turkey season information, visit the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Web site at wlf.louisiana.gov.
There you can search the turkey season schedule and look at the area map where you will be hunting.
Private land, youth, physically challenged and wheelchair confined hunters will hunt March 21 and 22.
Rabbit season open until Feb. 28
Rabbit season is still in full swing. Most of the foliage has been killed off and now is the time to hunt rabbits.
The daily bag limit is eight per hunter and the season will stay open until Feb. 28.
Questions? Comments? Send an email to editor@heraldguide.com
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