53 entries in the tournament. 10 places paid out for the most weight and 3 places for big bass. There were 192 bass weighed in on Saturday afternoon totaling 419.26 pounds with an average bass weight of 2.18 pounds.
3rd place: Willie Couch III & Warren Couch: $700
2nd place: Derek Braud & Bryce Hanna; $1000
1ST PLACE WINNERS: BRETT FORET & GRANT NAQUIN; $3000
COMPLETE RESULTS FOR 12TH ANNUAL JACOB DUGAS BASS TOURNAMENT: COURTESY SUE HANEY
YOUTH: DRAKE GARRISON WITH A TWO DAY (TWO FISH TOTAL) OF 13.72
Sean O’Connell and Bruce Lindheim Take Home 2013 Louisiana Saltwater Series Redfish Championship Title with a Two-Day, Four Fish Total Weight of 36.29 Pounds
(Oct. 22, 2013) – The Louisiana Saltwater Series Redfish Series Championship was held at Venice Marina in Venice, Louisiana on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19. When it was all said and done, Sean O’Connell and Bruce Lindheim took home $5,960 and bragging rights as the Champions of the 2013 LASS Redfish Series with a two-day total weight of 36.29 pounds.
The Championship is a two-day tournament, with a two-fish total weight per day to determine the winner. There’s no entry fee, and there’s a guaranteed hefty paycheck for the top finishing team. In order to compete in the Louisiana Saltwater Series Championship, teams must either have a finish within payout in one of the six qualifying events or compete in at least four of the six qualifying events over the course of the year.
A total of 58 teams qualified to participate in the Championship event for 2013.
On day one of the Championship 39 teams took to the waters to begin their hunt for a chance to take home first place. At the end of the weigh-in, 59 live redfish were brought to the scales, and Nash Roberts, IV, and Luke Landry stood in first place with a two-fish total weight of 18.47 pounds.
The awards banquet wrapped up a great day on Friday on the water, with dinner provided by Venice Marina and beverages by Coors Light and Tito’s Vodka. Dinner was followed by the recognition of the LASS Youth of the Year, Christopher McElveen and the LASS Team of the Year, Steve Smith and John Garrison.
At the start of day two, 26 teams blasted off in hopes of catching two fish that would give them the winning two-day total. Teams began weighing in at 1 p.m., and Brandon Treadaway and Kevin Bergeron kicked things off with a two-fish total weight of 18.64 pounds, with one fish weighing in at 10.3 pounds!
The LASS also recognized its 2013 Youth Champion, Drake Garrison, who had a two-day total weight of 13.72 pounds. Youth participants weigh in one redfish per day, competing against one another in a youth-only category.
The LASS is a catch, tag and release tournament, ensuring that nearly 100 percent of the fish caught in this tournament survive and later provide valuable data to the Department. It provides LDWF a great platform and opportunity to showcase its fisheries management efforts and public programs to thousands of people. Since the tournament’s inception, a total of 3,112 fish have been tagged and released through the tournament series since its inception in 2010. Of the 3,112 tagged fish, 2,858 were redfish.
To further encourage tag and release numbers, teams were allowed to bring in extra fish, earning them entries into drawings for special prizes provided by tournament sponsors. Michael McElveen, Rob Folsom and Christopher McElveen brought in the most extra fish throughout the six redfish season events with a total of 43 fish.
Tournament sponsorship support includes Shimano, PowerPro, Coors Light, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Daybrook Fisheries, Omega Protein, Plaquemines Parish Tourism, Dockside Marine, Mercury, Conservation Force, SeaTow, Standard Mapping, Marsh and Bayou Magazine, Faux Pas Prints, Swamp Swatter, Frabill, Stick It Anchor Pins, YETI Coolers and Krispy Kreme Donuts.
The Louisiana Saltwater Series is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Department and Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fish resources.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For press inquiries, contact Ashley Wethey at awethey@wlf.la.gov or (225) 765-2396.
Oct. 30, 2013 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries press release of Oct. 4, which announced the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission’s approved 2014 wild turkey season dates, contained incorrect information about youth lottery hunts on Kisatchie National Forest. In 2014, there are no youth lottery hunts, or applications to complete and submit, for hunters 17 years of age or younger wishing to hunt turkeys on KNF properties during designated youth hunt dates.
Youth hunting dates for wild turkey on Kisatchie National Forest have been approved for the weekend of March 15-16 on the Caney, Calcasieu (except Forest Service / Vernon Unit lands within Ft. Polk/Vernon WMA) and Kisatchie Ranger Districts; and March 15 on Catahoula and Winn Ranger Districts.
The regular turkey season within the Caney Ranger District would run from March 22 to April 6; and from March 22 to April 13 on all other Ranger Districts.
The private lands youth and physically challenged hunter weekend will be March 15-16 in all designated turkey hunting areas.
For more information on WMA hunting opportunities and hunting seasons in Louisiana, visit www.wlf.la.gov. For information on turkey season dates and regulations, contact Jimmy Stafford at 225-765-2361 or jstafford@wlf.la.gov .
Oct. 24, 2013 – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is advising hunters of the following information about the Kisatchie National Forest (KNF), Red Dirt and Catahoula National Wildlife Management Preserves (NWMP). With the return of federal employees from the recent federal government shutdown, hunters are advised of the following:
To view the 2013-2014 Louisiana Hunting Regulations pamphlet on LDWF’s website, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/regulations. Details on hunting within KNF begin on page 82. To access the KNF website, go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/hunting/index.html.
For additional information: contact Jason Nolde, KNF Pineville office, ph. 318-473-7192; or Steve Smith, LDWF Pineville field office, ph. 318-487-5885.
Sept. 24, 2013 – In a move anticipated by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials, NOAA Fisheries rejected red snapper landing estimates from its own Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and set a 14 day fall season in Louisiana federal waters beginning next Tuesday, Oct. 1. Estimated recreational landings of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico after the first federal season in June indicated that the entire 2013 recreational allowable harvest had been exceeded by more than 14 percent; at that time these estimates had not even accounted for Texas landings.
NOAA Fisheries’ justification for a supplemental season is recorded in a Sept. 9, addendum to the June 9, 2013 report “Estimated 2013 Season Lengths for a Fall Reopening of the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Season” and states the following:
“At this time, NOAA Fisheries does not have a sufficient understanding of how to use the new MRIP landing estimates without better understanding how they fit into the broader scientific basis for red snapper management, which includes the stock assessment and the full historical times series of fishery dependent and independent data.”
“Assuming catch rates are 75 percent of summer catch rates, the season length would be 14 days (i.e., Oct 1‐Oct 14).”
“’No sufficient understanding’, ’assuming’, this is exactly why Louisiana is conducting its own recreational survey.” stated Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Randy Pausina. “How can I have confidence making fishery management decisions in Louisiana based on recreational landing data that NMFS themselves barely understand?”
The fall federal season will begin Oct. 1, and end Oct. 14, with a two fish limit and a minimum size of 16 inches. In an effort to provide for compatible regulations in Louisiana state waters, LDWF Secretary Barham, with the support of the Wildlife & Fisheries Commission, is opening state waters concurrently with the federal opening.
State Red Snapper Season
The Louisiana, weekend-only season will end Sunday, September 29. There will be NO red snapper fishing on Monday, September 30. State and federal waters will be open on Oct. 1, with a two-fish limit and a 16-inch minimum.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For press inquiries, contact Laura Wooderson at lwooderson@wlf.la.gov or (504)430-2623. For season and bag limit information, contact Jason Adriance at jadriance@wlf.la.gov or (504) 284-2032.
Oct. 11, 2013 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reminds hunters that they must have successfully completed an approved Hunter Education class prior to hunting if they were born on or after September 1, 1969.
Younger hunters may hunt without Hunter Education certification if they are under the direct supervision of a person 18 years or older who has proof of Hunter Education certification or are directly supervised by a person born prior to September 1, 1969 and who has a valid hunting license. Direct supervision means the hunter is within hearing distance of a normal voice and in direct line of sight of the supervising adult.
The Louisiana Hunter Education Program certifies about 18,000 hunters annually and provides the foundation for safe and responsible hunting. The Hunter Education course covers firearms and outdoor safety, wildlife management and ethics. Courses include a live-fire exercise and participants must demonstrate safe firearm handling skills. Hunting accidents have dropped significantly since Hunter Education became mandatory in 1984.
Two options are available for taking Hunter Education. Students may attend a traditional classroom course that consists of 10 hours of instruction, usually taught over 2-3 days. Alternatively, students may take the home study version available on-line or by CD-Rom. Hunters who choose the home study version must also attend a mandatory 6-hour field day event.
There is no minimum age for attending a Hunter Education course; however, persons under 10 years old cannot receive Hunter Education certification. The Louisiana Hunter Education certification is recognized and accepted in all 50 states.
There is no charge for the classroom course or CD-ROM version of the home study course. There is a $15 charge to take the on-line version of the home course. Home study CD-ROMs are available from LDWF Education Program offices.
To register for a class or to learn more about Hunter Education in Louisiana, visit www.wlf.la.gov/hunting/hunter-education . There are multiple websites offering Hunter Education information and class schedules, however, some of these contain outdated information and schedules. Hunters are advised to refer only to the department’s website or links accessed from the department website for current and reliable Hunter Education information.
For more information, contact Fred Kimmel at 225-765-2355 or fkimmel@wlf.la.gov.
Hunting and fishing — along with any other activities — are prohibited on all federal properties as part of the government shutdown that began today, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official confirmed.
“All federal properties are closed,” said Pon Dixson of the USFWS’s Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex. “It started this morning.”
Included in the shutdown are national wildlife refuges and national forests — all of which normally allow bow hunting beginning Oct. 1.
The closures will last until the U.S. Congress moves past the current stalemate over the budget.
Dixson said all gates would be locked and signs would be posted at entry points where gates are not installed. Enforcement officers will be patrolling to ensure compliance, he said.
“If we see people, we will ask them to leave,” Dixson said. “We aren’t going to be in the business of writing tickets.”
Dixson said he was disappointed and that a compromise over the federal budget couldn’t come too soon.
“I hope those clowns up there get their act together,” he said of congressional leaders.
Source: http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=5739
By B.A.S.S. Communications
SEP 18, 2013
The 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series promises to be one for the history books. The 100 or so Elite Series anglers who compete on the nation’s premier bass tournament circuit will visit rivers, reservoirs and natural lakes in 11 states as they vie for fame, fortune and a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Read More!
Toledo Bend Lake Ranks #10 in Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes
Hello, Anglers and outdoors lovers. I’m seeing a lot of work being done on deer leases in the area with trailers hauling a bunch of ATVs instead of boats. Even though the daytime temps don’t show it currently, fall is not far away and full-out hunting season is close. There is a cool front on the way, according to long term forecasts which will also bring even more teal down into our area for our duck hunters. By this time next week, we should see a moderate change in our weather. I’m for that!
To read Joe’s complete report, please visit www.JoeJoslinOutdoors.com
Sept. 24, 2013 – In a move anticipated by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials, NOAA Fisheries rejected red snapper landing estimates from its own Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and set a 14 day fall season in Louisiana federal waters beginning next Tuesday, Oct. 1. Estimated recreational landings of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico after the first federal season in June indicated that the entire 2013 recreational allowable harvest had been exceeded by more than 14 percent; at that time these estimates had not even accounted for Texas landings.
NOAA Fisheries’ justification for a supplemental season is recorded in a Sept. 9, addendum to the June 9, 2013 report “Estimated 2013 Season Lengths for a Fall Reopening of the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Season” and states the following:
“At this time, NOAA Fisheries does not have a sufficient understanding of how to use the new MRIP landing estimates without better understanding how they fit into the broader scientific basis for red snapper management, which includes the stock assessment and the full historical times series of fishery dependent and independent data.”
“Assuming catch rates are 75 percent of summer catch rates, the season length would be 14 days (i.e., Oct 1‐Oct 14).”
“’No sufficient understanding’, ’assuming’, this is exactly why Louisiana is conducting its own recreational survey.” stated Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Randy Pausina. “How can I have confidence making fishery management decisions in Louisiana based on recreational landing data that NMFS themselves barely understand?”
The fall federal season will begin Oct. 1, and end Oct. 14, with a two fish limit and a minimum size of 16 inches. In an effort to provide for compatible regulations in Louisiana state waters, LDWF Secretary Barham, with the support of the Wildlife & Fisheries Commission, is opening state waters concurrently with the federal opening.
State Red Snapper Season
The Louisiana, weekend-only season will end Sunday, September 29. There will be NO red snapper fishing on Monday, September 30. State and federal waters will be open on Oct. 1, with a two-fish limit and a 16-inch minimum.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For press inquiries, contact Laura Wooderson at lwooderson@wlf.la.gov or (504)430-2623. For season and bag limit information, contact Jason Adriance at jadriance@wlf.la.gov or (504) 284-2032.
