Tom Leblanc Report Four Horse, Oak River

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Today was my first venture out from the new fishing camp at Delacroix. We brought it out from Baton Rouge last Sunday and got it all set up. I didn’t expect too much in the way of fish today because this is more of a winter spot. It should get pretty good this fall. I did explore some new areas down at the end of Oak River. From there we’ll be able to go out to Black Bay and spots like Stone Island. I’m planning to spend Sunday night thru Wednesday at the new camp.

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Louisiana State Fish Records Fresh/Saltwater–Rod & Reel/Fly Fishing

Documented and kept by the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association

LOUISIANA STATE FISH RECORDS OFFICIAL COPY

ALL RECORDS ARE CURRENT THROUGH THE LAST RECORD AWARDED WHICH WAS ON MAY 25, 2015

(all ounce weights are converted into hundredths of a pound (16oz = 1.00) for uniformity)

Robert Kenedy 1/19/2015 2/2/2015 Gray Triggerfish 6.35 Rod and Reel 9th
Stacy Malham 2/24/2015 3/5/2015 White Crappie 3.44 Rod and Reel 2nd
Robert “Bob” Wells 3/17/2015 3/25/2015 White Crappie 3.26 Rod and Reel 5th
Gary W Peterson 4/11/2015 4/15/2015 Hybrid Striped Bass 6.71 Fly Rod 1st
Mark W Hester 4/11/2015 4/25/2015 Hybrid Striped Bass 5.97 Fly Rod 2nd

For further information concerning fish records you can email the Fish Records Chairman at:

fishrecords@yahoo.com, or send inquires to:

 

LOWA Fish Records

13168 Bayou Terrace Dr

St Amant, La 70774

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L.D.W.F. Welcomes Home NASP National Archers

May 22, 2015 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) congratulates the 110 students from 17 different Louisiana schools who represented the state at the 2015 National Archery in the Schools Program’s National Tournament in Louisville, Ky., from May 7 to 9. Over 12,000 students from 42 states competed.

Benton Middle School placed 3rd in the middle school division and compiled a score of 3,357 — just one point behind the second place team.  Benton Middle competed against 198 other middle school teams from across the nation.

Benton Elementary finished in 4th place at NASP Nationals with a score of 3,219 and was only four points from finishing in the top 3 and a spot on the awards podium.  Last year Benton Elementary placed 8th in the nation and went on to be crowned World Champs at the 2014 NASP World Tournament.  This year’s NASP World Tournament competition will be held this July in Nashville, and Benton will have the opportunity to defend their title.

In the individual competition, two Benton Elementary students finished in the top five.  In the Elementary Girls Division, Benton’s Kaitlyn Masters finished 2nd in the nation with a score of 285 and Emma Bunch, also of Benton Elementary, finished 5th in the nation with a score of 284. Their scores placed them at the top of the field of 1,592 competitors from across the country.

Nathan Delill of Buckeye High School was Louisiana’s highest scoring shooter at the tournament with a 291, finishing 13th in the Middle School Boys Division.

Additional to the traditional NASP bull’s eye tournament, students who qualified for NASP Nationals were also eligible to compete in the 2nd annual NASP/IBO 3-D tournament.  Northwood High School student Thomas Miller, a 5th grader, was one of those who tried his hand at this newer element of NASP.  Thomas finished 10th among all Elementary Division boys.

Other Louisiana schools represented at the NASP National Tournament included: Acadiana High School, Alexandria Senior High, Benton High School, Bossier High School, Cope Middle School, Haughton Middle School, Haughton High School, Poland J.H., Tioga High School, W.T. Lewis Elementary, Phoenix Magnet Elementary, J.I. Barron Sr. Elementary and Tioga High School.

All of the students and schools that participated at the NASP National Tournament are members of the Archery in Louisiana Schools (ALAS) program which teaches NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) to students in grades 3-12 as part of their in-school curriculum.  All schools in the state of Louisiana are eligible to have the ALAS program.  The ALAS program is facilitated and funded by LDWF.

For more information about the ALAS program, contact ALAS State Coordinator Robert Stroede at (318)484-2276 or rstroede@wlf.la.gov , or visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/archery/archery-louisiana-schools-alas .
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PHOTO 1: Kaitlyn Masters (2nd from left) and Emma Bunch (far right) of Benton Elementary placed 2nd and 5th repectively at the 2015 NASP National Tournament in the Elementary Girls Division.
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PHOTO 2: Benton Middle School team places 3rd at NASP Nationals.
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PHOTO 3: Over 12,000 student archers competed at the 2015 NASP National Tournament in Louisville, KY.

Posted in News, Reports, Results, Stories

Anglers and their lunker bass replicas awarded by the Toledo Bend Lake Association on Sunday, May 17, 2015

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A Record 81 Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Replicas Awarded By TBLA

The Toledo Bend Lake Association awarded 81 lunker bass replicas to anglers at the Toledo Bend Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash at Cypress Bend Park on Sunday May 17, 2015. This is the third year in a row that the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program has yielded a record number of lunkers (58 in 2013 and 61 in 2014). The 10-lb. or larger bass were caught on Toledo Bend Lake from May 19, 2014, to May 15, 2015. Mrs. Dinah Medine, Coordinator of the TBLA Lunker Bass Program, presented the replicas to an impressive group of anglers on the final day of the Big Bass Splash Tournament.

Among the 81 lunkers caught, 47 were in the 10-lb. class (weighing between 10.00 and 10.99 lbs.); 28 in the 11-lb. class; and 6 meet the 12-lb. class with the largest weighing in at 12.81 lbs. Eight of the lunkers (11.92 – 12.81 lbs.) qualified for the Top 100 largest reported bass caught on the Bend, and the anglers were awarded a Top 100 hat and certificate by Mrs. Linda Curtis-Sparks, Director of The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission.

Three fishermen—Daniel Schexnayder of Iowa, LA, George Herr of Many, LA, and David Vidrine of Ville Platte, LA—each caught and registered two lunkers this year. A majority of the lunkers were caught by LA and TX anglers; however, three were caught by anglers from Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee. More information and photos of many of the lunkers can be viewed on the Facebook Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program page, the Toledo Bend Lake Association’s website at www.toledobendlakeassociation.com, and the Sabine Tourist Commission website at www.toledobendlakecountry.com.

All 81 fish registered through the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program were tagged and returned alive to the Lake to spawn and to be caught again, a major conservation goal of the Program. In fact, five of the fish caught this year had been caught before. The Lunker Bass Program is one of many beneficial projects sponsored by the Toledo Bend Lake Association which is dedicated to improving the quality of the Lake and the amenities surrounding it.

Congratulations to all those who have earned over 650 lunker replicas throughout the years . . . let’s keep Toledo Bend booming with lunkers for next year’s awards!

Posted in News, Reports, Results, Stories, Uncategorized

Youth Angler of the Year Essay Contest For Louisiana Youth Anglers 15 years old or younger

Download YouthAnglerEssay Registration Form

Essay Guidelines: Please write an essay about a memorable fishing trip in Louisiana. You may include where you went, who you were with, what kind of bait you used, what kind of fishing you were doing, and what you learned. Include descriptive details to develop the story. Your essay will be judged for the heart of your story, not just on the writing style or grammar and spelling. Write an essay that makes us feel like we were right there with you. Handwritten essay is accepted, but typed, double-spaced is preferred. Essay must be written between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 to qualify.
Awards: One boy and girl Louisiana Youth Angler of the Year will be selected. A plaque and a prize will be given during the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association Banquet the second weekend in August. LOWA will pay the banquet fee for the student and two guests.

Download YouthAnglerEssay Registration Form

 

To enter, email this form, your essay, and one photograph of you with the fish or catching the fish to: captwendy@bayouwoman.com
(Email must be received no later than 5 p.m. June 30, 2015)

Or print the form and mail along with essay and photo to:
LOWA Youth Angler Registry Program
C/O Capt. Wendy Billiot
2715 Bayou Dularge Rd.
Theriot, LA 70397
(Postmarked no later than June 30, 2015)

Parents signature above grants permission for the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to publish photographs, names and likenesses of minor, for use in LOWA’s and LDWF’s print, online, social media and video-based marketing materials, as well as other publications. Registrants must be a resident of Louisiana.

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Tom LeBlanc Report

Thought the day was going to be a bust before we even got started. The power trim would not work and we couldn’t drop the motor. Caesar found a connector was not plugged properly and solved the problem. Off we went and couldn’t find the fish. Kind of expected that. Had a good time though and the weather was pretty nice. When we tried to take the boat out of the water, the reverse went out on the car and we couldn’t back up the trailer to retrieve the boat. We got help and got it on the trailer and out of the water. The car would still drive forward, so we rehooked and were able to drive home without incident. Big expense to get this corrected. It’s always an adventure but always interesting.

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07:00 – 10:00 4 Horse Lake

     5 Specs (14”)

10:00 – 12:30 Twin Pipeline

     3 Reds (26”)

12:30 – 13:30 4 Horse Lake

     1 Red (26”), 1 Flounder (15”)

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The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Coastal Stewardship Awards

Friday, April 17th, The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, held its 20th annual Coastal Stewardship Awards.
Janet Rhodus, founder of Launch Leeville, Non-Profit, was recognized for her advocating and coastal restoration efforts on behalf of Leeville. She received the distinguished, Coastal Stewardship Award, along with Terrebonne Parish resident, Captain Wendy Billiot. Captain Billiot was recognized for her restoration efforts and the children’s book, “Before the Saltwater Came.”

Also pictured, is Dr. Oliver Houck. A professor, prolific author, and coastal champion since the 1970’s.

Former Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu, also received the Distinguished Achievement Award.

medrwen

 

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CITY PARK BIG BASS RODEO AND FISHTIVAL RESULTS

68TH ANNUAL CITY PARK BIG BASS RODEO AND FISHTIVAL
BOATS ON THE BAYOU
MARCH 28, 2015
WINNER LIST
BOATS ON THE BAYOU
BASS
1st  Devon Beltz 2.95lbs
2nd Chris Hood 1.70lbs
3rd  Luke Beslin 1.39 lbs
TRASHBASH
1st Maurice Valerio – Blue Gill .30lb
2nd  Tyler Gabriel – Blue Gill .15lb
3rd  Eric Muhoberac – Pogie .12lb

BIG BASS RODEO
JUNIOR ANGLER
1ST Hannah Schwegmann – Blue Gill .34lb
2nd Brooklyn Schneider – Blue Gill .25lb
3rd Jackson Audibert – Blue Gill .25lb
CICHLID AND BREAM TRIM – TEAM EVENT
1st Team Camo – 5.67lbs
2nd Golden Crickets – 3.88lbs
3rd Stop, Drop, and Reel 3.70lbs
FLY FISHING
1st Bass – John Latta 2.70lbs

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE
1st Damion Frey 2.60lb
BASS – ADULT
1st Joseph Roy, III 5.34lbs
3rd George Girard, Jr. 3.29lbs
BASS – YOUTH
1st Nicholas Heintz 1.38lbs
2nd Craig Miller 1.23lbs
3rd Jace Oulliber 1.08lbs

WISH TO FISH – MASTER CASTERS
1.  Chris Cangemi
2. Skylar Billot
3. Anna Fioellala
4. Gavin Hinchman
5. Dillon McTopy
6. Nathan Buras
7. Steven Buldin

Posted in News, Reports, Results, Stories

Bassmaster Classic 2015 Videos

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Check out these videos from the 2015 Bassmaster Classic!

Stay Tuned for more….

 

2015 Bassmaster Classic Practice Day Conditions 

Brett Preuett 

 
 the Conditions posted on the Bassmaster Site are

Some of the coldest air of the winter season will blow into the Southeast U.S. tonight; we project a low near 7 degrees in Greenville early tomorrow (Friday) morning. Here is a day by day breakdown for the Classic:

 

FRIDAY: Cold and dry with a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the 26-30 degree range. Not much wind; out of the east at less than 10 mph. Clouds thicken tomorrow evening, and a few periods of light snow are likely tomorrow night, especially after midnight.

 

SATURDAY: It will be cold and messy. A mix of snow and sleet is likely during the morning hours; icy travel is very possible for a few hours. Thankfully snow accumulation should be fairly light, generally under 2 inches. Then, the precipitation changes to rain Saturday afternoon with a high between 35 and 38 degrees. Expect a south wind of 7-14 mph.

 

SUNDAY: The good news is that it will be considerably warmer with a high in the low 50s, but periods of rain are likely throughout the day. Rain amounts of around 1/2 inch are likely with a southwest wind averaging 7-14 mph.

Posted in News, Reports, Results, Stories, Uncategorized

TOM LEBLANC FISHING LOG

It turns out that last week I did NOT burn up my motor. It had clogged fuel line from using gasoline with ethanol. Can’t help that because of the location of gas stations. Anyway, Ron’s boat was back in commission so we used it. Still couldn’t find the fish. One fellow out on the water said they were biting real well yesterday. Just our luck. They’ll probably be biting again tomorrow, but we won’t be there. Lunch was good. Weather was a bit windy. Still a good day.

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DATE: Wednesday, 28 Jan 2015
FISHING BUDDY: Ron Aime, Caesar Garcia
LOCATION: Golden Meadow/Sulfur Mine
LAUNCH: Basons Marina
MOON PHASE: First Quarter (Rise 12:39 pm Set: 1:31 am)
TIDE(HIGH/LOW/RANGE): Timbalier (High: 4:59 pm Low: 4:38 am Rg: 1.30’)
RIVER STAGE: 4.1 @ New Orleans – Falling
FORECAST/Winds/Rain: Hi: 64° F Lo: 52° F 10 mph E 0%
Barometric Pressure 30.19 and Steady @ Golden Meadow
Water TEMP: Start: 56° End: 58°
Coastal Waters Forecast: East winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet dominant period 3 seconds.
WATER DEPTH: 2’ – 12’
LURES/BAIT USED: Black/Char, Limetreuse
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:53 am/5:37 pm
TOTAL CATCH: 13 SPECS
LARGEST FISH: 15 ½” Spec
HOURS FISHED: 06:30 – 13:30
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 45 Miles

Posted in News, Reports, Results, Stories, Uncategorized