Restocking now complete at Percy Quin State Park’s lake
Jerry Clower, the Mouth of Mississippi, is for sure smiling down on one of his favorite fishing holes.
Lake Tangipahoa, which the late comedian and avid “perch jerker” often referred to as his home lake, received nearly 30,000 white crappie on Monday, completing the restocking of the lake at Percy Quin State Park near McComb.
The 550-acre lake, closed and drained in 2012 after the levee was damaged following Hurricane Isaac, is expected to reopen to fishing in the fall of 2016.
“This completes our initial stocking of sport fish into Lake Tangipahoa,” said Jerry Brown, fisheries biologist for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “The white crappie join the Florida-strain largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish which were stocked in July.
“These fish will be allowed to grow and reproduce over the next two years and result in a great fishery.”
Always a popular crappie and bream lake, Tangipahoa attracts fishermen from Southwest Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana. In addition to restocking, the MDWFP used the time the lake was drained to improve fishing locations.
“Several bream beds and brush piles were built during the renovation that will provide excellent fish habitat,” Brown said. “These locations will be added to the lake map.”
The white crappie were reared at MDWFP’s North Mississippi Fish Hatchery near Enid, while the bass and bream came from the Turcotte Fish Hatchery near Canton.
Youth Waterfowl Camp
The MDWFP, Ducks Unlimited and other volunteers will host the annual Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Education Camp Jan. 29-Feb. 1 at the Muscadine Farms Wildlife Management Area and Leroy Percy State Park near Hollandale.
Designed for youth aged 13-15, the camp’s mission is to recruit and retain waterfowl hunters and increase support for wetland conservation and waterfowl hunting in Mississippi and it is more than simply a youth duck hunt that happens to coincide with the youth waterfowl day on Jan. 31.
Classroom discussions and hands-on exercises will be led by MDWFP biologists and other wildlife professionals to help students gain a better understanding of wetlands, waterfowl, and ethical hunting practices. In addition, local field trips to public and privately managed wetlands will expose youth to the diversity of habitats that waterfowl use. Activities will include shooting instructions and safety training, as well as an optional adult-supervised waterfowl hunt.
Because of limited space, only 15 participants will be selected for the camp. To apply for the camp, youth should complete an application at www.mdwfp.com. The deadline for applications is Jan. 2. All applications will be ranked by the quality and content of the essays; and youth will be notified if they were selected for the camp by Jan. 9.
Prior hunting experience is not required to attend. Meals and lodging will be provided for campers, and parents will be reimbursed for some travel expenses. For more information about the Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Education Camp, contact Houston Havens at (662) 299-0273.
WMA hunters get park discounts
Sportsmen who hunt on Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas through Feb. 28 can book cabins or campsites at discounted rates at nearby State Parks.
Cabins that sleep four are available for $50 per night and standard RV sites for $15 nightly at these state parks: Clarkco, George P. Cossar, Holmes County, Hugh White, J.P. Coleman, John W. Kyle, Lake Lincoln, Lake Lowndes, Legion, Roosevelt, Tombigbee, Trace and Wall Doxey.
For reservations made via 1-800-GO-PARKS or mdwfp.com, a refund for the discounted amount will be issued upon arrival with a valid Mississippi hunting license and WMA User Permit.
Still season up next
Mississippi’s gun deer season is nearing its halfway point, with the next switch scheduled Dec. 16 when the regular gun season without dogs — a.k.a. the still season — begins statewide.
The primitive weapon season will continue through Dec. 15, but until then hunters on private lands can use their firearm of choice.
The still season will run through Dec. 23, and the final gun season with dogs opens Dec. 24 and continues through Jan. 22.
The late primitive weapon season opens Jan. 23-31 in the Hill and Delta Zones and Jan. 23-Feb. 15 in the Southeast Zone. In the Southeast, antlerless deer are allowed from Jan. 23-Jan. 31 and then legal bucks only Feb. 1-Feb. 15. Hunters on private lands will be able to use firearm of choice during the late primitive weapon season.
