Columns
Tootie cooks ‘earnestly’
It was just a short hop from the Residence Inn in Bossier City, La., to Chef Tootie’s home near Cross Lake in Shreveport, La. But I didn’t know what to expect. […]
October 2018
Columns
The new Matrix Monster
Chas Champagne and charter boat captain Ty Hibbs, both Louisianians, were having a ball this summer catching jack crevalle and the occasional large speckled trout off the coast of Florida. […]
Columns
What’s wrong with simple?
October is finally here, and beyond sitting in a stand and bowhunting, you know what that means. It is once again time to plant food plots. […]
Deer Hunting
Make a good shot with your weapon, then with your camera
Hunters in Mississippi who take trophy bucks rarely turn down a trip to the taxidermist, even though a quality mount may cost hundreds of dollars. But few spend time taking quality photos of their kills. A shoulder mount over the fireplace will showcase a quality animal, but photographs from the day and place of the kill will better capture the event. […]
Deer Hunting
Give a big-bore gun a chance this season
The rifle was removed from its case long before dawn. The rich, walnut stock showed the wear of a 146-year-old gun. The U.S. Springfield 1873 Trapdoor is not what many would consider a good whitetail gun. Indeed, the 400-grain, .45-70 caliber, bullet is a bit heavy for most hunters, with small, fast projectiles all the rage. […]
Ducks
Duck numbers down in 2018
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials announced a 13-percent decrease in ducks in the agency’s annual breeding population survey, which can be directly tied to a 14-percent decline in nesting habitat. […]
Featured
Fishing pressure falls, but bite increases
One bonus of the October arrival of hunting seasons is decreased fishing pressure on inland and coastal waters of Mississippi. That it coincides with a time when many saltwater and freshwater species are entering major feeding periods creates an ideal situation for hard-core anglers. […]
Bass Fishing
Strong River floats require preparation
It is blessing and a curse, but parts of the Strong River have little or no cell-phone service. Tall trees and high banks block the signal. For that reason, if no other, be sure to file a travel itinerary with someone who will take responsibility if you fail to show up at an appointed time. […]
Inshore Fishing
Bugs! Fish aren’t the only things biting
Fishing along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is great in October. […]
Bass Fishing
October bass at Bogue Homa
My October pick is one of the best fall bassing lakes in Mississippi is shallow, 882-acre Lake Bogue Homa with its several feeder creeks near Laurel. October is when the baitfish start moving out of deeper water and into shallow grass, vegetation and lily pads, with the bass following. Bass realize they need to put on weight for the cold weather that’s coming. […]
Bass Fishing
Vanishing act
A few years ago, I was fishing for smallmouth bass with Steve Quinn, a fisheries biologist and editor of In-Fisherman. We had caught plenty of fish throughout the sunny day. In the middle of the afternoon, we began fishing a bank that was partly shaded. I could easily see large rocks and boulders 5 feet deep in the clear water. […]
Featured
Small game: Squirrel first, then rabbits
October is a big month for small-game enthusiasts, with the opening of the statewide squirrel season on Oct. 1 and the statewide rabbit season on Oct. 13, giving both several weeks of hunting before the opening of gun season on deer on Nov. 17. […]