Makin’ Groceries
With the temperatures forecasted to be in the upper 90s, Corey LaBostrie of Lacombe wanted to make sure he beat the heat on his latest bass fishing trip to Bayou Lacombe. He put his 13-foot Coleman Canoe in the water on the side of Lake Road and was fishing before sun-up. “I knew it was going to be a hot one, so I wanted to get an early start to fish topwater,” LaBostrie said. He was throwing a gray colored Trout Trick Shad rigged on a #2 Gamakatsu hook. On LaBostire’s first cast he put the shad right up against a grassy shoreline in the marsh. He was no more than one minute from where he put in. “I was working it like a little Rapala or Chugbug, just popping it and not reeling it like you would a buzz-bait,” he said.
After a few pops, a bass darted and inhaled his minnow and LaBostrie was able to land him. “I wasn’t ready for him. I turned my head and caught him in the corner of my eye and there he was,” he said. After that, LaBostrie paddled down the shallow canal that runs adjacent to Bayou Lacombe but only picking up a few small bass that he threw back. Then the fishing picked up when he found a small cove. “I didn’t have to go far. The current had the minnows coming out and hooking to the left and hiding in a little cubby hole. I just kept throwing in that little cubby hole and they were tearing that minnow up,” LaBostrie said. The Lacombe angler was able to catch a limit of bass before the heat set in and was off the water by 10 a.m. “I didn’t catch many big fish, but I was able to make some groceries today and have fun. There’s nothing like catching! When you come out fishing and you catch something – that’s makes all the difference in the world!
Tournament Results
The Liars and Lunker’s wrapped up the 2023 Spring/Summer Series with the fifth of five tournaments on the East Pearl River. With the West Pearl River over 12 feet and temperatures forecasted at nearly 100 degrees, only ten teams showed up to brave the conditions. Five of the teams were able to bring back five-fish limits, despite the heat. First place went to the team of Charles Dauzat and Mark Mohr with 9.90 pounds. Dauzat and Mohr also had a 3.80-pounder for big bass honors. The team of Steele Sessions and Tyler Allgood took second place with 8.81 pounds. Third place went to James Harris and Chad Hartzog with 8.34 pounds.
The Bass Assassins gathered at the Lock One launch on a muggy Sunday morning. If you were to write a book on all the things that create a tough day on the water, these anglers experienced them all for this tournament. Following another volcanic week, the water temps in the lock were at 90 degrees. The moon was full, and the wind was very light. The Pit Of Misery (as some of us call Lock One) lived up to its name on this day. Some of the bass brought to the scales were so skinny they literally looked like sac-a-lait. John Cahill grinded through the day to piece together a 4.86-pound limit to earn him the first-place prize. In second was Zach Barns with three fish that totaled 4.77 pounds. Barns also had the big fish of the day which was a 2.34-pound bass. Troy Ladner rounded up the top three with a four-fish bag weighing 4.26 pounds.
Upcoming Tournaments
Liar’s and Lunkers are holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on August 27. For more information, please contact Chad Hartzog at 985-502-3217.
Pearl River Team Trails is holding its next tournament at Crawford’s Landing on July 30. For more information, please contact Charles Dauzat at 985-960-3260.
The Lock One Thursday evening tournaments are back! It’s only $21 per boat with an optional $2 trash fish pot. Blast-off will be at 5 PM. There is a 3-bass limit. There is a free kids division for those who are 12 and under. For more information, please contact Chad Hartzog at 985-502-3217.
The Bayou Lacombe Big Bass Tournament is holding their next tournament at Bayou Lacombe on July 14. Biggest bass wins the pot. For more information, please contact Robbie Racuggulia at 985-377-4975.
The next Bass Assassins tournament will be held at the East Perl River on July 16. If you have any questions you can email bassassassinsla@gmail.com or call Chris Basey at 985-707-7857.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com. Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)