Welcome to 2023 and a full slate of outdoors adventures especially if you want to get into the art — OK, the sport — of fly fishing.
There are fly fishing clubs across south Louisiana with the New Orleans Fly Fishers Club and Baton Rouge’s Red Stick Fly Fishers leading the charge. Both groups hold monthly fly-tying sessions and general meetings along with special freshwater and saltwater excursions to expand your fishing horizon.
It begins Saturday with the New Orleans group’s Fly Fishing Expo set for St. Christopher School’s gym and continues in March with Red Stick’s annual Red Stick Day at the Waddill Wildlife Education Center in Baton Rouge.
There’s much more in the 2023 Advocate Outdoors calendar.
And, if you want to try your hand as catching rainbow trout, then Wildlife and Fisheries’ Get Out and Fish! Program is stocking rainbows in several south Louisiana locations.
Come Jan. 24, planned stockings will put adult-sized rainbows in ponds at Bayou Country Sports Park in Houma; Southside Park/Fabacher, Youngsville; Girard Park, Lafayette; I-10 Park, Jennings; Purple Heart Memorial Park, Ragley; and, Parc Natchitoches, Natchitoches.
Then, Jan. 26, ponds at BREC Burbank Park, Baton Rouge; Joe Brown Park, New Orleans; Sidney Hutchinson Park, Walker; Zemurray Park, Hammond; and, Bogue Chitto Park, Franklinton will get rainbows.
Anglers 18 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license, and this opportunity is funded by Louisiana’s share from the federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
Need more info? Go the the LDWF’s website: wlf.louisiana.gov/GOF.
2023 CALENDAR
TUESDAY—LA. CRAB TASK FORCE MEETING: 1 p.m., Terrebonne Parish Main Library, 151 Library Drive, Houma.
WEDNESDAY—FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7 p.m., Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Fly tying. Open to public. Spare tools, materials for novices. Also: Feb. 15, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15.
FRIDAY—MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING COLLEGE TOURNAMENT: Harris Chain, Leesburg, Florida. Also: Feb. 4, Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu City, Arizona; March 18, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Missouri; March 18, California Delta, Oakley, California; April 22, California Delta, Oakley, Califfornia; April 28, Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama; Sept. 8, Sam Rayburn, Brookeland, Texas; Oct. 27, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, South Carolina. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com.
SATURDAY—FLY FISHING EXPO: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Christopher School Gym, 3900 Derbigny Street, Metairie. Fly-tying demos, kids’ casting & fly-fishing instruction, seminars, raffle & auction. Free, open to public. New Orleans Fly Fishers Club event. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com.
SATURDAY—TRAPPING WORKSHOP: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Woodworth Education Center, Woodworth. Also: Feb. 11, LEAF Center, Hodges Gardens; Feb. 25, Acadiana Park Nature Station. No fee. Lunch provided. Preregistration required. Website: louisianaoutdoors.com/events. Call Tanya Sturman (318) 487-5415. Email: tsturman@wlf.la.gov.
SATURDAY—ARBOR DAY/BURDEN: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Burden Museum & Gardens, 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge. Free. Tree planting, tree giveaway, tree climbing. LSU AgCenter event. Call (225) 763-3990.
SATURDAY—MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT: Harris Chain, Leesburg, Florida. Also: Feb. 4, Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu City, Arizona; March 17, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Missouri; March 18, California Delta, Oakley, California; April 22, California Delta, Oakley, Califfornia; April 28, Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama; June 21-24, National Championship, Mississippi River, LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Sept. 9, Sam Rayburn, Brookeland, Texas; Oct. 28, Lake 9artwell, Anderson, South Carolina. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com.
JAN. 23—RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY TYING: 7 p.m., Room 204, Adult Education Building, Broadmoor Methodist, 10230 Mollylea Drive, Baton Rouge. Also: Feb. 27, March 27, April 24, May 22, June 6, July 24, Aug. 14, Sept. 25, Oct. 23, Nov. 27. Website: rsff.org.
JAN. 26-27—STRIKE KING BASSMASTER COLLEGE SERIES: Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Florida. Also: March 31-April 1, Cherokee Lake, Jefferson County, Tennessee; April 20-21, James River, Richmond, Virginia; May 4-5, Red River, Grand Ecore Landing, Natchitoches. Qualifiers advance to June 9-10 College National Championship, Lay Lake, Shelby County, Alabama. Website: bassmaster.com/College.
JAN. 29—B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL & JUNIOR EASTERN OPEN: Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Florida. Website: bassmaster.com.
FEBRUARY
FEB. 1—BUGS & BEER: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewery, 455 North Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Monthly open fly tying & demos. Open to public. New Orleans Fly Fishers Club event. Also: March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 5, Aug. 2, Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6.
FEB. 2—WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. Also March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2, Dec. 7.
FEB. 4—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR BASS QUALIFIER/EAST DIVISION: Belle River Public Landing, Belle River. Also: April 1, North Pass, Manchac. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com
FEB, 4—DERELICT CRAB TRAP CLEANUP/VOLUNTEER DAY: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Terrebonne Basin, Isle de Jean Charles Marina, 571 Island Rd., Montegut. Preregistration encouraged. Email Peyton Cagle: pcagle@wlf.la.gov.
FEB. 9—JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Age-group club, boys & girls ages 7-18. Also: March 2, April 6, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2, Dec. 14 (annual awards banquet). Tournaments follow 10 days later. Two-day tournaments June 17-18, Lake Concordia & Oct. 14-15, Toledo Bend. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.
FEB. 10-11—LA. SPORTING CLAYS ASSOCIATION SHOOT: Wilderness Gun Club, Lafayette. Also: March 18-19, Bayou Country Gun Club, Houma; April 7-8, Covey Rise, Husser; May 18-21, State Championship, Covey Rise, Husser; June 17, State AFS Championship, Red Chute Gun Club, Barksdale AFB, Shreveport; July 15, ArkLaTex Challenge, Los Paloma GC, Benton; Aug. 12-13, 3D Shooting Center, Oberlin; Sept. 13-17, South Central Regionals, Covey Rise, Husser; Oct. 14, Ed’s Sporting Clays Range, Kaplan; Nov. 11-12, Wild Wings, Downsville; Dec. 2, Natchitoches Gun Club, Natchitoches. Email Dan Lavergne: dan@edcnow.com. Website: lasportingclays.com.
FEB. 13—RED STICK FLY FISHERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Room 204, Adult Education Building, Broadmoor Methodist, 10230 Mollylea Drive, Baton Rouge. Also: March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Dec. 11 (annual banquet). Website: rsff.org.
FEB. 13-18—MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING BASS PRO TOUR: Kissimmee Chain, Kissimmee, Florida. Also: March 8-12, Lake Norman, Charlotte, North Carolina; March 18-23, Lake Cherokee & Douglas Lake. Jefferson County, Tennesee; April 2-7, Lake Murray, Columbia, South Carolina; April 24-29, Heavy Hitters All-Stars, Caney Creek & Bussey Brake WMA, Monroe; May 16-21, Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama; June 6-11, Lake Cayuga, Union Springs, New York; June 24-29, Lake St. Clair, Harrison Township, Michigan; Aug. 1-6, Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Michigan. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com.
FEB. 17-19—NATIONAL PHEASANT FEST & QUAIL CLASSIC: Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave South, Minneapolis. Website: pheasantsforever.org
FEB. 18—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR BASS QUALIFIER/WEST DIVISION: Butte LaRose Public Landing, Henderson. Also: March 5, San Miguel State Park, Toledo Bend. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com
FEB. 21—Mardi Gras
FEB. 21-23—ABU GARCIA COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Lake Toho, Kissimmee, Florida. Website: majorleaguefishing.com.
FEB. 24-25—LA. B.A.S.S. NATION SPRING QUALIFIER: Toledo Bend. Website: bassmaster.com. Also: Sept. 29-30, Fall Qualifier, Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. Call Kevin Gobert (504) 628-5191 or Ryan Lavigne (225) 921-9332.
FEB. 25—B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL & JUNIOR SOUTHERN OPEN: Smith Lake, Cullman, Alabama. Website: bassmaster.com.
MARCH
MARCH 2-4—ST. CROIX BASSMASTER OPEN/DIVISION 1: Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Alabama. Also: May 18-20, Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Alabama; Oct. 12-14, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Florida. Website: bassmastrer.com.
MARCH 3-4–CCA LOUISIANA STATE CONVENTION: Hilton Capital Center, Baton Rouge. 40-year anniversary celebration. Chapter workshop, awards luncheon, Hall of Fame dinner & Chapter Cook-Off. Call Katie Laurent (225) 952-9200 or email: katie@ccalouisiana.com
MARCH 4—RED STICK DAY: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Waddill Outdoor Education Center, 4142 North Flannery Rd., Baton Rouge. Free. Fly & kayak fishing programs; tying & kayak demos, casting clinics. Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Gary Elbourne: belbourne@cox.net. Website: rsff.org.
MARCH 4—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR BASS QUALIFIER/NORTH DIVISION: San Miguel State Park, Toledo Bend. Also: March 18, Jimmie Davis State Park, Caney Creek Lake. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com
MARCH 11—WOMEN’S FISHING 101 WORKSHOP: Waddill Wildlife Education Center, North Flannery Road, Baton Rouge. Registration open, Feb. 3 deadline. Also: April 15, same venue. Basic fishing instruction for women 18 and older. Limited to 15 each session. State fishing license required. Registration website: wlf.louisiana.gov then “fishing” & “women’s fishing workshops” pull-down tabs.
MARCH 21—Daylight Savings time begins, 2 a.m.
MARCH 22-23—BASSMASTER KAYAK CHAMPIONSHIP: Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com.
MARCH 24-26—BASSMASTER CLASSIC: Tennessee River, Knoxville, Tennessee. Daily weigh-in Thompson-Boling Arena, University of Tennessee campus. Classic Outdoors Expo, Knoxville Convention Center. Website: bassmaster.com.
APRIL
APRIL 1-4—COLDWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Cole Miller: cole.miller@theldsgroup.com. Website: rsff.org.
APRIL 9—Easter Sunday
APRIL 13-15—ST. CROIX BASSMASTER OPEN/DIVISION 2: Toledo Bend, Many. Also: June 15-17, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Oklahoma; Sept. 21-23, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage, Missouri. Website: bassmastrer.com.
APRIL 15—B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL & JUNIOR NORTHERN OPEN: Lake Chickamauga, Dayton, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com.
APRIL 21-23—WARMWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Emmitt Simmons: elsimmons@cox.net. Website: rsff.org.
APRIL 22-23—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR BASS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com
MAY
MAY 3-5—ST. CROIX BASSMASTER OPEN/DIVISION 3: Buggs Island Reservoir, Clarksville, Virginia. Also: July 20-22, St. Lawrence River, Waddington, New York; Sept. 13-15, Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston, Tennessee. Website: bassmastrer.com.
MAY 7—B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL CENTRAL OPEN: Red River, Grand Ecore Park, Natchitoches. Website: bassmaster.com.
MAY 14—Mother’s Day
MAY 19-21—SALTWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Randy Leonpacher: rmleonpacr@bellsouth.net. Website: rsff.org.
MAY 27-SEPT. 4—STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS’ RODEO: CCA Louisiana summer-long saltwater fishing event. Tagged Redfish, Offshore, Inshore, Ladies & Children’s divisions. Registraiton required. Must be CCA member. Website: ccastar.com.
MAY 29—Memorial Day
MAY 29-OCT. 1—GRAND ISLE ONLINE RODEO: 6 Inshore & 6 Offshore categories. Cash prizes. Email: info@grandisleonlinerodeo.com
MAY 31-JUNE 2—STATE OF THE COAST CONFERENCE: Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. Louisiana coastal issues. A Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana event with Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, The Water Institute of the Gulf & Louisiana Sea Grant. Website: crcl.org.
JUNE
JUNE 1-3—CATHOLIC HIGH ALUMNI RODEO: Moran’s Marina, Fourchon. Launch party, Inshore & Offshore categories: Open & Youth divisions; and, Calcuttas. Website: catholichigh.org/alumni.
JUNE 7-10—SWOLLFEST RODEO: Grand Isle Marina, Grand Isle. Offshore & Inshore categories. Benefits Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital & others. Email: swollfest@cox.net. Registration website: swollfest.com.
JUNE 18—Father’s Day
JULY
JULY 6-8—GOLDEN MEADOW-FOURCHON TARPON RODEO: Moran’s Marina, Port Fourchon. Website: fourchontarpon.com.
JULY 14-16—LEEVILLE SALTWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Randy Leonpacher: rmleonpacr@bellsouth.net. Website: rsff.org.
JULY 27-29—INTERNATIONAL GRAND ISLE TARPON RODEO: Grand Isle Marina & Otto Candies Pavilion, Grand Isle. Website: tarponrodeo.org.
SEPTEMBER
SEPT. 4—Labor Day
SEPT. 22-24—WARMWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Emmitt Simmons: elsimmons@cox.net. Website: rsff.org.
OCTOBER
OCT. 6-7—14th GRAND ISLE LADIES FISHING RODEO: Bridge Side Marina, Grand Isle. Tickets $25 includes door prizes, raffles, auction & dinner and dance on Saturday night. Benefits women with breast. Sponsorships available. Adult Division (9 species) & Girls/5-15 (5 divisions), Call (985) 787-2683. Email: gicd985@gmail.com
OCT. 20-22—SALTWATER FLY FISHING: Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Email Randy Leonpacher: rmleonpacr@bellsouth.net. Website: rsff.org.
NOVEMBER
NOV. 5—Return to Standard Time, 2 a.m.
NOV. 23—Thanksgiving Day
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