Commission votes to reduce menhaden buffer zone

Yesterday was a very disappointing day at LDWF headquarters in Baton Rouge, as members of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries (LWF) Commission voted 4 to 3 in support of a Notice of Intent to reduce the commercial menhaden buffer zone from 1/2-mile to 1/4 mile in most areas along the coast.

This meeting took place only a year after the current regulations of a 1/2 mile buffer were established as a "compromise" between conservationists and industry representatives. At the time, it appeared almost certain a one-mile buffer would be set, but Governor Landry insisted that there be some compromise.

Now the industry has broken it's agreement.

In testimony yesterday, industry leaders argued with some data that they claim would not result in additional bycatch of red drum and black drum if the buffer were reduced. Most of that came from a year-long bycatch study by LGL Group. 

LGL President Scott Raborn was asked to speak first and answer several questions. During the questioning by LWFC Chairman Kevin Segura, it was vague whether moving the buffer would result in greater bycatch.  However, Dr. Raborn was not allowed to finish his testimony which, in those areas where the 1/2 mile buffer was deeper than 22 feet, there WOULD be an increase in bycatch.

The industry reps continued their arguments claiming:

• the buffer was impacting their ability to catch pogies
• that menhaden is overrated as a forage species, 
• that pelagic fish will gravitate towards other prey such as shrimp and crabs if menhaden are reduced in their area
• that the menhaden harvest in Louisiana reduces the total biomass of menhaden in the Gulf of Mexico by only 3 percent.

Conservation advocates - including State Representative Joe Orgeron, Chris Macaluso of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Glen Cormier of the FFI Gulf Coast Council -tore apart each of these arguments in short order. Also joining in dissecting the misinformation - as well as providing supporting scientific facts were representatives of CCA Louisiana, American Saltwater Guides Association, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Center for Sportfishing Policy, and several others. 

Overall, the opponents in attendance and number of speakers in opposition was 3-to-1 to the commercial industry. And this is even more impressive when considering that an overwhelming number of guides were unable to attend since October and November are their busiest times of the year. In addition, over 800 emails and letters were sent to the Commission opposing this NOI.

Despite the overwhelming opposition and "real" scientific arguments by conservation representatives, the Commission voted as many expected - right along commercial / sport lines. With the 3-3 tie, Chairman Segura cast the deciding vote in favor of the NOI.  

Here's what happens next...

The Notice of Intent will be published, and once so, there's a public comment period that opens on December 19th and concludes on January 23rd. It then goes to the Legislative Oversight Committee for review, and if no action is taken, it would become official on March 20, 2026.

While the comments period is certainly an opportunity to express our displeasure with the NOI, it's our opinion that further comments will do little the votes on the Commission. As stated, these votes were cast along partisan lines and there's little expectation that will change.

Therefore, all effort must be made to persuade members of the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees. These members make up the Legislative Oversight Committee that can veto the NOI. 

To use a football analogy, it's halftime and we're down on the scoreboard. But we have a chance to pull out a victory if we work hard enough!  Stay tuned for more details to come.

Review: OEFS Bonefish vs Nirvana Apex saltwater lines

OEFS Bonefish line 2-tone color

One question I often get is: do I really need to buy a $120 premium fly line for saltwater?  The answer is "no", even though as a general rule, you get what you pay for. Which is especially true for saltwater fly lines.

Given that the 8-weight is the standard de facto rod for marsh fishing, it's no surprise that I have four 8-weight rods in my arsenal. Each is equipped with a separate reel and line, instead of just one or two reel/lines shared. And that's because - as I've pointed out countless times - it's the rod / line combination that matters. Certain rods perform to an intended purpose better with some lines than others. 

Overall, there's no question that the best line in my 8-weight arsenal is a SciAnglers Amplitude Textured Bonefish. On just about any of my rods, it can make incredibly accurate casts both at 20 feet and at over 100 feet. Which is probably why it costs $120.

But the second best line is probably a tie between a Wulff Triangle Taper line ($69 / $99) and a Cabelas Prestige Plus Saltwater line ($49). The latter is no longer made now that Bass Pro has discontinued all of Cabelas really good fly fishing stuff and replaced it with it's own inferior White River brand. 

The Triangle Taper line is still widely sold. For ages, I used the classic TT line for saltwater and cut the first 2 feet of line tip off to better cast poppers and streamers - a trick that David Diaz shared with me. Although rated for cooler water, I never had a problem with limpness but then again most of my marsh fishing was (and is) October through June.  They now make a Bermuda TT line with a shorter head (32 feet) and stiffer core intended for tropical use.

What you probably have noticed is that I don't use short head/belly lines. Just don't like them. This also gives me some flexibility when shopping for lower cost alternatives to premium lines. The dilemna is in finding a quality saltwater line at a value or budget price.

For reference, this is our current line price rating system:
Premium: $99 up, Mid-priced: $69-$95, Value: $45-$69, Budget: under $45.

At the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show in February, we came across two vendors that were selling their own labeled saltwater fly lines: Moonlit Fly Fishing and Olde English Fly Shop. Both were generous enough to let us cast them on the pools, and initial impression was good enough for us to purchase from each. 

I finally got around to full testing on each line. Since lines perform differently on different rods, I tested each on my Sage XI2 (fast-plus action) and Sage DS2 (medium-plus action).

Moonlit Apex Flight ($75 but discounted to $49)
This line is also sold under "Nirvana" branding. The line color is blue. It features a rather long 58-foot head, 95-foot overall length, and promoted as withstanding tropical use. Interestingly, the description says, "built to meet the rigorous demands of FFI CI and MCI tests". 

This line performed very well on both rods at all distances: 20, 40, 60, and "longest". It did best at 60 feet on both rods, and on the longest test, routinely hit between 100-105 feet on the XI2, and 90-95 feet on the DS2. I understand the promotion for FFI testing as I was able to carry a LOT of line false casting with its 58-foot head. The stiffer XI2 handled this better than the more moderate DS2.

Olde English Fly Shop Bonefish Taper ($36)
Don't let the name fool ya... this fly shop is owned by an English couple who live in Summerland Key, Florida. They told me the line is used extensively by a couple of local guides. The taper is very close to that of the Rio Avid Bonefish, a 37-foot head with 7-ft front taper. It comes in two tone color, light blue for the head, and sand for the running line. 

This line felt good loading on the DS2 in the 20 foot range, really good on the 40 and 60 ranges. For longest, it occasionally hit the 90-foot marker, but not once further. On the XI2, while it loaded well on the shorter distances, it was able to hit 90-95 feet every cast. No surprise here, the faster XI2 always gives a good line more distance.

Conclusion
The Moonlit Apex line was everything as Brandon Moon stated, it's definitely a great line for longer casts as I often need when fishing from a boat, whether in Louisiana, Texas, or southwest Florida. 

But I'm nearly all kayak angler these days, and for that, the OEFS line would be my favorite. It loaded so well in the shorter ranges that I catch 99% of my redfish, drum, sheepshead, trout - and on the DS2 which like the TFO TiCR is my favorite kayak rods. I also like the lighter blue color that is easier to see (I'm a big believer in light-colored lines).

So I'd say both are equally good depending on what type of fishing you do and what distance range you need. And while neither challenges my Triangle Taper or Amplitude Textured for superior status, they do represent a quality alternative to those higher priced lines.

LWF Commission to consider rollback of menhaden regs

Remember back when the commercial menhaden industry agreed to a "compromise" on harvest regulations in Louisiana? Well, if you forgot about it, you have a very short memory!

It was only a year ago, when threatened with implementation of a coastwide one-mile buffer zone, that the industry agreed to a compromise - one that heavily favored the pogey plunderers. The harvest buffer zone was extended from 1/4 mile to a measly 1/2 mile. 

Since then, an independent study has shown that the menhaden fishery results in the demise of 24,000 red drum each year, mostly spawning size fish. Not to mention millions of other game species. And yet, the dead bycatch total falls just within the LDWF acceptable standard. 

At last Thursday's Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting, the industry pleaded for a rollback to prior regulations. They didn’t just ask for a repeal, they put on a full-blown advertisement in south Louisiana newspapers stating their case, claiming that the fishery generates $419 million in economic output and supports over 2,000 jobs. Nevermind that saltwater recreational fishing in Louisiana is a $2.5 billion industry (as of 2021).

As a result, the Committee Chairman has asked LDWF to bring a Notice of Intent to the November 6th commission meeting.

Let's review why anglers and conservation groups were asking for more stringent regulations prior to the "compromise".

• Menhaden are the most important food source for redfish, speckled trout, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel and many other predatory species.
• Overharvesting of menhaden has been linked to poor condition of fish and decreased biomass of species, as well as displacement of sea birds and mammals.
• Studies show that harvest bycatch results in direct kills of over 24,000 redfish (mostly spawners), thousands of black drum, millions of white trout, and many other species each year.
• For these reasons, most coastal states have long banned commercial harvest within their waters, while the few states that allow it have established strict regulations – both zones and harvest allotments.

The American Saltwater Guides Association has posted a response on their website. We strongly encourage all of our followers to read it.  CLICK HERE.

In the meantime, CCA Louisiana, the FFI Gulf Coast Council, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Louisiana Charter Boat Association and other groups are calling upon members and followers to contact Commission members and legislators and let them know this is unacceptable. What we need is more stringent harvest regulations – not less!

Review: Maxxon Gorge fly rod

Recently our local club was in need of getting new rods for our casting clinics and public events.  We had started with six 2-piece rods at one point, and were down to just 3 rods.  Equally important, the rods we had weren't ideal for storage, transportation, and they had a high swing weight (heavy in the tip).

It just so happens that Maxxon Outfitters was having a sale on their beginner-rated "Gorge" series rods.  I had met the guys at Maxxon at ICAST on three occasions, and tested their products.  Their Aerlius (moderate-fast) rods and Double-X (fast) rods are quite impressive for the money, so I figured their Gorge might be a best buy for our club.  The sale price was very attractive, so we purchased six 8-foot, 6-inch 5-weights, all four piece.

A week later, I received the rods and proceeded to test cast each one.  One broke near the tip, and immediately I put in a warranty claim and within a half-hour received a response.  A new tip was on the way.

Cortland 444 WF5F taper

I put one of the Gorge rods through my usual battery of tests:  20, 40, 60 foot accuracy, distance, and 90 degree change-of-direction cast.  As usual, I also used three different fly lines because - as we should all know by now -  a fly rod's performance often changes with different types of fly lines. The three 5-weight lines used were:  Cortland 444 WF5F,  Mastery GPX WF5F, and a new line from Maxxon, their Premium Freshwater WF5F.

Maxxon Premium WF5F taper

Price.  All important to the buyer working within a set budget.  Our current pricing division for fly rods goes as follows:

    Budget - up to $200
    Value - $200 - $400
    Midrange - $400 - $700
    Premium - $800 - $1200

At $149, the Gorge is clearly a Budget class rod. Competitors include the Allen Heritage, Redington Classic Trout, Orvis Encounter, Fenwick Aetos, Douglas ERA, Echo Carbon XL, Echo Lift.  As mentioned, it comes with a lifetime warranty to replace broken pieces.  The cost for a replacement section for the Gorge is only $35.

Appearance.  The rod comes with a cordura-covered PVC tube case. The rod is light in the hand, comparable to the Orvis Encounter and Redington Classic Trout in this category, with almost no swing weight.  The grip is fairly decent cork, not too small like some budget rods, and the all-aluminum reel seat has a locking ring that is above-average.  The blank is a bluish-green, a welcomed departure from the typical gray/black blanks of most budget rods.

Casting performance.  With all three lines, casting was excellent.  The action is moderate-fast, and so it handled the heavier GPX better than expected.  Still the best lines were the Cortland 444 and their own Premium line.  In fact, the Premium line hit over 80 feet consistently on the distance cast.  The 444 cast almost as far, but felt slightly better over shorter distances.  Either would be an excellent line for this rod.

Accuracy was excellent, about as good as any Budget rod I've ever tested.  As with all Budget category rods, the 90-degree test - while not bad - left something to be desired.  This is where Mid-Priced and Premium rods shine, so I wasn't expecting a miracle.

Conclusion.  This is an excellent budget rod.  Our club made a great choice, and hopefully our students will appreciate it. 

* Reminder:  to view any of the images above in full size, click on the image.

Registration continues for Round-Up! and The Gathering

4th annual Fly Fishing Round-Up!
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Millican Reserve, College Station, TX
10:00 am - 2:00pm
held in conjunction with Pumpkinpalooza
Cost: $20
www.goodfly.org

Hosted by the Aggieland Fly Fishers of College Station in conjunction with Good Fly, the Round-Up features fly tying demos, casting lessons, specialty casting presentations, vendors, kayak and paddleboard fishing on Lake Prescott and much more. And includes all activities for Pumpkinpalooza.

Evening Activities / VIP After Party
Conservancy at Millikin Preserve
2:00pm to 7:30pm
Tickets separate from Round-Up

This event includes a Casting Cup, Anglers + Ale Hour, followed by the VIP Party fundraiser with dinner and live auction to benefit Good Fly!

The Gathering
Sunday, October 19th
8:00am to 4:00pm
Millican Reserve, College Station, TX

Now in it's fourth year, The Gathering of Casting Instructors has been a popular event for instructors, guides, FFI Certified Instructor candidates and volunteers to spend a day sharpening their skills, or learning the specifics of becoming an FFI or Good Fly CI. 

There are two tracks: Continuing Education and Certification Track (FFI or Good Fly). The CE track is for seasoned instructors to focus on advanced casting and teaching skills.  The Certification track focuses on individual casting skills and standardized methods for demonstrating and teaching basic casts.

Registration for The Gathering is separate from the Round-Up and VIP Party, and spots are limited. Fee includes coffee, breakfast, and lunch.

For more info, go to www.goodfly.org .

Looking Through Water - a new fly fishing film

There are numerous films featuring outdoor sports, but fly fishing rules the roost!  Many of us know about "A River Runs Through It", the movie that catapulted Brad Pitt to stardom - and which ignited modern day interest in fly fishing. But there have been four films since then featuring a fly fishing theme, most notably the comedy-drama "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" and "Mending the Line" which explored fly fishing as therapy for veterans.

Add one more to the list. Looking Through Water has just been released to theatres and features Micheal Douglas, Cameron Douglas (Mike's son), and David Morse. The story is adapted from a novel by Bob Rich, and explores the themes of forgiveness, healing, betrayal, and finding purpose. The plot involves a fly fishing tournament in Belize where Morse's character reconnects with his son, portrayed by Cameron Douglas.  The movie has a PG rating, so it should be appropriate for young viewers as well as adults.  

Where is it playing? Sadly, not in Louisiana. I checked all of the theatres and didn't find one. Don't be discouraged... Salmon Fishing also had no cinemas here that played it on release, but eventually it had very limited showings in Metairie, Alexandria, and Shreveport. And there's always Netflix and other streaming services once the theatrical run is over. 

Make plans now for Rendezvous

North Toledo Bend Rendezvous
Friday-Sunday, Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, 2025
North Toledo Bend State Park, Zwolle, LA

For those unfamiliar with Rendezvous, it began 36 years ago when members of two clubs met at North Toledo Bend State Park to camp and fish. The following year, the clubs decided to rent the group facility.  Since then, fly tiers and other fly fishing enthusiasts from across several states – along with their families – have gathered for a weekend of fly tying and fishing with only a minimal fee to cover lodging and meals. Some are members of clubs, some are not. Rendezvous is open to all!

There are no organized activities. Everyone is welcome to come fish, tie flies, watch some of the region's top tiers, or tie themselves. You can come for the day or the entire weekend. If you come as a family, the rate for the entire weekend for the whole family or individual is just $40 which includes lodging. For one night lodging, the fee is $20 and for day only the fee is $10.

The excellent facilities at North Toledo Bend State Park are ideal for a Fall weekend fly tying retreat. Activities take place at the park’s group facility, which features a commercial kitchen and dining hall, and lodging available for up to 150 people in 5 heated log bunkhouses (30 beds each). There’s also a heated central shower and restroom building with nice night lighting on all the sidewalks.

For complete details,  CLICK HERE .

Flies & Pies coming in two weeks!

2nd annual ALTO Fly Fishing Fair
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
First Baptist Church of Natchitoches Gym
508 Second St., Natchitoches, LA
FREE admission

The ArkLaTexOma Fly Tiers group has only been organized for less than two years, yet they have evolved to be one of the most active in the state.  ALTO held their first ever "Flies & Pies" tying event last year, in conjunction with the Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival, and it was a big success.  This year, they return to a new location  just a couple blocks from the heart of the Meat Pie Festival - which is an attraction all to itself.

Along with some of the best fly tiers from across the region, the festival will have presentations including: Jerald Lewis on Fly Fishing for Bream, Burley Johnson on Creating Bass Poppers, and Mike Hawkins on Making Furled Leaders.  The new location has an outdoor casting area as well. So if you need a free casting lesson, or tune up, there will be two FFI Certified Casting Instructors on hand.

While this event is FREE to attend, the group will be taking up a Love Offering to present to First Baptist Church for the use of their facilities.

For more details, go to the ALTO website at www.arklatexomaflytyers.com .  Or check them out on their Facebook page (link)  

September - a month of transition

In three days is the start of a new month, and the start of a major transitional phase in our fisheries. A change that is highly anticipated for freshwater and marsh anglers alike.

Each year, as summer progresses into July and August, very warm water forces most freshwater species to go deep, feed lethargically, and mostly at night. In the marsh, larger redfish and speckled trout have mostly abandoned the shallow interior ponds for open bays where cooler water prevails. They too can be lethargic and have very limited feeding periods.

It's all about dissolved oxygen.   As the chart shows, warm water holds less of the gas than cool water. In deeper freshwater lakes, such as reservoirs and oxbows,  the pool of cool water found below the thermocline - known as the hypolimnion - loses it's oxygen content as summer goes on. This pool is isolated because cooler water is denser than warm water. By late August, it's practically a dead zone.

As Plank's Law states, a hot body (lake) will radiate heat to a cooler body (air).  In late August, the  average surface temperature of the lakes here in central Louisiana are around 89 degrees - about the maximum they reach each year. For every hour that the heat index (temperature + humidity) is greater than 89 degrees, surface water heats. And conversely, every hour less than 89 degrees, it cools.

You'd think that with early September daytime highs still in the 90s, that no cooling is taking place. Such is not the case. Since June 21st - the summer solstice - the days have been getting shorter and nights longer. And even though we won't reach the equinox until late next month, the cooling hours are already starting to exceed the heating hours because the warm mass (lake) has a greater thermal budget than the surrounding air.  

Here on Cotile,  I measure the water temperature each week at the recreation area dock by lowering the  transducer on my portable fishfinder down 3 feet.   Going with this transducer depth helps avoid any surface anomolies.  On August 20th, the temperature was 88.1 degrees.  This morning, it was 85.5 degrees.  That's a pretty significant decline in eight days!

As water temperatures begin to decline throughout the month, and oxygen levels rise, fish become far more active.  Here in central Louisiana, we see a big increase in redear sunfish moving to the shallows, and bass feeding on schools of shad, most notably on Toledo Bend.  After two consecutive nights of below 60 degrees, the crappie move into the shallows and along structure and submerged grass.

And then just as things are getting good, we hit a big pause late in September or early October.  This happens when we get a major front where the lows drop below 60 degrees for a few nights - and we get strong northerly breezes to accelerate the cooling. Turnover takes place - very low (or no) oxygen in the hypolimnion mixes with now denser surface water.  Across the entire water column there's a temporary drop in dissolved oxygen.  The result is a period of a few days to a week of poor fishing. After recovery begins can be the best fishing outside of early Spring - until the water gets cold (and by cold, I mean below 60 degrees).

The Coast

Cooler water triggers migration of larger redfish and trout to interior waters.  This begins in September, but this month we're faced with the problem of very high tides - the effect of summer-long glacial and ice cap melt in the Northern Hemisphere. I recall numerous times having to park my vehicle in flooded launches in Port Sulphur, Bayou Bienvenu, and Montegut. These high tides give plenty more spots for redfish, drum, and sheepshead to roam and hide.

September is prime time for bull reds in the passes and around the islands, and for pelagic species like jacks and mackeral. Cobia is still outstanding.  Sand trout are everywhere, and on average, two or three inches bigger than they were in June. This is also the best month for a shot at inside tarpon.

Sadly, there's still a ton of catfish, ladyfish and other annoying species to deal with. They'll be around for several more weeks.  And if you're older or have a lower immune system, the Vibrio bacteria still exists in high numbers and will continue as so until the water temperature dips below 75 degrees.  So if you fish the salt, be sure to bring anti-bacterial spray or lotion.