Wednesday, August 07, 2019

Miller's white bass to receive LOWA Fish of the Year

Photos courtesy of Charles Miller
Each year the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA) honors the anglers voted by the LOWA Fish Records Committee to have had the most significant catch in the previous year in both Rod & Reel and Fly Fishing Divisions. The winners receive their awards at the LOWA annual convention banquet. The convention takes place this weekend in Morgan City, with the banquet on Saturday night, August 10th.

In the Fly Fishing Division, Charles Miller of New Orleans, will be honored for a 3.98-pound white bass (Morone chrysops) caught in the Pearl River. It qualified for a new state record for that species in the Fly Fish Division.

Chuck, a professor in the Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences at Tulane University, is board member of the New Orleans Fly Fishers Club and a very active member of the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club. In 2017, he was named "Fly Angler of the Year" by Louisiana Sportsman magazine.

Chuck caught his fish on a chartreuse/white Clouser Minnow back in December while fishing from his Hobie Outback. That same day he also caught a white bass that registered as 3rd place in the state record.  Details of his trip can be read on his fishing blog, "Welcome to the Crawdad Hole", at this link.

An Honorable Mention in the Fly Fish Division will be awarded to Dustin Semar, a native of Lake Charles, who caught a 6.66-pound Bowfin in Cameron Prairie. That fish also qualified for a new state record.

In the Rod & Reel Division, top award went to 8-year old Drew Dubuc of Metairie for a 33.90-pound Striped Bass he caught in Lake Catherine. It ranks 6th in the state record book. Honorable Mention goes to Brian Neil of Metairie for a whopping 213.5-pound Big Eye Tuna caught in the Mississippi Canyon off Venice. It ranks 1st place in the state record.

Congratulations to all for this outstanding honor!