Louisiana Fishing News

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission during their February 2 monthly meeting took action to establish a recurring commercial net season on False River in Pointe Coupee Parish. The proposed action would remove the current net ban and allow the use of specified nets to allow commercial fishermen the opportunity to utilize the resource. A commercial season will allow for removal of undesirable rough fish.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is now accepting applications for a lottery drawing for fishing permit access to the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WCA) between March 15 and Aug. 15, 2012.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces the 2012 commercial season for Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Sharks will open in Louisiana waters on February 15.

In the spring, the commercial and recreational seasons for the harvest of all sharks in Louisiana waters will close from 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2012 until 12:01 p.m. July 1, 2012, due to an existing fixed closure to protect shark pupping.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries closed the 2011 Greater Amberjack commercial season yesterday, October 19 at 11:59 p.m. in all Louisiana waters. The season will remain closed until January 1, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.

New Orleans, LA - A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents the effect of BP oil on Gulf killifish. This minnow-like wetlands fish, also known as bull minnow or cacahoe, is a critical part of the Gulf's food chain and are a commonly used baitfish.

Officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are reminding residents in areas that may be impacted by Tropical Storm Lee that fish kills may occur as a result of the storm. Residents who encounter a fish kill are encouraged to call 1-800-442-2511 immediately to report this fish kill.

Louisiana officials continue to investigate the impacts of the Temple-Inland discharge of "black liquor" on the Pearl River's fisheries resources. Numerous levels of assessment are underway by the Louisiana departments of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Health and Hospitals (DHH), and Environmental Quality (DEQ), including seafood safety testing, waterbody quality tests, testing of private water wells, evaluation of baseline species and efforts to determine the of effects on fish and other aquatic life as a result of the wastewater discharge that occurred on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. State officials continue to work together to assess the incident impact and long-term recovery plans.

Fisheries biologists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are investigating reports of crab mortalities by fishermen in Lake Borgne. The reports, which began on Sunday, August 21, were made by commercial fishermen pulling dead fish and crabs from traps through much of the lake. Initial reports indicate that areas of hypoxia, as a result of limited exchange of oxygen from the surface to the bottom layers of the water column, are the cause of these mortalities.

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Approves Online Application Process for Oyster Harvester Permits in Lake Calcasieu

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has passed a motion amending the rules by which Oyster Harvester Permits are issued for Lake Calcasieu. As required by Act 329 of the 2011 Louisiana Legislative Session, anyone seeking to commercially harvest oysters in Lake Calcasieu must have one of 126 special Oyster Harvester Permits issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has announced the 2011 spring inshore shrimp season will close at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 23 in the following areas within Shrimp Management Zone 3: