Louisiana

Father’s Day, new redfish regulations coming soon

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

Press Room

Father’s Day, new redfish regulations coming soon

So, you have a few days between now and Father’s Day — it’s next Sunday — to think of that can’t-miss gift.

If Dad is a fisherman, make that a coastal fisherman, then you might consider a Golden Rule.

Not the “Do unto others…” Golden Rule, but a golden measuring stick. He’s going to need it with the second of the new regulations coming a few days after Father’s Day.

Yep, come June 20, the new regulations will be in force for redfish.

Like these:

• A new minimum size of 18 inches with a maximum size limit of 27 inches total length;

• A daily creel limit of four redfish;

• A prohibition of keeping redfish measuring longer than 27 inches;

• And, charter skippers and their crew(s) will not be able to keep a redfish while on a paid trip.

The new limits reduces the daily per-person limit by one redfish, and eliminates the possibility of keeping one redfish longer than 27 inches.

It’s also advisable to check out how to measure a fish in the state Wildlife and Fisheries 2024 Fishing Regulations pamphlet. This regulation has been around for years and mandates the angler must make the fish “a long as possible,” meaning you can’t “fan the tail” to make any fish fall under the maximum length limit.

If you want to jazz up this new measuring stick, then take a red permanent marker and draw a line at 18 inches and at 27 inches.

While you’re at it, take a black permanent marker and draw a line at 13 inches and another at 20 inches to account for the new length limits on speckled trout.

There are so many other choices, but it’s always good to know exactly what Dad wants for tackle or other fishing options. Same’s true for hunters.

Gift cards work well, too.

At Grand Isle

If there was one extraordinary truth coming from last weekend’s Catholic High Alumni Rodeo, it’s that keeper-size speckled trout around Grand Isle and The Fourchon want live croakers. That’s what all the bigger trout ate.

Live shrimp worked, too, but took a lot of smaller trout and the ever-present hardhead catfish.

We fished with artificial bait for two mornings both under a cork and tight-lined and caught small trout.

Another oddity was all the flounder entered in the rodeo. Fisheries biologists know cold winters produce more flounder, and maybe that was the case, but constant 12-15 knot winds kept a lot of rodeo anglers inside and fishing around rock piles and jetties, places where flounder like to live.

No wake zone

Heavy rains in the Verret Basin forced the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office to declare a no-wake zone in the Stephensville-Belle River area “until further notice.”

The area includes portions of Grassy Lake and Lake Palourde in St. Martin Parish.

Project Appleseed

A national movement to make youngsters better aware of firearms and become better shooters produced the name Project Appleseed, and it’s coming to Palo Alto Rifle and Pistol Club located just northwest of Donaldsonville the weekend of June 29-30.

The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association is sponsoring the event for youngsters 17 and younger.

LSA spokesman Tony Geeck described PA as “…excellent program, you will be a better rifleman after attending.”

You can call Geeck at (985) 707-3443 to check out the availability of rifles, the limited quantity of ammunition and to answer any other questions.

A new chief

Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Madison Sheahan selected Stephen Clark to be the next head of the agency’s Enforcement Division with the title of “superintendent.”

Clark began his law enforcement career with the department in 1994 before moving to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service where he became an assistant special agent and a resident agent in charge, and special agent.

He has served as advisor since Sheahan was named to head the agency five months ago.

Red snapper

Through May 19, some 35 days after opening the season, Wildlife and Fisheries’ managers and biologists estimated the red snapper catch at 241,406 pounds. That’s 25.8% of our state’s annual allotment of 934,587 pounds.

The near real-time data is a product of the agency’s highly regarded LA Creel program.

And, through the first weeks, the agency continues to advise offshore anglers of the need to have a no-fee Recreational Offshore Landing Permit, which is available only from the agency’s website: wlf.louisiana.gov.

Offshore reef fishermen are required to have the ROLP to take a number of reef species, including snappers, cobia and groupers, and bluewater species, including tuna, wahoo, dolphinfish and billfish.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Jan. 13, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 13, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 13 drawing

16-40-56-64-66, Mega Ball: 04

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 13 drawing

5-8-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 13 drawing

1-7-5-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Jan. 13 drawing

5-9-5-1-1

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Louisiana

Louisiana employment remains above 2 million for record-setting stretch

Published

22 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

What was once a difficult benchmark for Louisiana’s job market could become the new normal, according to an analysis from Leaders for a Better Louisiana.

Louisiana employment has topped 2 mil…

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Louisiana

Scam calls surge in Louisiana with over 50 million targeting residents in December

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Scam calls surge in Louisiana with over 50 million targeting residents in December

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana residents received over 50 million scam calls in December, according to new statistics from the spam blocking app TrueCaller, showcasing an alarming increase in unwanted calls month by month.

The app identified over 2.5 billion spam calls nationwide in December, with Louisiana residents specifically targeted by over 58 million scam calls and over 3 million scam texts during the month.

“It’s insane, so I don’t get my number out anymore,” said Peter Simon, a local shopper.

Technology makes scams more sophisticated

Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South Central Louisiana said new technology and artificial intelligence make it easier for scammers to contact consumers.

“Technology is with us. And where we could tell consumers where to look out, what warning signs to look out for these scams, you know, the new AI has made it easier for these scammers to make it look really valid. And it can dupe some consumers into believing that they’re a legitimate cause when in case it’s a scam,” Million said.

Scammers use various tactics to trick people and steal information, money, and focus from their targets.

“There was one, like, cruises for a lot. And then there was a lot of political ones that were surprising,” Simon said.

Patricia Martinez, another shopper, expressed concern about vulnerable populations.

“I have senior parents, too, that I feel are all so vulnerable to AI, and I see it really prevalent in social media spaces as well. So, it can create a lot of disinformation,” Martinez said.

How to avoid scam calls

The main goal is authenticity and verifying what the caller claims to represent. If a scammer claims to be from a government agency or organization, consumers should check directly with that organization or agency to see if the claims are true.

“I would tell everyone, like, take me off your list. And they were, I don’t know if that helped, but they stopped calling, so,” Simon said.

Martinez recommended researching suspicious calls online.

“I would always go and Google the sources to see if other people have spoken out about them. Social media is a great place to see where other people have maybe had these issues,” she said.

Million advised consumers to be skeptical of all unsolicited calls.

“Automatically assume it’s not valid. Investigate. And always do your homework,” she said.

The Better Business Bureau tracks scams and encourages consumers to report them anonymously on their website’s scam tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker. Million said many consumers hesitate to report scams due to embarrassment, making the anonymous reporting option vital for gathering information.

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