Louisiana
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.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – After being hired as the new head coach of the Southern Jaguars, Marshall Faulk made the trip to Central Louisiana to help promote his program.
“These are my eyes for the talent in this area,” Faulk told KALB. “We’re aggressive about recruiting the State of Louisiana, and so when there’s good talent and players coming up here, hanging out with some of the people that I know.”
Southern is Faulk’s first head coaching job after spending last season as an assistant at Colorado.
“I’ve done a lot of stuff in the states that I’ve lived,” Faulk said. “Being born here, I hadn’t done a lot around helping youth sports and helping kids in this environment. I’ve got a lot of information and education around football and things that I can give, and this is a great opportunity to give back.”
The Jaguars only won two games in 2025, but are just two years removed from a SWAC Championship Game appearance.
“Just the guys learning how to practice their willingness to learn,” Faulk said on the traits he’s seen thus far from his team. “They’re wanting their desire to get better, and that’s all you want.”
Southern opens up their season on August 29 against Alabama State at the Birmingham Football Classic.
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The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official completion of the $128 million I-20 Major Rehabilitation Project in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
[Above photo by Louisiana DOTD]
The project, noted as being one of the largest investments in the I-20 corridor in many years, included a total rebuild of all the travel lanes and ramps at five interchanges from near Hamilton Road to LA 782-2 (Industrial Drive) in Bossier City.
Work began on this I-20 project in September 2023, which included removing all of the original pavement and roadway base down to the dirt – fully reconstructing them with all new material, the first project of its kind for this section of interstate since it was built in the 1960s.
The project also included extensive concrete panel replacements across the Red River on sections of I-20 in Shreveport; drainage structure installation and improvements; new overhead signage and related components; updated street lighting, a new barrier wall, and headlight glare screens; plus fresh roadway striping and reflectorized pavement markings.
The agency said contractors completed all major construction work such as concrete paving by late 2025, with final items – including permanent roadway striping and signage – finished over the last several months.
“The I-20 project is a testament to what we can accomplish when collaboration is at the forefront and everyone works toward a common goal, which is to deliver a large-scale investment that positively impacts the quality of life for thousands of citizens,” noted Governor Jeff Landry (R) in a statement.
“Executing such a vast infrastructure improvement also demonstrates government accountability, effective project management, and a commitment to delivering on our promises,” he said.
“The I-20 major rehabilitation project was a transformational investment in one of the most vital transportation corridors in not only Louisiana, but also across the entire southern United States,” added Glenn Ledet, Louisiana DOTD secretary. “Meaningful advancements like this one help ensure reliability, safety, and resilience – all of which are essential to strengthening the larger transportation network.”
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Our country is the product of our history. And as America’s 250th anniversary nears, those echoes sound with unusual clarity.
Later this year, we will also mark 223 years since Oct. 17, 1803, when President Thomas Jefferson urged Congress to ratify the treaty formalizing the Louisiana Purchase. He said the new territory would bring “important aids to our Treasury, an ample provision for our prosperity, and a widespread field for the blessings of freedom.”
He was right.
From the day Standard Oil built its Baton Rouge refinery in 1909, Louisiana has powered America’s prosperity. Much has changed since Jefferson’s time, but one truth remains: Louisiana’s leadership in energy remains essential to American manufacturing and a cornerstone of our national strength.
Manufacturers champion an “all of the above” energy strategy — a path to unleash America’s energy dominance. And that path runs through Louisiana.
Will Green
The manufacturing industry consumes one-third of the nation’s energy. To lead as an industry, every energy source, every electron counts. Manufacturers understand that leadership isn’t about producing more, it’s about using energy wisely.
Manufacturing is key to Louisiana’s economy, representing 17% of state GDP and nearly $58 billion in output. More than 143,000 Louisianans work in manufacturing, earning nearly double the state’s average wage. Those jobs depend on access to abundant, affordable energy, because manufacturers make energy and use energy.
The resilience, affordability and reliability of U.S. oil and gas underpin our industrial base, our national security and our ability to compete globally. In Louisiana, manufacturers are on the front lines of that effort, onshore and offshore alike from the state’s pipelines to its LNG terminals. And the state has made it clear over the years that energy and manufacturing are top priorities.
But leadership also requires follow-through. Too many critical projects remain stuck in permitting limbo, waiting for approvals that should have come long ago. Louisiana alone has billions of dollars in potential investment literally stuck. Words must be turned into action to move projects forward. With billions on the line, manufacturing needs a predictable permitting process that sparks long-term certainty.
Since day one of President Donald Trump’s administration, he has answered the calls of manufacturers by reversing the previous administration’s ban on liquefied natural gas exports. That decision reaffirmed America’s commitment to lead the world in energy production and trade.
If we want to keep leading, manufacturers need comprehensive permitting reform now. America’s broken permitting system is costing America’s manufacturers $8 billion each year, according to recent analysis by the National Association of Manufacturers and the Foundation for American Innovation. It takes roughly 80% longer to approve a major energy or infrastructure project in the U.S. than in other advanced economies. That means higher costs, fewer jobs and slower growth.
There is bipartisan momentum in Congress to get permitting reform done in 2026. America needs a more efficient, more reliable permitting system to build the infrastructure that powers growth and keeps our industry competitive. This year, Congress can deliver the certainty manufacturers need to build faster, invest with confidence and improve the quality of life for all Americans.
We can’t power the factories of the future if we can’t build them.
Louisiana has long shown that energy production and environmental stewardship can coexist. With smart policy, a modern permitting system and predictable rules, that balance can endure.
Two centuries after Jefferson’s words, Louisiana continues to fuel America’s future through energy, manufacturing and innovation.
When Louisiana’s energy and manufacturing sectors thrive, America wins.
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