Hunters, especially waterfowl hunters, and coastal fishermen will be governed by the moves offered on Tuesday’s agenda set for January’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting.
Yes, it’s Tuesday — a move from the usual Thursday meeting days — and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Wildlife Division managers will present proposed dates for the 2026-2027 hunting seasons.
Another agenda item seeks to change how species like speckled trout and redfish can be moved on the water by fishermen.
Current fishing regulations ban fishermen from having filleted speckled trout and redfish on their boats. The ban affects anglers with camps accessible only by water. The proposed regulation will establish new length limits for filleted fish. This move comes after the state Legislature voted in Act 36 of the 2024 legislative session.
It’s likely the seasons on deer, squirrels, rabbits, quail and doves will remain the same with only calendar date alterations. And, there’s the federally mandated Dec. 18-Jan. 31 woodcock season.
It’s the waterfowl seasons that have been the most contentious issue during the past two years, notably the move of the West Zone seasons as close to the end of January as possible. By federal mandate, Louisian’s duck season must end Jan. 31.
Up in the air, too, is the length of the special September teal season.
This year, the discussion is likely to center around a possible three-segment season for West Zone hunters.
The issue could help hunters who take to the coastal marshes in January, a period when north winds and the usual extra-low tides make it impossible to get to what usually are prime duck-hunting spots in the marshes.
Ryan Lambert, who runs a guide service from Buras, said this week’s low tidal ranges have put a crimp into trips.
“We haven’t been able to hunt all week (last week),” Lambert said. “The negative tides mean there is very low or no water in lots of places.
“We’ve had a good season. We’ve had good hunts for teal, but when the negative tides happen the big ducks stay offshore and won’t come in until the tides rise. While the season dates are good for northern hunters, the tide ranges mean we have limited hunting days — sometimes as many as 19 days in January — and hopefully we can get dates (for the 2026-2027 season) that will help us.”
What’s happened, Lambert said, is that his parties will fish in the morning then hunt ducks in the afternoons on incoming tides.
“The water is just too low to hunt in the morning,” he said.
The meeting is set to convene at 9:30 a.m. at state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.
Also on the agenda is a report on the new electrofishing study conducted in the coastal areas, and the election of the chairman and vice-chairman for 2026.
The meeting will be available via Zoom.
One note about the Buras-Venice area for anglers. Several species of fish are showing up in down-river catches these days. Largemouth and spotted bass, striped bass, speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead, drum and catfish are taking a variety of artificial lures and live/fresh bait in the Mississippi River and adjacent waters.
Fog was a problem during Christmas week, and like Lambert said, anglers must pay attention when running in low-water locations. And, cold fronts and associated winds can rough up the big river, so be careful if you have to run across or down the river a day or two after a front passes through south h.
Shallow groupers
This week begins a series of three public meeting followed by a single webinar meeting by the Gulf Council “to gather public comments on Draft Reef Fish Amendment 58A: Modifications to Shallow-Water Grouper Management Measures.”
In this instance, shallow-water groupers includes yellowmouth, yellowfin and black groupers and scamp.
One of the public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Wildlife and Fisheries office, 200 Dulles Drive in Lafayette.
The others are Thursday at the Recreation Civic Center in Madeira Beach, Florida, and Jan. 12 at the Hilton Island in Galveston, Texas. The virtual hearing is set for 5 p.m. Jan. 21. Details can be found on the council’s website: .
Recent studies have found these four species cannot be managed together. Stock assessments and federal biologists have determined scamp and yellowmouth grouper stocks are decreasing and reduced seasons and limits likely will be required. Yellowfin and black grouper stocks are stable.
Morganza to the Gulf
The Corps of Engineers has set public meetings for Thursday and Jan. 15 to provide information and take public comment on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on the Morganza to the Gulf, h Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Project. The EIS was released in early December.
Thursday’s meetings are set to run from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the Dularge Gym, 1330 Dr. Beatrous Rd. in Theriot.
The Jan. 15 meetings will be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. inside the Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd. in Houma.
The Corps’ New Orleans District indicated the Risk Reduction Project files can be reviewed on its website through Jan. 23 — — and that public comments will be taken at the meetings or via email: mvnenvironmental@usace.army.mil
Written comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Planning and Environment Division, South New Orleans Environmental Branch, CEMVN PDS, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118.