It happens every spring.
While thatโs most often said about baseball, spring is equally as important to ถถา๕h shrimpers who await Wildlife and Fisheries biologists to arrive at something called a โcrossoverโ day.
Itโs the day the Shrimp Study staff advises the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission about the best date to open the spring inshore shrimp seasons in our stateโs major coastal basins.
So, during Thursdayโs commission meeting, the seven-member panel learned the best day to open the inside waters from the Mississippi Riversโ South Pass west to Freshwater Bayou Canal is 6 a.m. Thursday.
The โcrossoverโ date is calculated after weeks of studying the brown shrimp in the major coastal estuaries and arriving at a time when at least 50% of the brown shrimp will grow to a size of (or larger) than 100 count โ thatโs 100 shrimp to the pound.
The two other major inside-waters areas have different opening dates:
6 a.m., Monday, May 19 from the ถถา๕h/Mississippi line west to South Pass;
6 a.m., Thursday, May 22 from the Freshwater Bayou Canal west to the ถถา๕h/Texas line.
These dates are important to recreational anglers and other commercial fishing interests because there will be more activity on the water and all boaters need to be aware of trawl boats.
The spring season primarily takes brown shrimp, which move into inshore water sometimes as early as late January. This speciesโ growth rate is determined by water temperature, salinity levels and wind direction. Too many cold fronts, north winds, rains and major river levels tend to hinder brown shrimp growth to marketable sizes.
The Shrimp Study staff continue to study shrimp movement and will advise closing the spring season when white shrimp numbers increase in inside waters.
Hunting seasons
The commission also approved Thursday the 2025-26 hunting seasons on private lakes and state/federal lands complete with amendments offered and passed since the season dates and regulations were proposed in early January.
Next up is a review by the State House of Representatives and Senate Natural Resources committees and, if approved, will be posted in the State Registry.
The final notice can be found on the agency’s website: .
Alligator bids
Anyone interested in taking alligators from 12 wildlife management areas, a wetland conservation area, two Corps of Engineers properties and two state wildlife refuges have until May 20 to submit bids for the 2025-27 alligator harvest seasons.
Wildlife and Fisheriesโ Fur and Refuge Division announced there will be 50 hunting โopportunitiesโ ranging form 10 to 250 tags per property.
These areas and the bid sheet are outlined on the Wildlife and Fisheries’ website: , or requested by writing: ถถา๕h Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Attn: Kelly Stanford, 2025-27 WMA Alligator Harvest Bids, 200 Dulles Drive, Lafayette, LA 70506.
Lagniappe Day
The statewide 14th annual Boating Education Lagniappe Day certified 123 boaters at nine locations after they completed eight hours of instruction and passed a test.
A safe boating certificate is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1984 and operating a boat with an outboard engine exceeding 10 horsepower.
Safe Boating courses are offered throughout the year. To enroll in this course go to: , then click on “Find A Course Near You” pulldown.
Oyster closures
Wildlife and Fisheries closed three major oyster grounds along with the Little Lake public oyster seed grounds effective April 30. The three include waters east of Mississippi River and north of MRGO; the Hackberry Bay oyster seed reservation; and, west cove and the east side of Calcasieu Lake.
Top man
Jason Adriance, the marine biologist who has spearheaded notable Wildlife and Fisheriesโ moves for speckled trout and redfish regulations for the past nine years, was named the ถถา๕h Wildlife Federationโs Conservation Professional of the Year at last weekendโs LWF annual Conservation Achievement Awards banquet.
New man
Jimmie Martin Sr. was installed to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission during Thursdayโs meeting to replace Baton Rouge's Brandon DeCuir, whose at-large term expired in April.
Martin comes to LWFC with six decades experience in commercial shrimping.