Time to give credit where credit is due. Kudos to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries!

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They have just released the results of a year-long survey that will prove to be an incredible resource for bass anglers not only in Louisiana, but for any angler outside the state that might be planning a fishing trip to North Louisiana.

The survey, entitled the Louisiana Annual Tournament Report and Information Project or LATRIP.

LATRIP is a pilot project compiling voluntarily submitted bass tournament data. The 2021 report focuses on waterbodies from northwest/northcentral Louisiana and is being used to gauge interest in expanding the effort statewide.

While some might argue that this would only be applicable to those intending on fishing a bass tournament here in our area of the Bayou State, I believe the results are beneficial to any that might wonder which of our public lakes have the most potential to catch lots of bass or possibly even the largest bass.

Where Did LDWF Get Their Information?

Information used for this report was voluntarily submitted by bass clubs for analysis by LDWF.

If expanded to a statewide project, the data will be used to track trends in bass angling success rates over time and promote Louisiana's quality fisheries. The report tracks several metrics, such as the average number of bass weighed per boat, the average bag weight per boat, the percentage of boats with 10+ pound bags, etc., and compares the results for different waterbodies.

For example, should a person want to know what lakes might have the best potential for catching a lot of fish, those lakes where most the most tournament anglers caught their full 5 fish limit would be a great gauge.

From The Looks Of It, D'Arbonne, Grand Bayou & Caney Are Full of Bass

From LDWF
From LDWF
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And when it comes to big fish, the lakes where it takes an average heavier 5-bass limit to win, would also be a good indicator.

Want To Catch A Big One? Caney and Black Bayou Hosston Have Some Hosses

From LDWF
From LDWF
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Some of their other findings included:

  • LATRIP tournaments averaged 31 boats per tournament, including championship tournaments with reduced fields.
  • Approximately 74.87% of anglers were successful at weighing in at least one bass.
  • Tournament anglers brought an average of 2.61 bass to the scales per boat per tournament.
  • The average individual weight was 2.45 pounds for all bass coming to the scales.
  • Anglers’ average bag weight was 6.69 pounds.
  • The average winning Big Bass per tournament was 6.25 pounds across all tournaments.
  • On average, it took 17.58 pounds to win a tournament across all waterbodies and tournaments included in this analysis.
  • Third Place weights were tracked throughout the year in an attempt to estimate what it would take to “be in the money.” Average 3rd Place weight for all tournaments was 13.60 pounds.
  • Only 2.18% of boats weighed in more than 20 pounds of bass.
  • It was estimated to take 220.72 angler hours to catch a 5+ pound bass.

The full report can be viewed at wlf.louisiana.gov

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