MONDAY
ARTIFICIAL REEF COUNCIL MEETING: 1 p.m., Herring Room, state Wildlife & Fisheries headquarters, 200 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
LA. COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENSES RENEWAL: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., LDWF office, Suite 438, 2045 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans. Boat registration included. Also: May 8-10, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., LDWF office, 468 Texas Gulf Road, Bourg, Call LDWF Licensing (225) 765-2898.
GULF COUNCIL REEF FISH & ECOSYSTEM S&S COMMITTEE MEETINGS: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 7:30 a.m.-noon, Thursday (times CDT), Suite 200, 4107 West Spruce Street, Tampa, Florida. Top items: MRIP Transition Team red snapper/other species; review other snapper & grouper landings; gray triggerfish stock assessment. In-person/webinar public comment daily. Website: gulfcouncil.org
WEDNESDAY
LA. SHRIMP TASK FORCE MEETING: 1 p.m., state Wildlife & Fisheries headquarters, 200 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.
BUGS & BEER: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewery, 455 North Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Monthly open fly tying & demos. Open to public. New Orleans Fly Fishers Club event.
THURSDAY
WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY
STRIKE KING BASSMASTER COLLEGE SERIES: Red River, Grand Ecore Landing, Natchitoches. Qualifiers advance to June 9-10 College National Championship, Lay Lake, Shelby County, Alabama. Website: bassmaster.com/College.
FRIDAY
FALSE RIVER COOKIE JAR BASS TOURNAMENT: 7 p.m.-midnight, LA Express landing, Jarreau. Fee $40/boat, max 2 anglers. Weekly event. Call Storm Randall (225) 937-0489.
SATURDAY
BEGINNER CATFISHING COURSE; GET OUT & FISH: Bayou Country Sports Park, 4374 La. 311, Houma. Free. Tackle provided, but urged to bring personal gear. Limited to 10 anglers. Preregistration required. Website: louisianaoutdoors.com/events. Email: outreach@wlf.la.gov.
HUNTING SEASONS
TURKEY: Area A: through April 30. Areas B & C closed. NOTE: Sherburne & Richard Yancey WMAs closed for turkey season & Tunica Hills WMA closed to public on weekends during turkey season.
SQUIRRELS: May 6-28, statewide private lands & selected WMAs.
AROUND THE CORNER
MAY 7—B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL CENTRAL OPEN: Red River, Grand Ecore Park, Natchitoches. Website: bassmaster.com.
MAY 8—RED STICK FLY FISHERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife & Fisheries headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. Website: rsff.org.
MAY 9—INTRODUCTION TO FISHING COURSE: Bayou Country Sports Park, Houma. Free. Tackle provided, but urged to bring personal gear. Limited to 10 anglers. Preregistration required. Website: louisianaoutdoors.com/events. Email: outreach@wlf.la.gov
MAY 11—JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Age-group club, boys & girls ages 7-18. Tournaments follow 10 days later. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.
MAY 14—Mother’s Day
FISHING/SHRIMPING
SHRIMP: Spring Inshore season opens 6 a.m., May 1 from South Pass of the Mississippi River west to Freshwater Bayou Canal. All state outside waters open; all other inshore areas/seasons closed except double-rig line in Breton & Chandeleur sounds. Map website: wlf.louisiana.gov
OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Gray triggerfish; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers, except closed for gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.
CLOSED SEASONS: Recreational red snapper, greater amberjack & gag, goliath & Nassau grouper in state/federal waters.
LDWF UPDATES
-Hope Canal Road (Maurepas Swamp WMA) & boat launch closed indefinitely, levee construction; Dobbs Bay, Blount, Lac a’ Sostien roads & all roads inside Mississippi River levee batture (Richard Yancey WMA closed, flooding.
Email: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com
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