DON DUBUC

Lady angler searches for record-holders PHOTO: Susan Gros holds up a record-setting specked trout, pending international Game Fish Association acceptance. Statistics show that 99 percent of anglers catching record fish never thought they would. After last Tuesday, there’s no doubt Susan Gros is in the 1 percent that does. It started with a call Monday evening asking if she could “tag along” during the taping of my Tuesday night fishing feature for the ABC Channel 26 10 p.m. news. She promised to stay out of the way with her fly rod while Captains Dee Geoghegan and Dudley Vandenborre and I went after those 3-6 pound speckled trout that have been tearing live shrimp on Lake Pontchartrain’s south shore. When the dust, or I should say spray settled, we had a box full of magnum specks but Gros had two new IGFA world records to her credit. When the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) accepts these two latest entries Gros will have a total of 10 world and several Louisiana state records. And it’s no accident that Gros, who manages Lakeside Orvis Outfitters in Metairie bet-ween record setting trips, has them. “I fish for record fish and I have a plan. There are lots of opportunities for new records in a number of categories using certain types of equipment. Before I set out I know what species and size fish I need to catch on a certain size tippet (leader) to set a record,” she said. The IGFA records are further broken down to ladies’, men’s and junior categories. To protect the integrity of the records IGFA and the Louisiana Outdoor Writer’s Association (LOWA) which maintains official state records, have strict reporting and documentation requirements. “If you don’t follow the correct procedure, it’s very easy to lose a potential record. I always have the proper forms, camera and an accurate scale whenever I’m fishing for a record,” she said. Copies of the rules and official forms can be obtained by contacting IGFA, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL and LOWA, P.O. Box 8571, Clinton, LA 70722-8571. SHRIMP SEASON TO CLOSE All inshore waters including Lake Pontchartrain will close for trawling effective Tuesday at 6 a.m. Most of Louisiana’s coastal waters have already been closed. The spring brown shrimp seasons are closed when the number, distribution and percentage of small white shrimp begin showing up in significant numbers. Following a period of growth during the temporary closure, the white shrimp season will be opened for trawling in all three zones. During the closure, offshore waters remain open to shrimping. TURKEY BANQUET IN COVINGTON The West St. Tammany Spurs, a local chapter of the National Wild turkey Federa-tion, will host its annual fund-raising banquet Aug 4. The banquet to be followed by live and silent auctions, raffles and door prizes will be at the St. Gertrude’s Knights of Columbus Hall on Louisiana Highway 25. Proceeds from the event benefit the conservation and enhancement of wild turkeys throughout the state and the country. The NWTF was founded in 1973 when there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Today, there are 5.4 million wild turkeys and approximately 2.6 million turkey hunters. The NWTF has 390,000 members who support the organization’s work with state and federal agencies as well as private corporations. To date the NWTF is responsible for over 15,000 projects that benefit wild turkeys throughout North America.