By DON DUBUC

Only a week away when dove season opens, Louisiana hunters begin to renew an annual tradition almost nonstop until the end of February. And although there’s no shortage of mourning doves here, many Louisiana hunters will be looking to neighboring states to find a place to hunt.

While a few state public WMAs including Sandy Hollow in Tangipahoa Parish do attract some doves they attract many more hunters making them marginal hunting spots at best. The LDWF also has a plan whereby it leases fields planted to attract doves from landowners and conduct public hunts for a minimal fee. But it has many more hunters demanding more space and birds than the handful of fields they lease can supply.

With only a few commercial bird hunting operations around, many hunters choose to head to Mississippi, Alabama, Texas or even Mexico to find a dove shoot. In Alabama the daily limit is 15 birds per hunter per day and non-resident three-day licenses cost $32.

If you will be hunting in Louisiana, dove dates are Sept. 7-15, Oct. 12-Nov. 24 and Dec. 21-Jan. 6. The daily limit for mourning doves is 12 per person with a two-day possession limit of 24.

Catch of the year

Michael Ledet was on an annual company offshore fishing trip last August when he boated the first fish of the day, a yellowtail snapper. It turned out to be the smallest fish caught all day aboard Captain Dale Scott’s charterboat out of Cocodrie. Last week, the Louisiana Outdoor Writer’s Association named it.

“We were catching lemonfish, amberjack, groupers and a variety of snappers and at first I thought it was a red snapper,” Ledet, a Houma resident, said. “Luckily our captain knew this fish was special and helped me get through the procedures to apply for state and world records.”

The 10.20-pound yellowtail not only broke the state record but also set a new International Gamefish Association world record.

Each year LOWA presents its Fish of the Year Award to the angler it selects as having made the most outstanding catch. Ledet will receive his award Sept. 14 in Lake Charles.

Potential record set in Lake Pontchartrain

Over the last few years Lake Pontchartrain has become recognized for the great fishery it is. The latest fish story to come from the state’s largest lake is of an unofficial new record ladyfish.

On a recent trip to the U.S. Highway 11 bridge, Tony Giammolva of Slidell was fishing with live cacahoe minnows when he boated the 3.20-pound ladyfish. He weighed it on a certified scale and had it identified by a biologist (as required by LOWA rules) at Busy B Bait & Tackle in Slidell.

The fish measured 23.1 inches long and 10 inches in girth. If accepted by LOWA the fish will knock the current 2.84 leader down to second place.

Open bass tournament to be held in Madisonville

Entries are being accepted for the T-Rivers Open Bass Tournament at the Madisonville Launch on Lake Pontchartrain set for Sept. 8. First- through 10th-place teams will earn cash prizes based on the number of entries.

Each two-man team will be allowed to weigh in five fish with a minimum of 12 inches in length. Entry fee is $100 per team, which includes an entry into the biggest bass pot.

Entries will be accepted until launch time set for safe light Sept. 8. Weigh-in at T-Rivers, 1999 Main St. must be prior to 2 p.m.

For more information, contact tournament director Eddie Ramon at 985-892-0234.

DON DUBUC is the outdoors reporter for L’Observateur.