John K. Flores Basin fishing rules will change Aug. 1

Some years ago, my wife and I were fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin. More specifically, across Flat Lake in Bear Bayou. We were fishing for chinquapins (aka; red ear sunfish, shell crackers, bream) and having a great time. Nearly every cast, we had a fish on.
The only difference was how we were fishing. Christine was using worms under a cork, and I was using a hair jig. I couldn’t keep the small bass off my artificial bait. I caught one right after the other, but none were keeper size.
It wasn’t long before a bass angler, who was trolling the opposite bank, pulled up alongside of me and graciously asked if I minded him fishing next to us. He saw all the bass I was catching and wanted in on the action.
“Knock yourself out,” I told him, “but don’t plan on catching any keepers. They’ve all been under size.”
After about an hour he said to me, “I don’t know about you, but I’m having fun. I’ve caught about 50 so far. No keepers.”
Catch and release is something tournament bass anglers are used to. Me, I prefer putting them in the ice chest to take home and eat.
At the time, there was a strict 14-inch minimum length on bass in the Atchafalaya Basin, post Hurricane Andrew that had been in place since 1993.
The devastating hurricane caused massive fish kills in the Basin and surrounding waters. Subsequently, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, along with other agencies and volunteers, went about restocking the region with bass.
In June 2013, those regulations were relaxed where fishermen could take home 10 fish daily with no limit on the length. A lot of those 10-, 11- and 12-inch fish we were previously tossing back could now be taken home to eat if you were so inclined.
Ultimately, the 2013 regulations mirrored those of the coastal marshes below the Basin, where bass live in a dog-eat-dog world of predators and harsh environment. Bass in the marsh are subject to fish kills from tropical storms. As a result, many tend to be small, chunky 1½-2-lb. fish.
Back in 2013, LDWF Inland Fisheries Biologist Mike Wood made the statement, “Bass in this region lived hard and died young!” He wasn’t wrong.
Atchafalaya Basin black bass regulations will change again Aug. 1 that will also include Henderson Lake, Grassy Lake, Lake Palourde and Lake Verrett. Black bass species that include largemouth bass, Florida bass, spotted bass and their hybrids will now be required to be a minimum 12-inches in length. The daily creel limit will be reduced from 10 to 5.
Black and white crappie regulations will also change in the Basin. Starting Aug. 1, there will be an 8-inch minimum length on crappie (aka sac-a-lait). The daily creel limit will be 25.
The regulations for both black bass and crappie includes the region within the area south of U.S. 190 from the west Atchafalaya Basin protection levee to the intersection of La. 1 and U.S. 190 due north of Port Allen, east of the west Atchafalaya Basin protection levee to La. 20, north and west of La. 20 from U.S. 90 to La. 1 in Thibodaux, south and west of La. 1 from La. 20 to U.S. 190. It is highly recommended to review the region map on the LDWF website.
The new regulations are a result of SB 111 introduced March 25 by State Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter of Iberville Parish. The measure ultimately passed in the Senate by a 35-0 vote, with 4 absent.
In the House, the Legislature voted 93-0 on May 19 to approve SB 111, with 12 absent. Gov. Landry subsequently signed the Bill into law as Act No. 460 R.S. 56: 325 on May 29.
As of July 15, the LDWF Facebook page has had 48 comments ranging from “Need this rule for the entire state,” to “Why are you doing this,” to “No more Sportsman Paradise in Louisiana,” to “5 bass is crazy, why not 10.”
More locally, Morgan City resident and avid tournament bass angler Howard Hartley said, “I think it’s better than what we have now. I would prefer it go back to a 14-inch minimum or even a slot limit of 14 to 18 inches — no possession — at least for 5 years. I would also prefer a no possession of any size between the months of February and April.”
Patterson resident and Bullet Bass Club president Gerald Foulcard, said, “I actually wish they would’ve gone with 14-inch bass and at least a 7 fish limit. I agree with 8-inch minimum sac-a-lait length and up to 25-limit. I’m gathering this will be a wait and see type situation, but what they really need to do is introduce more Florida strain bass to the area.”
Essentially, among competitive bass anglers who are by and large catch and release fishermen, there is overwhelming support for the new regulations. What’s more, in many cases felt the need for the LDWF to go further with the minimum length for bass. But it begs the question, if stricter regulations didn’t produce lunker bass in the 20 years post Hurricane Andrew in the Basin, where looser regulations were enacted in 2013, only to reverse course in August 2026, what is the reason for the change?
LDWF Inland Fisheries Biologist Brac Salyer, said, “The regulatory changes made after Hurricane Andrew were promulgated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in response to the severe largescale fish kills in the affected area. They were implemented to allow those fish populations to rebound after being decimated by Hurricane Andrew. The new regulations contained in SB 111 were enacted by the legislature and were aimed at yielding larger fish.”
The Atchafalaya Basin continues to change environmentally. Water quality, siltation, invasive species, and habitat loss have all impacted the ecosystem that is so critical to fish populations. What is the expected recovery time where regulations could possibly be loosened? Salyers says it could take years.
“Since these new regulations are geared towards achieving larger fish, it will take several years to determine effectiveness,” Salyers said.
“The Atchafalaya Basin’s fishery is very dependent upon water quality and subject to natural disasters and other environmental externalities, which have historically made achieving goals through regulation changes challenging.”
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.