A is for APPOINTMENT for secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries by Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, a St. Martinville native, has raised hackles and eyebrows. Give Madison Sheahan, 26, an Ohio State grad with no experience in ecology, biology or conservation, a chance. People griped about the good ol’ boy network for years. The secretary position’s track record has been an embarrassment as far as three secretaries before Robert Shadoin.

B is for BASS-ZILLA. That’s a 7.13-pound bass hooked and reeled in on the third cast by Mike O’Brien in the 17th annual Louisiana Bass Cats Open on Feb. 19 at Lake Fausse Pointe. The “hawg” anchored the winning stringer for O’Brien and Mike Sinitiere, who collected $1,200 for first and $320 for big bass.

C is for CONGRATULATIONS to Hollis Daigle and Vincent Vilcan-Soprano. They are the first bass anglers from the Catholic High School Fishing Team to qualify for nationals. The Junior Division bass anglers and their captain, Brock Daigle, fished July 21-22 at Lake Hartwell and made history walking across the stage to weigh their bass on Day 2.

D is for DUCK of a different color shot Nov. 11 by Maddox Savoy. His hunting buddy, Elliott Landry, recovered the duck and said it looked different. It was. Savoy, 16, had killed a blonde mallard hen, which some claim happens 1 in 165,000 and others say 1 in 45,000. Whatever, it’s a rare bird and being mounted. “It’s once-in-a-lifetime,” he said.

E is for EVERY Fish Matters, Cliff “The Cajun Baby” Crochet’s bass restoration project in its second year to enhance bass fishing in and around the Atchafalaya Basin. The pro bass angler’s inaugural fundraiser July 28, 2022, paved the way for the release of F1 fingerlings known as “Tiger Bass” on March 26 out of Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville, and April 15 at Veterans Park in Pierre Part.

F is for FINGERS crossed for more participation in the Southcentral Fishing Association and more volunteers to help run the 71st annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo. SFA boat numbers were way down in 2023 and there was concern last year about “new blood” stepping up in the IR&GC.

G is for GOD willing and the creek don’t rise, Jacob and I can fish in our Ranger RT198P all 12 months of 2024, unlike previous years. Transom stress fractures shelved the boat the last four months of ’23 while a new hull is being built at the Ranger plant in Missouri. It was the third time we’ve missed having the boat for two or more months.

H is for HORACE Jeanminette, a friend of mine, a friend of many. Mr. Horace, lovingly referred to as “Pop” by his sons Felix Jeanminette and the late Elvis Jeanminette, died April 4 at 93. “Pop” honestly never met a person he didn’t like. His smile was infectious. He loved fishing with his sons and friends, tending to his garden and playing a few bills at a local casino.

I is for IMPROBABLE journey that unfolded Aug. 10 when high winds pounded a 52-foot wooden shrimp boat along the Gulf Coast near Freshwater Bayou. George Romero was shrimping into the wee hours of the morning before wind-whipped waves tossed his boat like a salad, then crashed through the cabin. Unable to get his cell phone, Romero jumped overboard and watched as his boat broke apart and sank. He grabbed a 15×15 piece of the back deck. With no water and no food, Romero floated the first night then walked, waded or swam eastward approximately 19 miles one more night and two days before being rescued by a charter boat captain at Southwest Pass Bay.

J is for JUST imagine the sound of 16 shots Jan. 22 during a wild half-minute barrage by hunters in the Atchafalaya Basin. Matt Migues, Randal “Rooster” Savoy, Rylin Savoy, “Tee Roy” Savoy and Bryan Davis were hunting on the Catahoula Hunting Club’s Line 10. Migues downed a deer and two of five wild hogs were killed.

K is for KUDOS to Chad Richard, a dedicated deputy with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office. Chad shows up with boat in tow for nearly every Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series tournament out of Marsh Field Landing. He watches to make sure everyone leaves safely and makes sure all have returned by dark-thirty. Thanks so much.

L is for LOOKING ahead, I hope the Atchafalaya Basin recovers from its prolonged ultra-low water stage and saltwater intrusion so serious there were reports of sharks, redfish and/or stingrays in Mama’s Pond, Bayou Benoit and Bayou Crook Chene.

M is for MILLER Jude Shoopman, born March 1 to our youngest son, Jacob, and Stephanie Gary. Miller’s obviously on his own schedule as he arrived early, then spent 42 days in NICU at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Enjoying the blessing and joy the most, perhaps, are his grandparents, June and I, and Ron and Cindy Gary. Family and friends have been just as enthralled as the grandparents who are on Cloud Nine.

N is for NEVER say never. Just when we thought hydrilla would never return at Toledo Bend, it came back strong starting the last half of 2022. Now there’s more of the green stuff on the Texas side, where Housen and Six Mile creeks are chock full. Bass fishing success ramped up accordingly.

O is for OOPS. My 2023 New Year’s resolution was to catch bass for the first time ever on a drop shot, a shaky head, a Ned rig and/or a Neko rig. Did it happen? Nada. There’s plenty of time to try in ’24.

P is for PROUD of one of our own, Kirk Sieber, who was rewarded for his efforts to improve coastal resources with his induction March 3 into CCA-Louisiana’s 2023 Hall of Fame Class.

Q is for QUADRUPEDS and wild birds infected with either chronic wasting disease or highly pathogenic avian influenza, respectively, concern state and federal officials from coast to coast. Louisiana’s CWD issues are concentrated so far in Tensas Parish, where LDWF asks hunters in the area to use 13 free CWD Testing Collection Points. LDWF also urges people not to handle sick or dead birds, including ducks and geese.

R is for REBAR: Steel bar used to reinforce concrete structures. The last place to expect one was in the water near Jack’s 944 Landing in Housen Creek at Toledo Bend. The lake was low in October when Mike Sinitiere’s Skeeter bass boat idled out before sunrise. He heard a sickening screech front to back on the port side. The rebar, sticking 7 inches out of the water at a slight angle, caused hundreds of dollars of damage to the fiberglass.

S is for STUNNED on my 70th birthday Jan. 7, 2023. Patti Rendina, Bill Shoopman, Keith Shoopman and Barbara Henry, my younger brothers and sisters, arrived Jan. 6 from the Midwest, checked into the historic Hot Sauce House, then waited for me to return with my son, Jacob, from a Catholic High School varsity girls soccer match in Lafayette. Jacob was in on it. His mother, June, too. He brought me to Quarter Tavern, where my family surprised me as I walked in ahead of Jacob. The rest of the evening and next day were blissful, eating snacks, sweets, grilled bratwurst, imbibing a little and thoroughly enjoying the reunion.

T is for TRUE story. Brooke Morrison, a hunter and avid bass angler, was hunting deer in mid-November. The Youngsville outdoorsman shot one that fell at the base of a tree. Morrison waited the normal allotted time. When he looked again a black bear — approximately 200-250 pounds, judging by a Facebook photo – was on all fours 8-10 feet from the deer. To make a long story short, the bear hauled the deer away and later was heard eating the deer.

U is for UNHAPPY saltwater fishermen who target speckled trout along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. LDWF imposed a 15-fish daily creel limit and 13-inch minimum length limit with no more than two fish over 20 inches on Nov. 20. A Morgan City angler was shaking his head after catching speckled trout for several days recently with his buddies below Houma. Each trip went mostly like this: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 105 speckled trout, two keepers. ‘Nuff said.

V is for VALUABLE “sinker” cypress trees in the Atchafalaya Basin. Outdoorsmen such as Kevin Latiolais find enormous bald cypress trees that are used for various types of furniture.

W is for WONDERS of nature never cease. Two years ago Buck 140 was tracked from its Mississippi Delta home into Louisiana before returning to the Mississippi Delta. Buck 140 made two round trips (36 miles total each time) before it was killed by a Mississippi hunter Dec. 17, 2022. Move over, Buck 140. A female pintail tagged at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in 2021 flew 10,000 miles to Russia, then six months later winged it to California, then Louisiana. Followed on radar.

X is for XCITE Baits, which introduced a soft plastic punchin’ bait designed by Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet of Raceland. Rivet, who won a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament in February at Lake Okeechobee, drew his idea on a napkin and sent it to Xcite Baits owner Lloyd Walker. It’s been highly successful. Now Rivet’s designing a plastic frog.

Y is for YOUNGER “Young Guns.” As former local young guns age into their upper teens and early 20s, there are more behind them participating in bass tournaments. Keep an eye on these “sticks” in the future – Hollis Daigle, Vincent Vilcan-Soprano, Roman Segura, Walker Hidalgo, Cannon Leger and Greyson Young, all Junior Division anglers on the CHS Fishing Team.

Z is for ZEST, the fervor with which this area’s outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen pursue their favorite pastime, whether fishing for bass, sac-a-lait, bream, catfish, speckled trout, redfish, croaker or drum or hunting ducks, deer, squirrels or rabbits. It’s a tradition passed down for generations.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.