If you weren’t in favor of the second split of the 2023-24 season opening on a Monday in the West Zone, you and everyone you know who feels like you do about it need to swing into action this week.

The current Notice of Intent for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 hunting seasons has been agreed upon by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The West Zone date has all three splits opening on a Saturday and closing on a Sunday with the third split closing Friday, Jan. 31, which is necessary to make the Saturday openings work.

As more than one avid duck hunter has pointed out, there are many waterfowlers who still want to see the second split open on a Monday.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Tommy Tupa will conduct a public meeting about all hunting dates on March 2, this Saturday, during a public meeting on Zoom starting at 6 p.m. To register for the meeting, go to https://wlf-la.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_toodgmbCQtWTJB15vPEr5g.

The LWFC adopted the NOI for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 hunting seasons, rules and regulations at its regular meeting in January. Commissioners were OK with the proposed dates for the three splits in the West Zone.

Remember, though, there are those who still want the second split opening on Monday.

Do you have to go to the Zoom meeting? You can do that but you also simply can send an email this week to ttuma@wlf.la.gov to inform Tuma you support the duck hunting dates as published in the NOI. Better yet, send emails to family and friends to let their preference be heard by Tuma.

Like an area waterfowler said, the “squeaky wheel” gets the grease.

Also, public comment on the NOI will be accepted through 4 p.m. March 7 and should be submitted directly to Tommy Tupa, LDWF Office of Wildlife, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, by phone at (225) 765-2349, or by email.

To view the 2024-26 hunting regulation NOI go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/resources/category/commission-action-items.

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Caleb Sumrall was far from satisfied but he got a much-needed boost at the start of the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series season with a 31st-place finish this past week in the 2024 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend.

The New Iberia pro bass angler who made the cut to fish Semifinal Saturday and amassed a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces, earned 73 points that will go a long way to helping him make the 2025 Bassmaster Classic set for March 21-23 at Lake Ray Roberts near Fort Worth, Texas.

Sumrall said he was “grateful” for that finish but added in his Facebook post Feb. 25 “I’m absolutely not satisfied with it.”

Many in the crowd at each weigh-in were family, friends and fans from in and around his hometown and across the region. They converged on Cypress Bend Resort for the weigh-in and cheered the local bass angler on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

He called them “amazing.”

It was a much improved outing over his opener last year on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, where he finished 98th. Three tournaments later he was 102nd at Santee Cooper Lakes in South Carolina.

He had as many ups as downs in the nine-tournament season but bowed out after the regular-season in 73rd place with 422 points in the Angler of the Year race for 2023. That led to missing an automatic berth into the 2024 Bassmaster Classic scheduled for March 22-24 at Grand Lake O the Cherokees near Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also failed to qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster Classic In Knoxville, where the Elites fished the Tennessee River.

Sumrall returns to action this week in Texas at Lake Fork. The 2024 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite starts Feb. 20 and ends with Championship Sunday on March 3.

Lake Fork has a reputation for giving up big bass. Before this season began, Sumrall said he’s cautiously optimistic about going to the lake for an Elite tournament.

“Confident? Yeah. (But) it’s kind of had my number a couple of times. I had one good tournament out of three,” he said, noting a 21st-place result in 2021 at Lake Fork.

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Here’s a quick reminder to the Teche Area’s many bass tournament fishermen. The Atchafalaya Bass Club Hawg Hunters’ annual Legends on the Lake bass tournament is scheduled to be held March 2, this Saturday, on Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Landing near Loreauville.

Will Teche Area bass anglers team up to win it again? Four of the last five teams that have got their hands on the handsome plaques and first-place cash have been from in and around New Iberia.

The father-son team of James Fredieu and his son, Brodie Fredieu, won it in 2023. Braxton Resweber and his cousin, Austin Theriot, were unbeatable in 2022 while Rusty Owens and Bo Amy took it all in 2021. Mike Sinitiere and Mike O’Brien got the big win in 2019.

The “hometown” streak was interrupted in 2020 by Carencro Bass Club members Drake Menard and Chris Mouton.

Entry fee for this weekend’s event is $100 per boat with an optional big bass pot of $10. For more information call Jarade Schexnayder at (337) 501-3539.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.