Doug Larson said “If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.”

On the Cajun Coast, we agree. Everyone can have a fishing pole in their hands year ‘round here. It’s just a matter of choosing where you want to cast your line.

All manner of fish, from bass and red fish to catfish, trout and much, much more can be caught any time of year, but some months are distinctly better than others.

For general guidelines, dependent on weather conditions, here is our guide for waters in St. Mary Parish, furnished by John Flores, author of the Go with the Flo outdoors column:

—January – Crappie (aka: sac-a-lait, white perch) beginning to bite.

—Febraury – Crappie peak biting period this month.

—March/April – Best months for bass, also excellent months for catfishing (species blue catfish and channel catfish).

—April-June – Bream fishing (red ear sunfish known as “chinquapins” around here, blue gills, warmouth known as “goggle eyes” around here).

—July/August – Red fish along the coastal waters. Offshore platforms boast speckled trout and red snapper in deep, deep water.

—September – Redfish, speckled trout. Bass are schooling up in the marsh where great catches take place locally.

—October – Speckled trout.

—November – blue cats (jug lining popular) in the marsh.

—December – red fish bite at times, catfish biting at times, sac-a-lait biting at times.

“Remember, it all depends on weather,” Flores said.

“We had hardly any winter last year and many fish spawn by water temperature. Such was the case with crappie and bass last year, but in many places the river was over flood stage from early January until nearly late June this year, so the conditions locally were all over the board,” he added.

To learn more about Louisiana recreational fishing regulations and obtaining fishing licenses, visit the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.