Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries to restock two Lafayette ponds with adult-sized catfish

Jakori Madison, Lafayette Daily Advertiser

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is giving anglers an upper-hand in Lafayette, restocking ponds with adult-sized catfish.

LDWF, through its Get Out and Fish Community Fishing Program, will restock two ponds with adult-sized catfish Thursday. Girard Park Pond, 500 Girard Park Dr., will be restocked at 10:30 a.m., and the pond at Southside Regional Park, 221 La Neuville Rd. in Youngsville, will be restocked at 11:30 a.m.

Get Out and Fish ponds provide a location close to home where anglers can catch adult-sized fish without having to use a boat, travel a long time or plan an expensive fishing trip.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is restocking two Lafayette ponds with adult-sized catfish.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is restocking two Lafayette ponds with adult-sized catfish.

"By stocking community ponds with fish, we hope to introduce new anglers to the sport of fishing and provide opportunities for current anglers to practice their skills, and for former anglers to get back into fishing if they haven’t been for some time," the LDWF website said.

LDWF urges residents to have a few essential items when fishing: a fishing license, a tackle box to store equipment, any rod or reel combo labeled as medium-heavy and a monofilament fishing line. LDWF recommends baits with a strong smell, like dough bait, worms, insects, and chicken meat, for catfish. It is also recommended to bring long-nose pliers to help remove hooks and a landing net to help get the fish out of the water.

Children 17 and younger can fish for free. A recreational fishing license is required for anglers 18 and older. Fishing licenses can be purchased online at wlf.la.gov/licenses. Licenses are valid for one year from the day of purchase.

Prices for for residents, military, and students are listed below.

  • Basic Fishing Season (includes all legal recreational freshwater gear) $17

  • Saltwater License (Basic Fishing required; includes all legal recreational saltwater gear) $15

  • Hook and Line1 $5

  • Senior Hunt/Fish (born before June 1, 1940) Free

  • Senior Fish/Hunt (born between June 1, 1940 and May 31, 1962) $5

  • Disabled/Special Needs Hunting/Fish $4

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to restock Lafayette ponds

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