As someone who has recently discovered all that there is to do on the grounds of Bossier City’s Red River National Wildlife Refuge (see this 20×49 post from August about their fantastic trail system), I’m excited about the Feb. 1, 2014 opening of a new, public boat launch providing access to Lake Caroline, a beautiful oxbow lake located near the refuge’s Headquarters Unit. Lake Caroline will be the site of the Bayou Pirates Kayak Fishing Club’s Heroes on the Water Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 8. This kayak bass fishing tournament will raise funds for Heroes on the Water, an organization that serves America’s wounded veterans by providing healing and rehabilitating kayak fishing outings.
Kayak fishing – a sport that is growing rapidly in popularity, especially in southern Louisiana – is relatively new to the Shreveport-Bossier area. Bill Rodriguez, organizer of the Bayou Pirates Kayak Fishing Club, hopes to see the sport grow in local popularity.
Registration for the tournament is $20, and on-site registration for anglers begins at 5:30 a.m. on the day of the event. For more information, or to sign up in advance, contact the Bayou Pirates at bayoupirates@yahoo.com. If you’re not a kayak angler (I’m not, but I’d love to get into the sport this year), Rodriguez is quick to point out that spectators are welcome on the day of the tournament and donations for Heroes on the Water are welcome – they’ll be collected at the launch site. This might be a great day to come out to the Red River National Wildlife Refuge, walk that fantastic trail system, and make a donation to a very worthy cause.
P.S.: It’d be impossible to overstate the beauty of Lake Caroline and the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Unit in Bossier City. If you’ve never been, take a look at this Flickr group to see ample photo evidence in support of my theory that this is one of the most beautiful places in Shreveport-Bossier. Then go see it for yourself!
The Red River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Unit is located at 150 Eagle Bend Point in Bossier City, with access off of Arthur Ray Teague Parkway. The boat launch, opening Feb. 1, is located one-half mile south of the main entrance.
