A year's worth of fishing in Louisiana -- now there's a journey that I'd like to take!

Given the vastness of the Sportsman's Paradise and its fresh- and saltwater fisheries that offer up unbelievable piscatorial variety and riches each year, it's a tough job, but hey, somebody has got to do it, right?

If you're game to tackle 12 months of Louisiana angling greatness, here's a solid plan for experiencing the best angling action that Cajun Country has to offer this year.

JANUARY
Chain Pickerel
January's typically reserved for sipping steaming hot java in front of the fireplace, oiling reels, sharpening hooks, replacing line and generally dreaming about the year's best fishing to come. But while that prospect certainly does lie ahead for any number of species, the year's first couple of months are in fact great for targeting a lesser-known species: the chain pickerel (or "jackfish").

"That's their spawning time," said Rob Woodruff, a Texas resident who operates the Orvis-endorsed Woodruff Guide Service, a fly-fishing operation that samples water in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, "and they are up in (a water body's) grassbeds in shallow water."

While the region's chain pickerel -- which resemble northern pike -- don't get exceptionally big, they are loads of fun to catch at a time of the year when little else is up shallow and biting.

Woodruff suggests white and yellow Beetle Spins, small spinners and small Rebel-like crankbaits for conventional anglers. Fly-fishing enthusiasts can try black crystal flash Wooly Buggers with orange coneheads or small flashy streamers with gold, pearl or chartreuse colorations.

FEBRUARY
Largemouth Bass
When the year's second month rolls around on the calendar, the thoughts of many Louisianans will turn to the Super Bowl.

And, no, I'm not talking about Super Bowl XLII in Tampa, but the "Super Bowl of Bass Fishing," the 2009 Bassmasters Classic, scheduled for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River near Shreveport/Bossier City.

"The Bassmasters Classic is a dream event," reported Mary Ann Tice, executive director of the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority in a news release. "Hosting the Bassmasters Classic will be a defining moment for Shreveport-Bossier City and northwest Louisiana. We are completely delighted and proud to welcome the entire B.A.S.S. family to our world."

How dreamy the 2009 Classic proves to be will probably be determined by the Red River's water clarity, observed Gary Tilyou, Inland Fisheries administrator for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. "So much of what will happen in the Classic there on the Red River depends on what the river is doing (in terms of water clarity)," he said, adding that, as of press time, the fishing on the river and its oxbow lakes and sloughs was "fantastic."

"If it's not a muddy river, then it will be a fantastic event," he offered. "If it's muddy, it will be challenging and those guys will show me how good they are."

MARCH/APRIL
Speckled Trout & Redfish
While plenty of times throughout the year are good for targeting speckled trout -- "spotted seatrout," more appropriately -- in Louisiana waters, the Ides of March brings the beginning of "gator trout" season at Calcasieu Lake.

Gator trout, the so-called biggest of trophy specks, begin to show up in earnest as the month of March wears on. While speck anglers all have their favorite tackle ranging from live bait to soft plastics to spoons to cast at oil rigs and equipment, shell beds, and other structure in and around tidal flows, give me a sizable topwater lure to rip through the chop as these big trout produce some memorable early spring surface action!