This week’s fishing report

There’s a reason they call it fishing, not catching. Some folks are fishing. Some folks are catching. And what seems like sure fire “catching” one day, doesn’t turn out that way the next. That, plus the fact that “the bite” is 3-4 weeks later this year than normal, just about summarizes the area fishing report. That being said, fishing is pretty good. Last night’s weather change and various amounts of rain around the region will set things back a bit, but by this weekend, it should be turned around again. Here’s what we know:

Bass fishing on Lake D’Arbonne continues to be good. They aren’t schooling and jumping in the boat, but some fine catches are being made if you are willing to work at it. Fish are still pretty much shallow. Some of the females have spawned, but others are still sporting pretty hefty egg-filled bellies. Brush hawgs, big plastic lures, chartreuse spinnerbaits and jigs are the best bet for bigger fish. Regular plastic worms and smaller french fry and do-nothing worm setups are also producing. It’s more about putting the bait right in front of the fish than the bait, I think.  The wind has been limiting areas where anglers can fish. I’ve worn out two wind chimes on the back porch this spring!

White perch fishing has been spotty, but lots of smaller fish are being caught. They are still shallow, too. There aren’t as many “slabs” being caught as usual and the big females seem to be playing a little hard to get.  Frankly, we have still gotten reports of fish being caught in 1-2 feet of water around the bank and in 8-10 feet of water in holding areas. They key is patience. They aren’t stacked up anywhere. Best baits are live shiners and the usual green/pink/white color combos. I don’t know that they are all catching fish, but the shiners have been busy. I can prove that fact by telling you that when I pulled up to Anderson’s Sporting Goods Sunday afternoon late, there was a sign on the door, “Out of Shiners”. You don’t see that very often.

The catfish are also moving in for the spawn, a bit later than usual. There are some really good catches on earthworms and cold worms as well as meal worms. The fish are busting with eggs. Bream are beginning to bite just a little bit. And don’t forget below the Spillway. There’s a lot of fishing there and some catching. Water is pouring over the top of the spillway and water below is high. Watch the current and stay back from the spillway, PLEASE!!!! It can be very dangerous. Some white perch, catfish and bass are being caught there in Bayou D’Arbonne.

At Lake Claiborne, it’s much the same story, except a larger number of the fish there may have already spawned. The male bass are being caught the most, in the one-two pound range up shallow. Big bass have been scarce this week, but the fishing pressure hasn’t been high either. Best bets are plastics in your favorite color and some of the best catches have come from the creeks. A few good fish are being caught around boathouses. Fish way up under the boat house or pier if you can get your lure there. The Ouachita River is on the rise, so the main river isn’t producing much. Some bass and white perch action in the creeks and river lakes near the banks.  At Caney Lake, big bass are still biting, but fishing is slow. Bream are showing up here, including the big chinquapins.  Small crawfish are the best bait for them.

On other area lakes, you old-time fishermen might want to load up and make a few final trips to Bussey Brake before the LDWF drains it this summer to begin an exciting three-four year improvement plan for the reservoir. Some nice catches of white perch have been made there the past two weeks, including some of the monster slabs that made this lake famous. It don’t have any details, but know they have been biting. Fishing is fair to good at Poverty Point. Crappie and bass are shallow.

This is a good weekend to give them a try. Next week should be even better. As Dad used to say, you can’t catch them unless you put your bait in the water.