Sac-a-lait Winterizing
In the world of crappie fishing there are numerous factors that fit into the equation needed to figure out these temperamental fish. Sunlight, shade, structure, and baitfish are all valid factors to consider when targeting sac-a-lait. But perhaps none are more important that temperature. The latest cold front to pass through has brought a real wintertime feel to the air and it’s making a difference on the Tchefuncte River. Ray Miller fishes the river for sac-a-lait and said that this is the time that the fish start to move into deeper water because of the colder weather. On his latest trip he started noticing something that is typical for winter, the crappie schooling together in a tighter pattern. “The water temperature is dropping, and the fish are moving into deeper water,” said Miller. “Towards the end of the trip I found a couple of spots where they were really stacked up.” Miller was able to catch 19 sac-a-lait jigging Electric Chicken colored plastic jigs on a 1/32 oz. jig head. He was fishing the main river in 8-12 feet of water. Another good sign is that the baitfish are starting to school tighter which helps group the sac-a-lait more. “The shad are showing up in large numbers and the sacs are eating them,” Miller said.
Causeway Report
Chaz Louvier of Covington decided to make a trip to the Causeway to see if there were any speckled trout with the cooler temperatures. It was just a quick morning trip because he needed to get home before the Saints game. “The water was a little stained and seas were 1-2 feet,” he said. Louvier tried throwing various jigs along the pilings of the bridge but came up empty. He did manage a bite before calling it a day and said the fish was a decent sized trout. “I managed one trout that looked to be 14-15 inches but lost him when I tried to swing him into the boat,” he said
Tournament Results
The tenth season of the Bass Assassins has come to an end. The last tournament of the year was held at Bayou Lacombe and the fishing was tough. A cold front came through late in the week and the water temperatures dropped down into the mid-60s. This affected the bass bite as the fish were very lethargic. No limits were caught and 8 out of 16 anglers came up empty with no fish caught. Discussion at the weigh-in was how everyone tried everything they had to get the fish to bite. Another oddity was how everyone caught their fish on different techniques. Despite the tough conditions someone had to win, and that person was Steve Hadley who brought in 3 fish totaling 5 lbs. 3 oz. In second was Eric Ciko who weighed in a 3-fish bag weighing 5 lbs. 1 oz. Jimmy Dorris finished in third place with a 4-fish bag totaling 4 lbs. 10 oz. There was a tie for the big fish division between Eric Ciko and John Mistric who both caught a 3 lbs. 1 oz. bass.
The Double Nickel Bass Club held their tournament at the East Pearl River and 27 anglers showed up to fish on a beautiful day with a falling tide. The West Pearl River was below 8 feet giving anglers more of an area to fish. In the end it was Ralph Dunn who ended up in first place by weighing in a 3-fish limit of 10.94 pounds. Dunn’s heaviest fish was a 4.61-pound bass that won big fish of the day. Rob Roberts brought in a 3-fish limit of 8.30 pounds. In third was Bill Dorris who weighed in a limit weighing 8.18 pounds.
Upcoming Tournaments
Pearl River Team Trails is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on Saturday, December11. For more information, please contact Charles Dauzat at 985-960-6936
The Double Nickel Bass Club is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on Tuesday, November 23. For more information, please contact Joe Picone at 985-630-4170.
Liar’s and Lunkers is holding their next tournament at the East Pearl River on November 28. For more information, please contact Chad Hartzog at 985-502-3217.
(Keith Lusher Jr. writes a weekly column. For more info, visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com.Contact Keith at keith@northshorefishingreport.com.)