by Terry Richard
Fishing on Louisiana lakes for me means long lining. At Darbonne, for example, some of the fish are on the flats most of the year, but spring and fall are usually best. Everything depends upon the water temperatures. With long lining, we are looking for a reaction bite, not a feeding bite. If the fish are in a ball of shad and I bring a bait through at 1.2 mile-per-hour, they see the bait and react by hitting it. Other Louisiana lakes can be good, too.
On the rivers here, you can single-pole the tops and have good results. The fish will stack up in the tops when there is current in the river. A tree on a ledge can be good. When the water goes up I get into the backs of the creeks. The rest of the time I’ll be closer to the mouths of the creeks. River fishing can be good or bad but it gives a lot of good fishing for those willing to put in some time.
Terry Richard is from Louisiana, is sponsored by RFA (Renewable Fuels Association/E-10 Ethanol), Jenko and others. He and his partner fishes ten-plus tournaments a year on the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail.
