Does anyone fish tunica cutoff or moon lake?

[rubberduck]

Does anyone crappie fish either of these 2 lakes specifically in the winter? I call myself looking through the threads but didn't see anything from recently. Could be a reason for that...


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[broharrell]

Asian carp.

[feelay]

and duck hunters

[rubberduck]

Well sounds like both places are a waste of time. Is there any lakes other than the corp lakes in the north MS area worth fishing?


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[rebranger]

True, there is a heavy infestation of Asian Carp (AC) in Tunica Lake Cutoff as is the same for every other "Oxbow" fed by the Miss. River. However, I would estimate that we have been able to harvest upwards of 50,000 pounds out of Tunica in the last 12 months.
A nice slab crappie takes about 5 years to grow. Remember the unprecedented, record breaking flood of 2011? I think we are just now entering the time window of a "good recruitment" year, 2012. I know the Crappie & Bass fishing has definitely gotten better on my adjacent Lake. We caught a world of "Sand Bass" on the run out this past spring & the Bream & the Bass bit pretty good all year; smaller ones, yes, but the larger sized Trophies, no. (AS a general rule).
Tunica Cutoff can make a comeback IF we keep after the Carp! About the only ones who will do that on a regular basis are the Moon River Foods Chinese fishermen.
Moon Lake, on the other hand, has yet to experience a "heavy" infestation of AC. The AC's are there, swam up the Yazoo Pass, but not near the numbers as on the River Fed Oxbows. I remember when I was a kid in the 1950's there were 3 PAY piers around the mouth of the Pass & several Vendors (Uncle Henry's being one) who had Cabins to rent & took many, large trolling boats filled with fishermen out every day! It was a VERY popular lake. We had a large, old timey Clubhouse built in the heyday of Tennessee Williams, 1920's, out over the water. The Tomat Fishing Club would accommodate 40 people every weekend. It offered a full time, excellent Cook & Butler, not to mention 2 or 3 "Paddlers" who would guide & "scull" the wooden skiffs we fished from.
Motors & tin boats were just beginning to be used. I think I had one of the first fiberglass boats on the Lake (1959). Most of the Crappie & Bream were caught from the long piers which were "Farmed" or managed; i.e., we put out brush piles, hung cotton seed cakes to entice the fish to hang around. I can hear my GrandMa right now running some body off her "spot"! LOL!
My point being, in those days, people, private individuals, took care of & managed the Lake. Commercial fishermen kept the Rough Fish in control. Nowadays, we rely on the Government to perform these tasks. Look where it's gotten us!!!
The fishing is not bad on these Lakes,; it's just not nearly as good as it once was.

[canebreaker]

I fished the cut off with my dad up until I was 13. No boat rentals so I waited until '04 before going again when I got my boat. We were there every chance we got from early spring to late fall until '10. The early years we had no problem catching a limit or close to a limit with 3 in the boat. In later years we had more carp in the boat than crappie. I haven't been since.

[BigRiverMarine]

True, there is a heavy infestation of Asian Carp (AC) in Tunica Lake Cutoff as is the same for every other "Oxbow" fed by the Miss. River. However, I would estimate that we have been able to harvest upwards of 50,000 pounds out of Tunica in the last 12 months.
A nice slab crappie takes about 5 years to grow. Remember the unprecedented, record breaking flood of 2011? I think we are just now entering the time window of a "good recruitment" year, 2012. I know the Crappie & Bass fishing has definitely gotten better on my adjacent Lake. We caught a world of "Sand Bass" on the run out this past spring & the Bream & the Bass bit pretty good all year; smaller ones, yes, but the larger sized Trophies, no. (AS a general rule).
Tunica Cutoff can make a comeback IF we keep after the Carp! About the only ones who will do that on a regular basis are the Moon River Foods Chinese fishermen.
Moon Lake, on the other hand, has yet to experience a "heavy" infestation of AC. The AC's are there, swam up the Yazoo Pass, but not near the numbers as on the River Fed Oxbows. I remember when I was a kid in the 1950's there were 3 PAY piers around the mouth of the Pass & several Vendors (Uncle Henry's being one) who had Cabins to rent & took many, large trolling boats filled with fishermen out every day! It was a VERY popular lake. We had a large, old timey Clubhouse built in the heyday of Tennessee Williams, 1920's, out over the water. The Tomat Fishing Club would accommodate 40 people every weekend. It offered a full time, excellent Cook & Butler, not to mention 2 or 3 "Paddlers" who would guide & "scull" the wooden skiffs we fished from.
Motors & tin boats were just beginning to be used. I think I had one of the first fiberglass boats on the Lake (1959). Most of the Crappie & Bream were caught from the long piers which were "Farmed" or managed; i.e., we put out brush piles, hung cotton seed cakes to entice the fish to hang around. I can hear my GrandMa right now running some body off her "spot"! LOL!
My point being, in those days, people, private individuals, took care of & managed the Lake. Commercial fishermen kept the Rough Fish in control. Nowadays, we rely on the Government to perform these tasks. Look where it's gotten us!!!
The fishing is not bad on these Lakes,; it's just not nearly as good as it once was.

Good post and read. Thx for posting this. I've caught a lot of fish on the Cutoff but it's been 4/5 years since I've fished it.

[rubberduck]

My parents live at eagle lake and luckily the AC have not got to it yet. I heard a bunch died off this last year at tunica cutoff but that was just through mdwfp website. I have heard of a program they are starting in Australia to introduce a herpe strain into the waters that only targets the Asian carp. Hopefully if that is successful they will do it here. Just hope it does not have negative affects on any other wildlife.


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[rebranger]

Usually we have a "Fish Kill" every summer. Could be a combo of things, only effects ACarp

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[BigRiverMarine]

I bet some of em are dying of Old Age. Lol