re Oak Ridge & Beau Bayou & damaged old cypress trees!!!!

We fished there Sunday all afternoon and caught only 2 bream & went back and tried again yesterday in late evening and caught 1 bream! The water is really beautiful back there but lots of duck weed along the way. We were very upset as we made our way yesterday thru what is one of our favorite places in the basin...the last part of the woods just before you get to where it opens up where you take the right to get to Beau Bayou area...it looked like the small (? jack up barge) that we had seen back there on Sunday, busted its way thru that section of the woods and really damaged many, many of the beautiful old cypress trees!!! Infuriating! Thought there were laws about destroying our cherished Atchafalaya Basin! Any of you will see what we're talking about if you go back there to fish. :mad: Would love to know who did this!
?gas company doing work in the area? We did not see the barge yesterday but the damage it did sometime between Sunday evening and yesterday will be there for a long, long time. So sad.

If it's oilfield they have enough money for the government to sweep it under the rug seen it too many times with big money and stuff like that but you can contact the basin keepers and they might be able to do something

Give me a break please.

The question is why you went back? LOL

Went to oak ridge Saturday and caught one big bream and a 8" sac. Talked to a guy today at the landing who went there today and didnt have a bite! Not sure where that barge is at you're talking about.

Those of us that fish the area need to get a petition to the Corps so they will open a freshwater cut for new water to come in and flush out Beau Bayou every year like it used to be. I used to catch beautiful sacs back there and monster goggle eyes.

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Originally Posted by Lake Runner

Those of us that fish the area need to get a petition to the Corps so they will open a freshwater cut for new water to come in and flush out Beau Bayou every year like it used to be. I used to catch beautiful sacs back there and monster goggle eyes.

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I remember going as a kid with dad and loading the boat with big sacs and bream

You still can but you have to hit it right

Just saw the damage yesterday. Looked pretty bad.

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Originally Posted by trobin

Just saw the damage yesterday. Looked pretty bad.

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How was the water?

Water looked good but needs to come down some

How low can the river get before you can't get back there?

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Originally Posted by SlabJiggin

How low can the river get before you can't get back there?

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Probably down to about 4 depending on your boat. I have a old 16' Duracraft with pods, hydraulic jack plate mounted on a manual jack plate. She runs shallow and runs like a Prodrive in lillies. :witching When the water gets around 4 there's not much water in Beau Bayou itself and the gar take over. Oak Ridge always has water, but it can get stagnant. Go when the water is low, you would need Troy to clear all the gators:Rofl.

I go up to 4' in a 17' alumaweld v boat. If you haven't been back there you need to go with someone or check google maps to see where the flats are.

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Originally Posted by Lake Runner

Those of us that fish the area need to get a petition to the Corps so they will open a freshwater cut for new water to come in and flush out Beau Bayou every year like it used to be. I used to catch beautiful sacs back there and monster goggle eyes.

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Seems to me like when the river would get high, oak ridge used to get river water from the 42, I haven't seen the water mixing back there in a couple years. I wonder if something has changed the flow back there...

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Originally Posted by bleedingduck

Seems to me like when the river would get high, oak ridge used to get river water from the 42, I haven't seen the water mixing back there in a couple years. I wonder if something has changed the flow back there...

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It's been that way for a while now. The only time it's good back there now is when we get a good rise(above 18')JMHO.

I haven't been back that way enough to know any better. There was talk about opening one of the pipelines at the crook. I never saw anything official on that though.

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Originally Posted by trobin

I haven't been back that way enough to know any better. There was talk about opening one of the pipelines at the crook. I never saw anything official on that though.

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The only problem with that is that the bayou Darby will start silting if too much water goes out the crook chene... Same problem they had with the sibon canal, now they claim if they close Author's road they will fix the silting in the buffalo cove area, but is it just gonna keep river water from getting in there and create a stagnate swamp? Your guess is as good as mine...

The problem is they painted themselves in a corner and everything they do has an adverse effect on something else. I say drop the Morganza and let God do the rest.

With all the snow we had up north this year I thought we'd get a decent rise. That didn't happen. Someone said that ever since they built the hydo-electric plant they keep the water out of the basin to keep pressure on the turbines. Any of you hear this? Personally I think they control the water to please who ever lines someone's pockets. Why else all of a sudden like last year they close too many gates and the water drops like a rock.

Went up there yesterday around 1530 to sunset and caught 4 big bream and 1 big chinquapin. Bites like crazy in oak ridge but they were bream. Everything looks good. Still needs to come down some.

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Originally Posted by trobin

Went up there yesterday around 1530 to sunset and caught 4 big bream and 1 big chinquapin. Bites like crazy in oak ridge but they were bream. Everything looks good. Still needs to come down some.

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I noticed the river is coming up. Was the water going in pretty good?

It was 8.5 Sunday night and 8.2 Monday around noon. Water was moving out. Duck weed was thick through the woods and entrance to Beau Bayou. Should be around 8 this weekend. Imma try to get out there Friday morning when I get off work. Changed plugs, fuel lines, water/separator filter, and bulb. Ready to test her back out.