Tough Day on the Red

Fished/explored on the Red Pool 5/4. Hit a few usually productive spots with no bites. Even the catfish weren't interested in shiners, jigs, or cranks. The rocks, however made quick work of stealing my new Arkie crank bait. I decided to lock through, and check out the area below the dam. Speedy lock through both ways. Checked out "oxbow" below the lock, it was shallow with no deep cover. The next one was better, but still no bites. Tried the rocks near that one and caught a gou, and a gar. There were lots of fallen trees on the bank that dropped off to 20 feet or so of water. Caught a couple of crappie there. Decided to explore Loggy Bayou. It was beautiful! Too much cover! Marked lots of shad on the 'Bird, but only one bite. Got a visit from one of the friendliest wildlife agents I ever met. Everything in order. Rode up past the railroad bridge, still no luck. Fished my way back upriver, caught a few more catfish, the got back to the truck before the rain.

Fun day, but seemed like all the fish were in a negative mood. Love my Engel Minnow box! Also I got a quart? sized ss bottle from Wally World. I filled it with ice, then water. Drank all the water and filled it twice with bottled water, and still had some ice in it!

too bad about the crank bait......shad on the ff makes the blood flow......the fish were not too active early....not till the water skiers and wave makers came out....oh and the catfish noodle folks at half throttle with the maze of noodles to fish around......all this activity on the water was when the fish began to bite...noon...then rains came down......welcome to the forum.......great day to be out....

The nice thing about the Red River is you can find solitude if you want to. Unfortunately, the fish seem to be near the river and not the backwater, but still, where I went there are few people.

Also, there are lots of gizzard shad on the river, and I think they look like crappie on the downimaging. Not nearly as simple as prospecting lakes in Arkansas.

A good day of scouting will pay off down the road or should I say creek [emoji123]

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Originally Posted by fishervet

too bad about the crank bait......shad on the ff makes the blood flow......the fish were not too active early....not till the water skiers and wave makers came out....oh and the catfish noodle folks at half throttle with the maze of noodles to fish around......all this activity on the water was when the fish began to bite...noon...then rains came down......welcome to the forum.......great day to be out....

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Where did you go? I went to Dubuisson yesterday. Not 1 fish. I left at 11:00. no bites + water skiers = go home.

Never mind. I now see your post about Dupuisson. I saw you pulling cranks. I was spider rigging double shiner rigs. I only got 3 bites in 2 1/2 hours and they were all at the same time. One of them must have been a gar or catfish. He broke my line right away. You did good pulling those cranks.

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Originally Posted by Dapet

Never mind. I now see your post about Dupuisson. I saw you pulling cranks. I was spider rigging double shiner rigs. I only got 3 bites in 2 1/2 hours and they were all at the same time. One of them must have been a gar or catfish. He broke my line right away. You did good pulling those cranks.

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yeah I saw you....now I know it was someone I knew.....when I saw you I had 1 sac and 2 drum......then in the next hour or so I caught all the rest....the shad were in the corner east from where the drain pipe is....I have not caught much with shiners there but every winter I still try....one day....one day.

Attachment 309794LlllL

Loggy Bayou, lined with and filled with fallen trees.

Attachment 309795Brush pile on rocks from July 4

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Originally Posted by escout

Fished/explored on the Red Pool 5/4. Hit a few usually productive spots with no bites. Even the catfish weren't interested in shiners, jigs, or cranks. The rocks, however made quick work of stealing my new Arkie crank bait. I decided to lock through, and check out the area below the dam. Speedy lock through both ways. Checked out "oxbow" below the lock, it was shallow with no deep cover. The next one was better, but still no bites. Tried the rocks near that one and caught a gou, and a gar. There were lots of fallen trees on the bank that dropped off to 20 feet or so of water. Caught a couple of crappie there. Decided to explore Loggy Bayou. It was beautiful! Too much cover! Marked lots of shad on the 'Bird, but only one bite. Got a visit from one of the friendliest wildlife agents I ever met. Everything in order. Rode up past the railroad bridge, still no luck. Fished my way back upriver, caught a few more catfish, the got back to the truck before the rain.

Fun day, but seemed like all the fish were in a negative mood. Love my Engel Minnow box! Also I got a quart? sized ss bottle from Wally World. I filled it with ice, then water. Drank all the water and filled it twice with bottled water, and still had some ice in it!

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I need to go back down there. It is a beautiful place. I haven't been in a few years. I'm waiting for my wife to graduate so I can get a newish boat. My ole 35hp gator tail is a long haul from Red River South. I miss the old Clark's launch and store. Isn't there a launch at the lock on the north side of it?


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Yes, Bishop Point, North of lock on the west side of the river. I haven't fished in there in years, but there is plenty of deep water and cover in that bay. Should be some fish in there. The river changed so much with the flood, it's all different. Be careful! There are areas that are very shallow that once were deep, such as Caspiana and the area south of Clark's.

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Originally Posted by escout

Yes, Bishop Point, North of lock on the west side of the river. I haven't fished in there in years, but there is plenty of deep water and cover in that bay. Should be some fish in there. The river changed so much with the flood, it's all different. Be careful! There are areas that are very shallow that once were deep, such as Caspiana and the area south of Clark's.

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Thanks man, I herd it was very different from how it was. Have you been in beehive or White House or whatever it's called. Forget the names just know where they are.
The last time I was in McDade there used to be a big gator that stayed in there. We were fishing and I guess it was nesting or guarding her babies or just mad. It let out a big loud growl as we got closer it got a more and more aggressive tone then hit the water headed torward us. We left in a hasty manner lol

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I've seen your gator "friend" in McDade!

A couple years ago we saw a gator foot sticking up out of the water moving across the water. Then an 8 foot gator surfaced with an 8 foot gator in it's mouth. Wish I had the phone I have now instead of flip phone I had then, or a good camera! Beehive is pretty much like it was, as far as I know. The water in there, and in most off the river spots was low in oxygen due to silt/algae I think, but it is getting better now. If some coon tail moss etc will grow, it will give off oxygen and filter the sediment out and really help things. Right now, it seems to my humble abilities, that current is the dominate factor. It positions the bait and the fish.

Last trip there was almost no current, and fishing was poor. I don't usually consult the solunar tables, but saw he link on here and it showed that I should have watched the Wimbleton. The trip and the sites I saw were better than watchin TV.

Fished in Whitehouse also, didn't get a bite.

Will try the again Sat pm or Sun.

Oh yeah, I talked to a commercial fisherman, who said, "welcome to the dead sea".

It was better than that, and if the little bit of rain we got gives us a little current, I bet the fishing will be great!

That's cool about the gator, I've never seen that. That silt sure messes up a good fishery. I herd the flw guys had a tough time In pool 5.
I may get a wild hair and go to that bishop's launch and fish around it.
Hope you wear them out on your next trip.


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Try around the rock jetties on the river. There are always a lot of fish there, but you catch a lot of catfish and gou to get some crappie. If you find a jig color that works, let me know please.

Yeh we used to kill the bass on cranks and rattle traps across from old Clark's on the jettis
Will do. Is the red cleared up some or real muddy
Friend of mine wearing them out in pool 3 on hair jigs of assorted colors and shiners. Been a mid morning bite for them. Last til lunch

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Clearing up pretty well.