Atchafalaya Basin bass action slowing down post-spawn

Water levels expected to rise in the coming weeks

The bulk of the spawn appears to be over in the Atchafalaya Basin, but anglers are still catching bass in the Bayou Pigeon area, according to a local angler.

Keith Thibodeaux said Smithwick’s Rattlin’ Rogue and Cotton Cordell’s Red Fin stick baits are still producing, but overall action has slowed from February and March.

“I think the majority of fish have already spawned, with a few more who haven’t,” Thibodeaux said. “They get in a funk post-spawn. They get really hard to catch.

“They’re resting up and trying to take it easy recuperating from the spawn.”

Thibodeaux said water levels now in the Basin are a tad high and falling, but should begin to rise as the snow melts.

“I would say in another week-and-a-half or so, we’ll start getting a heavy rise from all the water up north,” he said. “That water rising will pretty much shut it down until the spring flood recedes.”

He suggested targeting the Grand Lake and Flat Lake areas, including Bayou Pigeon, Little Bayou Pigeon, Bear Bayou and Little Bayou Sorrel.

For sac-a-lait, he likes the Triple Ripple in black and chartreuse, as well as Bass Assassin’s Tiny Shad and Crystal Shad.

“I’d target them in 2- to 4-feet of water around grass close to the bank for any spawning fish,” he said.

For bass right now, he likes black-and-gold Rogues, Baby D Bombs from Missile Baits and Zoom’s Baby Brush Hogs.

“I would target cypress trees and grass for the bass,” he said.

He’s also heard some reports of nice bass from Lake Verret, as well as good catches of bream on crickets and catfish being taken with night crawlers.

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Patrick Bonin is the former editor of Louisiana Sportsman magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com.