Thread: Quality fishing time

Hey guys. Just joined today. I've been reading all of the messages about the lakes down there and it sounds like the place to be if the timing is good. What I have is a trip planned for Apr. 6 -Apr. 8 with a buddy and our two sons 13 and 15. My son will be 14 that week end and we want to show them a good father son quality weekend. My boy bagged his first deer this year (nice 12), and loves to fish. Our boys love the outdoors, don't get in trouble, and are always on the sportsman side of things and we really want to treat them to the quality/exciting fishing trip they most appreciate. We are from Illinois and know no one and nothing about the lakes (thinking Arkabutla). The boys hair is already stanin on end and their ready to go. Can someone PLEASE give some guidence?

I would fish all of them in the Northern part of the state. Just look for the people. Rubin Johnson will also go with you for a small fee on a few of the lakes on your boat (at least he used to) and help you catch some fish. Butla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada...If I were from out of state and coming down with kids that age, I would fish as many of them as I could. Talk about the trip of a lifetime.

If you're looking for QUALITY, you should fish Arkabutla or Grenada. You probably won't catch that many at these places, but the ones that you do catch will be big ones...
If you're looking for QUANTITY, you should fish Sardis or Enid. Not as BIG but you're going to catch better #'s with some BIG ones mixed in at these lakes.

This is just my opinion. I'm sure others on here will see things differently.

Thank you very much for the reply!! We will most likely need all the good information we can get. I have to admit I'm getting pretty excited myself. There's nothing like the look on a boys face when there catching a lot of fish and or big fish.

Thank you again for your consideration!

Look at a map of Mississippi and just follow I-55 down from Memphis and you'll see just how close some of these LEGENDARY lakes are to each other. Arkabutla is very well known, perhaps the GRAND DADDY of them all. Enid yielded the CURRENT WORLD RECORD White Crappie (a record that has stood since the 1950's), Sardis is talked about. And then you got the BIG MAMA, Grenada...All of them there together...Stay on one or split it up...It's all up to you!!! That's the BEAUTY of it!!!

You guys ever use swedish pimples tipped with minnows? Or what would be the best thing to use if you don't mind me asking?

go to mid south tackle of ark website, order some of the glow jigs in red and char and black and char. Get some of there 1/16 and 1/32 oz jig heads with the GOLD hooks. Get some crappie rods and string um with Mr. Crappie 6 pound test fishing line. Get some minnows if you like live bait. Just flip the jig out, tipped with a minner or not, catch a fish, take off hook, release or keep, repeat process.

Thanks again.

I'll keep studying for the next few weeks and see what happens.

just keep them boys huntin and fishin and they will be alright, i brought my son up that way and he is 22 now and i can't keep him out of the woods or off the lake ( i don't try to really) and he loves to hunt and fish with his ol man. it don't git no better than that (priceless as they say)

Thats the plan ff. Hope I'm as successful with it as you are. If I can have my boy wantin to hunt and fish with me when he is 22 it will be great.

That has to make you feel pretty good!

You know if everyone brought their kids up that way the world would have to be a better place.

My daughter's makin noise about fishin and huntin, I might be in for a double bonus.

If you have or hear of any good pointers on the fishin at these lakes please let me know.

Thanks