Deer Park

[Pooch]

The River has finally gotten right and I have finally found a few days off at the same time. While spending the first few days at home, letting my wife and girls get to know me again, my mind was also on the old river lakes at Deer Park and Minorca(Vidalia). While traveling up the levee to Natchez, on a family trip to see the new movie "The Village" (which is very good), I was amazed at the number of boats headed to Deer Park. A few calls and the story is that slab size white perch are being caught at 6' to 8', around cover. The best luck is being had with blue body, white tail jigs. I'm headed that way, Monday, and will be able to give a personal report. Later, Pooch

[Deacon]

The River has finally gotten right and I have finally found a few days off at the same time. While spending the first few days at home, letting my wife and girls get to know me again, my mind was also on the old river lakes at Deer Park and Minorca(Vidalia). While traveling up the levee to Natchez, on a family trip to see the new movie "The Village" (which is very good), I was amazed at the number of boats headed to Deer Park. A few calls and the story is that slab size white perch are being caught at 6' to 8', around cover. The best luck is being had with blue body, white tail jigs. I'm headed that way, Monday, and will be able to give a personal report. Later, Pooch

Pooch,
Just where is this Deer Park? Is it an area set-up for camping and such?

[Pooch]

Pooch,
Just where is this Deer Park? Is it an area set-up for camping and such?

Deacon,
Old River-Deer Park is a Mississippi River ox-bow lake about 15 miles south of Natchez, MS and Vidalia LA. on the Louisiana side of the river. There is a nice, though primitive camping site that may have electicity and water, though I'm not positive about that. There is a good bait store a few miles below Vidalia called D.W.'s. From Vidalia, LA, take Hwy 131 south until it merges with Hwy 15. Continue south and Hwy 15 will merge with the river levee. At the point that Hwy 15 falls off the levee again, turn left over the levee and a boat ramp is straight ahead and the camp ground is just to the left. From Ferriday, LA, take Hwy 15 and follow until it takes the levee and follow previous directions. (From Ferriday, purchase anything you need, there are no stores after that.) Louisiana and Mississippi fishing licenses are valid on this lake. Good Luck---Pooch

[Pooch]

Made the Deer Park trip and have mixed emotions. I caught nine and seven were slabs. But I caught them in about one hour time and didn't get another hit in the next two hours. While that's a nice mess of fish and I'm happy to have them, I had envisioned a cooler full of big ones. I'm giving it another try on Wednesday and hope I catch them right.---Pooch

[Deacon]

Made the Deer Park trip and have mixed emotions. I caught nine and seven were slabs. But I caught them in about one hour time and didn't get another hit in the next two hours. While that's a nice mess of fish and I'm happy to have them, I had envisioned a cooler full of big ones. I'm giving it another try on Wednesday and hope I catch them right.---Pooch

Pooch,
With nine in the box you are doing a lot better than some of us. What did you catch them on? That hour that they were biting, was it early in the morning or mid day?
I wish you luck Wednesday.

[Pooch]

Pooch,
With nine in the box you are doing a lot better than some of us. What did you catch them on? That hour that they were biting, was it early in the morning or mid day?
I wish you luck Wednesday.

Due to the heat, I got on the water at about 4:00pm. I'd been told they weren' hitting anything but a blue and white jig. I didn't get a bump for awhile and tried different colors. The first time I dropped a crawfish colored tube jig, I hooked the first and biggest, which was about 14" long. We caught the rest over the next hour or so, 5:00 to a little after 6:00, when they shut off. I had help from my wife in catching them. For a little while, we had it going on and had a blast. We caught them at about 12' and they were on bottom around some dead willow trunks. The reports I had told of 25 to 35 fish catches. By the way, in answer to a previous question, There is a campground with electricity and water called "Deer Park Campground". If they have a phone, it would be listed under Vidalia, LA.---Pooch

[Pooch]

Again, I wasn't able to get on the water until late afternoon. It was a repeat of Tuesday. The fish hit from 5:00 until 6:00pm and we ended up with six nice ones, from 10" to 14". This trip they would only hit shiners. I saw a few coolers, at the landing, with fifteen to twenty. These were from all day trips up until we arrived. The river has stopped it's fall and now has a rise to it. I believe this is going to shut them down. Is it just me, or does it seem HOT outdoors?---Pooch