Monroe, La & Black Bayou NWR

Does anyone here ever fish Black Bayou NWR just north of Monroe? I went out on 4/21 for a few hours with my mom... caught a few bream and one crappie on the trees/bank to the right of and before Hannah's Run. Looks like the 'coontail' is too thick to find the spawning beds; and it has taken over "Chinquapin Point". Can anyone report on other Lakes (2nd, 3rd, ...) and what's going on there? It should be time for the Hawg Bream to start biting... I want to introduce my 'New Orleans' wife to fishing and I think BB will be a great place to start!

Live in W. Monroe, and have never fished there, although I think there are some on the board who do. I usually fish Darbonne for crappie and Bayou Darbonne for bream and Cheniere for bass, although I fished Cheniere a couple of times in past few weeks for bream. Did OK. Caught some nice bluegill the first trip. Just average sized fish the second time..

I fish the 'Bone & 'Bone Bayou sometime, just haven't got on 'em like at Black Bayou. Cheniere was close, but ounce for ounce, ain't nothin' like BB. You ever fish the 'Loutre Basin... off the River, just south of Hamilton Lake? I know the Ouachita is still high, but I'm wondering what the River Lakes are looking like. Let me know if you hear anything about Yucatan!!

Raised fishing the Loutre between Farmerville and Marion. Only about 3/4 mile behind parents house. Never fished it in the basin. There is a post about Yucatan on the La. crappie board from about a week ago. Just don't know what this latest rain will do to it.

I lived in ouachita parish for 10years up until last fall and moved to shreveport. I have fished black bayou tons of times. Your best shot at finding some good gills and crackers is to put in and go straight back to opposite end from the boat lane. There will be a big group of trees back there and usually holds good fish. It is a very clear lake so I would recommend not using high vis line. Grass shrimp and crawfish have worked good in black bayou. Fished the basin on the river a bunch to. If we are talking about the basin which is beside the bend in the river, I've got a good tip on a jam up white perch hole that is about to get right over there!!!!

Tate... thanks for the tips... To reach the Loutre Basin, I put in at Hamilton Lake, (up past Moon and Horseshoe Lakes), go out to the river, and go south not even a 1/4 mile. There's a big lake/basin area to the right where the Loutre flows into the river. Is this the basin you're talking about? I go up in the Loutre a few yards and there's a couple laydowns there... By the way... where is McGowan Brake.... I'd like to try it, was watching Mark Booth on TV last night. they was killin' the bream on that place!

Yeah same place I am talking about. Whats the river right now around 28' or so. When it gets down to about 24-25 there are some bamboo stuck on a ridge in there. Dynamite white perch spot. We've caught many over two pounds in there. They ridge is towards the back on the left side. the last group of trees that come off the bank on the left, it is out and down not far from there. When it gets down to where you can just start seeing the tops of them thats the time to fish. Good luck!

i used to fish the river lakes for bass never tried for white pearch i like to try horseshoe next to moon lake for wp has would it be a good place to try

Camo... Horseshoe is a gorgeous lake, but its hard to get into if you have anything other than a jon boat! When the river is high, you can go from Moon Lake over into Horseshoe, or come in from the river. But any other time, you can only launch from a dirt ramp on the Moon Lake Road that runs from Moon, past Horseshoe, then back to Horseshoe Lake Road. I've fished there with a buddy from Sterlington, he knows it and kills the perch. Lots of submerged stump rows about 10' from the bank up and down, but you gotta know where they are.

We always fish Cheniere at area 7 and have a great time. Best to go when the worms are eating the leaves off the trees there. Boy you can really catch the bream then!!!!