Ouachita River Monroe Louisiana Area

[Cwitherington3]

Anyone on here fish the ouachita river around Monroe?

[Cwitherington3]

Is anyone on here from north louisiana?

[Mr. Bassin II]

I live here and fish the Ouachita quite a bit. What would like to know?

I'll try to answer any question you have but this is what I have discovered about this river. It is very hit and miss, you can do well if you have found a secret hole and go home with nothing if you miss it by twenty feet. Most of my success has been the bayous and backwaters, especially if I find grass and current or falling water.

This is the most challenging place I have ever fished. Just research the catches for pro tournaments held here and you see what I mean.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I fish the Ouachita, but farther south down by Harrisonburg some.  There are alot of fish down there, but they are mostly small.  I seem to catch more fish on the main river than backwaters, but bigger fish in the backwaters.  

[martintheduck]

NELA checking in. Just started fishing it 2 weeks ago since moon lake launch and forsythe are about 10 minutes away. IT IS A TOUGH FISH! First time I went out I fished a nice drop off with a DD22 in tennessee shad(?) and got on them pretty well. Caught 4, all were around 1 pound and VERY light in color. Bite slowed and picked another one off with a firetiger color spinner riding the bottom.

 

Like Mr.Bassin said, it's very hit or miss. Either there on or DEAD off. Went out on Friday morning to try and catch an early bite. Drove into various cuts and backwaters and fished the openings where they connect to the river and have water moving pretty well. Bait fish were around. Got some bites on dark color buzzbaits, white frogs, and firetiger spinners. Ended up getting aggravated around 9:30 and changed it up to cat fishing.

 

There is some GREAT catfishing to be found in the river man. We casted lines out and MAYBE 5 minutes in got the first bite. 

 

Just to give you an idea of how odd the bite can be - all the bass bites on friday were short and we couldn't get anything in the boat. We threw out catfishing rigs into 20 feet of water and started catching bass on those rigs using coldworms. They were HAMMERING the worms! 

 

What other information are you looking for?

[Cwitherington3]

The main thing I was wanting to find out is now that we are getting later in the year and it won't be to much longer until things start to cool down so how do you like to approach the river as fall conditions set in. I have always put my rods away by August because I begin to get ready for deer season but this year I'm going to try to fish the entire year and iv never really fished this time of year.

[martintheduck]

I'm sure it will all depend on what the water level and flow looks like. Right now the river is basically at pool stage and theres not much of ANY current. Maybe the water will rise once there is some weather happening up north. I really can't give you a straight answer but I can speculate.

 

If the water rises and we get a good current, more oxygen will be in the water and in the shallower water - so - flip jigs and creatures into brush, laydowns, stumps, etc... (on the backside where they can get shelter from the current). Try squarebills. Try compact spinners.

 

 

 

Right now I've still been having luck running bright color deep divers, but I've been having most success with black and blue 1/2oz jigs. Hooked the biggest river bass I've ever seen the other day (at least 5 pounds) in some stumps, muscled him up near the boat, he ran and tangled in the logs and shook the hook. Thats the first time I've literally cussed and yelled about losing a fish!

[Cwitherington3]

Sorry to hear that! I went to bayou d'arbonne this past Saturday and fished near joe bobs running buzz baits and flipping wood with creature baits and got several bites flipping but was unable to connect with any of them. I was able to catch a couple on top water and on square bills. I'm just having confidence issues right now when I go to the river I can't get a good rhythm with anything so I get frustrated and leave to quick most days but I'm sure the river being at pool like it is with no current isn't helping either.

[martintheduck]

I've heard good things about joe bobs for bream. Been wanting to get out there, but if I'm making a drive I convince myself to just go to Caney and catch big bass.

 

Based on everything I know, I found the PERFECT spot yesterday on the river - creek pouring out into about 100yard cut @ 5ft, good current, THOUSANDS of baitfish in the water...fish jumping EVERYWHERE. Went back in there and ALL GAR. Ended up catching 8 gar on top-water poppers and giving em' to some guy at forsythe. Those gar had the fattest bellies I've ever seen. Look abnormal.

 

I'm with you as far as the river is concerned though. Gaining confidence has been tough. I read an article a few weeks ago about river fishing and one about fishing when they are deep... I wish I could find the links, but they both gave me some pointers that really helped me get some confidence - they just reinforced what I had been doing already and gave me the thought "you're doing everything right martin, the fish just aren't where you are..."

 

When it comes to fishing deep, just find the contour lines and fish them like you are "beatin' the bank..." If you think the bass are 14ft down, just run 14ft down all along the shore line. That has helped me getting on some with deep cranks.

 

Then the article about river fishing gave me some more confidence. Said something like "it's tough, it's either ON or OFF." Also mentioned you can most always find fish in brush piles near the shore, stumps, and laydowns. I listened to that advice and started flippin' for hours at a time into all that stuff and have had good success. 

 

If the fishing picks up in the coming months, I'll invite you fishing or something... I just hate to invite people along when it's an all afternoon G.R.I.N.D. I feel responsible when things don't go well and dang that's depressing!

[Mr. Bassin II]

Please don't what I am about to suggest as a promotion of any sort, but get some old copies of Louisiana Sportsman magazine.  They have articles about fishing the river from guys who have probably forgotten more about this fishery than all three of us combined.  The September issue has a n excellent read about early fall fishing here.

[fishnfreak410]

I have fished this river since 1986. It will drive you crazy. The best thing to do is fish all the inside curves. You might catch two on a crank and then have to switch to a t-rigged worm or creature. Nose into the bank and tie off, then parallel cast down the bank, preferrably with the current. I have caught most of my fish that way. I caught seven fish over six pounds Christmas Eve morning from daylight til noon on a Cordell Spot. Most places on the river have two ledges due to the fact the pool stage was two feet lower for some number of years and they raised it for barge traffic ( i think). Fish with a light sinker with a t-rig in slight current. You will catch more little ones than big ones but it will be fun. I will say I have caught fewer fish this year since March on the river than in several years. The only way to halfway figure it out is to stick with it. BTW-The fishing is best when the river is falling, overcast skies and ten pound test ( triple check your drag).

[fishnfreak410]

Cwitherington3-a few months ago, I was in the Monroe WalMart going thru the bargain bait box on the end cap. I was talking to a young man your age who was doing the same thing. I think you said you were originally from South La. We were talking about how challenging the Ouachita is. Are you and him one in the same?

[Cwitherington3]

Cwitherington3-a few months ago, I was in the Monroe WalMart going thru the bargain bait box on the end cap. I was talking to a young man your age who was doing the same thing. I think you said you were originally from South La. We were talking about how challenging the Ouachita is. Are you and him one in the same?

No not the same person but I had a surprisingly good year on the river this year up until August. I might would even go as far to say my best year yet. With that said though the month of August has been a completely different story 100 degree days make it tuff to hang in there very long and it seems once the sun gets up good around mid morning the fish scatter and are no where to be found. The bites I do get are few and far between right now.

[martintheduck]

Cwitherington3-a few months ago, I was in the Monroe WalMart going thru the bargain bait box on the end cap. I was talking to a young man your age who was doing the same thing. I think you said you were originally from South La. We were talking about how challenging the Ouachita is. Are you and him one in the same?

 

 

That might have been me.... I had an experience like that.... I was looking for some poppers in fire-tiger...you found me a couple and told me where Toledo Tackle is?

[fishnfreak410]

I hope my directions were ok. Hopefully by the time i get back to the states (13Sep) the fishing will have improved a little. I plan to be on the water somewhere before daylight on the 15th or 16th. Ready for hunting season to start so all the fishing pressure and boat traffic will die down.

[martintheduck]

Yea... your directions to the one in west monroe were fine. Great shop. It'd be awesome if it cooled off a bit before I start slaughtering teal.

[fishnfreak410]

Well, has the fishing picked up? I noticed on Weather.com the nights are getting a little cooler.

 

Somebody give me some good news.

 

I have high hopes for when I get home in ten days.

[Cwitherington3]

I went this past Saturday morning but I didn't get to stay very long I fished until about 10 In the morning and caught 7 but most were small I was able to get into some schooling fish right after daylight, but after the early bite it seemed to just die.

[martintheduck]

Last time I went out was Sunday evening. No bites. Water is stagnant. Before that, Friday afternoon I was catching em' good on a 1/2oz flutter spoon and deep crank. Maybe this high pressure system over us will finally move in the coming days and cool us down. 

[martintheduck]

So I went out the past two evenings and couldn't BUY a bite. So frustrated.