Ross Barnett Reservoir

[nebass97]

Hey All, 
I'm thinking of making a trip to MS from April 24-28th and will be within an hour and a half to 2 hours of Ross Barnett Reservoir or "the rez". Does anyone have any good bass guides they'd recommend for down there? I thought about bringing my boat, but I just have a 17.5" Bass Tracker and I know that's a huge lake, way bigger than any I've fished in my home state of Nebraska. 

[GReb]

Your boat is plenty big enough.  While the lake may be huge most people only fish the northern section and river.  Put in at Tommy's Trading Post and you are around fish without even getting on plane.  However I must warn you that the water levels are way down right now as they are trying to kill off an invasive grass species.  It is a very tough fishery at normal levels and its even tougher drawn down.  

 

Another good lake in the area is Calling Panther.  Lots of giant bass there.  It is a flooded valley and has stumps literally everywhere.  Its the best place in MS to catch a double digit

[nebass97]

8 hours ago, GReb said:

Your boat is plenty big enough.  While the lake may be huge most people only fish the northern section and river.  Put in at Tommy's Trading Post and you are around fish without even getting on plane.  However I must warn you that the water levels are way down right now as they are trying to kill off an invasive grass species.  It is a very tough fishery at normal levels and its even tougher drawn down.  

 

Another good lake in the area is Calling Panther.  Lots of giant bass there.  It is a flooded valley and has stumps literally everywhere.  Its the best place in MS to catch a double digit

That’s what I like to hear! Would it be worth bringing my boat to Calling Panther too then?

[GReb]

6 hours ago, nebass97 said:

That’s what I like to hear! Would it be worth bringing my boat to Calling Panther too then?

You would need a boat at both lakes.  Neither are bank friendly plus they both have big gators and lots of snakes lol.

 

Forage at both lakes are threadfin shad, crawfish, and bluegill.  Also small crappie at Barnett.  End of April will be post spawn but the bass will still be up in the 3-5 foot water chasing gills that are preparing to bed.  Check the Mississippi wildlife and fisheries page for fishing reports and lake maps

 

At Barnett you can go up river and find largemouth and spots off points around current.  There are several old creek beds that hold bass year round.  (Caney creek is just north of Tommy's and is a popular spot)  Generally speaking you will want to focus on areas in the current that are good ambush spots.  Around points, corners, cover, etc.  If you take a finger off the river that has has no current don't waste your time.  The hwy 43 bridge beside the boat ramp is a popular crappie spot so you will see a ton of boats in that area.  If the wind is manageable for your boat you can go south of the bridge on the main lake and find some good ledges and flats.  The east side is typically good for bass but with the water drawn down I'm not sure what it will hold this year.  There's an old road bed that goes across the lake that holds bass year round in deeper water if you have good electronics.  Just make sure you stay in the river channel while on plane.  There are a lot of stumps and you can get in trouble quickly.  Also I would try to fish Barnett on a weekday if possible.  There are tournaments pretty much every weekend and some can be quite large.  Also after lunch there will be a bunch of party boats hauling butt up river to the popular sand bars.

 

Panther is much more secluded.  It's a smaller lake and nice on Saturdays.  There are usually less than a dozen boats.  You do have to pay a little cash to launch though so keep that in mind.  If you go on Saturday there will be a ranger in the office that will offer some tips on where to go and what to use.  Most folks go straight across the lake from the ramp and over towards the dam.  The opposite end gets really shallow.  It is stocked with Florida hybrids so they can be finicky especially around weather fronts.  But don't loose focus because you may go 3 hours without a bite and then all of a sudden a 7-15 pounder is trying to wrap you around a stump.  And they are really good at it!

 

Worth mentioning...you will pass the best crappie lake in the country on your drive called Grenada Lake.  There are several guides services there if interested I can offer recommendation.  The lake is full of 2-4 pound crappie and white bass.  Largemouth fishing sucks though.

 

[bostonsox2904]

Agree with the advice from other posts. Go to Calling Panther. I lived in MS for a year and pulled my PB from that lake. I did really well with shaky heads and junebug trick worm, but obviously many ways to get it done. Good luck!

[nebass97]

On 2/9/2020 at 4:20 PM, GReb said:

You would need a boat at both lakes.  Neither are bank friendly plus they both have big gators and lots of snakes lol.

 

Forage at both lakes are threadfin shad, crawfish, and bluegill.  Also small crappie at Barnett.  End of April will be post spawn but the bass will still be up in the 3-5 foot water chasing gills that are preparing to bed.  Check the Mississippi wildlife and fisheries page for fishing reports and lake maps

 

At Barnett you can go up river and find largemouth and spots off points around current.  There are several old creek beds that hold bass year round.  (Caney creek is just north of Tommy's and is a popular spot)  Generally speaking you will want to focus on areas in the current that are good ambush spots.  Around points, corners, cover, etc.  If you take a finger off the river that has has no current don't waste your time.  The hwy 43 bridge beside the boat ramp is a popular crappie spot so you will see a ton of boats in that area.  If the wind is manageable for your boat you can go south of the bridge on the main lake and find some good ledges and flats.  The east side is typically good for bass but with the water drawn down I'm not sure what it will hold this year.  There's an old road bed that goes across the lake that holds bass year round in deeper water if you have good electronics.  Just make sure you stay in the river channel while on plane.  There are a lot of stumps and you can get in trouble quickly.  Also I would try to fish Barnett on a weekday if possible.  There are tournaments pretty much every weekend and some can be quite large.  Also after lunch there will be a bunch of party boats hauling butt up river to the popular sand bars.

 

Panther is much more secluded.  It's a smaller lake and nice on Saturdays.  There are usually less than a dozen boats.  You do have to pay a little cash to launch though so keep that in mind.  If you go on Saturday there will be a ranger in the office that will offer some tips on where to go and what to use.  Most folks go straight across the lake from the ramp and over towards the dam.  The opposite end gets really shallow.  It is stocked with Florida hybrids so they can be finicky especially around weather fronts.  But don't loose focus because you may go 3 hours without a bite and then all of a sudden a 7-15 pounder is trying to wrap you around a stump.  And they are really good at it!

 

Worth mentioning...you will pass the best crappie lake in the country on your drive called Grenada Lake.  There are several guides services there if interested I can offer recommendation.  The lake is full of 2-4 pound crappie and white bass.  Largemouth fishing sucks though.

 

Thank you very much! Any other recommendations around Mississippi State U?? That's where I'll be.