The list of good places to fish on the Cane River in Natchitoches is long. You’ve got miles of shoreline reeds, scattered brush tops, a plethora of boat docks, grass beds, lily pad fields and combinations of all those. And that goes on for 30 miles (60 total miles of shoreline if you count both banks).
So how do you find post-spawn bass?
“Pick an area that you like that has the type of structure you like, then pick it apart for bass,” said veteran Cane River fisherman Logan Mount. “If you can get in on the early shad spawn, you have the potential to catch some really nice fish. If that doesn’t pan out, you’ll have to find some type of cover and fish it slow and deliberately. The reeds will hold fish, but there are so many that you will have to find those key stretches that are holding the fish. Pads will hold fish, as well. Find what you like fishing and pick it apart. The bass will be really spread out but should be fairly active.”
Mount says the fish will be where the best oxygen is, and that means looking for the shady areas of structure.
Top 3 baits
“I have three top baits I like to fish this time of year,” he said. “First, the Spro Bronzeye Frog in killer gill color. The frog can be fished just about anywhere. I love using a Strike King Menace Grub in green pumpkin with a 1 ½ ounce pegged tungsten weight. Find the thickest reeds and try to punch it back as far as you can with this rig.
“Third is the Zoom Fluke weightless in baitfish color. This can be fished around the grass and in the pads.”
Different stretches of the Cane fish a bit differently. The north end of the river toward Natchitoches is always going to be a little more stained. But there are plenty of reeds that you can flip. As you start making your way south, there are lots of boat docks that will hold fish, especially when the sun is up and the water is warm. Also, as you meander south you’ll start to find large grass flats and mats.
This can be a great place to throw a topwater lure or fish soft plastics on the outside edge of the grass. Once it mats up, you can break out the hollow frogs as well as buzz frogs and catch some fish.
