Use a Christmas tree rig to catch more fish
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh and final article in an online series on hot crappie spots across the state that originally appeared in Louisiana Sportsman magazine. Today’s article features information on the Saline-Larto complex.
Eddie Roberts, owner of Eddie’s Marine in Vidalia, said the Saline-Larto complex is the crappie capital of Louisiana.
And catching a box of slabs is a pretty affair.
“You’re drift fishing,” Roberts said. “You’re out in the middle of the lake. Just look for the 50 or 60 boats and get out in the middle of them and drink coffee and have a good time.”
He said that, in addition to the natural features of the lake bottom, the complex is choke-a-block full of brush piles.
“That place probably has more man-made brush piles than anywhere else in the state,” Roberts said.
He said you can definitely catch some fish tight-lining, but the locals have a unique tactic that really pays off: They fish what they call a Christmas tree rig, consisting of a 1/2- to 1-ounce lead weight at the end of their line, with three or four jigs tied into the line at roughly 1-foot intervals.
“The size of the jigs doesn’t really matter because they have the heavy weight at the end of the line,” Roberts said.
Then they cast out these daisy-chained lines and dragging them behind their drifting boats.
“They’ll have four or five rods out,” he explained.
The jigs will be rigged with tube jigs of a variety of colors, at least until the anglers note a pattern.
“When they know which (color) is catching fish, they’ll change them all to that color,” Roberts said.
He said locals prefer brown/orange for some reason, but those tubes with chartreuse also should be productive.
Roberts also said the lake has great facilities, with Uncle Buck’s Cabins (318-339-7530) offering guides, lodging and ramps.
