There are no reliable stats to prove it, but it’s a good bet that there are more bass baits cast per acre of water in one area than any other across the Ouachita system.
There are a lot of reasons why, but Bayou D’Arbonne seems to be the most popular place to be bass fishing on the Ouachita.
The first reason is it is the closest big body of water to Monroe, which also is the busiest landing on the river.
Bayou D’Arbonne is the first major creek off the river, less than a mile north of Forsythe Landing to the left. It meanders nearly 30 miles all the way up to the spillway that keeps Lake D’Arbonne at bay in nearby Farmerville.
Besides Forsythe, access is easy from the river itself or at Holland’s Bluff in the D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge.
Smaller boats can be launched at some other areas, but improved parking or paved boat ramps are not available at those locations.
Here’s another reason: Water is often spilling over the spillway from Lake D’Arbonne, giving the bayou a refreshing drink of fresh lake water that keep the bayou in good shape and the fishing populations booming. That’s particularly important in the summer.
The third factor is that Bayou D’Arbonne is almost like a miniature Ouachita River system all in itself.
You have the bayou proper, with miles and miles of bank structure to fish. There are numerous run-outs and tributaries that often add current-fishing possibilities. And there are plenty of lakes off the bayou that hold bass almost year round.
Some of these areas get shallow in the summer, so be cautious.
And then there are just plain old swampy areas and sloughs that make up a great ecosystem for fish.
Popular areas include Holland’s Bluff, Horse Pen Creek, Bayou Choudrant, the Chute and Cross Bayou areas.