Concordia, St. John – Double the bass fun

Target trees, piers to catch some nice fish this month

Pardon the old TV chewing gum jingle, but if you are looking for some summer bass-fishing action in east central Louisiana, there’s one sure way you can “double your pleasure, double your fun.”

And no, it’s not by chewing Doublemint: It’s by taking your bass gear to Lake Concordia and Lake St. John.

The old oxbow lakes a few miles from Ferriday offer some outstanding bass-fishing opportunities, but there also is another potential for fun.

“Both largemouth bass and hybrid striper bass fishing are good in August on both lakes,” said Paul Rogers, regular lake fisherman and owner of the Lakeview Lodge on Concordia. “In fact, the bass fishing on both lakes is pretty much the same.”

Recent largemouth tournaments have produced some good 2- to 3-pound-average fish, as well as 4- and 5-pounders.

These chunks are coming from basically two areas, Rogers said.

First, anglers are catching bass in the trees on chartreuse-and-white spinnerbaits.

One key to look for is anything green in the water — cypress or tupelo limbs or grass, for instance.

The second option is fishing finesse worms off the ends of the piers. Rogers’ favorite color worms are plum, red bug or watermelon green.

“Those are pretty much the two best summer patterns on both lakes, and they are working right now,” he said. “You can also catch them on topwaters early, and if you like throwing buzz baits or frogs, they will work, too.”

The hybrids are schooling in deeper holes around the lakes and have been lighting it up at night on Rat-L-Traps and other crankbaits, along with swim baits.

Look for camps with bright lights on the piers, but be aware the fish are a bit spooky at night.

Both lakes are heavily lined with camps, which also means there are lots of boat docks and piers to fish. These are excellent fishing spots. Remember to key on the ends of the piers nearer the deepest water.

About Kinny Haddox 589 Articles
Kinny Haddox has been writing magazine and newspaper articles about the outdoors in Louisiana for 45 years. He publishes a daily website, lakedarbonnelife.com and is a member of the Louisiana Chapter of the Outdoor Legends Hall of Fame. He and his wife, DiAnne, live in West Monroe.