Anglers have been consistently reeling in bass out on a popular river in Southwest Louisiana/Southeast Texas, a good sign for what’s ahead when June rolls around on the Sabine River.
That’s the good news reported by veteran bass angler Ron Castille of Lake Charles, an avid outdoorsman who is widely known in the region for his 18-year run as television host of Fishing Southern Style.
“Sabine’s been doing really well,” Castille said. “We’re catching a bunch of fish, nice quantity. The river system has some really big fish … I think those were either released or come from Toledo Bend. Every once in a while there’s a nine or 10 but it’s rare. The native bass are very prominent and usually predictable to catch.”
Castille pointed to two launch sites, starting with the Orange, Texas, public boat ramp. A “nice facility,” he said. The Burned Out Bridge boat ramp, another option, is located on Old Highway 90 near Vinton.
Cuts and canals
From Orange’s boat ramp, boaters can go north or south. There are numerous cuts and manmade canals off the river north of Interstate 10, where Castille focuses on the Louisiana side. He noted that while there is a reciprocal agreement between Texas and Louisiana to fish either side along the main river, there is a gray area about entering waters and fishing on the Texas side requiring a fishing license from the Lone Star State.
“This time of year, focus on the cuts,” he said. “Crankbaits and spinnerbaits would be my first two choices at any cut or canal.”
He advised anglers to fish edges of cuts and the drop-offs of cuts coming out of the swamp, particularly when the water is coming out.
“A (shad-colored) crankbait will catch them,” he said. “When you find them you can try a buzz bait or spinnerbait, or some sort of soft plastic, Speed Craw or similar.”
The 73-year-old Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office bailiff emphasized using a crankbait to find the bass, then switching to other baits. If there are three cuts within, say, a 100-yard stretch, fish the main cut with the crankbait and while trolling to the next one throw a buzz bait or spinnerbait.
Other spots
Going south from Orange, target the numerous barges moored along the river, Castille advised. Sometimes, he said, all four corners of a barge can produce, especially if the water’s moving. Crankbaits work well, he noted, but so do D.O.A. Shrimp and Voodoo Shrimp. Add topwaters such as shad-colored Yellow Magics to work the corners.
Other structures to target include deadfalls, pilings and docks.
Farther south, there are several manmade canals to try, plus some natural bayous. There are some that go into Texas, such as Adams Bayou and Cow Bayou, where you will need a Texas fishing license, according to Castille.
There are other places down that way toward Sabine Lake, such as the Burton’s Ditch on the Louisiana side. There are many cuts off it that go into the marsh where you can be prepared to catch fish other than bass, such as flounder, redfish and, yes, perhaps even a 50-pound jack crevalle like Castille did in mid-April. After the saltwater species smashed a crankbait, he fought it for 25 minutes before getting it in the boat.
