The state of bass fishing around the Mississippi River has been up in the air since Hurricane Katrina. Reports of fish kills were rampant, and it looked like bass anglers would have to travel north for a while if they wanted to continue catching fish. However, there are whispers of a strong rebound, and places like Bayou Segnette look as good as they ever have.Wanting to see how the Bayou Segnette area was faring, I convinced Covington bass pro Jason Pittman to take me for a ride, and to see if we could stick a fish or two. It was immediately apparent after stopping at Lake Cataouatche that bass fishermen didn’t have much to worry about.
The area was full of lush, green hydrilla that showed promising signs of life. The water was a little tinged from a late-afternoon thunderstorm, but we could tell that the grass was full of bait and bass.
LDWF biologist Howard Rogillio said the grass is the key to the area rebounding from whatever setbacks it suffered due to Katrina.
“Stuff on the west side of the river didn’t suffer near as bad as the east side,” he said. “There was a group out of Baton Rouge that did some sampling at Cataouatche last week, and they discovered a lot of small spawn-type bass along with several larger bass in the grass. The grass will help because it gives bass a place to spawn and hide while they’re growing.”
Of course, the area was missing one of its most productive bass covers, as all the duck blinds that used to be perfect for pitching a soft plastic are gone. The wellheads are still standing, though, and that’s where Pittman decided to start.
“When you’ve got a big flat like this,” he said, “anything that is different is likely to hold a group of bass. These are perfect spots for burning a spinnerbait or pitching a plastic. And if you can find one in just a little bit deeper water than the surrounding flat, well, you’ll want to keep that one under your hat.”
Pittman said that the key to catching fish in the Bayou Segnette area is the same as it has always been. Cover a lot of water, and try a lot of different baits. He recommended fishing the grass flats with buzz baits, spinnerbaits, shallow-diving crankbaits and plastic frogs like the Ribbit. He also suggested that anglers keep something like a Baby Brush Hog tied on for flipping and pitching around the docks in the canals.
“There are fish to be caught out here,” he added. “The best action right now is early in the morning and late in the evening. Get out on those flats and look for movement. If you see baitfish flipping around, or getting chased, stick around a while. You’re going to catch some bass. I’d say your five best would go anywhere from 8 to 10 pounds.”
