Alexandria, Louisiana Area Fishing on the Red Help

[cwhite6]

Hello all!
I joined the site today and have been reading for a little while off and on at work. Lots of great info on here. I need some help with some info on the Red. My buddy and I are trying to start fishing the Red around Alexandria and north and south of here. Neither of us are from here, so we do not know a whole lot about it. We tried doing a little bit by the lock around Colfax, but the only decent fish we caught was a goo! Can someone give us some pointers on places and techniques for around here? We love to catfish, but most of my catfishing has been done in ponds. Usually a bass or Sac-a-lait chaser. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[BIGCAT DADDY 71]

welcome to the boc, chip. great site and people, enjoy.

[cwhite6]

Thanks for the welcome Bigcat and Larry. Larry, the pond idea sounds pretty fun. I have a daughter who is about to turn two and I am itching to bring her fishing one day.

[bigcatch87]

im from lafayette and currently living in dallas but my grandparent live in vivian an area southeast of sheveport if you dont mind the drive i would go to caddo lake anywhere on the lake is great fishin but the dam has the best

[Alsey]

Hey Chip,

I live in Bossier and fish the Red up here but I go to Dean Lee Research Station one or two times a week for work and the river sure looks good down there. My only advice is get out there and try a bunch of different spots. Don't assume they're all sitting in the bottom of a deep hole. If you don't use fresh shad then start using them. The catfish are tuned into that scent and they're free to boot. Move around alot at first until you find them. If you can see the shad are in an area throw a hook there and give it about 20 minutes. Jug fishing has been outstanding the last month here and it's probably the same there. If you try them run them about 4 feet deep.

On a side note, where is there a public boat launch into the Red in Alex? Just curious.

Welcome to the BOC. We're having a get together Sept 31st and maybe a small pick-up tournament just north of lock and dam #5. Our gatherings are always a blast. Come up and join us if you can.

[old poot]

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: WELCOME TO THE B.O.C. CHIP

[WildWillie]

On a side note, where is there a public boat launch into the Red in Alex? Just curious.

Go here, http://www.redriverwaterway.com/rec_areas.aspx, and click on the Alexandria Levee Park. They can give you better directions than I can.

There is also a very nice RV park and landing on the east side of the river at Colfax. Never fished there, but we stayed in the RV park on a little trip to south LA.

Will

[gberan]

Welcome to BOC Chip. I live just outside of Pineville in a little town called Deville. I fish the Red River just south of Alex. at Lock and Dam #2. I haven't tried it a Colfax yet due to the drive and price of gas. I catch enough close to home. I would be glad to show you some places that I fish. I usually drift just below the dam, using cut shad. My biggest to date is a 60 lb blue. Two weeks ago my Wife caught a 43 inch 50 lb blue. We catch plenty of eaters that way. You can drop me a note here or at gberan@aol.com, or call me at 318-466-5931. There are also some great lakes here in the Alex. area.

[catfisherfromball]

Wat up Chipster...me too I tryin to get hep here....


Hello all!
I joined the site today and have been reading for a little while off and on at work. Lots of great info on here. I need some help with some info on the Red. My buddy and I are trying to start fishing the Red around Alexandria and north and south of here. Neither of us are from here, so we do not know a whole lot about it. We tried doing a little bit by the lock around Colfax, but the only decent fish we caught was a goo! Can someone give us some pointers on places and techniques for around here? We love to catfish, but most of my catfishing has been done in ponds. Usually a bass or Sac-a-lait chaser. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[cwhite6]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I really appreciate it. Gberan, I also live in Deville. I live off of Denny Road with a Deville address, but not really in Deville proper. :) Catfisherfromball is my main fishing buddy and I see he just posted. I will be dropping you a line shortly for some info. Thanks again everyone!

[jovy1097]

Gordon,
What is your method of drifting? I fish mostly on the Atchafalaya River near Simmesport and would like to try your method down here. Do you drift with the current and with your weight on the bottom? Or do you use a motor to slow your drift down?

[TopSgtLawrence]

I would like you all welcome to the B.O.C.. We sure need more La. Members especially from North East La. I am originally from La, and still family there.my real brother is from Calhoun,La with the user Name m.a.p., yep he is also a B.O.C. member. He is a fairly new member and can not post much due to his Job. You guys have some of the best Catfishing waters in the country, must find them and use the correct bait. I wish I still lived there, but I have a home here now. Beouf river is a good cat river, the Ouachita is also good below Columbia Lock and dam, at Columbia,La. Bayou Mason out of Oak Grove is also good. Fresh Shad and Skip Jack should be the bait of choice. Fresh small gills work well also.

I hope to see you guys at the National Gathering, meet a bunch of members do not get isolated!

[gadzooks]

My daddy was born in Pineville, grew up in Pollack. Used to go to Pollack most summers. Even as a kid, I wondered what the fishing was like in the Red, but never got to go. Good to know there are some. Luck to y'all.

[gberan]

jovy1097, I drift with the current or wind depending on which is moving the boat best. I select a weight that will keep my line straight down from the boat and basically keep the bait moving at the same speed as the boat. I use cut bait, shad or mullet and even perch. I drop the line until it hits bottom and crank up about two turns. This keeps me from getting hung up in the rocks below the dam. I also use my depth finder to find the drop offs and see how the fish are holding. I usually find them on the deep side of a drop off. I will first drift over this drop off from shallower water and leave my line as I had it set for the shallow water. If after a couple of drift bys with no bites, I will watch the depth finder and as soon as I hit the drop off I will hit the release button on my reel and let the bait free fall to the bottom. Usually something will hit it before it gets to the bottom, If I can figure out what depth that is I will fish that depth each time I drift over that drop off. I have never fished the Atchafalaya, but have noticed every time I cross over it there is considerable current. If the bottom is relitively even, I would fish places where the river makes a bend, and I would look for an eddy current. In this situation you would have to figure out where to place the boat where it would drift downstream right on the edge of the two currents, idealy when you get to the point where the eddy current starts back upstream your boat will fall into the current and drift upstream, again keep the boat right on the edge of the two currents. In this situation I would start at the bottom depth with a two turn crank up. Watch the finder and see what depth the fish are holding and adjust your depth till you start getting bites. Hope this helps, keep me informed.

[gberan]

Archer, if you wondered as a kid if there were fish in the Red, you probaly saw the Red when it was Red(muddy). Since they finished the Lock and Dam system we now have a very nice clear blue river to fish in. The only time it gets muddy in in the fall if we have a real heavy rainy season. Now you can catch bass, white perch, bream, channel, blue,flathead catfish and just about any other fish you find in the lakes. If you get back this way give me a heads up and I will take you out on the Red for some good catfishing. By the way, La. has a new licence for out of state fishermen which cost $5 for a one day trip in fresh water. Wish Texas would do the same.

[gadzooks]

gberan, Louisiana has done a great job with its fisheries and state parks. Meanwhile, our state legislature is starving our parks system and begrudging fisheries only as much as it takes to keep the fishermen off their backs. I go to Ruston to take my youngest son to La. Tech or pick him up several times a year, maybe I can schedule a day and come fish with you. Yes, you are right, it was called the "Red" river for a reason. I've noticed when I cross at Shreveport its no longer red like it used to be.

[gberan]

come on down, be glad to take you out, just give me a heads up a couple of days ahead so I can make sure I'm free, especially if it is in Oct. Hunting kinda takes up a lot of my time! but I can find time to fish too!

[catfisherfromball]

There are two in the area, but use the one in Pineville, its safer but it closes at night, so we launch in colfax....


Hey Chip,

I live in Bossier and fish the Red up here but I go to Dean Lee Research Station one or two times a week for work and the river sure looks good down there. My only advice is get out there and try a bunch of different spots. Don't assume they're all sitting in the bottom of a deep hole. If you don't use fresh shad then start using them. The catfish are tuned into that scent and they're free to boot. Move around alot at first until you find them. If you can see the shad are in an area throw a hook there and give it about 20 minutes. Jug fishing has been outstanding the last month here and it's probably the same there. If you try them run them about 4 feet deep.

On a side note, where is there a public boat launch into the Red in Alex? Just curious.

Welcome to the BOC. We're having a get together Sept 31st and maybe a small pick-up tournament just north of lock and dam #5. Our gatherings are always a blast. Come up and join us if you can.

[jovy1097]

Thanks for the information. I'll have to try that. My dad fishes with me quite often and he doesn't like drifting with the current because it's so fast. I've often told him that the fish have to be used to catching stuff coming down with the current. Have never tried the "2 cranks up" method. Also, we sometimes have the hardest time catching fresh bait. Anyway, I'm convinced that a world record size bluecat is to be found in the waters of the Atchafalaya or MS river near here.

[gberan]

Hey chip, I went out this morning and only caught two fish. fished from 7:15 til noon. The fish were on the chart but would not bite. We had trouble finding shad to fish with. but it did not matter as they were setting there with lockjaw. I hooked one that broke my leader, but did not get him up where I could see the size. we had one 3.5 and one 2lb. If you and catfishermanfromball go out I hope you have better luck. leave a post and let us know.

[cwhite6]

Will do. I am meeting him at around 8pm with another fella from work. We are going to try some cut carp, Hog Wild, hotdogs, livers and pretty much anything else we find.

[gberan]

I tried worms also this morning. Not any better than shad, cut buffalo, or Michaels super potent catfish lure. We could not catch any decent shad at the deversion canal, not much water flow there, the lake is almost empty. Hope you all have better luck than we did, although the two we caught will be enough for supper tonight.

[cwhite6]

I tell you what Gordon, that stinky butt stuff your son uses is something else. I must have washed my hands 10 times and I could still smell it two days later on my fingers. Nasty stuff.