Cool start to fishing on Lacassine Reserve

Published 6:14 am Sunday, March 19, 2017

There wasn’t the crowd that usually greets sunrise the opening day of Lacassine Reserve — mainly because of the wind and the cold temperature — but most of those that were on the pond last Wednesday did catch some bass.

“I talked to quite a few fisherman,” said Mike Authement, who keeps his pulse on the situation, “and it was a little like in the past. Some were able to make nice catches, including some limits, and then there were some that had no success.”

A member of the federal wildlife and fisheries department said he had been at the pool since daylight and estimated there were about 200 cars and trucks parked, while Authement, who made it out about 10 a.m., said he counted more than 170 vehicles. Both totals about 100 shy of what has been in the past.

From the information we obtained from those fishing in rigs, and also those bank fishing and fishing from kayaks, it appeared there were two feeding periods that day.

The first was about 8 a.m. and the second right at 1 p.m.

“We put up quite a few pictures of those catching bass in the 4- to 5-pound category,” Authement said, adding that the largest went 10 pounds, 13 ounces.

He did say that there were rumors of someone boating a 13-pounder but that he couldn’t verify that.

l

Basile’s Caleb Marcantel and Kinder’s Noah Nelson fished together and among their catch was a 21⁄2-pound bass and another at 2 pounds.

They were fishing a green-colored 6-inch Senko and reported that the fish they caught came in a 30-minute period.

Lake Charles’ Kenneth Thibodeaux and son Carter of Sulphur had a nine-fish stringer, the largest 3 pounds and fishing out of kayaks and said their fish were caught on watermelon red-colored flukes around what is called “bird island.”

Jordan Poole and Trevor Russell, both of Grand Lake, each had a good stringer, having found the bass in one area.

They were fishing watermelon-colored lizzards, using a small weight.

They also said most of their fish were taken in the deeper canals and Poole also turned back to the water a 5-pound bass and a 4-pounder.

l

Although we didn’t see any bream or white perch being caught, Authement reported that some bull blue gills were caught.

“From what I was told,” he said, “these fishermen caught the bull bream in the deep water canals (on live worms).”

He added that some — not many — white perch were caught.

“Right now the water is at an excellent level,” Authement added. “But, we didn’t have much of a cold period and with warmer weather coming, we just don’t know how long it’s going to be before that grass starts popping up everywhere.”