According to the Mississippi River forecast, we have a couple more weeks to fish the Old Rivers before a late fall rise comes downriver. Normally the river would be well above 30 feet by now, and the Old Rivers would be cold and muddy from the rising river water.

This year has been anything but normal. 2011 kicked off with a record flood and now we’re experiencing record or near record low water levels. The Mississippi River Stage at Natchez today is 19.5 feet and rising.

On Monday, we’ll see 20.2 feet, Tuesday 20.9 feet, Wednesday 21.5 feet and the rise will continue. Once we see 30 feet at Natchez, the Old Rivers will be very tough to fish.

The good news is once the river is up and the fishing in the Old Rivers is over, all we have to do is fish the landlocked lakes on the protected side of the levees. There is no better time to fish Lakes Bruin, Concordia, St. John, and the Black River/Horseshoe Complex as well the Saline/Larto Complex.

Late fall and throughout the winter months, these waters offer some of the best bass and sac-a-lait fishing in the state. Last weekend we fished with Concordia Bass Club on the Saline/Larto Complex. The bass fishing was just amazing. I quit counting the numbers of keeper bass — bass over 12 inches long — at 26. I feel sure I boated close to 35 weigh fish as did a few other people fishing this event.

A growing number of fishermen and ladies are beginning to realize that summer is the worst time to catch fish in this area and fall, and winter is the best time. Some people say it’s too cold to be on the water and they go hunting instead.

It is a whole lot colder sitting still in tree stand waiting on a deer to wonder by than it is in a boat where you’re moving around a lot more. The right clothes will keep you warm.

That sure was not the problem Friday with a high of almost 80 degrees. The north wind shifted by midmorning yesterday and blew from the southwest. That was a good thing. When the north wind was blowing just behind this recent cold front, the barometric pressure was high, and high air pressure makes for a tough day on the water.

I expect today the people that are fishing will have a great day on the water. Last weekend we experienced the same conditions. The wind blew hard from the south, and while some chose to fish the protected areas of the lakes, I do the opposite.

There are several reasons I fish the wind-blown banks over slick water. When in a bass tournament, you can avoid pressured waters, waters protected from the wind, by targeting windy areas. Not many people are willing to fight the wind. It is all about boat control. If you have a good trolling motor, it is a rare day in this area when the wind blows too hard to fish.

Another reason is the fish are more active on windblown banks. The stirs up the plankton and shad feed on plankton. Find the shad and you’ll find the game fish.

When targeting slick water, the fish spook from trolling motor and boat noise a lot more than they do when fishing windblown areas. This is the time of year, I get really excited about fishing. Fall and winter is by far the best time to catch bass and sac-a-lait.