High water levels from the January rains flooded our area lakes. All the water in Concordia Parish is an amazing sight.

Adams County has more hills, and rain runs off much faster. This water is not moving, yet. Several Concordia Parish lakes remain closed to fishing and pleasure boat traffic. Lakes Concordia, St. John and the entire Black River/Horseshoe Lake Complex as well as all the connecting bayous are closed to boat traffic.

I am not sure how long it will take for this water to drain off, but we do have dry weather in the forecast for the next week or so.

This is actually good for the lakes and the fishing. The fresh water flushed the lakes out from all the un-burnt two stroke outboard motor oil from last year’s heavy boat traffic during the low water periods. Rains wash nutrients into the lakes.

It may take a few weeks before the Louisiana lakes settle down and become fishable but when they do, the fishing will be great.

In the meantime, we are still catching plenty of bass and one lake is producing some limits of slab white perch.

For some fine perch fishing head to Larto Lake. I spoke with Uncle Bud of Uncle Bud’s Cabins and launch ramp this week. He reported the main lake was very high, but the water clarity was great. As long as the water is fairly clear, you can catch the deep bite.

The bayous that connect Larto with Saline are muddy, so Larto Lake would be the best place to fish on the Complex.

Most fishermen and ladies are drift fishing with multiple jig poles over 15-20 feet of water in the middle of the lake. Pink and Chartreuse (that one is called Electric Chicken) tube jigs seem to be producing the most perch. If that doesn’t work, try the darker colors like black and chartreuse jigs.

Uncle Bud said no bass fishermen that he knew of had been on the lake because of the high water, but there is no doubt the bass will bite on Larto. Lake Bruin was held about a foot to a foot and half below pool stage just before the last rain which was a perfect level for this lake with a big rain coming.

This last rain raised the lake back to normal so Lake Bruin remains open and this lake was pumping out some heavy weight limits of bass. This weekend, the high pressure and very little wind may knock that bite off for a few days.

Robby Roberts won a bass club tournament held on Bruin Jan. 12. He had a five bass tournament limit weighing more than 19 pounds. That’s a good sack of tournament fish any time of year but when you consider the conditions they were caught from, it was a really good catch.

All his fish (including the big bass of the day which weighed over five pounds) hit crawfish colored Elk River jigs fished from three to 20 feet deep around cypress trees, ledges and piers.. That’s what you have to do on Lake Bruin. The fish are so scattered out you have to cover all depths.

We will be back on Lake Bruin hosting and directing the longest running bass tournament in this area, the 27th Annual J.R. Roberts Memorial. This event is held annually in memory of my dad. We draw some of the best bass fishermen from three states.

The record turnout is 114 boats, and we usually average between 80 and 100 boats. I have the entry forms at Eddie’s Marine. You can enter the event from now through Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.

The lake will be off-limits to all contestants Monday, Jan. 28 until tournament day Feb. 2. The weigh-in site is the Lake Bruin State Park.

Due to the number of boats, you can launch from any ramp on Bruin and start casting at 6:30 a.m. All contestants must be at the State Park Landing off-plane before 3:30 p.m. Based on 100 boats the first place winners will take home $5000 cash. We’ll pay out 10 places and five big bass places based on 100 entries. Payout will be adjusted according to number of entries. If we get more than 100, the payout will increase.

So mark you calendar and come fish the 27th Annual J.R. Roberts Memorial on Lake Bruin.

 

Eddie Roberts writes a weekly fishing column for The Democrat. He can be reached at fishingwitheddie@bellsouth.net.