The time many fishermen have waited on is here …the end of August. We battled water temperatures in the low 90s and air temps near 100 not to mention the ever-present humidity. Bites from the bass and crappie were few and far between.

August is behind us now and good things are about to take place on our area lakes and rivers. The days will become progressively shorter and the nights longer and with that water temperatures will fall as summer looses its grip.

Last weekend the Ninth Annual “Fishing for A Cure” Team Bass Tournament was a record setter. We had the most entries ever at 78 teams in the 9-year history of this Muscular Dystrophy Benefit event.

Over $16,000 will be donated to M.D.A. during the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon. As weigh master I can safely say there was more bass caught this year’s event than ever.

Lonnie Ashley and I weighed in 178 bass caught from the Black, Ouchita, Little and Tensas rivers. Contestants pried the 4-Rivers near Jonesville looking for the five bass limit that would earn them a check on a day that pushed the thermometer near 100 degrees.

A good current coming down the Ouchita turned the bass on and it was fairly easy to catch a limit from depths of 2 to 10 feet. Danny Smith and I lost count at 35 keepers and many others reported catching numbers of nice bass.

Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft plastics, jigs and top waters lures produced fish on what turned out to be a great day for fishing in the August heat.

We had repeat winners this year. John Bruce and J.D. Weeks won this event in 2006 and returned this year to successfully defend their championship title with five bass weighing 13.23 pounds.

Weeks and Bruce took home the $1,000 first place prize money. A mere one half pound of bass separated first and third place. Jeff and John Voorhies reeled in second place with 13.19 pounds and they walked off with the big bass money with a nice 5.46-pound largemouth.

Danny Smith and I culled through over 30 bass and had a great day on the rivers. We placed third with 12.63 pounds.

McCartney Oil Company of Jena once again proved to be a great host.

They had plenty of food, drink and door prizes for the contestants. We’re already working on plans to do something special for next years 10th annual event.

Thanks to all the rain up north the Mississippi River is rising.

Normally the Old River bend lakes are land-locked from the river this time of year. The rise will make the fishing difficult but when the river crest and starts falling again get ready for some great fishing at Deer Park, Minorca and Yucatan.

Today the river stage at Natchez is 17.8 feet. The forecast predicts a stage of 19.4 feet by Wednesday.

Hopefully the level will get close to 28 feet before the crest. If so the crappie fishermen as well as the bass fishermen should be in for a treat this month.

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