Local fishermen are still struggling to fill live wells with bream, crappie and bass. Summer fishing on the lakes and Old Rivers can be very disappointing. Water surface temperatures hit 95 degrees by noon and the fish become extremely hard to catch.

The good news is we are blessed with a variety of lakes and rivers and each one is very different from the other. If the heat has the water steaming on your favorite lake and the fish won’t come out and play, try the rivers.

The Four Rivers area near Jonesville, La., is one of the few places in the world where four rivers join in such a short distance.

The Ouachita, Tensas and Little River all come together just north of Jonesville to create the Black River. This is the perfect place to go if you’re burnt out on the lakes. The scenery is great and the fishing is good. There are productive areas all over this river system, but there is also plenty of dead water.

The secret for summertime river bass is current. Fish the bends of the river and watch for current blowing over a sandbar or point.

Try several crankbaits that run at different depths. When you hook a bass make note of how deep it took the lure. If the bass is foul hooked or just barely hooked on the outside of the mouth stay with the same style lure just change colors. You can bet there will be a color the fish will like, but the next day that color may change.

Carolina rigged plastics are perfect for river fishing. You can cover lots of water without wearing your arm out. If you don’t like fooling with the terminal tackle required for rigging, just peg your slip sinker with a toothpick anywhere from 24&uot; to 36&uot; up your line. The sinker will dig in the sandy river bottom and as you retrieve it the stirred up silt gets the fishes attention. Then along comes a weird little piece of plastic with legs and tentacles waving about. It’s hard for the fish to resist the offering.

The 2nd annual M.D.A. Benefit Team Bass Tournament will cast off on the Four Rivers out of Little River Park on August 25.

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This non-profit event is held for a great cause and the event is growing each year. The host, McCartney Oil of Jena and Citgo Oil are joined by Triton Bass and Bryan’s Marine. Immediately after the weigh-in, we will draw for a 2002 Triton Tr176 fully rigged and powered by a Mercury 115. Entry forms and raffle tickets are available at Bryan’s Marine.