Holiday weekends are best reserved for family, playing in the water and not fishing. Boat traffic was at a record high this weekend.

July 4 is the worst weekend for fishing public waters during the daytime. If I were fishing I would head to the smaller waters or to places like Deer Park or Old River Vidalia.

The Mississippi River just will not let up. By July we would normally have a river level of approximately 25 to 28 feet. The stage at Natchez today is 41.2 feet and steady.

By Tuesday a slight rise will come down river and the stage will be approximately 41.4 and the rise will continue. It’s a slow rise but any rise is subject to shut the fish off.

At 41 feet I heard some real good reports from the white perch fishermen and ladies at Deer Park. Apparently one guy found the perch in 14 to 18 feet of water and shared his info until it eventually made it to my ears. He heard it on my radio reports this week, and while I did receive a phone call he was really not that upset.

Some people like to share what they find on the water, or should I say in the water, while others will be quite about their success. This guy was tipping a 1/16 ounce jig head of an undisclosed color with a live minnow and loading up on big slab white perch.

Try fishing the outside edge of the flooded green willows in 12 to 18 feet of water. These fish were located using sonar. Just out from the green willows are the old dead snags and stumps.

The white perch suspend over the top of this cover and the only way you can find it is with sonar or, if you know the Old Rivers, you can rely on your memory. That’s why it’s a good thing to pay attention to all the structure when the Old Rivers are at a lower stage.

Prior to GPS, I use to keep a log book with all my notes of when and at what stage I found the fish as well as where the cover is located. When the Mississippi River would rise up and flood the Old Rivers I could look back at my hand drawn maps, notes and fish the now submerged cover.

GPS made my notes and hand drawn maps a thing of the past. Now all we have to do is locate the area, push a button, save the waypoint and we can return to the same area no matter how high or low the water level.

There is only one open bass tournament set for July. On July 24, Eddie’s Marine will host the 2nd Annual Kyle’s House/Sunshine Shelter Bass tournaments on Lakes St. John and Concordia. This non-profit event is held for a great cause. Last year we rose a little over $800 for Kyle’s House/Sunshine Shelter and hope to double that this year.

Your participation would be greatly appreciated. Entry forms are available at Eddie’s Marine and www.fishingwitheddie.com.