Good fishing reports are coming from several area lakes and Old Rivers.

Cooler water temperatures over the past two weeks have moved the shad toward the shallows and that’s where most of the fish are coming from, shallow water cover.

The bass and white perch activity has picked up on the Old Rivers at Deer Park and Vidalia.

The Mississippi River rose several feet last week from about 16 feet to 19 feet but the rise did not slow the fishing down at Deer Park.

We’re catching numbers of bass up to five pounds on the Old River bend lake by fishing spinner baits around visible cover.

Some nice bass are holding on the points and bluff banks as well. You can catch those fish on crankbaits and heavy jigs as well as Carolina rigged soft plastics.

The river is falling now with a stage of 18.1 feet on the Natchez gauge. The fall will continue for at least the next few days.

November is the best month for fishing the Old Rivers so don’t miss out on some of the best fishing action in this area.

Lake St. John is producing some nice hybrid striped bass and black bass.

The hard pulling striped bass are chasing shad between the piers in shallow water.

Try Rat-L-Traps, tail spinners and jigging spoons. Just watch for the shad in thin water and you’ll find the stripers.

The bass on St. John are beginning to show up around the deeper cypress trees. As water temps continue to drop the deep trees will hold even more bass.

Try flipping and pitching heavy jigs or soft plastics fished behind a heavy, pegged down slip sinker for big bass on Lake St. John.

Post frontal conditions made fishing for bass on Lake Concordia difficult last weekend but that will change as more cold fronts start coming south.

The bite during the week is good but tough on weekends. We need a weekend with clouds and wind to turn the big fish on.

You can catch numbers of bass between the piers with Rat-L-Traps and small soft plastics.

The jig bite for big bass has been slow but it will improve as water temps continue to drop.

Lake Bruin’s bass are biting shallow and deep. You can catch numbers of smaller bass around the moss beds with buzz baits, Zara Spooks and Rebel Pop R’s.

The Rat-L-Trap works well along the edge of the moss beds as well.

For big bass on Bruin try fishing heavy jigs and soft plastics in the deep man-made brush piles near the piers and offshore ledges.

Our landlocked lakes are at a very good level and water clarity looks great. Conditions are shaping up for some good cold water fishing.