Fishing report: Are fish really smart?

The man was reeling in his line when suddenly he noticed bubbles in the water out in front of him about 50 yards away. Immediately he pointed his trolling motor that way and slowly began to creep up on what he thought was good evidence that there may be a large fish ahead.

He was so intently looking at the phenomena he didn’t notice the large dark object that emerged out of the water on the other side of the boat until a chance glance behind him spied the spectacle. “WHAT THE H….” he screamed as his heart jumped in his throat he dang near jumped in the water.

“Howdy!” said the creature that after a closer look was recognized to be a scuba diver in full gear. “Having any luck?” After a few seconds of still trying to get his breath and calm his nerves the surprised angler responded like all fishermen do with the traditional “got a few” but then asked. “What are you diving for?”

“Doing some work for the Wildlife and Fisheries” replied the diver. “I just came across a big ‘ole catfish lying on the seat of a sunken car just a little ahead of you there. He looked to be about 20 pounds.”

“Really?” asked the angler. “Why didn’t you grab him up?

“Couldn’t” said the diver. “He kept rolling the window up on me.”

Hope you enjoyed this fish tale that was told to me by my good friend “Coyote” Guyotte. Fortunately the fish in our area aren’t that smart but you still need to know how to catch them. See below the newest edition to this section which is an updated fishing report on area waterways by local outdoor authority Glynn Harris.

CANEY LAKE – Bream fishing continues to be good fishing the shallows with crickets and worms. Crappie is being found around the deeper tops and hitting shiners and jigs. Bass have been fair to good with mostly medium sized fish reported around the points and channel drop-offs on plastic worms and deep diving crank baits. No report this week on catfish. For latest information contact Bateaux on Caney Lake at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

OUACHITA RIVER – Water is slowly falling. Best fishing for bass and crappie has been in the backwater. Bream are also biting worms and crickets. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass fishing has been best fishing up the creeks around the grass on a variety of lures such as soft plastics, topwater lures and spinner baits. Crappie are on the flats and hitting shiners and jigs fished 6 feet deep in 10-12 foot deep water. Bream are around bedding areas and hitting crickets and worms around the lake. Catfishing has been good on set hooks baited with bream with lots of smaller channel catfish caught fishing off the banks with cold worms and night crawlers. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE CLAIBORNE – The bream are biting worms and crickets just off the banks in 5 foot water. Crappie fishing has been best at night fishing around lighted piers on shiners or jigs. Some bass to around 4 pounds have been caught on soft plastics and spinner baits and early mornings are hitting topwater lures. Catfishing has been good on noodles and yo-yos baited with blood bait, small bream or cold worms. No report on stripers. For latest information, call Tim Loftin at Kel’s Cove at 927-2264.

See below for samples of some fish that weren’t so smart and the fishermen who got the best of them.

Robert Albright (9 lb. 2.8 oz)
Trey Tuminello
Jason and Mary Barnard
Jerry Ingles

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