Mississippi River and Oxbows - This section is about the Mississippi River and its Oxbows. There are way too many to talk at length about so I am going to cover the major ones in this area but they all follow suit in that you should be looking for the same characteristics in each of them. They vary in forms from true unadulterated oxbows to ports for industry out of the currents that form new places and structures different from regular current backwaters.
First lets talk about the major backwaters within the Midsouth area. To our north we have chutes only available to the river when it is at higher levels. Brandywine chute (Private Hunting Club), Dacus lake just across the river, Loosahatchie River and Wolf rivers just to name a few. In Memphis proper we have Mud Island harbor and McKeller at Presidents Island both of which are close overlooked areas. Right off the river we have backwater areas such as Chute 98 and behind the dikes that fishing can be good around as well. To our South within 2-3 hours there are tons of chutes and backwaters. Tunica cutoff, Flower, Desoto, Whittington, Ferguson, Helena Harbor and Bolivar just to name a few.
The water level and fluctuations are the determining factor more than anything else on how good the fishing will be. So it is good to be aware of what the levels are doing closest to the area you will be fishing. The USACE site posts this info on a daily basis listing past, current, and future predictions so you need to know how to go to that site. I will post it at the bottom of this page for our area. Just to quickly go through these situations you handle them much like reservoirs but they can be huge drops and rises in a day because of all the tributaries that flow into the Big Muddy. So apply your reservoir skills to the river but understand it is a bit different creature.
http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm
To find the river level, click on the above link. Then select the river system.
It will post the gage levels for the river in the Memphis system you want.
First lets talk about the major backwaters within the Midsouth area. To our north we have chutes only available to the river when it is at higher levels. Brandywine chute (Private Hunting Club), Dacus lake just across the river, Loosahatchie River and Wolf rivers just to name a few. In Memphis proper we have Mud Island harbor and McKeller at Presidents Island both of which are close overlooked areas. Right off the river we have backwater areas such as Chute 98 and behind the dikes that fishing can be good around as well. To our South within 2-3 hours there are tons of chutes and backwaters. Tunica cutoff, Flower, Desoto, Whittington, Ferguson, Helena Harbor and Bolivar just to name a few.
The water level and fluctuations are the determining factor more than anything else on how good the fishing will be. So it is good to be aware of what the levels are doing closest to the area you will be fishing. The USACE site posts this info on a daily basis listing past, current, and future predictions so you need to know how to go to that site. I will post it at the bottom of this page for our area. Just to quickly go through these situations you handle them much like reservoirs but they can be huge drops and rises in a day because of all the tributaries that flow into the Big Muddy. So apply your reservoir skills to the river but understand it is a bit different creature.
http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm
To find the river level, click on the above link. Then select the river system.
It will post the gage levels for the river in the Memphis system you want.
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Bass in river systems tend to be a more robust harder fighting fish which is part of the reason I love fishiing rivers so much. The also tend to be positioned more than in typical lakes making it easier to find groups of fish and to target feeding fish easier. Eddy's and current seams hold fish and especially feeding fish in particular places and makes presentation a bit more predictable.
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I use the same baits for the most part as on lakes but I am definitely aware of current directions and make sure to present baits in the same direction to look as natural as possible. My favorite river baits are jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits but a myriad of lures will work. Following the same standards as you do on lakes for baits and times of year is a good rule but they are used to working harder for a meal and will be more active especially in the summer than their lake counterparts.
In the spring, I like to to follow the rise of the river into backwaters with decreased water flow because that water will tend to warm faster and bass are thinking of looking for spawning habitats. Higher spring river levels also present their own challenges scattering the population of fish into different areas and into thicker cover. Follow the bass's roads (Old roadbeds, treelines, creek channels, and any other navigable angles) into the shallower areas looking for clearer warmer water. Some of my best trips in the spring have led me on little adventures into some neat backwaters (Old flooded farm ponds, Fields, etc). Back in the spring, the Bassmaster tournament on Lake Dardanelle was won in an old abandoned rock quarry that had become accessible during high water. So next spring take a few minutes and do a little searching to see what you may be able to find as well.
Summer time brings the dog days on many lakes where fish don't want to cooperate and seem to be lethargic and sluggish. This is my favorite time to fish rivers as they have good current flow and are well oxygenated this time of year. I fish closer to the main river or behind jettys and current breaks because the water will be cooler and provide a more stable environment for the bass. It also pushes the bait into their grasp without having to moving around a lot. Fishing channel swings that have shallow bushes or other cover to bring the current flow can be especially effective.
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I use the same baits for the most part as on lakes but I am definitely aware of current directions and make sure to present baits in the same direction to look as natural as possible. My favorite river baits are jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits but a myriad of lures will work. Following the same standards as you do on lakes for baits and times of year is a good rule but they are used to working harder for a meal and will be more active especially in the summer than their lake counterparts.
In the spring, I like to to follow the rise of the river into backwaters with decreased water flow because that water will tend to warm faster and bass are thinking of looking for spawning habitats. Higher spring river levels also present their own challenges scattering the population of fish into different areas and into thicker cover. Follow the bass's roads (Old roadbeds, treelines, creek channels, and any other navigable angles) into the shallower areas looking for clearer warmer water. Some of my best trips in the spring have led me on little adventures into some neat backwaters (Old flooded farm ponds, Fields, etc). Back in the spring, the Bassmaster tournament on Lake Dardanelle was won in an old abandoned rock quarry that had become accessible during high water. So next spring take a few minutes and do a little searching to see what you may be able to find as well.
Summer time brings the dog days on many lakes where fish don't want to cooperate and seem to be lethargic and sluggish. This is my favorite time to fish rivers as they have good current flow and are well oxygenated this time of year. I fish closer to the main river or behind jettys and current breaks because the water will be cooler and provide a more stable environment for the bass. It also pushes the bait into their grasp without having to moving around a lot. Fishing channel swings that have shallow bushes or other cover to bring the current flow can be especially effective.
