Louisiana bassers have it pretty good.

Water, water everywhere — and most of it holds bass! That’s one way to describe Louisiana. Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Here in the Bayou State, wonderful weather that makes for a long growing season combines with a complement of habitat full of shallow, fertile water to provide largemouths with just what they need. And into this practically perfect environment the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries stocks the Florida strain of largemouth bass. What more could an angler ask for?

Of course, Mother Nature is entirely responsible for the first two of those big pluses (we ought to thank her big-time for giving us the ultimate source of all that great habitat — the Mississippi River). But in a strange way, she should really get at least some of the credit for the Florida-strain stocking program. Hurricane Andrew did a lot of damage not only to humans and their homes, but also to wildlife — like largemouths — and theirs. And that’s where the stocking program comes into play.

The LDWF had a stocking program before Andrew, but it was nothing compared to the current one. Andrew wiped out much of the fisheries, much of the habitat and much of the largemouth population in many areas. Something had to be done to preserve Louisiana’s fisheries, and aggressive action has made a big difference. Now nearly every body of water in the state is stocked every year.

Let’s look at some of the better spots in the state. If your lake or river isn’t listed, don’t take it personally — it’s simply that time and space don’t allow for every good fishery to make the cut here. So consider this a representative sample of what’s available.

In west-central Louisiana, anglers might want to take a look at the Red River, which contains excellent numbers of bass and a fair portion of good-sized fish. District 3 Inland Fisheries biologist Rickey Moses rates it one of the better bass fishing areas in his district, and especially recommends that anglers fish pools 2 and 3, which offer anglers both quantity — possibly 20 or 30 fish a day, he says — and quality — he reports that it’ll take 20 pounds or more to win a five-fish bass tournament on this river. That speaks for itself.

There are plenty of places to launch from in the area. Pick one that’s close to the spot you want to fish, and you should be good to go. There are a number of convenience stores close by, so you shouldn’t have a problem picking up those little things you need.

Perhaps the best-known facility on the river is Clark’s Red River Marina, (318) 747-2002, whose staff is familiar with bass anglers and tournament anglers. The marina is located on Highway 71, between Bossier City and Coushatta about 19 miles south of I-20, and three miles north of Lock No. 5 by river.

Another hotspot not too far from the Red River is the Cane River. Truth be told, it’s not a river at all, despite its name. The Cane River is an old oxbow off the Red River. Moses says that it’s thought of as a river because it “winds like one.”

Anyway, river or lake, it sure holds bass — lots of them. The heaviest electrofishing samples in the state come from the Cane. That should tell something about the density of the largemouth population. Most of the bass will be small, under 3 pounds, but there’s always the chance of a big one. Bass over 7 pounds are caught from its waters every year.

It’s not only a great fishery but also an absolutely gorgeous one. In the spring, when the yellow and blue irises bloom, it’s one of the prettiest places on the planet. It’s a fabulous place to fish and to appreciate the beauty of nature at the same time. And access is no problem: Several good highways will get you there.

Rodemacher Lake is also in the area. If it’s big bass you’re after, this is the place to fish. A cooling lake for the local power company, it’s crisscrossed with a series of levees and dikes that control the water before it discharges into a local canal.

Fishing, down in the 1990s, is on the mend now, and the lake record, around 13 pounds, might not last long. Moses reports that the heavy stocking of Florida-strain largemouths is starting to show results. The stockers have taken well to the vegetation in the lake and are growing at a phenomenal rate.

Rodemacher might be your best trophy destination. Check a local map for directions.

Over on the east side, off the Mississippi River south of Tallulah, are three top-rated oxbows at which anglers should take a close look. Each a bit different from the others, they all have this in common: big bass, and lots of them.