"By late spring and early summer, the waters here should be in good shape," continued Rogillio. "Where water is flowing, there will be current, and the water could be stained. However, the canals are usually clearer. Anglers often fish the canals, especially where there is flow in or out of the canal into or out of cuts. Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater lures all work good here. The water is not deep here -- probably 5 to 6 feet being the deepest water. There is marginal tidal influence in the project area, and it is possible to not only catch bass but the occasional speckled trout, redfish or flounder."

A public launch giving access to the area will be found at Braithwaite. Another is at Delacroix, which leads into Lake Lery and the heart of the project area.

Rogillio cautions first-time visitors to contact area mapping companies to secure a map of the area. "The profusion of canals, lagoons and ponds can be confusing unless you use a map to maneuver around the area," he said.

DAVIS PROJECT POND
Practically a mirror image of Caernarvon, this new project -- a freshwater diversion area some 23 miles upriver from New Orleans on the west side of the Mississippi -- was completed in March 2002.

"It's the same type habitat as Caernarvon," said Rogillio, "except it's much larger."

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Davis Pond affects 10,084 acres directly, indirectly influences 33,000 acres of marsh, and ultimately benefits another 77,000 acres. In fact, the Davis Pond project is the world's largest freshwater diversion project. "This is a spot anglers should check out," Rogillio said, "and it will only get better in years to come."

Launch sites include the public ramp at Pier 90 near Lafitte and a launch on the west side of the area near Boutte.

TOLEDO BEND
Valuable as these four big-bass hotspots will be for anglers looking for a trophy in 2005, other areas deserve mention as well. Mammoth Toledo Bend -- all 186,000 acres of it -- can claim at least one of the state's heaviest largemouths: a 14.68-pound bass, caught in 1998, that currently occupies the 13th slot in Bayou State bass records.

"Toledo Bend already has all the ingredients necessary to consistently produce big bass," said Mike Wood. "The genetics are there; age diversity is present, along with a variety of aquatic habitat. Because the lake is so huge, it is not as easy to dissect the impoundment as it is on a smaller lake such as 5,000-acre Caney Lake. Still, anglers who take the time to learn the patterns on Toledo Bend and become familiar with the lake stand an excellent chance of putting a trophy bass in the net this spring."

GRAND BAYOU RESERVOIR
Another lake with potential for yielding a trophy this spring is 2,500-acre Grand Bayou Reservoir. Near Coushatta in Red River Parish, this fairly new lake is a miniature version of Caney Lake when the latter was first filled. A couple of summers ago, I fished Grand Bayou with bass guide and friend Eddie Halbrook, of Jonesboro. Smallish schooling bass were breaking the surface over much of the lake; Halbrook was after something bigger.

"The bigger bass are holding in the channel," observed Halbrook. "They'll just sort of hang out there and wait until a school of big shad moves over the channel. Then they'll come up and bust 'em."

The two of us caught a lot of bass on that warm June day, with most taken on plastic grubs, spinnerbaits and plastic worms. However, the heftiest of the bunch succumbed to our oversized topwater lures.

"Bigger bass just like a bigger lure," Halbrook reflected. "I guess they're sort of like we are: Instead of nibbling on a little crumb when we're hungry, we want something we can bite into."

Looking to try for a trophy largemouth this year? Whether it's the small waters of Caney Lake or the big waters of Toledo Bend that can rev up your engines, it's hard to go wrong with either this month.