The Manchac and Ruddock areas at the eastern edge of Lake Maurepas will probably recover the fastest, Bates predicted. Many bass tournaments launch at either North Pass or Ruddock Landing, an old logging town about six miles south of Pass Manchac along I-55. After fishing the surrounding swamps, the bass clubbers release their catches near those landings. In addition, the more isolated, swampy and stumpy Manchac and Ruddock areas attract less boat traffic. Those large boats that do launch at North Pass typically head to the open waters of either Lake Pontchartrain or Lake Maurepas.

Along I-55 and old U.S. Highway 51, canals run parallel to the highways for about 25 miles between La Place and Ponchatoula. The deeper canals offer good fishing at times -- if you can stand the trucks rumbling overhead. It’s reminiscent of a long, skinny reservoir, as one canal flows under the twin spans of the raised interstate causeway. Both canals interconnect at various places. Between the spans the canals average about 8 to 10 feet deep, with little structure away from the edges. People can also fish the Owl Bayou area where it intersects with the highway canals.

“Probably my favorite area in Manchac would be where Owl Bayou hits the highway canal near Pass Manchac,” Addison offered. “I also like to fish the north shore of Lake Maurepas around Galva Island. There are a lot of stumps where Owl Bayou meets the lake. I fish topwater baits early in the morning, and worms or jigs later in the day. In the evening, I’ll throw crankbaits along the points.”

The rivers may ebb and flow with varying conditions; sometimes they flood and run brown with mud after a heavy rain. The highway canals generally offer more stable water conditions. In the canals, people can pitch lures along the swampy side, working baits among the many roots, cypress knees, weeds and shorelines. If that doesn’t work, they can drop baits next to the concrete pilings of the bridges. In colder temperatures, the concrete of the bridge pilings radiate more heat into the water column.

Many people opt to fish the canals and lower rivers during a falling tide. At high tide, brackish water from Lake Pontchartrain enters the canal system and rivers through the passes. A falling tide pulls bass and forage species out from the swamps and concentrates them in main channels. Many tiny ditches pour from the swamps, flushing crawfish, minnows and perhaps even shrimp into deeper water. Bass and other predators wait at the mouths of these drains for lunch to flow toward them.

“I prefer an outgoing tide,” Addison said. “The first couple of hours on an incoming tide are pretty good. But if I only had three hours to fish, I would rather fish the last three hours of an outgoing tide. Fish are pulled out and more concentrated. That makes them a bit easier to catch.”

Toss white and chartreuse spinnerbaits or crawfish-colored crankbaits into the drains and work them downstream. If that doesn’t work, throw wacky worms or unweighted soft plastics as far upstream as possible and let them tumble down naturally with the tides. Where the drain drops into the deeper channel, work black, blue or red shad Texas-rigged worms or jigs around dropoff edges.

Opened in the late ‘90s, the roughly 1,200 acres of Tickfaw State Park, near Springfield, offer three miles of frontage along the Tickfaw River. Boats may be launched at Blood River Landing, Warsaw Marina or Vacajun Marina in Springfield, Tickfaw Marina in Killian, and Val’s Marina in Maurepas.