By Kinny Haddox

Welcome to 2004. Things are really heating up. It's election time, and no matter whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you've got to make a choice: Will you stay home and vote - or head to the lake and go bass fishing?

Fortunately, we can do both in the Bayou State.

And while the political forecast is still a bit murky, the fishing is heating up just fine - the forecast looks good. According to recent trends and predictions from Louisiana's bass fishing experts, it's going to be a good year. In fact, by the time they're lighting up the victory cigars (or whatever it is they do in Washington these days), you will have had plenty of time to enjoy almost a whole year of pretty darn great bass fishing.

And when it comes to where to go for bass and how to catch them when you get there, we hope you pick a winner every time. Here's some food for thought as you get that tackle out and gear up for the upcoming season.

Should we be optimistic?

"Yes," says Tim Morrison, Inland Fisheries program manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Baton Rouge. "There are good years and bad years for bass fishing, most of which are defined by fish populations and habitat. The bass fishing in 2004 should be above average and certainly better than the past couple of years."

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Morrison, a professional with 30 years of fisheries management work under his belt, bases his predictions on more than just optimism or gut feeling. He's seen the numbers, and they look good.

"If you talk about population of bass in the state, then we see most of the areas improving. We had three years of drought back in '98, '99 and 2000," he said. "While it is hard for some fishermen to understand, it takes a while to see the results of that. We had a couple of down years the past two years following those droughts. But we had great fresh water almost everywhere in the state in 2003, and we are seeing recovery. This is evident by the large numbers of 11-, 12- and 13-inch bass we are seeing around the state in the 2003 catch.

"That means one thing: The bass are on the way back. When you take what we saw last year into account with the regular growth rate, those fish should be 12, 13 and 14 inches long, maybe larger, this year. From what we see and hear from the field, we expect to see those kinds of improvements. And the numbers of fish are up, too. That is why I think 2004 will be a better year for the bass fishermen."

When you're looking for a lake to fish, Morrison said, habitat is the key. You have to have a stable habitat for several years to get solid fish populations and size. The elements of habitat can comprise anything from good water quality - freshness, the right pH, etc. - to high fertility and plankton content, baitfish numbers and even cover - vegetation, fallen trees and the like. The more of these you have in the "good" column, the better the fishing will probably be.

As we said, this is an election year, and we want to hear from the best candidates possible, so we asked Morrison to put together a Super Six ballot for Louisiana's top bass bets for the year (our apologies to California for having only six candidates on our "A" list). Based on both his knowledge and input from other LDWF experts in the field - after studying the candidates and listening to the debates and campaign promises - here are his top choices around the state by area:

"The Davis Pond project has come on line and is restoring freshwater flow to estuaries, and has created a lot of freshwater habitat where there wasn't any for years and years. We were able to get a head start on bass fishing populations in those areas. It's a super fishery."

Canals, cuts, bayous and grasslines all around Caernarvon can all produce bass. Spanish Lake, Lake Lery, Grand Lake, and Big Mar are some of the most recognizable names on a map of the Caernarvon area, but the canals and bayous of the whole area are potential producers of impressive stringers of bass.

"The Davis Pond project is one of the most important projects in the fight against the loss of our state's coast," said outgoing Governor Mike Foster. "It is located in the middle of the area that is experiencing some of the highest rates of land loss in our state. The Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion Project shows that these projects do a lot more than reduce salinity - they actually build new marsh."

For more information and a great map detailing the Davis Pond project, log on to www.lacoast.gov/programs/ DavisPond/index.htm on the Internet.

Caernarvon, Delacroix, Bayou Black and Venice are all super areas in this part of the state. Recent big-bass tournaments in the area have brought the region to national attention. But while there are loads of bass, there are also loads of places to get lost in. Take it a little bit at a time if you're approaching this area as a newcomer. And always keep an eye on the weather, no matter what time of year you elect to go.

"The lower region of the basin has been producing a world of 12- and 13-inch bass," said Morrison. "By this year, we expect those fish to be 14, 15, maybe even 16 inches long - well above the slot limit."

The Atchafalaya Basin, which also covers a huge area from New Iberia to Pierre Part to Morgan City south, is really on the comeback trail, recovering nicely from some weather-related issues, including the droughts and damage from hurricanes. Some of the most popular areas are Lake Verret, Grand Lake, Shell Canal and the Old River area. Again, there are canals and bayous too numerous to mention, but a good map of the area is available in area sporting goods stores and online at www.wlf.state.la. us/slo/Atchafalaya_Basin_Map.htm for a closer look at some of the detail.

"One reason why I pick this area as way above average for 2004 is because of the excellent high water we've had the past couple of years," Morrison explained. "We've had excellent reproduction and water conditions. Look for this to be a hotspot for the year."

A couple of lakes in this area don't rank as high on the fishing list as they once did. The lower end of Lake Verret and Lake Palourde are having some growing problems with siltation. In some part, this is natural, but much of it is an unhappy result of drainage projects undertaken decades ago. False River near New Roads, an old oxbow lake, is in the same fix.

"There was a time that draining as much land as fast as possible was the way to go," Morrison observed. "We are seeing some long-term effects of that. It's not just a problem in Louisiana, but all across the South."