Lake Darbonne info?

skeeter_bite · June 24, 2006, 05:42:12 PM

Does anybody out there fish Lake Darbonne in N. LA? I've got a tournament coming up there in a few weeks and I've never been on the lake.

MotherNature · June 25, 2006, 03:03:26 PM

We have a few guys that fishing, hopefully one of them will help you out.

Red Ranger · June 25, 2006, 04:57:03 PM

Hey Skeeter Bite, use the Search function on this site and search on "Darbonne" to see all the post from the group from last year's tournament. It might give you a few places to start. Also, I did find a map in my boat on Darbonne. You are welcome to use it if you like. It has the places marked that we fished last year - if I remember right, we finished thirty something.

KennyP · June 26, 2006, 07:34:10 AM

Skeeter_bite, Darbonne can be a great lake to fish. I grow up fishing the lake. I spend a lot of time up in little Darbonne fishing the main creek channel. Most of the pockets up there are so thick with grass it is hard to fish. Stowe creek is another good area to fish. I have not had much luck up there lately but in the pasted I have done well. There are a lot of flats around the creek channels and that is were I seem to do good this time of year. There are a few other areas but I can't remember the name of them that the map uses. I will check my map tonight and get back with you. I have a tournament over there on the 8th that I am going to fish. Is that the same one you are in?

KennyP

skeeter_bite · June 26, 2006, 07:42:58 AM

Yes, the NELBA tournament. My church has a small bass club that a few members try to fish it every year. This will be my first time, but they made it sound like such a good tournament, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Scott K. · June 26, 2006, 11:15:25 AM

Last year I caught a winning stringer in the Corney Creek area on a Blk/Blue YUM Vibra King 4.25 tube. Word of advice.......stay between channel markers lol. I learned the hard way.

Scott

Jay · June 26, 2006, 12:13:45 PM

This is my first post so I hope I am doing this correctly. What does NELBA stand for? I asked my dad just yesterday if he had heard when the Baptist Ass. tournament was this year. I have been living in south LA going to school and have been unable to fish it for the past 5 years. I grew up fishing Darbonne and have had quite a bit of success there. This time of year you need fish the flats up Corney or Little Darbonne. Fish those that are close to the channel. The best places are where a creek comes off the channel and has a flat near. If you can find this I would spend a lot of time there. The fish will suspend off the channel and run up to feed at certain times. If you arent sitting there you will miss them. Once it gets up in the day they will run up on those flats and school. This is one of the best schooling lakes in the south when it gets right. Hope this helps someone.

KennyP · June 26, 2006, 12:47:47 PM

Welcome Jay, NELBA is the Northeast Louisiana Baptist Association. The tournament will be on the 8th this year. Hope you can make it.

KennyP

skeeter_bite · June 26, 2006, 05:17:35 PM

Can you run most of the main lake area? It looks like it on my lake map, except for the areas back up in the creek channels or past the bridges. Got a new boat, so I'm sensitive about stumps!

Preacher Ed · June 26, 2006, 09:27:50 PM

Skeeter-Try giving Kenny Naul a call at The Old Bait Store in Monroe. He can probably tell you what they are biting and what to look for. I also saw a new map of D'Arbonne in the store the other day that will be more helpful than most I have seen. He can probably ship you one if you ask. My son and I fished the tourney last year and had a good time. Just didn't catch many fish. But it is worth it. Last year Shaw Grigsby was the speaker.

Old Bait Store ph. #318-323-8006

God bless and good fishing
Eddie

KennyP · June 27, 2006, 05:56:21 AM

Skeeter, It is a very stumpy lake. You need to stay in the channels to run. They are marked on both side with channel poles but out side the channel you need to sit down.

KennyP

skeeter_bite · July 09, 2006, 02:34:17 PM

Thanks to everybody for the help. Despite fishing a lake for the first time ever, finished 2nd place in the NELBA tournament yesterday with 12.28, first place was 14.5. Both of us caught most of them on ribbits in grass and early. We had a five fish limit by 7:30 then were able to cull a couple. Caught the last fish around 11 on a bandit 300 crankbait just off the deep channel.

It was hot, but catching fish keeps it from being miserable!

Jay · July 10, 2006, 11:58:09 AM

Where did you catch your fish? I fished the tourn. but was only able to weigh 7.5lbs. I got into a school of small fish in Stowe Creek and since my Dad never gets to fish any more (health) I sat on them and we had a ball. Caught around 30. They were just small. Normally I would have left them but some times its more important to have a good time. Nice job on your catch.

For anyone else looking for a good, inexpensive tournament this is one you should check out. The fellowship was great and the fish fry was delicious.

skeeter_bite · July 10, 2006, 12:26:37 PM

We caught them all up north of the hwy 2 bridge, near an area on the map called the flats.
Wish we could have found some school fish in the afternoon, just to have fun like you did...IT GOT HOT!
I was told the winning stringer came from somewhere near the big lake area.

I agree with you about the tournament, this was my first year. It was really an enjoyable tournament to fish. Catching some good fish won't hurt my perception any