Grand Bayou Bass Fishing Reports

Sammy Joe · July 11, 2003, 07:29:07 PM

Carolina rigs on the humps is your best bet. Try a watermelon french fry or lizard and in low light or cloudy days dye the tail. Keep a pop r or a chrome rattle trap handy for the schoolers.

Gabby · July 25, 2003, 03:03:20 PM

Night fishing is where it's at! Found some schooling bass before sundown and tore them up with a chug bug. Caught 15 bass last Friday night, hope to catch more tonight! Decent size (1-3 lbs) as my buddy caught a 5 & 6 pounder (not schooling).

Gabby · July 26, 2003, 01:34:08 PM

This is the 3rd time Brantley Salter (part time guide, and friend) and I have hit Grand Bayou in the past month or so for night fishing - and this just wasn't my night. Brantley had no problems, but I lost about 7 fish. Partially because I am kinda new to this game, and just learning how to worm fish. Grand Bayou still remains my favorite spot, as the fish are plentiful and good sized warriors. These bass are BIG fighters for their size.

Fishing Friday night was not nearly as productive as last week. The boat traffic was way too heavy, mostly people skiing and tubing. We were very unhappy to arrive to our secret "spot" only to find a boat parked right on it with people swimming around the boat. That cost us probably 15 fish - as they surely would have schooled there if left alone.

However, the bites were plentiful despite a moonrise well after 3am. THESE FISH ARE STRONG! They were not biting aggressively, but they were fighting like Rocky Balboa. I hooked a 3 pound fish that felt like it must have weighed 6 or 7. We worked the points and banks with dark worms with green/red specks and black spinner baits.
The fish started biting well in the dock areas around 12-3.

Look for the lights!

Mike Cork · July 26, 2003, 06:24:10 PM

I have had a ball fishing Grand Bayou at night in the past but just haven't got that way yet this year. Glad and Jealous to hear that the bite is on. Thanks for the post keep teasing us with your reports.......

Gabby · July 28, 2003, 12:49:14 PM

Quote from: Mike on July 26, 2003, 06:24:10 PM
Glad and Jealous to hear that the bite is on. Thanks for the post keep teasing us with your reports.......

My pleasure! I have always enjoyed bass fishing, but never put the time into it necessary to learn. I am in love with it now, and try to go at least once a week (usually end up going 3 times/week).

Here is a pic of a fish I caught Friday night at GB:

Mike Cork · July 30, 2003, 11:08:38 AM

good looking fish, may have to get down there this weekend. Have you been doing any good during the daylight hours? If so what should I start with?

Gabby · July 30, 2003, 02:01:41 PM

Quote from: Mike on July 30, 2003, 11:08:38 AM
Have you been doing any good during the daylight hours? If so what should I start with?

Well, I have been night fishing 3 times there in the past couple months - all were great trips.

The only daylight I have fished were dusk and dawn (once). We caught some schoolies at dusk with Storm Chug Bugs (orange belly worked the best, if you got one) and Zara Spooks. Mostly on the former.

In the morning, I caught 3 on the Chugger, and 1 with a spinner bait (still had a black one tied on with a big colorado blade). The water was REAL choppy that morning, so it wasn't that great of a catch.

Still, Grand Bayou remains my favorite. That tends to happen when you catch all your fish there!

Mike Cork · July 31, 2003, 11:50:00 AM

Thanks for the info, I know what you mean about favorites thats why Caddo still remains mine. Are you going out there this weekend?

Gabby · August 01, 2003, 12:11:11 AM

Mike,

Actually, I went tonight! We launched at Tuckers and I didn't have much luck. I was thinking that if it stayed overcast/cloudy - the bite would be on. But the sun came out and I thought I would press my luck. No luck though, and a few RUDE tubers. I guess that is what you get for fishing the river section!

It was worth a try, and I love Caddo too! Maybe she will love me back soon?

Gabby

Mike Cork · August 01, 2003, 11:30:30 AM

I was wondering if you were going to grand bayou this weekend? Did you fish Caddo into the night at all? A couple weeks ago I was doing really well out there at night.

Gabby · August 01, 2003, 11:52:18 AM

We wanted to fish into the night, but several factors led us not to. My pregnant wife wasn't too thrilled that I was fishing an hour away from home, and the fish just were not looking like they were biting.

I have heard that fish eat every 8 hours, and figured that they fed during the afternoon monsoons. I hope to go either Saturday or Sunday morning. Probably Sunday morning we will either hit the river, Caddo, or Cross. Not real sure yet.

It is funny how they say water is UP at Cross, and I know it is WAY DOWN at Caddo. Not sure how to handle that!

Mike Cork · August 02, 2003, 11:03:47 AM

Gabby,

Looks like I am going to take a break and head to caddo this afternoon, maybe I will see you out there. What kinda boat do you fish out of?

Gabby · November 09, 2003, 12:09:33 AM

Fished Grand Bayou this morning (11/8/03) with my buddy Brantley, and had pretty good luck.

Fished the banks due to the cold, wet weather. There was a nice 10-15 mph wind at times, but had an early morning bite on a white spinner bait (colorado blade) resulting in a nice fish around 3 lbs. Got him on the point of a cove near the dam around 8am.

Caught a bunch of slot fish with Watermelon Zoom Flukes fished "slip shot" style (kinda like a mini-Carolina rig). Got all our bites the rest of the afternoon on that method. Why change when the bite is on??? Most of them were caught when we went under the bridge and in a little cove on the right with a distinguishable small grass "island." The water was pretty shallow (2-3 feet) and very clear - you could see the structure on the bottom, and the occasional fish swimming by.

Grand Bayou remains my favorite spot, as I have never caught less than five fish on a trip there.

gabby

BIG PAPA · November 16, 2003, 07:47:04 PM

Dave the guide took me to GB today and we wore the fish out. caught lots of good slot fish, 4-5 overs and Dave caught one that would go 6 or more. Most came on Black worms, Dave dipped his in orange and he did catch the big one.

as on other lakes they were shallow and in the grass.

papa

Gabby · November 17, 2003, 10:18:45 PM

Hit Grand Bayou again this afternoon with a couple buddies, and once again had pretty good luck: I caught 5, Brantley caught 7, and Bradley caught 2 (but the largest one, around 3 pounds). Most importantly, we were blessed with having sighted a beautiful BALD EAGLE! It was a spectacular sight.

The weather was threatening, but it did not rain too much at all. The wind was very strange: calm, then changing directions every so often.

I also went Saturday, and had the same luck on the same baits. The fish are biting Watermelon Seed/Watermelon Candy flukes, and we are fishing them with a pinch weight a foot or so up the line - like a little Carolina rig, or slip shot style.

The fish are biting shallow, mostly - and don't have great size, but we are having a lot of fun catching them and get the occasional tournament-keeper.

Looking forward to Satuday morning with Steve in the Blanchard Tourny!

Gabby's jackfish caught on 1st cast 11/15.

Daniel's 3+ Pounder caught on Watermelon worm, 11/15.

Caught this 2+ Pounder on a Watermelon Candy Fluke, 11/15.

Bradley caught this 2-3 Pounder on a Watermelon Seed Fluke, 11/17.

Gabby caught this 2 Pounder on a Watermelon Candy Fluke, 11/17.

Threatening weather got us off the water for an hour or so, 11/17.

dave the dope man · November 20, 2003, 05:35:21 PM

fished the Grand today with little success. I did catch bass however mostly small ones. I was eliminating water mostly today fishing places I have not fished before. I lost my most favorite lipless crankbait to a "northern" today. The damdest thing however was that it stayed in his mouth, all morning he was jumping out of the water trying to throw the bait. I would be fishing and hear "rattle-rattle-rattle-splash" Idiot fish, I wish I had some dynamite!!!

. Anyhow the only other thing I can say is, the white pearch must be really biting as evidenced by the 40 boats "pearched" on brush piles........Dave the Dope Man

Gabby · December 22, 2003, 12:17:25 PM

"Fished" Grand Bayou Sunday afternoon from around 1pm to sundown. I caught nothing. No bites, no nothing. My buddy caught 2 nice Northerns, and lost another.

Jumped boats when he had to leave, and my brother and our friend each caught a dink on black jigs off the Rec Area.

Rumors abounded that a 12 pounder was taken that morning with a black/blue jig in 18' of water.....

gabby

mmberry72 · January 19, 2004, 05:06:49 PM

Had our first Tourney of the year (Scramble Format) and decided
to give Grand Bayou a try. Prefished this lake last Thursday and
has over 17lbs with a 5lb kicker. Well on Saturday the 17th...the
slot moster bit us. Caught well over 15 fish...but only had one over and two under for a total weight of 5lbs 2 oz. Still finished
second in the tourney however. Winning weight came from the
Red with 12.92 out of Clarks Marina...Congradulations Jake and
Jacob. Back the Grand Bayou...I'm just shocked that the fish are
still on the same Carolina Rig pattern in January that they were on in November when we slaughtered the fish. A few fish were
caught on spinners fished shallow but most of the fish wanted
the plastic off deep points and they would hammer it.

MMBerry

Moose · February 17, 2004, 07:06:35 PM

I fished Grand Bayou yesterday afternoon. I hung one good one which wrapped around a small log on me. I wasn't able to get her loose so I just started pulling and of course instead of unwrapping my line broke. I did land one 16 inch bass, 2 1/2 - 3 lb size. Both came out of 4 to 6 feet of water beside small submerged trees about the diameter of a man's arm. I fished with a watermellon seed tube jig. Water temp was 48 - 53 degrees. Beautiful afternoon on the lake. I only fished from about 1 pm to 4:30. I just bought a FishMark 320 fishfinder (on sale at BPS) and spent the first hour there playing with it. I'd like to get into the whites soon. Anyone heard where they're biting?

Mike Cork · February 18, 2004, 04:49:51 PM

Haven't heard anything to promising on the whites yet but if you check the reports on the sabine river there are a couple guys that are checking regularly and will be sure to let us know.

I'm hoping it wont be to much longer and the bite will be on at Grand I love fishing that little lake. I've caught plenty of good fish from there.....

Gabby · February 18, 2004, 06:14:04 PM

Grand is a fun lake to fish - especially at night! I hope it works out that we get to fish one of our TCTC tournys there!

gabby

Gabby · February 22, 2004, 10:30:24 PM

Fished Grand Bayou today from about 1:30 till dark. We had a dozen bites, and landed half of them, but saw some pretty encouraging things...

* Water temp was anywhere from 55 to 59.

* Fish were jumping, including a couple that made some pretty big splashes. The bass were definately feeding.

* We caught all of our fish on Watermelon lizards (red or candy). Some on split shot, the others on Texas rigs.

* We found a few beds, and I must have run a lizard over a bed when I missed sticking the fish twice, after casting there a second time. Had a pretty big bite that broke off my lizard, hook, and weight - could have been a pike, but it came in an area where we were landing bass.

Looking forward to fishing Rayburn Friday and Saturday for the Fisher's of Men tourny.

P.S. - all of our action came along the banks of some coves and points.

gunter1309 · February 23, 2004, 10:55:13 AM

Gabe,
JR and I will be down there Wed, Thursday and hopefully Friday and Saturday if we make the cut. will you be fishing friday and saturday?? We are staying at the Holiday Inn Express, call my cell thursday after 5pm and I will let you know if we are still there. Good Luck to you guys, hopefully all the Everstart guys won't catch all the fish and leave you a few.

Steve

Gabby · February 23, 2004, 01:44:29 PM

Steve,

Brantley and I are leaving Thursday night for Florien to stay at his folks house and get up EARLY and get some pre-fishing in at Rayburn on Friday. After fishing, we are checking in to the Bass Buster Inn and going to the FOM meeting. Tournament Saturday, and who knows after that. Hopefully, we can hook up for some dinner Friday and Saturday, or at least one of those days.

I am pumped!

Matt · March 04, 2004, 08:28:02 PM

I am fishing a tournament on Grand Bayou in a few weeks and was wondering if someone could help me out with a report on the bass. I have only been there one time about three years ago and we only caught 2 slots. Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt