John K. Flores: April bass fishing is its own kind of challenge

A number of years ago, I made an April bass fishing trip to Lake Penchant with friends Matthew McCorkle and Gerald Foulcard. I met Matt, who is from Prairieville, through Gerald who lives in Patterson. Both guys are tournament bass anglers to the core.
On this particular trip, McCorkle was showing Foulcard how to get to Lake Penchant and show him some of the hot spots he fished in the past. I was along for the ride and hoped to maybe glean some information that would lead to an article at some point.
I rode with McCorkle in the lead boat and Foulcard followed so he could GPS the trip and the next time go it alone.
The thing about McCorkle is he is strictly a catch and release bass angler, holding true to tournament rules whether he is fishing a tournament or not. Foulcard on the other hand doesn’t mind bringing a few bass home to eat every now and then.
I, on the other hand, have never fished a tournament, nor do I ever plan to. I fish for a couple of reasons. One is the peace and quiet, another is to eat. And bass happens to be one of my favorites.
The way I have always figured it, those bass have to survive bigger fish, otters, birds like cormorants, anhingas, and osprey, and weather-related fish kills that often occur in the coastal marshes.
McCorkle and I trolled a couple canals, he in the front seat and me in the back. I don’t recall what artificial bait he was using, but I was using a watermelon-red plastic worm that was hooked wacky style with no weight. For those who have never fished wacky style, you simply hook the plastic worm in the middle and reel in slowly, starting and stopping often, and every now and then twitching.
It can be an effective method, like the day McCorkle and I fished together. I was putting the smack down on post spawn bass and at times wanted to bite my knuckle as I released them. After all, I was fishing with McCorkle, in his boat, using his tackle, and he was hoping to fish the location in an upcoming tournament. I was being respectful to someone who was treating me to a fishing trip.
About 100 yards behind us, Foulcard slowly trolled and was catching a few of his own. He was watching McCorkle and me the whole time.
When we got back to the landing going our separate ways, I rode home to Patterson with Foulcard, who had to pass right by my house.
On our way home Foulcard had this cheeky smile on his face and said, “I knew it was killing you to release those bass, so I kept a few for you to eat.” What a friend!
When it comes to bass fishing along the coast, late February through March as the water warms is prime time to catch spawning largemouth bass. The month of April is different.
Foulcard said, “How bass react from March to April will be different for sure. March bass will be still on their spawning beds protecting the nest and will be aggressive. Most bites in March will be fish mostly trying to move or kill baits instead of eating them, that’s why setting the hook is crucial during the spawn.
“Now in April,” Foulcard continued, “there will be some still spawning like in March, but most are tired and hungry from all the spawning work and start eating a lot to replenish themselves from that hard work.”
For those looking to fish bass in April, Foulcard recommends the Lake Verret Cracker Heads, the Union oilfield canals, Turtle Bayou, and Bayou Pigeon in the Atchafalaya Basin. All are proven locations.
In the marsh, bass anglers might check out the Quintana oilfield canals. Launch at the Intracoastal Waterway bridge landing off La. 317 and go west. The canals will be approximately a one mile boat run.
The canals off Hog Bayou and Lone Oak Bayou west of the Intracoastal Waterway can be good during the month of April. The Bayou Haydel region has also been an area known to produce good catches throughout the year.
The bass bite may not be as aggressive in April as it is in March during the spawn, but it can still be as good.
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.