How to Fish on Barksdale

How to Fish on Barksdale

- Lakes, Ponds and Bayous on Barksdale

- Types of fish on Barksdale

- Best gear/equipment

- Types of baits/lures to use

- Tactics and techniques for catching fish

- How to clean fish

Lakes, Ponds and Bayous

Lakes: Flag, Moon, Harmon, Austin and Red Horse

Ponds: Juanita, Wood Duck, Tank, Spring, Dixon, Jacks Pond, Flat and Texas Gas

Bayous: Red Chute, Cut Off #1 and #2 and Flat River

Types of Fish on Barksdale

- Crappie (White Perch, Sac-a-lait)

Types of Fish (cont)

- Bass (Black Bass)

Types of Fish (Cont)

- Redear (Shell Cracker, Chinquapin)

Types of Fish (Cont)

- Bluegill (Bream)

Types of Fish (Cont)

Channel Catfish

Gear/Equipment

- Crappie gear

- Bass gear

- Bluegill and Redear gear

Crappie Gear/Equipment

- Crappie Rods

-- 8-10 ft

- Crappie Reels

-- light weight spinning reel

- Line

-- 4-6 pounds

Bass Gear/Equipment

- Bass Rods

-- 6-7 1/2 ft

-- Medium, Medium Heavy, Heavy

- Bass Reels

-- Baitcaster

-- Spinning reel

- Line

--Braid, Monofilament, Fluorocarbon (6-40 Pounds)

Bluegill/Redear Gear

- Rod/Reel combo-- Ultralite rod/reel -- 4-5 Ft

- Line-- 2-6 pds

Catfish Gear

- Rod/reel combo

-- Heavy action rod

-- Spinning reel/bait caster

- Line

-- 10 to 40 Pounds

Baits/Lures to Use

(Bass) Baits/Lures:

- Soft baits (worms, lizards, creature baits)

- Topwater (buzz baits, pop “r”, Frogs)

- Hard baits (crankbaits, jerkbaits)

- Spinnerbaits (willow leaf, colorado blades)

- Jigs

Baits/Lures to Use

Crappie Baits/Lures:

- Jigs

- Shiners

- Small crank baits/rattle traps

Baits/Lures to Use

Bream Baits/Lures:

- Crickets

- Worms (night crawlers/red worms)

- Baby crawfish

- Beetle spins

Baits/Lures to Use

Catfish Baits:

- Night crawlers

- Cut shad

- Stink bait

- Minnows

Tactic/Techniques

Bass Tactic/Techniques:

- Spring time (pre-spawn/spawn)

-- shallow water/trees

-- Spinnerbaits (pre-spawn)/creature baits/senko

-- Topwater (frogs)

-- Crankbaits (pre-spawn) crawfish color

Note: Accurate casting is Key

Tactic/Techniques

Bass Tactic/Techniques (Cont):

- Post spawn (late spring/early summer)

-- Topwater (frogs/buzzbaits/pop “r”)

-- Crankbaits/rattletraps

-- Plastics

-- Spinnerbaits

Note: During post spawn bass maybe shallow or deep, target shade, trees, laydowns, look for spawning shad

Tactic/Techniques

Crappie (white perch) Tactics/Techniques:

- Late winter/early spring spawn

-- Jigs (black/chartreuse) may top with nibblets

-- target trees in 1-4’ of water

-- use of bobber can be helpful to keep jig at same depth

- Use 1/16 oz jig head (may go bigger)

Tactic/Techniques

Crappie (white perch) Tactics/Techniques:

- Summer/fall

-- Fish move deep

-- Jigs still work

-- Shiners can be effective

Tactic/Techniques

Bream (redear/bluegill) Tactics/Techniques:

- Mid March through summer

-- Redear spawn first (Mid March thru April)

-- Redear like night crawlers and crawfish

-- Bluegill typically spawn late April thru June

-- Crickets and red worms are good baits for bluegill

- Target bank lines or shallow flats

Note: Usually when you find one, you may find a bunch

Tactic/Techniques

Bream (redear/bluegill) Tactics/Techniques:

- Use light tackle

-- Use cork/fish about 6-12”

-- Don’t expose tip (make sure bait covers tip of hook)

Tactic/Techniques

Catfish (redear/bluegill) Tactics/Techniques:

- Look for transition points from deep to shallow water

- Fish on or near the bottom

- Tightlining is the most popular method

- Use of jugs at night can be effective

How to clean Fish

- Bass

-- Filet (good electric filet knife)

- Crappie (white perch)

-- Filet

- Bream

-- Filet

-- Scale (spoon)

- Catfish

-- Skin (catfish pliers)