Keith Lusher 11.08.24
There’s just something about fishing in November that brings out the best in Jim Bates of Lacombe, LA. Bates fishes for crappie in the rivers and bayous that pepper the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Lately, however, he has honed in on one specific tributary that has been producing plenty of crappie – Bayou Lacombe. Bates fishes for crappie year-round but said November is his favorite time to fish the bayou. “The cold mornings with the low-flying ducks buzzing by is really something to experience,” he said. “It’s my little piece of heaven.”
In November, Bates makes an adjustment when fishing for crappie as he moves out of the dead-end canals and into the main river with deeper water.
The crappie fisherman said he’s starting to see fish spread out right now with November being a transitional month for crappie on the bayou. “There are still fish in the canals, but as the month goes by and the weather gets colder, I’m expecting them to start grouping up in the main bayou,” he said. The fish will be in 15-20 feet of water and be holding to structure such as tree tops and brush on the bottom.
Bates utilizes Garmin Livescope to locate his fish and said he’s seeing crappie in larger and more defined groups. the tighter groupings make it easier to catch more fish in one spot instead of having to run all over the bayou picking up fish.
In early November, Bates recommends fishing the intersections where smaller feeder creeks connect with the main bayou.
“I start to see them group up more around submerged brush piles and near creeks or subdivision canals that run into to the main bayou,” he said.
It’s often said that where you find the bait, you’ll find the fish. Bates said he’s seeing a plethora of shad in the bayou this month. “The fish are following their food source, and on Bayou Lacombe, their food source is large balls of shad,” Bates said. “Find the shad and find the crappie.”
Bates fishes with a 9-foot Lew’s Wally Marshall Classic Series jig pole.
“I find that the Med-light action is sensitive enough to feel the thump but also has enough backbone to give a good hook-set,” he said. Bates pairs the rod with a Daiwa Underspin XD Reel and loads it with 8-pound fluorocarbon line.
In November, his favorite jig to utilize is a 2-inch Baby Shad made by Panfish Assassin. His favorite colors are Salt & Pepper and Crystal Shad.
He threads them on a 1/64 Arkie Minnow jighead. Then he adds a split shot.
“I pinch the slit-shot about a foot above the jig to help get the lure down to the fish quicker and to be able to recognize my jig on the electronics,” he said.
As November turns to December, Bates will turn to the main bayou for all of his fish as they will be entering their winter haunts and stocking up for the spawn in the spring.
