Fishing Report for August 7, 2008

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Aug 7, 2008 - Page: 10C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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How many more tricks does Mother Nature have up her sleeve?

The week opened with a tropical storm. Now comes the news that a weak cold front is heading our way today and, in Weather Service words, will “stall before dissipating over the weekend.”

Shifting winds, first north, then west, northwest then southwest into late Sunday will keep fish from their normal feeding patterns.

The winds will help freshwater trips, will hurt nearshore saltwater catches, but will help deep-water action.

Weather

Pay attention to the shifting 10-to-15 knot winds and the 20-to-40 percent chance of thunderstorms through the weekend. Expect high temps in the lower 90s.

After the storm swelled water levels in the lower reaches of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, another slight rise in the Mississippi will keep the Atchafalaya on a slow fall.

Freshwater

The storm’s tidal surge shut down action in the Caernarvon area through Tuesday — ditto for Delacroix, the lower Atchafalaya and marshes south of U.S. 90 — but when water began falling late Tuesday into Wednesday, the bass action was as solid as it has been all year.

Try June bug-colored soft-plastic “creature” baits, but take along spinnerbaits to work around scattered grass patches and don’t forget your favorite topwater plug for the early-morning bite.

At Old River, some water remains in the flooded bushes that line the oxbow’s main river bed and sac-a-lait are taking tube jigs and shiners in the thickest bushes.

Bluegills have moved out under the houseboats and top reports are that the action is best during the middle of the day. Work the shade patterns under these built-up rafts. Use crickets on a weighted hook and the bluegills are running 6-to-10 feet down. Use a sliding cork once you find the just-right depth.

Bass continue to take topwaters in middle and lower Atchafalaya Spillway run-outs in the early morning. After that, a wide variety of lures — from jigs-n-pigs to spinnerbaits and soft plastics — are working in the run-outs and along the one bank in the canal where water from the run-out is moving.