Finished in 14th place .01 out of the money.  Never ran across a kicker fish either day which is our norm there.  We've had some good finishes on D'Arbonne in the past and didn't have a kicker then either.  We were a 1/4 pound out of the top 10 and a kicker fish away from 5th or 6th.  5 fish format makes it even more important to have a kicker fish.   Getting the boat detailed this week and maybe get the engine serviced so I'll be ready to roll after Grenada in 2 weeks.  Heard it's fishing great right now but it's supposed to rain a bunch between now and then so no telling what will happen to the lake by the time we get there.  Lake's 13' low currently but the way that lake rises and falls it might be 5' high by the time the tourney starts.  That will have them scattered for sure.   Stories so far are you better have all 5 fish over 3 pounds both days to be near the top!  All but one of my 3 pounders have come from Grenada but with that said it's not one of my favorite lakes to fish.  It will humble you for sure.  Those fish are spooky as heck.

Back to D'Arbonne, Farmerville is a great town, and we enjoy our time there every time we go! Had Johnny's pizza twice and Rhett's Shell's and tails and breakfast at K&M! First time I've had crawfish all year. We casted to our fish with Jenko Trick Sticks and 1/0oz Slab Syndicate jigs in Bad Shad and Showtime and 1/8oz Pro Built heads with their minnow plastic in a pearl color on a pink head. We didn't catch a fish on a minnow the whole week. Didn't fish clean either day and it cost us. Hard to keep them buttoned up in thick timber casting 50' to them. Broke a couple off, lost a big one that wrapped us up in a tree and had several just come off reeling them in but that happens alot there. The NCL tourney those fish were pretty easy to catch about like the videos posted on here! This week they were back to the D'Arbonne fish we remember! They get bad spooky with a lot of pressure on the lake!

Thanks again to everyone that helps us out along the way, we couldn't do it without them! Check them out and tell them we sent you! Charge your phone Bill Muntz! Grenada weeks almost here!!

Slew

I grew up in West Monroe, LA. Johnny's was a staple for me. I have to get some Johnny's Pizza every time I visit my mom. The original Johnny's #1 was across the street from then Northeast Louisiana University (now University of Louisiana at Monroe), my alma mater. Johnny Huntsman slogan back in the day was "The World's Smallest Pizza Chain"

Nice report! Sounds like a tough lake to fish

Tough break Todd !

did you try any vibration and flash baits, like beetle spins, road runners, shysters, ect? or was it a pattern where you had to present to them in a subtle manner and try to let the jig go in front of them slowly?

ive heard Grenada is an odd lake in the way it fishes and crappie dont relate much to brush or timber and you have to find small ditches and distinct bottom features to catch roaming, single or double fish. I would imagine alot of folks do some longline trolling or spider rigging with long rods.. im sure you have a solid game plan and will be a contender..
Thanks for sharing your tournament experiences with everyone,.

I used a bladed jig some 2 weeks ago there and they wouldn't have anything to do with that bait this time! Darbonne fishes really small and a big gang of tournament folks get those fish spooky fast! I love the videos here on Darbonne! The trip 2 weeks ago was the only time I've seen D'arbonne fish act like that! Usually, they're super spooky and follow a bait forever before they decide to bite or not! I remember casting to some fish at 50-60' and they run off the screen when the jig hits the water!



Grenada fish are like the walking dead. The water fluctuates so much they don't relate to structure very well. We've never fished it this low so it's going to be a completely new lake to use but that's part of the fun! I'll have 15 and 18' rods in the boat and bring 2 Trick Sticks just in case we can cast to them, but I'm not expecting that. Parking will be an issue I expect with only a couple ramps open. It's a very frustrating lake and gets nasty when the wind blows but it's given up all but one of my 3 pounders! We have the fish on floats in the livewell because the water is so muddy you won't be able to see the fish in the livewell otherwise.

I even printed extra invoices!!! You boys wear me out!!

sounds like a place you will need to cover alot of water.
Im seeing alot of guys prefishing lakes for 2 and 3 days now before a tournament, doesnt seem to make alot of sense because the patterns change so much. Then by tournament day your tired but amped the stress up to the max.. you also develop expectations based on what youve been seeing , and when things suddenly change its a mind blow...
was watching a H Jeffries interview and he said he will study lake maps and harvest information off u tube, and other forums abt a lake he hasnt fished for up to 3 months, picks out high probability areas, and just goes fish.. Many people think he just shows up, grinds and magically finds the fish, but thats not the case.. He is very smart and uses his time and energy in the right way..
Sometimes you can get great information from unlikely sources... Game wardens are one of my top sources in spring, because they are out checking ALOT of boats in different areas of a lake, (well, boats and bikinis} ha or jet skis and speedos.. depending on whatever...
was recently out on a little lake and after a safety check, talked with the game warden for a while.. He wasnt a avid crappie fisherman and was asking why I was targeting them in the area I was at.. I told him because of the rock lined bank.. he said, ohh that makes sense, because they catch alot of crappie over on the rock lined bank on the other side of the lake near such and such.. he said every year they catch them over there in spring.. so I filed that in my places to check agenda next trip out..


then we discussed other areas... so next time you see a game warden out on the lake, you may want to flag him down for a safety inspection, which is good for 2 reasons, 1 once its done, you wont be interrupted unexpectledly for a safety inspection, and 2 you might get some really good information..
also marina attendants is a favorite.. I went to a lake this winter I had never fished, and asked the woman who clerks the marina 2 questions. what color seems best right now on the lake for crappie? which she told us and was golden, and I asked which direction do most boats go when they launch here in winter? to the right she said.. also golden...