I don't mess with old river until miss river on baton rouge guage hits 24 feet and falling.
Now 26 ft and falling I love going after schools of barfish in the early morning they just fight good, easy to catch, and you go around lake following them before sunlight. It is unreal due to they just start busting up on bait fish and it like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam and sometimes you can catch some little bass mixed in.
Then I roll toward sandbar and go after the stripers, barfish, and bass when they bust up on shad.
Scaliat I do real well around 22ft in back monday or Mondu lake
I caught some nice bass in woods with water high, but I don't like messing with snakes falling in the boat anymore. I caught bass schooled up in woods like these when river starts going down and I do trick worms in white/lime top
http://oldriverlanding.com/Recent_Photos.html
One day I ran into a school of bass had to be between 25 to 50 like in the bottom photo sitting not moving in the path that takes you to the ballpark. They were right next to the brush line going into deep water just sitting. Wouldn't bite nothing they just stayed still not moving.
Old river a great place and I always catch something. To me catching catfish off small H&H mircospin in August was my best trip next to anytime the barfish are biting.
I am just truckless right now. Going to buy a new one next week, so even if the water great I have no way to get my boat to the river.
Miss the old 1970's days with bob scare, guy in wheel chair that block your vehicle for a beer, and fishing off my uncles raft for scaliat.
At my uncles camp I accidently poured powered milk in a glass thinking it was water. Before I could go out fishing with my grandfather in a Louisiana traveler with old Mercury my grandmother made me drink that nasty stuff.
Worse than drinking Tab soda.