OT Fishing trips?

[esplanade91]

We're trying to plan a family fishing trip sometime in the next 10 months. Anyone have any suggestions? We usually go to an outpost in Canada but my sister has young children now so we're considering other things. We went on the White River in Arkansas and it kind of sucked though. Wouldn't be against going back to something similar with good recommendations.

Some of the criteria:
US or Canada
freshwater
cabin or lodge
comes with access to skiffs

 

[beachbumdawg]

U could try lake fork, tx
Great bass fishing, not sure about boat rental though

 

[o_Sevendawg]

If considering Arkansas again, I would recommend Norfork River Resort. Nothing over there should be considered a resort, but it's the best I have been too. Google it and check out their website. I only rent the boats and not get guides. All the guides want to do is anchor and fish powerbait. I prefer to drift and cast spinners and plugs, but with kids, powerbait might be best. You can wade and fly fish right by the cabins before they start generating.

 

[Duckdawg]

Guntersville Lake in north Alabama. Best bass fishing anywhere in the southeast, maybe the country.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

I went to Guntersville last October for 4 days of fishing.

Guntersville Lake in north Alabama. Best bass fishing anywhere in the southeast, maybe the country.

It was the 4 worst Days Guntersville ever had. Everyone I talked to did not catch many fish. I talked to quite a few other fisherman who were also on vacation. Some of these guys said they fished Guntersville quite a few times in the past and it was not what it normally is during this week I was there. I brought both my Crappie and Bass fishing equipment. I renamed the lake to ONE-tersville. I was able to catch one fish when I either changed location or tactic. It got funny I would pull up on a place and within the first few casts I would catch a fish. Then not another one after 20 or 30 minutes.

Guntersville is known for the frog fishing. I caught one doing that. I would fish a rattletrap, One fish. Alabama rig, One.

When I trolled cranks for crappie two different sessions and I caught one pretty quickly both times and then nothing. I did hook something very large that I fought for about 15 minutes and the 8lb line didn't make it.

The strangest one fish wonder was one evening there were shad all over the surface of the lake. I saw fish busting up in an area so I had a tub jig on a spinning rod and thought I will have some fun jump fishing. I get to the first school and they are exploding all over. I throw out and hook up right away. I caught a 2lb white bass. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it should still be fun. So I unhook number one and got to throw out again, but the school has gone down. I waited for 15 minutes and they never came back up even though the shad were still all over the place.

I fish Pickwick often which is another Tennessee River impoundment. Guntersville is different because of the milfoil and hydrilla. On Pickwick you can fish the docks when things are slow. The docks I found at Guntersville has the weeds to the top in 14 ft of water. The typical jig, shakyhead, drop shot was not fishable. So I just wasn't familiar with this type of fishing situation. So I never could really crack the nut on Guntersville.

 

[ColMuldrow]

I debated over posting this publicly, but if you don't mind going off grid and want some really great trout fishing try the bighorn river in Montana. Went this spring and stayed in some cabins outside Fort Smith. A two hour car ride from Billings. Very small town on the crow Indian reservation. Message me if you want details.

 

[Duckdawg]

The striped and white bass fishing in the early summer has always been a blast on Guntersville. I haven't fished the lake in many years but still have a lot of friends that do regularly. From February to may is the best time for bass as it is anywhere, and then again in the fall. Buddy of mine told me in March if you didnt have a 5 fish limit in a tourney that totaled at least 35lbs there was no chance of placing. The ones that fish it regularly say its better than it ever has been.

 

[Digging dog]

Try the White River in mid to late October. The fall colors are an absolute knockout!!! (Kids will like this because it is like a trip within a trip). The hatcheries have usually released plenty of trout by this time so the fishishing will be easy.
There are plenty of capable guides around there. Most are retired from other professions.
I used to go alot with my family when I was a kid growing up in Arkansas. Not sure if they still do it or not but the guide used to find a gravel bar for lunch and cook your mornings catch. This would leave you with another limit to catch.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

Do you need a 7 pm charter or would you go on a 11 am trip?

/I'd suggest redfishing in lafitte or cocodrie LA. Close enough to NOLA that the kids could do the zoo/aquarium for a day.

 

[esplanade91]

Do you need a 7 pm charter or would you go on a 11 am trip?

/I'd suggest redfishing in lafitte or cocodrie LA. Close enough to NOLA that the kids could do the zoo/aquarium for a day.

Not trying to go offshore. Looking more for a place we can basically camp and people can come and go as they please to fish.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

Those places aren't for offshore- they are for marsh and bay fishing. Reds, specks, etc. there are some great houses/cabins for rent on the water/channels in Lafitte. And OUTSTANDING restaurants.

We usually go with family down there, so I know what you mean.