Red River Early Summer Bass and Catfish: Shreveport Fishing Report

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Red River fishing report around Shreveport. We’re working with classic early‑summer river conditions. Expect muggy air, light south to southwest breeze, and warm temps pushing from the upper 70s at first light into the upper 80s and low 90s by afternoon. Humidity is high, so the river’s got that hazy, glassy look early, then a little chop once the wind picks up. No real tidal swing here inland, but flows and level on the Red have been fairly steady, with just a little stain to the water and 1–2 feet of visibility in most main‑river stretches. Sunrise comes early and the bite has been best from first light through mid‑morning, then again the last hour before dark. Midday has been tougher except around deeper holes, shady banks, and current breaks. Bass activity has been solid. Local anglers this past week have reported consistent numbers of **spotted and largemouth bass** in the 1–3 lb range, with a few 4–5 lb fish mixed in. They’re holding tight to wood, rock, and any kind of man‑made structure—wing dikes, barge tie‑offs, and laydowns on outside bends. Best artificial lures: - **Shallow and mid‑depth crankbaits** in red, craw, and chartreuse/black back for the stained water. - **Texas‑rigged creature baits** in green pumpkin and black/blue pitched to laydowns and barge pilings. - **Spinnerbaits** with double Colorado or Indiana blades in white/chartreuse slow‑rolled along current seams. - Early and late, a **topwater walking bait or buzzbait** around riprap and shallow wood is drawing explosive strikes. Catfish action has also been very good. Folks soaking bait on the bottom are picking up steady **channel and blue cats**, mostly eater‑sized with the occasional 10–15 lb blue. Best baits have been: - Fresh cut shad or skipjack - Nightcrawlers - Stink bait on prepared treble rigs Set up on the downstream side of sandbars, outside bends, or below any visible current break and give it time. Crappie are more scattered now but still catchable along deeper brush and barge slips. Small **minnows** and 1/16‑oz jigs in white or natural shad colors around 10–15 feet have picked off a few slabs for patient anglers. A couple of local hot spots to focus on: - **Below the Clyde Fant Parkway area**: riprap banks, barge tie‑ups, and current breaks are holding bass early. Work cranks parallel to the rocks at daybreak, then slow down with plastics as the sun climbs. - **Downstream bends and sandbars near Wallace Lake Road bridge area on the main Red**: good for both bass and catfish. Toss spinnerbaits and squarebills along the outside edges for bass, and drop cut bait in the deeper holes for blues and channels. Water’s warm, fish are active, and if you hit that early and late window with the right hardware, you’ve got a real shot at a mixed bag. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn