Red River Early Summer Bass: Spotted, Largemouth, and Current Breaks Near Shreveport

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Red River fishing report out of Shreveport. We’ve got classic early-summer river conditions. After recent storms upstream, the Red’s still carrying a light stain, but levels are settling and clarity is a touch better along the edges and in backwaters. Current’s moderate most of the day, stronger on the outside bends and below the dams. No real tide here, but the river’s “faux tide” is all about generation and wind. Mornings have been the sweet spot: light south wind, cooler air, and just enough chop to keep fish comfortable. Afternoons are getting hot and sticky, with pop-up thunderstorms rolling through some evenings, so plan to be off the water or tucked in a cove if those clouds stack up. Sunrise is right around early morning, with sunset in the early evening, giving a long low-light window. The first two hours after daybreak and the last hour before dark have been the best bite. Bass have been pretty active. Local anglers are reporting solid numbers of **spotted and largemouth bass** in the 1–3 pound range, with a few 4s and an occasional 5 coming off current breaks and riprap. The shad spawn is mostly wrapped, but there’s still plenty of bait pushing along the rocks and barge pilings at dawn. White bass have been schooling sporadically on main-river flats, and a few **stripers/hybrids** are showing up near deeper holes below the dams. Catfish anglers are doing well on **channel and blue cats**, with steady numbers of eater-size fish and a few bigger blues when the flow bumps up. Bream are stacked in shallow brush and along rocky banks. For **lures**, think “flash and vibration.” - For bass: squarebill crankbaits in shad or chartreuse/black back, white or white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, and lipless cranks burned over shallow flats. Early and late, a black buzzbait or walking topwater along the rocks and wood has been money. - When the sun gets up, switch to Texas-rigged creature baits or worms in green pumpkin or junebug, pitched into laydowns and eddies. - For schooling whites and smaller stripers, throw small silver spoons, underspins, or 3–4 inch swimbaits on a jighead. Best **bait** for cats has been cut shad, skipjack, or fresh chicken liver on simple Carolina rigs, set on the edge of the channel or just downstream of current seams. For bream, red worms and crickets under a small float around brush and dock pilings are hard to beat. A couple of local **hot spots** to keep in mind: - The stretch around the **I-220 bridge and nearby riprap** has been producing consistent bass and the occasional striper when there’s decent current. - The **pockets and barge tie-ups near downtown Shreveport and under the Texas Street bridge** are holding bait and bass early, plus some decent catfish when you anchor on the down-current side. Focus on shade, current breaks, and anything that makes an eddy: wing dams, laydowns, barge moorings, and rock transitions. Work fast-moving baits in low light, then slow down and pick things apart as the day warms up. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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