Reel in the Bite on the Red River with Artificial Lure's Monday Fishing Report

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Monday, November 3rd fishing report for the mighty Red River and its Shreveport backwaters. We woke up today to a chilly haze—the Red River’s sitting up from last week’s rain and flood watch warnings are in effect in some low spots. The river’s running high, a little off-color in the side channels, but steady. That post-front bite’s been classic north Louisiana: cool mornings, clearing skies, north wind light to 10 mph, and temperatures climbing to a fall-friendly mid-60s by the afternoon. The sunrise popped at 6:35 a.m. with the sun setting around 5:17 p.m., so you got plenty of daylight, but best action rings out near dawn and dusk. We're riding a waxing gibbous moon, so overnight feeding windows are lively—especially the major morning bite kicking right at 7:32 to 9:32 a.m., alongside another surge this evening after 7:44 p.m., according to FishingReminder. The river remains a mixed bag for species, and this weekend’s reports out of the marinas and off the bank have been lively. Most folks are stringing up blue catfish and channel cats in the deeper bends and eddies; cut shad has been the ticket, along with good old chicken livers and stink baits. Some local bank bite stories are touting cats over 10 lbs near the stumps around Bishop Point and Plum Point Slough. Bait up and set tight on the bottom. Bass are transitioning with dropping temperatures. Local sticks are catching numbers, though size is solid but not trophy-class—most largemouths reported between 1.5–3 lbs. Crankbaits in shad patterns and chartreuse spinnerbaits worked around riprap near the I-220 bridges have paid off when the current’s moving. Flip a green pumpkin creature bait or a finesse worm tight to laydowns near the backwater for a bonus fish. Crappie action’s getting fired up in the brush piles and along submerged timber off the main channel. Early risers are catching limits before breakfast, mainly on medium minnows or black/blue or chartreuse jigs. Try the north end of C. Bickham Dickson Park, especially if the wind’s out of the north and you can get a little chop on the water. Caught fish over the weekend include: - Blue catfish up to 14 lbs - Channel catfish 2–7 lbs - Largemouth bass 1–3 lbs - Crappie showing up in the 9–12 inch range - A couple bonus white bass chasing the bait pods midday For lures, top picks right now are: - **Soft plastics** in green pumpkin or junebug for bass - Shad-patterned **crankbaits** mid-day - **Chartreuse/white spinnerbaits** around cloudy water - **Live minnows and tube jigs** under slip bobbers for crappie If you want to fish natural, load up on **cut shad or nightcrawlers** for cats and you won’t be disappointed, especially after dark or during the minor moon bite between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. Hot spots this week: - The stretch below the concrete at Stoner Avenue launch for catfish—lots of deep holes and log jams. - Plum Point Slough for early morning crappie and feeding scho This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.