Best Times to Fish the Atchafalaya Basin

People ask me all the time when they should book. The truth is the Basin fishes year-round, but each season has its window. Spring (March-May) is the spawn — the biggest bass of the year come shallow and a topwater or a chatterbait gets crushed. Summer means early starts: be on the water at first light for topwater, then switch to bream in the shade by mid-morning. Fall is the feed-up — cooling water gets the bass chasing shad on the flats and it's the most consistent numbers of the year. Winter slows down but the quality stays; slow-roll a spinnerbait in the deeper canals. Tell me what you're after and I'll tell you the best month to come.