# Yellow River Launch Sites and Bass Fishing



## Fish4lif

I'm an implant here in the panhandle, so I don't know much about the bass'n waters around but am trying to get hot on it. I have fished Blackwater bout 4 or 5 times, but nothing but little ones and I am not impressed with the bass fishing on this river. I see a lot of posts about the Yellow River, so maybe I can pick a few brains here and get an idea about it. I live in Milton, but wondering where the different choices for launching a boat are and what size boats the River can handle. A good friend of mine has a 21 ft Triton and I have a smaller aluminum option. In looking at the map, close to me is Hwy 87, and southwest of there is Cat Island Lake. Using that as a reference point, should I launch further up river or is that a great place to fish? Is this a murky or clear water river. Most of my successfull adventures river fishing for bass is finding backwater area's off the river that don't have as much current, and there is trash there like stumps and laydowns. What can I expect as the fish habitat on the yellow river? Thanks for any information you are willing to share.


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## drifterfisher

I put in on 87 and run up river to gig boiling creek,its a mile or 2 up river and comes in from the south,its a very clear cold creek.The main part of yellow river is a dirty muddy colored water. I have caught fish on YR from up in alabama all the way down to the bay,I'm not a big bass guy,I'm more into stump fishing with earthworms for monster bluegill and stumpknockers.I do occasionally catch bass deep in stumps,with the earthworms.
A 21' boat will have problems up river from 87 after about 4-5 miles,it gets skinny up there.Your aluminum boat might do okay depending on draft.
I'm sure others will chime in with more info.


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## auguy7777

Yellow is your best bass fishing river around here man. It's not often you go out there and get whooped. From the past decade fishing Yellow, I've learned that after the spawn is over (66-73 degrees or so), most of the fish will stage up in the main river and north of the 87 bridge will yield huge bass in the summer months. The current is your friend and flipping can be awesome. But, like right now, with low 60s for the near future, I've already caught close to 100 bass since the new year turn out of Yellow in creeks off the main river on the south end of the river near the mouth. You just gotta do a little searching and once you find em, they are usually there next time you go out. I've found a couple nice holes the last month or so. Good prespawn baits are a dark zoom fluke and trick worm. With those two baits, you can't go wrong. PM me for anything else you might wanna know and I might help you out. Good luck.


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## Fish4lif

Thanks fella's, that is the kind of stuff I like to hear. I have been pretty disappointed thus far living round here because I have been fishing tournaments (not winning much tho) a little further north for the last 15 years, KY, TN, MO, IL, but haven't really heard much about the bass fishing being decent around here. I am anxious to get out there and try it out.


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## jcoss15

Yellow river is awesome for bass fishing when the water levels are right...fishing around 87 is a good start all kinds of good fishing on the lower part of yellow and since you have a smaller aluminum boat you can also use the ramps in Holt at guess lake and log lake (these are not lakes but sloughs off the river that lead to the main river) this part of the river does get low and there are some logs and stumps that can hurt your feelings so take it slow at first. Fishing trick worms, baby brush hogs, crawfish cranks, and maybe a rapala jerk bait, or spinnerbaits are all good search baits until you find out what they want. Also don't get discouraged on blackwater either its a good river too just can be weird at times. Check out google earth and you can get an idea of the river. Both of the ramps in Holt are at the very end of Log Lake Rd. off hwy 90. PM if ya got any other questions.


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## Amarillo Palmira

If you want to fish the lower end of the river, a good place to launch is Brown's Fish Camp. I have good luck for mixed species at the lower end (stripers, bass, pickerel, speckled trout, redfish, etc.). Auguy7777 definitely knows more about the upper end than I do, so I'd take his advice. There is lots of current up there, so be prepared to deal with it. 

As far as Blackwater goes, its more of a "spot" fishery than anything else. If you fish it religiously for awhile, you will learn the spots that the bass hang out and go there again and again to catch them. 

I fished Illinois for several years and that is some fine bass fishing. I think that, around here, the fish in the rivers prefer a finesse approach for the most part. I figure that's because they are very tempermental because they are first Florida strain bass and also influenced by tides and saltwater which makes them even more difficult to catch. Plus they are not the apex predator in the rivers what with the rivers full of saltwater fish along with tons of gar, big cats and loads of pickerel. Good luck, AP


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## Amarillo Palmira

Oh yeah, its called Yellow River for a reason!


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