Next Saturday, April 10, Eddie’s Marine of Vidalia will host an open bass tournament on Turkey Creek.

Turkey Creek, located just west of Wisner, La., is one of the most scenic lakes in this area. It’s a flooded cypress tree lake loaded with big largemouth bass and slab white perch. This non-profit bass tournament will cash off at safe daylight and offers a 100 percent pay out of all fees collected.

The entry fee is $60 per boat with an optional $10 big bass division. The bass are spawning, but this lake is a bit different than our other area waters. The bass in Turkey Creek — or should I say some of the bass on this lake — do not move to extremely shallow water to spawn.

The huge cypress trees sitting on 7 to 8 feet of water have root systems about 3 feet under the surface. The bass nest on the root systems. If you fish the normally heavy weight jigs and plastics with heavy slip sinkers you will probably be fishing under the bass so think light weight lures and surface lures on Turkey Creek in April.

If you don’t know much about navigating the lake, it’s best to idle and not plane out. The lake is loaded with huge submerged cypress stumps that will take a lower unit out.

We’ll launch from King’s Landing that is located about mid lake on the east bank. The lower end if the lake is more open with stump fields and scattered cypress trees. The upper half is a cypress forest, and if you don’t have a GPS or compass, it is very easy to get lost on this lake.

Turkey Creek more or less runs north and south so if you idle due west or due east you will find land. It takes some heavy weight five bass tournament limits to win on this lake.

I expect to see many limits in the 20-pound range and it will probably take a 7 plus pound bass to take the big bass division.

For more information on the Turkey Creek Open, contact me or check out our Web site www.fishingwitheddie.com. All local bass tournaments are listed on our site as well.

April is here and this is going to be a great month for catching big slab white perch and largemouth bass. Come join us next Saturday, April 10, for a fun filled day of catching big bass on Turkey Creek. Good luck to all!