M_S_2015_04_

12 Mississippi Sportsman^ | April 2015

A

state-of-the-art fish-cleaning station has opened at

Leake County Water Park near the Lowhead Dam

at Barnett Reservoir, officials of the Pearl River Valley

Water Supply District announced.

PRVWSD also said it has completed a permanent storm shelter

at Flag Island to give boaters and campers on the

upper river a safe haven during bad weather.

The fish-cleaning station, partially funded by a

Sportfish Restoration grant through the Mississippi

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, includes a

grinding device that pulverizes leftover fish parts for

disposal through the park’s sewer system.

There is no charge for using the cleaning station,

which includes a concrete pad, a roof, power hook-

ups for electric knives, a four-sided cleaning area with

plastic countertops and hoses for a quick clean-up.

The 20-by-30 steel storm shelter at Flag Island, one

of the upper reservoir’s most-popular sandbars, was

constructed late last fall after first being suggested by

the Upriver Advisory Committee.

A mix of fishermen, boaters, hunters and campers

with a stake in the upper river area of Barnett Res-

ervoir, the Upriver Advisory Committee is in its third

year of working with PRVWSD board and staff. The

alliance has been successful on several fronts, including new

policies regarding camping and hunting, as well as addressing

boating and safety issues.

For more information on the recreational opportunities at Bar-

nett Reservoir, visit PRVWSD online at TheRez.ms. ■

A new fish-cleaning station at the upper

end of Barnett Reservoir in Leake County

gives fishermen a system that pulverizes fish

heads and other parts to be flushed through

the sewer system.

Fish-cleaning station

opens at The Rez

Bobby Cleveland

UPDATE

Outdoor

continues

Gulf action

Obviously, there are more options for Mississippi sportsmen in April

than turkey and crappie, and the Gulf Coast is a great place to start.

Inside this edition, you’ll find a feature on the best April options avail-

able for coastal anglers, but if you think it’s just another story on redfish

and speckled trout, think again.

Of course, the reds and specks are a great option, especially the

always-dependable reds that always eat, always bite and are found

inside the bays, around the islands and swimming in the marshes.

Specks, which are in transition from inshore to near-shore for the

spawn, can be tougher to find, unless a consistent food source can be

found.

The surprise action is for cobia, one of the most popular offshore fish

among coastal sportsmen. Be sure to read about this offbeat action,

and how these April arrivals are caught.