http://www.MS-Sportsman.com April 2015 | Mississippi Sportsman 35
Despite the tributaries, Flint Creek is clear when com-
pared to similarly sized lakes in Mississippi. Brewer
said it’s the clear water that can make the lake tough
on newcomers. He said the clear water warms slower
than other lakes and the fish will tend to hold deeper at
Flint Creek.
“It’s just like any other lake, you’ve got to experiment,
use different colors at different depths until you hit the
right things,” he said. “There’s good bass fishing in here,
bream and crappie, too. One fish may be running deep
and the other kind may be running shallow. Me and my
grandsons, we’ve caught fish all over this lake from one
end to the other.”
Flint Creek’s main lake points are the key to its con-
sistent bass fishing, according to Rowell. During April
the bass move shallow and are susceptible to topwater
baits and sub-surface baits like flukes and Senkos.
Rowell said after the spawn, bass will move off the
points and can be caught nearly year round using a
Carolina-rigged lizard in watermelon seed colors.PAGE 33: Spring rains bring nutrient-rich water and attract
some of the biggest bass in the lake to culverts in the upper end
of the lake. ABOVE: Rocky Rowell, former president of the Petal
Bass Club, considered Flint Creek the club’s unofficial home lake.
Its waters helped hone the skills of 2013 Bassmaster Classic
champion Cliff Pace, a former club member. FACING PAGE: Scenic
lakeside cabins offer fishermen comfort and immediate access to
Flint Creek’s 650-acre lake.Fishing at Flint
How to get there — Flint Creek Water Park,
part of the Pat Harrison Waterway District, is
located on Mississippi Highway 29 in Wiggins,
and an easy 35 miles north of the Gulf Coast
and 30 miles south of Hattiesburg. The park
address is 1216 Parkway Drive, Wiggins, MS.
GPS – N30 52.310 W89 07.533.
The park — Flint Creek is comprised of
1,900 total acres and features a 650-acre
lake with 13 miles of shoreline stocked
with bass, bream, crappie and catfish offer-
ing excellent fishing 24-hours a day. According to Lake
Supervisor James Brewer, the best bets for April fishing
at Flint Creek are bass, crappie, catfish, and bream, in that order.
Camping — Flint Creek offers 127 camping spurs, and two Class
A campgrounds offer of 34 total campsites. Most of these sites offer
sewer hookup. A sanitary dump station is conveniently located for
use. Each campground provides a sand beach and a designated
swimming area along its shoreline. For those who may not camp in
a self-contained RV unit, there are seven bathhouses conveniently
located throughout the campgrounds, with toilets, hot water, and
shower. Each campground has laundry facilities available.
Cabins — Flint Creek Water Park offers 33 rental cabins, which
are located adjacent to the lake. These cabins vary in size, style, and
accommodations, but each offers a unique view and a natural expe-
rience. For reservations, call 1-800-748-9403.
Contacts — Call Flint Creek Water Park directly at (601) 928-- A state agency, the Pat Harrison Waterway District can be
found online at http://www.phwd.net, or by calling (601) 264-5951 or
(800) 748-9618.
Maps — Lake and campsite maps online at http://www.phwd.net/
flint/flintc.
April fishing tactics
Bass — Late March will find bass moving onto beds and spawn-
ing through the month of April. Many anglers sight-fish for bedding
bass during the month using Carolina or Texas rigged plastic worms
and lizards. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits also work well so long as
they are fished shallow.
Crappie — The water depths at Flint Creek range from just a
couple of feet to 30- and 40-foot depths. Like bass, look for crappie
to be spawning or moving off the beds this month and move back
to brush, treetops, and other structure in the 12- to 15-foot depths.
Most anglers troll with live minnows over the tops of the brush
while others cast crappie jigs around shoreline cover.
Catfish — With the water warming up in April, look for channel
catfish to start moving shallow on any of the long points around
the lake. Whole night crawlers, cut shad and prepared stink baits
fished between 5 and 15 feet deep will produce the best results.
Jug fishing for catfish is permitted between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Bream — The abundant bass population tends to keep the bream
numbers under control. Look for bigger bluegills to hold in deeper
water this month and may become more active on the new moon
toward the middle of the month and the following full moon on
May 4. Best baits are redworms fished on the bottom and crickets
fished under a slip cork.
— Phillip GentryDestination Information
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