Coal Pile

[tx_basser]

My brother and I are trying to put together a "Memory Lane" fishing weekend sometime during the fall. My grandfather took us fishing all over South Central Arkansas, with most of our fishing done at the Coal Pile, Kate Adams, Pot Hole, Wallace, etc. I remember some of my biggest bass came from the Coal Pile using big Lucky 13's.

I remember us launching locally near the levee on the Coal Pile on a small gravel ramp, but also remember us getting to it from the river also. Is the entrance easliy discernable or is it something that is difficult to find.

Thanks

[pacafan]

pretty easy to find just run the river up from the bridge when you get to the first rock (edit) paralleling the river shoot straight to the left hand bank. you will see a entrance with a sign that says no hunting in coal pile run that chute it will go left then u will follow it to the right it will take u in like that also if the river isnt 27 ft it will be hard to get in this way because of shallow water

[turkdaddy]

This is a pic of my buddy's lowerunit full of sand after he tried to run the canal when the river was too low. Hit one of the sand bars going into Coal pile at WOT. He said it took most of the day to get his boat (07 Tr21x2) back into water deep enough to float it again.

[tx_basser]

Thanks for the info guys. I remember saying there was some duck hunting club that owned the property around there but he knew the guys that ran it. I remember when the river was low we would be the only one fishing and we would slay the bass and crappie.

[ACesBigDaddy]

The gravel ramp is still there in Coal Pile and you can launch even a big boat if you have a four wheel drive. If you are gonna run in from the river, I would highly suggest following a Local to show you how to go. If it is on a weekend and you get stuck in the mouth of Coal Pile, it could cause a major traffic jam and be quite dangerous. It is a very popular place to fish, but you normally have to run in on pad to get over the sandbars and there is very sharp turn right in the mouth.

As Pacafan noted, if the river is 27 or higher at Pendelton, you can usually run in from the river without any problem. Let some of us Monticello guys know when you're coming and we'll get somebody over there to show you around. Normally on any weekend you can find someone there early that will be going into Coal Pile that you can follow. Good Luck!!

[tx_basser]

Again Thanks Guys,

Actually my grandparents were from Monticello, so that is where I spent most of my summers fishing with my Grandpa. (Gurvis Milholland), and my grandma was a (Deal), so I figure you have know some of my relatives. They are passed away now, but like mentioned my brother and I are thinking of doing a guy trip there and doing some fishing.

Roger Milholland

[Landem]

Roger, if your grandmother was a Deal, then I should know some of your relatives. I live near Ladelle and know some Deals. I may have known of your grandfather too. I remember a man called Mr. Gurvis that lived in Monticello that fished and camped a lot. May be the same fellow. I thought his name was Gurvis Johnson though not sure.

I fish tournaments at Pendleton quite often and the Coal Pile is where I fish 90% of the time. Let me know if I can help you out getting in there.

[Landem]

Oh just to let ya know I love fishing the Coal Pile, but don't expect anything like it was back in the 80's. Just don't want you to feel let down.

[tx_basser]

My Grandmother was from Ladelle, and I believe it was my Grandma's Uncle that owned the old country store there in Ladelle. My grandpa used to take us out there to the store where we ate coon sandwiches. The other part of my Grandma's family were Wolfe, specifically Frank Wolfe who owned the grocery store in Monticello. I'm sure you guys know them, because everywere we went my grandpa knew somebody and we talked to them for what seemed like forever.

[tx_basser]

My brother and I are just mostly wanted to remember our grandparents and all the time we spent in Monticello and surronding areas. We both killed our first deer near Ladelle, caught untold number of fish, and saw my first gator in the wild at Cut Off Creek... and the amount of time we spent hulling peas, picking tomatoes, shucking corn, etc.

[Landem]

Yes sir, I do remember going into Wolfe's grocery east of Monticello as a boy. And I have heard your grandfather's name quite a bit. Are you related to Terri Wolfe or Beth Thurman? (they are cousins) Beth was my high school english teacher and she knows tons about the history of Ladelle and Drew County.

Deal's grocery in Ladelle was owned by Ralph and Patricia Deal. I am good friends with their grandson Gregg. We crappie fish a lot together, as a matter of fact we caught some good ones about two weeks ago in Kate Adams and the Pothole that you mentioned earlier.

[BigTone,Ar.]

I would not waste my time. The fishing has been off for two years at dumas. Most tournaments are won with an average of 17 pounds, that is chit for the Ark. river. If I was going to fish that area I would fish Morgan point.
Just my two cents......good luck

[tx_basser]

I remember the name Terri, but it has been years ago. My grandmother was Margie Deal, and she had a sister named Pearl, and I believe a brother named Norwood who I remember seeing him alot as a kid. I used to kid my grandmother that her relatives must have populated Drew county because there were Deal's everywhere.