Category Archives: Where To Fish

TEXAS WEEKLY FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of May 8, 2024

Alan Henry

GOOD. Water clear; 70 degrees; 3.99 feet below pool. Crappie and bass can be caught in spawn and post spawn patterns in 1-15 feet of water. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.

Amistad

GOOD. Water normal stain; 79 degrees; 66.25 feet below pool. Black bass are good on the main lake and secondary points. The best numbers are coming in 5-15 feet of water on swimbaits, rattle traps, jigs, dropshots, Texas rigged lizards, creature baits, senkos. The best colors are green pumpkin, watermelon red, red bug, pumpkin seed. White bass are good in 5-10 feet on flats and shallow coves with white grubs, sassy shads, rattle traps, and blades worked around birds are bringing good numbers. Stripers are slow. Happy Fishing. Report by Captain Raul Cordero, Far West Guide Service.

Arlington

SLOW. Water stained; 75 degrees; 1.43 feet above pool. The lake is flooded and there is floating debris. Currently ramps are open, but there is more rain in the forecast so be sure to check ramp status before heading out. Reports that all species are biting in shallow cover. Channel catfish can be caught with shad off the banks.

Arrowhead

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 6.61 feet below pool. Water levels are on the rise after the recent rains. Catfish are good in very shallow water. The spawn is right around the corner. Crappie are very good near the state park and around the bridges, with some moving out to brush. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.

Athens

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 78 degrees; 0.73 feet above pool. Bass are fair working the outside edges of grass with jigs and shaky-head worms. Schooling bass are starting to fire up. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows on brush piles out to 30 feet. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Austin

GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.91 feet below pool. Bass are very active in the morning and evening. Catching plenty of fish up shallow with some on beds. Small soft swimbaits and flukes are getting decent bites, and some topwater action can be found but is not very consistent. Lady Bird Lake is heavily stained due to runoff. Bass are good using chatterbaits and spinnerbaits fished over grass and around shoreline cover are good. Fish are feeding on small shad and small bluegill. Small plastics around grass edges are producing good bites. Small profile swimbaits fished over the grass can be good as well. The topwater bite becomes more consistent as the water warms up. Walking baits, poppers, buzzbaits and ploppers are all getting by strikes. Topwater bite has been best with light wind and cloud cover. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing.

B.A. Steinhagen

GOOD. Water stain; 70 degrees; 0.33 feet below pool. The lake continues to be high due to the recent rains. Catfish are biting in the shallows on cut bait and prepared baits. Largemouth bass can be caught on Texas rigged worms and crankbaits.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees. Water visibility is 2-4 feet of water. The water visibility is around 2-4 feet. Bass are good using shad or bluegill colored flukes and swimbaits. The bite has been fair on creature baits in natural colors like watermelon seed and green pumpkin. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Some bass are near creek mouths and a little ways in, most are along grass lines on the main lake. Throw a shallow crankbait, swimbait or spinnerbait to get some of those bites but a stick worm or fluke will catch many as well. A frog bite and wake bait is just getting going and a topwater is just about to kick off as well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 10.18 feet above pool. Lake Belton has risen over 18 feet in the last 10 days and is still rising. The lake is flooded by 8 feet of water and both tributaries are very muddy, and debris is abundant, especially following wind shifts. As the waters rose, the courtesy docks were usable only for a short 2 days and are now inaccessible due to flooding. Whether the lake remains accessible is a day-to-day issue as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps an eye on things. Whether the lake remains fishable will be determined by how muddy the lower end of the lake eventually becomes. White bass were being caught with a vertical tactic with the MAL Dense with a silver body. Fishing was best with wind and gray cloud cover. Fish were in 28-34 feet early in the morning until 9 a.m. Then we found them in 45-52 feet of water from 9-11:15 a.m. Finding clear water is the key right now. Laughing gulls are helpful. The threadfin shad spawn continues. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Lake Belton has risen 16 feet in the past week. There are strong currents from Cowhouse Creek and the Leon River. Anglers should use caution and look for floating debris when fishing. Blue catfish can be caught around points and river mouths using fresh shad in 10-20 feet of water. Flatheads have been caught up river with live bluegill or shad. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait around rock piles and shallow brush piles. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 5.96 feet above pool. Due to the recent flooding all boat ramps are temporarily closed, as well as many of the campgrounds.

Bob Sandlin

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.52 feet above pool. Crappie are good in brush piles 20-25 feet with minnows or jigs. Sand bass are excellent at Blowhole with spinnerbaits or rattle traps. Catfish are excellent in 2-6 feet of water in flooded brush with worms, cut bait cheese bait. and bass are good at Blow Hole using chrome rattle traps. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Bass are good on shallow points chasing the shad spawn with Texas rig worms, crankbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, or flipping into flooded bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Bead heads and clousers should work well for bass around retaining walls and boat docks. Streamers in and around grass and brush will draw a strike. Look for crappie around brush and shallow banks, small wooly buggers are excellent. Bream are building beds and are aggressive. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Brady

GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 11.20 feet below pool. Water level is rising and the clarity is muddy due to runoff. Catfish are good on cut bait and worms shallow to 15 feet of water. Black bass and crappie are slow after the spawn, should pick up soon due to bluegill spawn.

Braunig

GOOD. Water stained, 79 degrees. Water temperature declined due to rain and no sunlight. Redfish are slow, trolling with bait near the dam. Channel catfish are fair around rock lines and against the weeds on cheese bait and liver. Bass are in the reeds on plastic worms. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 13.32 feet below pool. The low water ramps at Wise County Park and Runaway Bay are the best bet for launching. The main lake is stained but quite stirred up on both ends. Crappie continue to be hot, especially from the mid lake area south. Fish can be right on the shore or out to about 8 feet of water around cover with minnows and jigs. Sand bass and hybrids have been good. Fish are wandering, feeding hard on shad. Look close to shore early and back off into deeper water as the day warms up. Topwater baits and slabs have been putting them in the boat. Largemouth bass have been good on topwaters, flat billed crankbaits, finesse baits. Check main lake points near deeper water. Catfish action is picking up on! cut shad. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Brownwood

GOOD. Water normal stain; 75 degrees; 5.49 feet below pool. Water is clear in the main lake and muddy towards the rivers. Black bass to 9.65 pounds are good on wacky rigs, shaky head and crankbaits in 3-12 feet of water. Crappie up to 13 inches are good along the shoreline with black and chartreuse, or white with chartreuse head jigs out to 4 feet of water. Crappie are good with minnows on brush piles in 10-12 feet of water. White bass are fair during the day, but the bite improves to good on crankbaits and small swimbaits in the lights at night. Catfish are slow on cut or prepared bait around the flats.

Bryan

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees. Lake is high and the bass bite is tough. Bass are suspended on piles and near the dam. Report by The Aggie Anglers. The water levels are high, but anglers are reporting catches of catfish, crappie and bass. Report by The Bait Barn.

Buchanan

EXCELLENT. Water slightly stained; 77 degrees; 16.58 feet below pool. The water is extremely muddy on the north end of the lake and clear on the south. Striper fishing is excellent using live shad as bait in the 5-30 feet of water. There has also been some good action early on topwaters. White bass are excellent on live bait, jigging spoons, and topwater early. With the recent rains and the lake level possibly increasing 8 feet use extreme caution while boating. There is a wide range of debris floating in the water and also just under the surface. Also many of the exposed trees are now under water so please exercise safe boating while on the water. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Crappie are good in 15-20 feet of water with black and chartreuse jigs. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are good in the backs of creeks, flip every stick up as there is still some spawning action. There are a lot of fish on rock piles and rocky points also so hit all of those. Using jigs, swimbaits and flukes will get you plenty of bites in these places. A medium or deep crankbait will also get you a bite on the deeper rock piles. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Caddo

FAIR. Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.61 feet above pool. Caddo Lake water level is coming down after the April floods. A strong current is flowing from Lake O’the Pines, so the river and flats near the river are stained. The best bite will be in clearer water near Clinton or on the main lake. Bass are holding extremely tight on trees while the water is falling and very slow to bite flukes, senkos and light Texas rigs. It will be that way until the lake stabilizes and fish move out in the grass and in the pads. When fish move to the grass and pads use frogs, buzzbaits and swimbaits. When the water is stained use june bug or black and blue colors, and when the water is clear use watermelon or watermelon red. The lake is really turning green now with flowers starting to come up all over the lake so it’s a beautiful time to come enjoy this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Calaveras

GOOD. Water slightly stained, 80 degrees. Water temperature declined due to rain and no sunlight. Redfish were being caught off the bank on crawfish and shrimp, or around rocky cove trolling plastics and spoons. Catfish are biting on rock piles out in the lake on cheese bait and cut bait. No report on bass. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.

Canyon Lake

GOOD. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 22.53 feet below pool. Bass are good in the hydrilla with a chatterbait, and with a dropshot in deeper grass or main lake points. Report by Evan Coleman, Big Bassin Fishing.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.51 feet above pool. Start fishing for hybrids and white bass early in the morning at daylight and hit the dam or the western shorelines of the lake and look for schooling fish close to seawalls and shorelines. After that fish any hump in depths of 22-28 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools. Use spinner baits or drop a slab down to the bottom and work it fast up and down. The fish will hit it immediately. The crappie bite has been increasingly better. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Blue catfish are shallow on shad and some moving to humps in 6-18 feet on cut shad. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Choke Canyon

GOOD. Water stained; 82 degrees; 28.95 feet below pool. Bass are good on shad colored moving baits in the morning on shallow flats. As the day progresses a Texas rig and Carolina rig on main lake points is producing. Report by Evan Coleman, Big Bassin Fishing. Bass are good in shallow water using crankbaits, or spinnerbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait or stink bait in 10-15 feet of water. Crappie are good in 20-25 feet of water on minnows or grubs. Report by Scott Springer, Fish Choke Canyon Lake.

Cisco

GOOD. Water stained; 72 degrees; 11.67 feet below pool. Bass are good hitting topwaters. Channel catfish are good on most catfish baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Water visibility is murky due to recent rains. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals.

Coleman

SLOW. Water stained; 68 degrees; 3.74 feet below pool. The lake has risen 6 feet in a week which can slow the bite until the water stabilizes. Before the rise in water bass reports were good.

Comanche Creek

1.04 feet above pool. Closed.

Conroe

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.34 feet above pool. Lake Conroe is temporarily closed due to recent flooding. Until we can get out on the water this is what we believe the fish will be doing. Catfish should be staging to spawn after the water settles. Look for structure holding bait. Largemouth bass have been good. There were still some beds during the last full moon. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrids are in 17-28 feet of water on flats or humps, jigging slabs, swimbaits or minnows and shad. Crappie are in 11-21 feet around structure and timber using plastics, hair or minnows. Always wear your life jacket. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. The lake is on the rise with water being released at the spillway. Anglers are reporting good catches of sand bass and catfish.

Corpus Christi Lake

FAIR. 70 degrees; 9.46 feet below pool. Fishing has been slow here, while lake levels continue to drop and high winds are in the forecast. Catfish are fair in 2-4 feet of water on worms, cut carp, and shad. Drum are good in 2-4 feet of water on worms. Alligator gar are good in the river channel on cut carp. Largemouth are very slow. Crappie are slow. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.30 feet above pool. After a temporary closure to boater traffic due to flooding, the lake is now open to boater traffic. Water levels continue to be high so navigate with caution. Bass are good on shallow points chasing the shad spawn with Texas rig worms, crankbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, or flipping into flooded bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 0.82 feet below pool. The lake has risen 3 feet. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Falcon

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 44.17 feet below pool. Trophy and keeper blue catfish are good in 3-10 feet of water with cut bait, or palm sized live tilapia for bigger catfish. Channel catfish are good with small shad, stink bait or shrimp along vertical structure in 5-10 feet of water. Gar are slow, but excellent bow fishing near the mouth of the Tigers. Crappie are slow with many undersized catches. Bass are good in 3-15 feet of water flipping a creature bait or jig, or throwing a spinnerbait into flooded bushes. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors.

Fayette

FAIR. Water stained; 75 degrees. Bass are fair in shallow water along dam rocks with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfish are fair but the bite is improving on stink bait.

Fork

GOOD. Water Stained; 70 degrees; 0.41 feet above pool. Bass are fair early morning on topwaters and frogs around grass. Bass are good on shaky heads at the edge of grass in 3-5 feet, or Carolina rigs on points and secondary points in 5-8 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Black bass are in a post spawn pattern and aggressive. Top waters are excellent in the shallow grass, streamers are working in the shallow banks. Crappies are shallow catching them on the edge of banks, small fish patterns like wooly buggers are a good bet. Bream are excellent in the shallows, wooly buggers and small poppers should bring a strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. The crappie fishing on Lake Fork has been up and down this past week with the heavy rains and big winds. We had super muddy conditions in areas where we had creek runoff pouring in. It took a few days for the water in those areas to clear back up enough for the bite to pick up. We are finally seeing some black crappie loading up on certain laydowns and docks. If you find the right ones you can load the boat quickly. Seeing a few brush piles in certain areas loading up with white crappie. You can still find white crappie on timber in 10-18ft and we should see more moving out deeper over the next few weeks as all spawning comes to an end. We did see a lot of roaming open water fish as well this past week. Maybe this could have been due to the heavy mud and silt in the water. The crappie may not have needed to get on cover even with the bright sunshine with so much in the water stopping the light penetration. When you find crappie in the clearer water the bite has been good. Hand tied jigs in natural minnow colors are working great. Blues, grays and greens are working in the clear water areas around mid lake. Dark green and orange and dark green and chartreuse was working in the muddy water areas. Soft plastics will produce well in similar colors. Minnows are always a good bait to go to on Lake Fork anytime of year. The catfish are on the move into shallow areas either getting ready to spawn or chasing shad spawning. Good reports on fish being caught around the grass. We are set up perfect for that bite this year with the lake being back up to normal pool. You can still find some fish in the timber in 10-25 feet along creek channels. Look for early morning or late evening roosting birds and fish in those trees. You will need to bait the fish out with cattle cubes or sour grain. Any prepared catfish bait will work on the deep or shallow fish. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Ft. Phantom Hill

GOOD. Water stained; 67 degrees; 6.15 feet below pool. The lake level increased by 2 feet over the last week. This typically slows the bite until the lake stabilizes. Crappie were biting shallow on jigs and minnows.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 4.59 feet below pool. Water is stained and the lake is rising. Most bass and crappie are done spawning, transitioning back out to brush. Bass are good on plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are very good with all the new water running with cut shad and chicken liver. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling on the main lake biting spoons and jigs.

Granbury

GOOD. Water clear; 74 degrees; 0.25 feet below pool. Granbury water temperatures are in the low 70s and continue to warm slowly. Granbury lake levels are normal and some stained water in the backs of creeks is possible due to recent rains. Floating debris may be encountered navigating the lake, so be careful out there. Granbury was releasing water this past week due to the heavy rains. Granbury sand bass fishing continues to be good to excellent on chartreuse and white slabs fished in 12-20 feet of water from Decordova Subdivision to in town by the Shores. Striped bass are slow to fair on live bait and trolled Alabama rigs on the lower ends from Blue Water Shores to Decordova subdivision. Crappie catches on small jigs and minnows are good on submerged structures and docks. Catfish including some big yellows and blues are fair to good on the upper ends on cut shad. Largemouth bass are fair to good on a variety of baits. Spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics are all producing bass to 6 pounds in the backs of sloughs and creeks. Many catches are good near main lake points. Some top water action is possible early and late. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass are slow in 12-40 feet of water on points, edges flats and along the river channel from the dam tp past Ports O’Call. Sand bass are good jigging slabs while anchored or drifting, trolling Alabama rigs with 3 inch swimbaits or other soft plastics. Also good on live or cut threadfin shad while anchored or drifting. Fish can be found on shallow flats as well as the edge of flats in 10-17 feet of water throughout the reservoir. Especially the south end of the lake. Channel catfish and blues are good on live or cut bait along channel edges in the current in 17-40 feet of water. Floating debris throughout the reservoir, especially further up the lake toward the Farm-To-Market 51 bridge and Tin Top. Less amounts of debris present towards the dam. Water clarity is murky due to the rain, and influx of water being released from Possum Kingdom Lake. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton’s Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Granger

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 4.85 feet above pool. Black bass are fair on topwaters fished in shallow water. Crappie are good on jigs fished over structure. White bass are fair on slab spoons fished along shallow roadbeds. Blue catfish are very good in the newly flooded areas along the shoreline. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines around timber. The lake is 6 feet above normal and rising. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water clear; 62 degrees; 8.56 feet above pool. White bass are in shallow water with inline spinners in the first hour of daylight. A congregation of herons and egrets standing onshore can be a helpful hint of feeding fish. After that concentrate on 15-20 feet of water on the wind blown points. Late morning look at 30 feet depths with fish suspended at 25 feet. Launch from the high water ramp at Katie’s Wood Park. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Greenbelt

FAIR. Water normal stain; 62 degrees; 45.89 feet below pool. Fishing is holding steady. Crappie are fair in shallow water on jigs and minnows. Sand bass are good in shallow water. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. A few catfish are being caught. Walleye are slow but the quality is good.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 70 degrees. Black bass will chase small streamers and top waters above and around grass. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Make long casts as the water is clear. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Houston County

GOOD. Water clear; 67 degrees; 0.99 feet above pool. Crappie made a big move to deeper water brush piles, standing timber and power lines in 12-15 feet of water this week. Crappie can be caught on minnows. White bass started feeding at night around docks with lights. White bass are biting beetle spins and super spoons. Largemouth bass frog bite has picked up. Largemouth bass are good in 1-7 feet of water with frogs, wacky worms, weightless Texas rigs, yum dingers or swim jigs. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Hubbard Creek

GOOD. Water Stained; 67 degrees; 12.03 feet below pool. Crappie fishing slowed on brush piles.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.38 feet above pool. Bass are good on dropshots, shaky heads, and Carolina rigs on offshore structure. Topwater action is improving but not on fire yet.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.51 feet above pool. Crappie are being caught over brush piles and at the edge of the hydrilla on crappie jigs. Bass, a few big ones can still be caught shallow with some moving out a little towards summer spots. Small bass are being caught up shallow on your favorite soft plastics. White bass are schooling up all over the lake, just be at the right place at the right time. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lake O’ the Pines

GOOD. Water stained; 71 degrees; 5.48 feet above pool. The lake is 9 feet high proceed with caution boat lane poles are only showing 12 inches, normal stick out of the water about 10 feet. Crappie are good in standing timber across from the Alley Creek area in 25-30 feet of water with jigs or minnows. Catfish are excellent in 2-6 feet of water with worms, cut bait or cheese bait. Catfish are shallow throughout the lake as they gear up to spawn. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O’ the Pines Crappie Fishing. Bass are good with catches up to 8 pounds flipping into flooded bushes with creature baits. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 4.87 feet above pool. Crappie are roaming and we are not seeing a lot of structure yet. The shad spawn is in 7-10 feet of water so this can be a good area to look. A few can be caught pitching small jigs 1/16 ounce and letting it sink to the fish then slowly retrieve, or fishing structure in 5-15 feet. White bass are on fire throwing topwaters, paddle tails, swimbaits, or using 1 ounce slabs with the jig, tied 18 inches above it. If the fish are blowing up on the shore and you do not want to throw lures at them, you can just drop down a slab in 14-15 feet of water just outside of them and turn your Bobo thumper to draw them under the boat. Watch the surface of the water and when they start boiling and pushing bait to the surface, you can cast top waters at them up to four and 5 inches. Catfish are spawning on the rocks. Throwing out soured maze is working great then use chicken liver, shrimp or fresh shad or punch bait under a bobber 3-10 feet of water. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

LBJ

FAIR. Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.27 feet below pool. Stained. Crappie are fair in 10-20 feet of water on brush piles with chartreuse jigs. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are good flipping docks with wacky rigged stick worms, jigs and flukes. Working along bulkheads will catch some good ones throwing shallow crankbaits, wake baits and frogs. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 74 degrees; 3.69 feet above pool. Fishing can be tough due to the influx of water from recent weather and there is more rain in the forecast. White bass are fair to good on humps and points in 20-35 feet of water with slabs, jigs and live bait. Cast small swimbaits shallow to the birds on the bank. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair in similar depths as the white bass. If you are keeping fish, please be aware that there are a lot of undersized hybrid stripers in the lake that look very similar to a white bass. Catfish are good drifting flats near the river channel and ledges of wind blown points in 12-30 feet of water. The shallow water catfish bite has been good as well with shad spawning. Anchor in 1-5 feet of water near wind blown points, timber, sticks, and creek and river mouths. Crappie are fair using minnows or jigs in 4-25 feet of water on brush piles, rock piles, stumps, standing timber, and laydowns. Cover near drop-off ledges has been productive as well. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Bass are in 4-10 feet of water with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or dragging a soft plastic. The best bite seems to be from 1-2 p.m.

Limestone

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Crappie made a big move to deeper water brush piles, standing timber and power lines in 13-17 feet of water this week. Crappie can be caught on minnows. White bass started feeding at night around docks with lights. White bass are biting beetle spins and super spoons. Largemouth bass frog bite has picked up. Largemouth bass are good on spawning beds in 1-4 feet of water in the creek channels using swim jigs, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Livingston

SLOW. Stained; 67 degrees; 0.60 feet above pool. Water clarity is muddy. White bass catches are possible in 10-13 feet of water on secondary points. Catfish are good on the bulkheads. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.

Martin Creek

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.04 feet above pool. Bass are fair fishing over the hydrilla with weightless senkos and wacky rigged worms. Larger fish are on deep brush off points with deep crankbaits and shaky head rigged worms. Crappie are good on deep brush in 25-30 feet of water using shad colored jigs and minnows. Catfish are good in 5-15 feet of water on clay or hard bottoms on nightcrawlers and live bait.

Medina

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 91.82 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers on the water due to limited access and low water level.

Meredith

FAIR. Water stained; 66 degrees; 45.82 feet below pool. Bass are good on minnows and artificials. Catfish are fair with crawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad. Crappie are fair with artificial baits and minnows. White bass are good on just about anything. Trout are slow on powerbaits, minnows, worms, small spinners, spoons and flies. Walleye are good to excellent on minnows, grubs, and other artificial baits. The bite on all species seems to be improving, with the exception of trout in the stilling basin. April, May and June are by far the best months to catch fish. Please be safe out there, watch weather reports. Life vests saves lives. Report by Kenneth Wysong, SharKens Honey Hole.

Millers Creek

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 4.00 feet below pool. Water level increased 3-5 feet in the last week. Gar are spawning near the dam. Blue catfish have been caught near the dam while anglers were targeting crappie with jigs. Crappie are fair in brush piles in 10 feet or more. Largemouth bass are slow, targeting recently submerged areas shallow. Hybrids and white bass can be caught trolling crankbaits.

Nacogdoches

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.98 feet above pool. Bass are good on 6 inch glide bait, dropshots, medium diving crankbait on offshore channel swings. A frog is very effective right now in shallow vegetation. Reports of good catches of catfish with cut bait. Crappie are excellent on brush and standing timber with chartreuse crappie jigs. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Naconiche

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 74 degrees; full pool. The water level is just above the stumps with more rain in the forecast, so navigate with caution. Some bass have situated themselves near the roadbeds and some are starting to gather, suspended, over the deep creeks. The underspin always gets bit, but do not be afraid to throw a +1 jerkbait in these situations. With the water starting to warm, a faster twitch presentation can find some good fish. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on topwater frogs, large ribbon tail soft plastics, and dropshots in 12-15 feet of water. Crappie are excellent using chartreuse jigs on brush and standing timber. Catfish are slow. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Nasworthy

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 78 degrees. 0.58 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are good on white chatterbaits flipping soft plastics in the reeds in 1-3 feet of water. Look out for the shad spawn as fish are beginning to key in on this pattern. Crappie are good around boat docks on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait around the dam. Report provided by the Angelo State Fishing Team.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; 11.43 feet above pool. Liberty Hill boat ramp is open, all other boat ramps are closed due to flooding. Very few anglers on the water.

O.C. Fisher

SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 52.06 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.

O.H. Ivie

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 71 degrees; 30.10 feet below pool. Water level has risen over 14 inches since last week. Largemouth bass are good with numbers of 4-9 pounds fish caught with a variety of swimming baits in shallow brush in 4 feet of water. Bigger bass are in 20 feet of water hitting crankbaits and 10 inch worms. White bass are very good schooling mid lake and large flats near the dam with squarebill crankbaits, or rattletraps. Crappie are moving to bigger hardwood trees 8-19 feet with small red head jigs and minnows. Catfish good in 10 feet or less on cutshad, perch on jug lines and rod and reel. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.

Oak Creek

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 16.27 feet below pool. Black bass are good on plastic creature baits and stick baits in watermelon purple swirl or green pumpkin, and squarebill crankbaits. Crappie bite is improving on crappie jigs. Catfish are good on cut carp and shad. The trot line anglers are having success with live bait. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 74 degrees; 1.08 feet above pool. Recent storms with lightning and strong winds limited the fishing last weekend. More inclement weather is in the forecast, but should be without the strong winds, except in the immediate vicinity of thunderstorms. White bass and hybrid striper have been excellent trolling over humps, points and roadbeds with Yankee rigs with a diver, redneck rigs or crankbait diver, and rattle traps Please be sure you can tell the whites and hybrids apart, use the stripes-to-the-tail method described in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual. Catfish are in shoreline rocks now for the spawn. Channel catfish fishing remains excellent for the small ones using a bobber fishing about 5 feet out from the rocks. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 6.57 feet below pool. The lake has risen a foot and continues to rise. Blue catfish are good with cut bait in freshwater. Crappie are slow. Carp are spawning. Drums are biting on minnows and worms.

Pinkston

GOOD. normal stain; 74 degrees. May is one of the best times to fish Pinkston. Largemouth bass are good in numbers fishing the deep water on the south end near the dam with 6-8 inch flutter spoons, dropshot and spooks. Topwater frogs are good in grass near the dam. Black crappie are fair on natural colored crappie jigs and minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Possum Kingdom

GOOD. Water clear; 73 degrees; 0.26 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are consistent as the water temperature slowly starts to increase. Stripers are fair to good in 30-70 feet of water. Live bait is the most consistent way to put fish in the boat but some can be caught trolling with white, chartreuse, and silver lures. Sand bass are slow to fair with fish scattered in 10-20 feet of water using live shad or small slabs and jigs in white or silver. Catfish are good with cut shad in 2-10 feet and 40-60 feet of water. Water clarity is steady at 4-10 feet of visibility. The north end of the lake is extremely muddy. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. Fishing patterns are holding steady for bass. Bass are good on topwaters in the mornings, then using worms later in the day in 8-15 feet of water. Report by JK Outdoors Bass Fishing Guide Service.

Proctor

SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 9.44 feet below pool. Water continues to run into the lake and the water level is on the rise. Sowell Creek day use ramp is now open, as well as the Copperas Creek west campground ramp. Reports that gar fishing is good in the shallow water near Sowell Creek.

Raven

GOOD. Water stained; 71 degrees. Lake Raven is temporarily closed due to flooding.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 74 degrees; 0.02 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady heading into a weekend with mild weather. White bass are good early in the morning on flats in 2-6 feet of water using small bospinners and 3 inch swimbaits 1/2 ounce jig head. Look for birds on the shorelines picking up shad. White bass relating to humps and long points in 17-26 feet of water using 3/4 ounce Bovee slab with a jig 12 inches above. Crappie are fair in 14-18 feet of water relating to brush. Catfish have moved mid depth on long points and ridges in 14-24 feet of water with cut shad. Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 2.27 feet above pool. White bass are on the bank in the morning using topwaters. Channel catfish should start picking up, with a few blue catfish in deeper water. Channel catfish are good on punch bait or cut. Crappie are good on structure 15-20 feet on minnows. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 1.59 feet above pool. White Bass are good on main lake points and humps in 25-35 feet of water with a slab and jig combination. Check out the Old U.S. Route 287 Roadbed. Hybrid stripers are good on the Texas State Highway 309 Flats and Pelican Island in 30 feet of water on live shad. Catfish are fair on windblown points with shad. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service.

Sam Rayburn

GOOD. Water stained; 74 degrees; 0.08 feet below pool. The lake is on the rise due to runoff. The water is off colored midlake. Bass are on points and deeper water with Carolina or Texas rigs. The frog bite is picking up bass in shallow lily pads and brush. The spawn is finally finishing up with a few still on beds. Crappie are primarily on brush with a few shallow spawners in cypress trees. Catfish are good in deeper water channels with cut bait, minnows and worms. Some catches of big blue catfish. White bass are schooling on points biting minnows, jigging spoons, and small crankbaits. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Lake is full pool with the water rising on average 1 foot every two days. There has been a large wave of fish, pushing shallow following bait. Target bass on grass, bushes and standing timber using topwater frogs, small swimbaits, and swim jigs. Offshore bite is still productive in 15-22 feet of water, but the fish are scattered at the moment due to changing water levels. Report by Captain Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.

Somerville

GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.96 feet above pool. Anticipate more boater traffic while other area lakes are temporarily closed due to flooding. Catfish are fair and crappie and bluegill good on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black bass are slow hitting soft crankbaits and plastic baits in 5-8 feet of water. Crappie good on the brush piles in 10-20 feet of water and pilings biting minnows and small jigs. Catfish are very good in 2-8 feet of water. Larger catfish are good in deep water on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. White bass are good trolling in the lake using Pet spoons and jigs, and when anchored with ghost minnows or shad. Hybrids are good from the shore at the dam and Welch Park areas using cut bait and 2 ounce jigs. Finding schools is the key. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Spence

SLOW. Water stained; 75 degrees. 47.83 feet below pool. Black bass are good flipping jigs or vibrating jigs into the shallows. Crappie are reported to be slow. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait in deeper pockets. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.

Stamford

GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.03 feet below pool. The lake is fresh with water running over the spillway. Crappie bite is good when you can find spawning crappie in shallow water with crappie jigs. Largemouth bass are in similar areas as the crappie hitting the crappie jigs. Channel catfish are good casting minnows on the rocks. Fish seem to have a low metabolism but as the water continues to clear and warm the bite should become more active.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.51 feet above pool. Incredibly, Stillhouse Hollow has risen over 14 feet in the last 10 days and hit the full pool mark on May 7th, the first time the lake has been full since August 2022. The courtesy docks are now once again usable. There is muddy water in the eastern half of the lake, with clearer water existing the closer you get to the dam. Largemouth bass fishing continues to be the main draw on this hydrilla-packed reservoir with most consistent anglers targeting fish on the deep outside edge of hydrilla beds. Catfish anglers willing to barge through the debris found between Cedar Gap Park and Union Grove Park have been scoring where the Lampasas River and Trimmier Creek merge, especially when current from runoff is obvious. Newly submerged vegetation in shallow water is a good fishing option. Dark, natural hues are a solid choice for soft plastic baits all year. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 1.87 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to warm despite high water levels and fishing also continues to be great. Hybrid striper & white bass are finishing up their spawning this week and we are seeing many fish without eggs anymore. Fish are being caught on humps and points in 15-25 feet on slabs and swimbaits. Eating sized blue catfish are really good on wind blown banks in 1-5 feet on fresh cut bait. Channel catfish are wide open under bobbers or straight down on punch bait in 1-5 feet or 18-22 feet. Crappie are good around docks and shallow brush. Jigs are working best. Largemouth bass are solid and biting good around lily pads, shallow docks, rip rap and concrete structure. The shad spawn is in full swing. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texana

SLOW. Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.96 feet below pool. Lake is turbid, but the upper portion is starting to clear. Bass are fair north of the U.S. Route 59. Crappie are slow.

Texoma

GOOD. Water normal stain; 67 degrees; 6.02 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is excellent on live shad fishing deep water 50-70 feet suspending shad around 40-50 feet down. Bigger the bait, the bigger the fish. Topwaters are working great along flooded rocks where shad are spawning, keep an eye out for birds along the banks. The mudline will be throughout the lake but coves will hold clear water along with fish and bait. Crappie fishing is slow as most fish are shallow up in the trees and grass that is flooded after a few years of being dry. Slip corks with minnows in the trees, docks are producing a few on jigs with a crappie nibble tip. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are good on top waters and plastics along rocks where shad are spawning early. Tires near marinas will hold bass as well. Catfishing is good, seeing flatheads coming from stumpy areas on live shad and blue cats coming off the rocks down the bluffs in 40-50 feet of water. Channel catfish are showing up in coves 30 feet near creek mouths. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. The lake is muddy and 5-6 feet above normal due to runoff from the rivers. Watch for the egrets feeding on the shad spawn leading the way to hybrid stripers. Hybrid stripers are excellent with limits coming on topwaters along the bank early in the morning, then switch to brightly colored swimbaits on flats and points in 10-20 feet of water. The bigger fish have moved off the banks to deeper water. The spawn is coming to an end so fish will start to transition to the dam area. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Toledo Bend

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.52 feet above pool. The lake is high and there continues to be an Influx of water flowing in so the floodgates remain open. The main lake is stained. The wind has been high, so it has been hard to stay out there on these fish. Bass are good with lots of action on top water baits for the first hour of daylight. Once the sun rises over the trees, time to back out either in front of the flooded bushes or 8-10 feet of water with wacky-worms, light Texas rigs and shallow running crankbaits. There are a few fish on deep main lake points and ridges in 12-18 feet with Texas or Carolina rigs, and big crankbaits. Crappie bite if off due to the high water and current. A few fish can be caught on brush, but the best bite has been on docks in 8-12 feet of water with jigs and live bait. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.

Travis

GOOD. Water stain; 70 degrees; 48.84 feet below pool. The lake has risen 3 feet. Bass are good in the main lake in shallow water and pockets, and points off the main lake with swimbaits and craws. Bigger bass on craws, creature baits, with better numbers on dropshots. More bass are starting to show up in marinas. White bass are schooling near bluff walls chasing the shad spawn. Report by Randal Frisbie, Central Texas Fishing Guide, LLC. Fishing patterns are similar with consistent weather. Expect the frog bite and topwater to turn on, and suspended shad under marinas makes for schooling bass as well. The majority of bass are done spawning, but you may stumble upon some along small pockets or ledges on the main lake in about as deep as you can see on bluff walls. Texas rigged soft plastics like stick worms, lizards, or creature baits, and craws work well here, and a medium crankbait also will catch some nice ones. The grass is holding lots of post spawners, and most of your soft plastics will work here, including flukes and swimbaits. Topwater bite is starting to pick up with the warmer weather. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Twin Buttes

GOOD. Water stained. 79 degrees; 33.69 feet below pool. As the water temperature increases catfish are scattered between shallow and deep water. Crappie are slow and scattered on brush in 7-8 feet of water, but as the water temperature increases water temperatures crappie should move to deeper water on brush. White bass are slow with very little surface action. Best to target white bass at night in the lights for numbers. No reports of largemouth bass. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.

Tyler

FAIR. Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.61 feet above pool. Bass are fair in all depths on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and trick worms. Crappie are fair in 16 feet of water on brush piles with minnows and jigs. Bream are good on red worms. Catfish are fair on liver and stink bait in shallow water grass and rock lines. Report by Paul Taylor, The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Waco

GREAT. Water stained; 66 degrees; 20.18 feet above pool. All boat ramps are closed due to flooding. The U.S. Corps of Engineers Parks are closed and are projected to reopen June 3, 2024.

Walter E. Long

GOOD. Water normal stain; 75 degrees. Big groups of shad in the back of many coves, but bass are not blasting them. Bass are spread out between the reeds, grass, with bigger fish are biting on the deeper edges of grass, but there are not as many bites. The worm is still catching the most fish. Many techniques are working giving us options for going after them, but worms are still catching most of the fish. The weather has been cloudy and rainy with similar rain in the forecast. Panfish bite is still going strong. Crappie bite is good in deeper brush tops, and in the grass. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide. Crappie are good in 5-10 feet of water with black and chartreuse jigs. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 75 degrees; 1.16 feet below pool. Fishing has slowed after a rise in water level for all species but should improve as the water stabilizes. Crappie are fair with smaller sized catches in deeper water brush piles with minnows or jigs. Bass are slow transitioning to summer pattern depths hitting crankbaits and chatterbaits. Catfish are fair in shallow water.

Welsh

GOOD. Water stained. 77 degrees. Welsh is a power plant lake and is primarily fished in the winter months so there are few anglers on the water.

White River

SLOW. Water normal stain; 70 degrees; 19.89 feet below pool. Crappie are good using minnows in the shallows. Catfish are being caught on cut bait, minnows and worms from the docks or banks. White bass can be caught trolling near the island with a crankbait.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 72 degrees; 8.56 feet above pool. Water levels are 8 feet high. Catfish are good in the mouth of creeks fishing with cut shad. Striped bass limits are being caught on live shad in 20-35 feet of water, with a few being caught in shallow water on topwater plugs. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows fished near deeper structure. White bass are fair moving out of the creeks in shallow waters. Largemouth bass continue to be fair along structures and docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 1.81 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Wright Patman

GOOD. Water stained; 74 degrees; 2.73 feet above pool. Crappie are loading up on brush tops all over the lake. Crappie are biting best on points with minnows and jigs. Catfish have slowed down, but still can be caught with range cubes, blood or cheese bait. Report by Jerry Gennings, local angler and guide.

Houston

GOOD. Water stained; 66 degrees; 1.85 feet above pool. After the recent rains the lake levels are high, water is stained and there is a lot of floating debris. The lake should take a few weeks to bounce back. Current is very strong in certain locations, so please do not take a chance, be prepared and wear your kill switch. Great time to go through your safety gear and take time to run inventory, clean and inspect for replacing. Catfish will be biting great in live and cut shad. Largemouth bass and white bass will light up. Shortly after that the crappie will turn back on. Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by the latest floods. Great opportunity to take time to check on your neighbor or friend if they live by the waters edge. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

« Fishing Report Search

Zebra Mussel AlertTo prevent the spread of zebra mussels, the law requires draining of water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh waters. Get details.

Fishing reports are produced with support from Toyota and the federal Sport Fish Restoration program.

 Text TPWD REPORT to 468-311 to get updates by text.

  EMAIL UPDATES

Get the Weekly Fishing Reports by Email

Texas Weekly Saltwater Fishing Report

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Saltwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of May 8, 2024

Redfish Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. Cold front with 20-25 mph northeast wind in the forecast over the weekend. This should push fish closer to shorelines in thigh deep water while the winds are high. Target fish in areas protected by the wind. Redfish are good on shad, menhaden and mullet. Trout are excellent on croaker near Dagger Island. Black drums are scattered. Trout are good on breaks outside of edges in 4-5 feet of water. Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 75 degrees. North wind forecasted to hit Friday. This may push the water out of the back lakes. If this happens, target redfish and drum along the shoreline and beach front in the bay. While the tides are high continue to target redfish and drum in the back lakes. Redfish up to 20 inches are good on cut mullet and drum are good on dead shrimp. Scattered catches of trout in the cuts and shoreline along the edges leading to deeper water with live shrimp under a popping cork. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 72 degrees. Still an influx of freshwater coming into Sabine Lake shutting off the bite on the North levee wall. It should take a few more weeks for the water to stabilize. Fish in areas with higher salinity levels. Intracoastal waterway is good for sheepshead, black drums and few redfish with Carolina rigged shrimp in 14-18 feet of water, or in 2-4 feet of water on rock piles and mud flats with live shrimp under a popping cork. Jetties are good with live shrimp Carolina rigged or on a popping cork for catches of sheepshead, and drums. Limits of slot redfish are possible on days with light wind. No reports on trout, often trout will move back to the gulf while the water is fresh. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 72 degrees. Water levels are still high from the south winds and freshwater dumping from the north. The best bite conditions this week will be on the tide changes and edges of the color changes. There are plenty of redfish of varying sizes everywhere! Sand trout, sheepshead, black drum, small speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with a couple stingrays and sharks. The surf is producing black drum, gafftop, stingrays, and bigger sharks mostly off Boyt road and further east towards Gilchrist. People were using everything for bait this past week with good results. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Trinity Bay

SLOW. 75 degrees. The Bay off-colored and fresh due to runoff. The salinity reading at Morgan’s Point is near zero. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The bay is stained and flooded due to the influx of freshwater in the bay from The San Jacinto River and Trinity River. Great time to go through your safety gear for inspection and cleaning. Be safe, be prepared for floating debris and wear your kill switch. Redfish, trout and flounder will bounce back as salinity levels return after the floods. Drum will be hitting first, then the redfish. Huge prayers to everyone affected by the recent floods. Take time to check in your neighbor or friend if they live close to the water edge. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 78 degrees. The bay is mostly fresh and off-colored due to runoff. Target salt water pockets along the south shoreline near Fat Rat Pass. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 76 degrees. Water clarity is normal for East Galveston Bay, with the further East you travel the more stirred up the water is. With the high tides and strong south and southeast winds we battled this week we were limited to fishing close to the shoreline over scattered shells and back in the back lakes to hide from the wind the best we could. As in previous weeks, if you see active bait the fish are close by. Anchor or Power pole down and fan cast the entire area, as this week we were able to catch multiple limits of trout from just a couple of small areas. If you get into an area and do not see bait activity, make a few casts, and move on, as our experience has been, if you find good amounts of bait the fish are close by. This week we have thrown �¼ ounce jig heads with Wac Attack straight tails in monkey milk, topwaters, as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, under a 1-2 foot leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. The popping cork with shrimp setup was the top performer for our fishing clients this week resulting in some of the most aggressive bites of the year. We also managed to catch several over the slot Redfish this week in the same areas, as well as some nice flounder. Spring is finally here, and fishing is continuing to heat up as the water warms and the fronts blowing through become less disruptive. If you are looking to get out on the water and beat the crowds, now is the perfect time to make it happen. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Galveston Bay

SLOW. 79 degrees. Influx of freshwater continues to enter the bay. A few black drums are being caught near Moses Lake. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 79 degrees. With all the freshwater dumping into Galveston Bay, this might be the place to catch speckled trout. Anglers wading with live croaker are finding good numbers of trout, and a few redfish. Those also fishing with live shrimp under popping corks are rounding out their catch with black drum. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Texas City

FAIR. 78 degrees. Wind has been a factor for those trying to fish the Galveston jetties. Anglers fishing lower Galveston Bay from Swan Lake to the Galveston causeway finding a few speckled trout, black drum and redfish on live shrimp under popping corks. beachfront piers reporting catches of black drum, gafftopsail catfish, jackfish, sharks, and a few speckled trout showing up. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Texas slams, or speckled trout, redfish, and flounder, are reported every day with some occasional black drums, sheepshead, and gafftop. The wade anglers have caught limits along the levee and mosquito island. Shane Rilat Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Freeport

SLOW. 81 degrees. Lighter winds in the forecast so expect the bite to improve. Target trout, redfish and drum in the cuts and back lakes with shrimp under a popping cork. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. A few anglers braving the wind are landing catches of redfish and drum wade fishing with croaker, or drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork. Days with calm winds are best targeting fish on the west end of the bay. On days with mild wind a few catches of trout can be had drifting. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. A few anglers braving the wind are landing catches of redfish and drum wade fishing with croaker, or drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork. The tides have been low limiting fishable areas. On days with mild wind a few catches of trout can be had drifting. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O’Connor

GOOD. 74 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Trout are good at the back of the jetties near Honey Hole and Alcatraz Island. To locate Alcatraz Island look to the right of the jetties for a mound of rocks that were once a rock wall. Honey Hole will be to the left of the jetties. Oversized trout on the outside of the jetty 100 feet back from the surf. Gafftopsail catfish are good throughout the jetty in 15-25 feet of water on Spanish sardines or dead shrimp. Redfish are good in the shallow water of the washouts of the Little Rocks. Little Rocks is what many refer to as the entrance of the jetties, but the jetty actually begins about a half of mile into Little Rocks when the jetty widens into a flare or apron. Black drum are good near Alcatraz Island and halfway into the South Jetty in 15-25 feet of water on fish bites, crab and dead shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GOOD. 74 degrees. Trout are good on croaker along grass and drop-offs, or with a popping cork and shrimp on flats. Redfish have been great on shrimp and cut menhaden or mullet in flats and along channel edges. Black drum are great on dead shrimp along channel edges drains and in flats. In the flats you want to find sand pockets and place baits in them. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 74 degrees. The surf has been producing good redfish and trout in first and second gut. Redfish are great on shrimp, blue crab and cut bait. Trout are good with croaker or shrimp free lined along rocks. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 72 degrees. Cold front with 20-25 mph northeast wind in the forecast over the weekend. This should push fish closer to shorelines in thigh deep water while the winds are high. Target fish in areas protected by the wind. Redfish are good on shad, menhaden and mullet. Trout are excellent on croaker near Dagger Island. Black drums are holding to the outside of Traylor Island on scattered oyster shells and sand with dead shrimp. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

Baffin Bay

SLOW. 73 degrees. The bay has finally cleared and the tide is up about a foot. We are finally seeing lots of trout and redfish coming into the bay through the land cut. Fish are feeding on shrimp so use pink and silver topwaters, or pumpkin seed chartreuse soft plastics to imitate the shrimp. Scan the bay for bird action to lead the way to schools of trout. Fish areas protected from the wind. The south shoreline and potholes have been productive. Report by Captain Cliff Webb. It is still windy, but Baffin fish are beginning to really eat up for the spawn. Windward shorelines have been working best and they are packed with mullet, which is the favorite trout food. Straight tails and paddle tails are working great, and sometimes even louder top waters like the she dog. Water levels are still high, which is good for all bay systems. Baffin Bay will be great for a while if you’re looking for a big trout, and there are lots of redfish up shallow. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water! Report by Captain Sally Black.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 80 degrees. Another successful week of fishing. Water continues to be high and temperatures running in the low 80s. Good redfish action shallow early in the mornings on Mansfield Knockers. We have even found a few good pods of them tailing until about 9 a.m. Additionally, there have been a few good trout on the outer edges of the pods. There are more trout out a little deeper in potholes and most of these are coming on junior Wigalo’s. This pattern should hold a couple more weeks. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. Windy conditions are usual for this time of year. The tides have increased significantly which changes the course of action when deciding where to fish. There is a plethora of small profile bait in our bays, because of this downsize your lure size. Still finding solid bites in knee to just above knee deep water, in grassy scattered sand pockets, and sandy scattered grass beds. Top producing baits are the SoftDine XL, in any color as well as the MirrOlure Lil John XL’s in golden bream, watermelon gold glitter and purple demon. Lots of baitfish activity in the bays, when looking for an area to focus on, look for 2-5 inch baitfish, swirls, slicks and pelicans diving or floating, these are all positive signs that big fish are in the area. Stay patient and dissect the area completely, fanning out your casts and making deliberate casts to the edges of those grass beds and sand pockets. As summer break is vastly approaching, the traffic on the water is beginning to increase. Always remember to stay safe and courteous on the water, and as always tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

GOOD. 75 degrees. Trout are good on Gas Well Flats. Redfish are fair along the color line off of Zipline. Best bet is live shrimp under clicking popping cork. When the winds are high fish the end of the Brownsville Channel for mangrove snapper, a few redfish and trout free shrimping throwing to deep water off of the shore line. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 75 degrees. Trout are good on Gas Well Flats. Redfish are fair along the color line off of Zipline. Best bet is live shrimp under clicking popping cork. When the winds are high fish the end of the Brownsville Channel for mangrove snapper, a few redfish and trout free shrimping throwing to deep water off of the shore line. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre

« Fishing Report Search

Zebra Mussel AlertTo prevent the spread of zebra mussels, the law requires draining of water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh waters. Get details.

Fishing reports are produced with support from Toyota and the federal Sport Fish Restoration program.

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

11 Pound Guntersville Bass

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

 

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Reports

Fishing Report 5/11/24


The bass are on the move again and spreading the lake, many have moved into the deeper
water and changing locations to feed as the bream beds are producing bites especially early
in the day before the sun and heat drive them back to the deeper water. As I’m sure most of
noticed we are still in this endless weather pattern change about every couple of days forcing
you to relocate the feeding fish as they continue to move and get pushed from the
adjustment to the low-pressure systems.


Baits are generally down to your favorite bait as anything from soft plastics to crank baits and
top water are all working. For me it’s about Tight-Line jigs and their swim jigs, Missile Bait
“48” stick baits, and Duckett small profile spinner baits. There are others like SPRO crank
baits that are also having success.

It’s Time for a Jig


When the bass has transitioned from the spring bite to the summer bite, a bait, I enjoy fishing
is working a traditional jig; there are several reasons I like this presentation and none more
important than the pure fact it catches big fish. If you’re a tournament fisherman, you can
rest assure that this bait gives you a great chance of landing the kind of fish that will give you
a chance to win the tournament. There are some keys to getting this bait to do its magic.


Mostly it relies on patience and fishing around the right kind of cover to get the best results.
Jig fishing is often about getting the bait to immolate the feeding source that the bass are
feeding own so understanding your lake and food source can be very important. When the jig
bite is the best for me its generally early summer when there is spotty grass with holes in it
that you can get the jig to drop into. This also requires some thought as to the size of the jig
your fishing; a bulky jig is better for flipping but early summer requires you to pick a smaller
profile that will fall into the edges and holes in the spotty grass. Shaking and stroking your jig
in this time period is imperative as you must create some movement that the bass will react
too. The good news is when the bass are sitting in the holes, they generally feed upward
allowing them to see that bait above their head and reacting to the movement.


As the summer progresses the football jig becomes a great choice as the bass move deep and
feed in the deep shell beds and feed on crawfish in the deeper water. A football jig is just
ideal for dragging your jig on the bottom as it replicates crawfish like no other bait. Find the
deep shell beds as this type of bottom structure in the heat of the summer helps create
oxygen as the water warms and always holds good fish. There is also wood around most deep
shell beds as stumps hold the shells in place on the bottom and the bass like to hide and
ambush on the down side of the structure.

Come fish with me I have days available the movement into spring patterns is close and the best is yet to come. Call today to schedule your trip to Lake Guntersville. We fish with great sponsor products, Mercury Motors, Ranger Boats, Lowrance Electronics, Dawson Boat Center, Toyota Trucks, Vicious Fishing, Duckett Fishing, Lew’s Fishing, Power Pole, Missile Baits T&H Marine and more.


Captain Macks’ Lake Lanier Fishing Report

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Reports

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

The first weekend of May might be a little on the soggy side, with warm temps and a light to
moderate south winds. Hmmm… sounds like pretty good fishing weather to me. The extended
forecast indicates lots of cloud cover through the week, and an increasing chance of rain late in
the week. The bite reminds pretty good for Bass and Stripers, although we are seeing some
changes with the warming water temps. The lake level dropped last week, .28 feet, to a level of
1071.23 that is .23 above full pool. We’ll call the core surface temp 72 degrees.

Remember to
be sure and tune into Capt Macks Epic Outdoors Radio each Saturday AM, 4 to 6 am. on WSB
750 Am. Yeah, it’s early, but I’ll be up with a pot of coffee and some Fig Newtons waiting to take
your hunting and fishing calls.


Striper Fishing


The bite is good, and the techniques are really the same as recent weeks. The fish are also
using the same types of structures and areas, with maybe a little more emphasis on the Herring
spawn. The fish are pretty catchable when you find them so stay in the move until you locate
them. Free lines and planers continue to account for good numbers of fish, but the down lines
are still producing and are perhaps a bigger part of the pattern than in the last few weeks. Keep
in mind the floating down lines, they are often a good technique at this point in the year. Herring
and Gizzard Shad are catching fish, with shiners also still being effective, the shiners mostly on
the free lines. Pulling the baits around shallow humps, reef poles, and points is a solid pattern,
best in the am, but effective all day.


Looking for the spawning bait fish remains a good strategy, find the bait fish spawns and the
Stripers will likely be nearby. Shad and Herring may spawn on almost any type of rock or hard
surface. Look around the ridge pilings, seawalls, rip rap or rocky banks. The fish that are around
the bait concentrations may be shallow, especially early. After the bait fish activity slows or
ceases, the Stripers may stay in the same area, just backing off into deeper water and relating
very loosely to the structure.


The pitch bite remains very, very good, perhaps one of our most prolific patterns each year. To
respond to a couple of questions; What exactly is pitching? It is just finding a likely structure that
is holding fish, securing the boat with spot lock shallow water anchors, and casting or “pitching’
a live bait, on Lanier general a Herring to the structure. Easy enough, but there are a couple of
pointers there will catch more fish. Firstly, once you pitch, lob may be a better description, to the
point, fish with your rod tip low. The reason being, many of the fish, especially the Stripers will
eat the bait and swim towards the boat, fast! Maybe faster than you can reel. If you rod tip is
high, you lose the benefit of being able to lift the rod on the bite which gives you the ability to
take up several feet of line, aka slack. Also, I prefer not to set the hook, but just start cranking
until you feel the weight of the fish, then lift the rod, keep reeling and that should get the hook
set. I prefer a circle hook over the octopus for the pitching technique


Bass Fishing


April Was a very good month, it’s early, so far it looks like May will continue that trend! The
patterns of the last few days are continuing, I think we can just add in a few post spawn patterns
that are emerging. Are the fish still spawning? I think so, however, I think there was a big group
of fish that spawned on that last full moon that be will be finishing up soon. I still think we will
have another group of spawning fish, maybe not as big as last month, so the shallow water
patterns will still have merit, we’ll just have some post spawn patterns to add variety.

With water
temps in the low 70’s we should have shallow fish anyway, regardless of the spawn.
You’ll still have the advantage of catching fish on many baits, the same baits that have been
effective in recent weeks will still be catching fish. The soft plastics, jerk baits, spinnerbaits,
swim baits (both soft plastics and hard baits)and top waters continue to produce. One footnote
on the spinnerbait bite I have discussed so much recently: as the fish leave the banks the
spinnerbaits will still have application. The technique is the same as mentioned in earlier
reports, just deeper. Fish the bait slowly enough that is following the slope of the bottom to get
the bait down into 5 to 12 feet. a heavier bait may also be a plus in getting into the appropriate
depth range. Banks with cover will still hold fish, it will most likely be that shallow offshore
structures will be more prolific. Target long flat points, shallow humps, deep stump flats and
shallow brush tops.


Keep an eye on the spawning Herring, find them and you find the fish. What to cast? Again, lots
of choices will get the bite. Sashimmy Shads and Lanier Baits Magic Swimmers, are a couple of
consistent producers. Soft plastics on the lead head, and top waters should all get the bite. The
same baits will have application for any schooling fish you see chasing bait, and that is
occurring frequently now!


Good Fishing!!
Capt Mack

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Also See:

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Reports

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Lanier Weekly Fishing Report

April 26, 2024

Water Level: The lake level has risen slightly over the past week to .54 feet ABOVE full pool.

Water Temp: Temps mellowed out a little bit with the cold fronts. I am seeing 64-67 on Garmin.

Water Clarity: The lake is clearing up with the main lake being clear and the rivers above hwy. 369 starting to look more like summer clarity than winter/early spring.

I have been on Lanier for 7 of the past 7 days and the fishing has been good to very good depending on the day. It has been a roll of the dice on which category any given day will be.

We are still fishing shallow by Lanier standards. I don’t think we boated a fish that came out of more than 15ft of water all week. For moving baits, the Mini-Me spinner bait was the most consistent. It played a notable role throughout the week. We stuck with the same retireve I discussed last week. A steady, slchmedium speed retrieve was still best. As with last week, we targeted rock and clay banks with the Mini-Me. Interestingly, this bait/ pattern produced spots, LM and even stripers this week.

It is April and the next presentation should not come as much of a surprise to many readers who have followed along over the past couple of years. The “Pitch Shot” is back in play and we are loving every minute of it. This technique is phenomenal for both numbers and size this time of year.

We have targeted shallow structure with the Pitch Shot this week. While most finesse soft plastics will work, this time of year, it is all about the 4in Zoom Dead Ringer. There is something about this profile that is absolute killer. As the name implies, we are pitching this around and not fishing it all the way to the boat. It is all about putting the bait in as many likely places as possible as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is a technique where anglers can drop the trolling motor and just go fish as they would with a shaky head, however, you are going to cover a lot more water.

Due to the overall number of bites that can occur, this technique is also great for teaching what a worm and more specifically a DS bite feels like. My equipment for this presentation is listed below and here is a link to a short video I made last year on the presentation: https://jeffnail.uscreen.io/programs/pitch-shot-40ee5a

Rod – St. Croix Legend Extreme and Legend X 6’10” MLXF

Reel – 2500/3000 series Shimano Stradic or SEVIIN GX

Line – CAST fishing 12lb Braid with a 8lb Sunline Sniper leader

Hook – 1/0 or 2/0 Owner Down Shot

Sinker – 1/8 or 1/16oz tungsten

The daily videos I publish cover these techniques in greater detail and all other techniques that were effective over this past week. In these videos, I cover the conditions, part of the lake, and how I caught fish (or did not) for most days that I am on the water. All subscribers will have access to all historical videos as well (245 videos). You can sign up and view videos at https://jeffnail.uscreen.io

For the new few weeks, I have the following dates available: April 30, May 1-3, 11-14, 16, 17, 19-22. If you are interested in a trip, please reach out and I will get you on the calendar.

Jeff

770-715-9933

jeffnailfishing@gmail.com

jeffnail.uscreen.io

Jeffnailfishing.net

#stcroixrods#castfishingco#trixstercustombaits#gillfishing#Spotchoker#seviinreels#dugoutbaitandtackle#hammondsfishingcenter#LanierBaits#dugoutbaitandtackle#talkintackle

Jeff Nail_ 0546.JPG

Amazing How Fast Bass Fishing Can Change In A Few Spring Days

Call it a tale of two Sinclairs.  Or a tale of three lakes in only three days. Last weekend showed how fast bass fishing can change this time of year.  

    Last Friday I met Ricky Layton to get information for my GON April Map of the Month article.  The weather guessers were right for a change when they predicted high winds, bluebird skies and cold weather. That combination is usually the kiss of death for fishing in the spring.

    Ricky said we would meet at Bass’s Boat House, an old marina where the clubs used to put in back in the 1970s. It was near the dam and the water might be slightly clearer in that area, and we would be more protected from the wind. All this spring the flooding rains have made our lakes fill up with very muddy water.

    We waited until 9:00 AM to go out since it was cold.  The first two hours seemed to show the weather and muddy water was working against us. Ricky took me to some places he had caught good fish the weekend before, but the water was even muddier than it had been and we got no bites.

    At 11:00 Ricky was starting to look at the article pattern and caught an eight-pound largemouth on a bladed jig. The fish was up shallow near a grass bed, the pattern for April.  That is a big fish for Sinclair, it has been a long time since I have seen one that big there, although there have been several that were close the past few years.

    About noon we started fishing and marking places for the article, working bass bedding and shad spawning areas.  Ricky caught a five-pound largemouth out of a grass bed on what will be hole #2.  A few minutes later he caught one weighing about six pounds there.

    The next place we fished Ricky caught another fish right at six pounds, on the same pattern, halfway back in a creek with grass beds up shallow on the bank.  One of the last places we fished he landed his smallest fish of the day, one that weighted about 3.5 pounds.  In all that time I landed one weighing about 2.5 pounds, but my excuse is I was too busy netting his fish and taking pictures and notes to fish.

    Ricky ended up with five bass weighing a conservative 28 pounds.  That is the kind of catch you dream about and expect on Guntersville, not Sinclair, especially under bad weather conditions.  The water temperature was 58 to 59 degrees where we fished, making those big largemouth were looking for bedding areas.

     On Saturday Ricky took his son fishing at Sinclair.  Although colder, the weather was better, but the fishing was not.  He said they did land a seven-pound fish out of hole #10 but their best five weighed “only” about 14 pounds, not great compared to the day before.

    I could not wait to get on the water Sunday morning in the Flint River Bass Club March tournament at Sinclair.  I should have known better.

    After fishing from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 13 members landed 20 bass weighing about 36 pounds.  There was one five bass limit and five people didn’t catch a 12-inch keeper.

    Travis Weatherly won with five weighing 9.02 pounds and his 4.99 pound largemouth was big fish.  My three weighing 7.47 placed second and I had a 4.57 pounder for my biggest fish. Niles Murray placed third with three weighing 5.75 pounds and Brent Drake came in fourth with three weighing 4.20 pounds.

    The cold air made me shiver on my run to my first stop. Luckily there was enough wind to keep the fog down, it was wispy and hanging just off the water. But there was enough to make it scary trying to watch for all the floating wood.

    I stopped off a grass bed that was perfect for the pattern Ricky caught his big fish on Friday, but my heart sank when my temperature gauge hit 49 degrees.  A nine or ten degree drop just had to affect the bass. It surely did affect my optimism!

    I fished three places in three hours without a bite.  Around 11:00 the weak sun was warming the water a little, raising the temperature to about 51 degrees in the cove where Ricky caught a six pounder.  I cast a Chatterbait across in front of a grass bed, something thumped it and I set the hook.

    My rod bowed up and the fish headed for deep water. I just knew I had a six pounder on, but suddenly my line went slack. The fish just pulled off without me ever seeing it.

    At noon I was in the area where Ricky caught two fish, hole #2. I was very down, fishing half the day without a keeper. The water had warmed to 52 so I had some hope. I cast my Chatterbait into some grass and hooked the four pounder I weighed in. That improved my attitude a lot.

    After another hour of fishing without a bite, I caught a two pounder in front of some grass, then at 2:00 PM landed my third keeper, a one pounder, from another grass bed.  That was it. I fished hard for the rest of the day without another bite.

Are Great Fish Caught On Watts Bar Reservoir In the Fall?

Great Fish Caught On Watts Bar Reservoir

  • from The Fishing Wire
image 5

Rhea County, TN — Watts Bar Reservoir, created in 1942, has remained a consistent bass fishery according to data collected over the past decades. Reservoir biologists are hopeful that a recent catch is reflective of Florida largemouth bass stocking efforts started in 2015. 

Randy Miller of Spring City caught an 11.22-pound largemouth bass on the reservoir and graciously shared the photo with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reservoir biologist, Mike Jolley. Jolley, an employee with over three decades of professional experience, grew up on the lake and has intimate knowledge of its waters.

 “We routinely evaluate our fisheries in reservoirs, including Watts Bar, to assess overall health of population dynamics,” Jolley said.  Some anglers have questioned the status of the bass fishery in this lake. I’m happy to share that Watts Bar has remained a consistent fishery based on long-term, routine data collection.”

TWRA reservoir crews perform yearly creel and electrofishing surveys throughout the entirety of the lake. Furthermore, crews have stocked one million Florida largemouth bass fingerlings into the reservoir since 2015. Jolley stated, “In my career, I’ve never seen a largemouth this size caught on the reservoir, and I look forward to seeing more.” 

1700164555850

Reservoirs decline overtime due to many factors including sedimentation that can cover rocky areas used for spawning and insect habitat. Nutrient loads can decrease, and necessary fish habitat degrades. Reservoir crews address habitat needs on a rotational basis adding structure. Crews and volunteers recently built and added 250 structures. Structures will be utilized by bass, crappie, and various other fish at different life stages. They also provide a place for anglers to target fish.  

Fall is a great time of year to fish. Bass can resume springtime patterns, making them more easily targeted. Furthermore, waterways are less busy. Anglers are reminded to follow safe boating measures. More info on fishing and boating can be found at tnwildlife.org. 

Where and How To Catch Early Ice Walleyes

Early Ice Walleyes

  • from The Fishing Wire

By Bob Jensen

Interest in fishing for walleyes is growing and diversifying.  One thing that remains the same when it comes to walleye fishing is that lakes in some regions are going to freeze over in the winter months.    The walleye enthusiasts that live in the areas that see ice get especially excited about fishing through early ice for walleyes.  When you’re sure that the ice is safe, here’s how you can catch walleyes early in the ice fishing season.

Start looking for early season ice walleyes in the same areas where you caught them late in the open water season.  If the walleyes were there in late open water, they’ll usually still be there, at least for a while.  Points, sunken islands, and the edges of flats will all produce.  

If you’re fishing shallow water, a quiet approach will be most productive.  Shallow water walleyes, and fish in general, can get spooked by too much noise or commotion overhead.  On the other hand, if you’re fishing deeper, say fifteen feet or more, you can move around without as much risk of spooking the walleyes.  However, it works best to pop a bunch of holes along and over the structure before you start fishing.  Get the noisy activity out of the way before you drop a line.

Different anglers have different ideas about walleye fishing through the ice.  Some like to sit on a spot and hope the walleyes come to them, others like to move around and try to find the fish.  Here’s a good rule-of-thumb:  Early in the season sit still or move a little.  Wait’em out.  As the season progresses and the ice gets thicker and the snow cover increases, the angler who moves around will get more action.  

A spoon of some sort is what many anglers use for early ice walleyes.  Actually spoons are a big part of a walleye angler’s arsenal the entire ice season. But spoons have different characteristics, and those characteristics appeal to walleyes in different ways.

Rattling spoons are very popular.  In stained water, the rattling noise helps fish find your bait.  In clear water, the rattle will attract fish from farther away.  The new Rattlin’ PT Spoon has a painted hook that adds to the flash.

A spoon’s design and material that it’s made of will affect how it falls.  Spoons like a Ribbon Leech Flutter Spoon, as the name suggests, has a distinct flutter as it slowly falls.  A Pinhead Spoon is built to fall faster with less flutter. Both have a very important role in fishing through the ice for walleyes. 

There’s no doubt that sonar will enable us to catch more fish.  There are times when a walleye will come in and look at your spoon but not eat it.  The sonar reveals this.  When the fish looks at your spoon but doesn’t eat it, it will often eat a minnow on a plain hook.  When you initially set up on a spot, drill two holes.  Work the spoon under one hole, put a minnow under a bobber down the other hole.  When the walleye comes in and looks at but doesn’t eat the spoon, they’ll often eat the minnow.  Vexilar makes several units that enable an angler to see an expanded area of the water column, and that is going to help us turn the lookers into biters.

Some very accomplished ice-anglers feel the early ice period is best for ice fishing.  Find out for yourself how good this early ice action for walleyes can be.

How and Where To Catch April Lay Lake Bass  with GPS Coordinates

April Lay Lake Bass  with Chandler Holt

Catch big largemouth and Coosa spots in grass or go a little deeper for them on ledges, points and bluffs.  Both patterns will produce good limits of fish this month on Lay Lake on just about any bait you like to throw, so you have a lot of options right now.

Lay Lake is an Alabama Power lake on the Coosa River south of I-20, just downstream of Logan
Martin.  The upper end is riverine but downstream there are big grass flats, shallow creeks and pockets and river ledges and bluffs to fish. It is a fertile lake and produces fat largemouth and spots with 20-pound tournament limits common.

Chandler Holt is a senior at Briarwood Christian
High School and has been on the fishing team for all four years there.  His parents didn’t fish but have fully supported him after he got into tournament fishing. He started fishing farm ponds around his home but got hooked on bass fishing and tournaments, and his parents got him a boat when he was 16.  His fishing team coach is Curtis Gossett and the team has done well.

Over the past ten years as a high school bass team coach, Curtis’s teams have won four state championships, one southeast championship and one national championship.  His fishermen have placed third once and fourth three times in the national championship tournament.  

During his time coaching, Curtis has had two BASS High School All Americans, including his son Zeke, a Jacksonville State senior fishing team member.  This year Zeke won the college championship on Lay on Sunday and got to weigh in on the Classic stage. 

On Saturday, Chandler fished the high school championship on Lay and got to weigh in on the Classic stage, placing second just nine ounces out of first place. Chandler has done well fishing at the high school level and just signed a scholarship with University of Montevallo to fish on that college team next year.

Although he is just starting his fishing career, he has had great support from his parents and coaching from Curtis, as well as studying everything he can find on-line about bass fishing, to make him and excellent young fisherman. He considers Lay Lake his home lake.

“Some big bass spawn in March, but most Lay largemouth spawn in April. Most spots spawn from mid-
March through April,” Chandler said. So right now you have some of both species post spawn and spawning, and many still on a pre spawn pattern.  That gives you lots of options.

A wide variety of baits will work on all three patterns, but Chandler has his favorites.  He loves to throw a swim jig, bladed jig and spinnerbait in grass, and flip a punch bait into it.  For fishing bluffs and and open water areas, he will have a spinnerbait, a big worm Texas rigged, a big crankbait and a drop shot worm ready.

Chandler and Curtis took me fishing on Lay the first week of March, and it rained like it did every day then.  The river current was fast and the lake was full and stained to muddy except back in some creeks.  He was trying to find a good pattern for the highs school championship the following Saturday. 

The following places were already good, producing two four-pound largemouth and a 3.5-pound spot as well as several more solid keeper bass in the five hours we fished. And while we fished Curtis’s son Zeke practiced for his College tournament on Sunday.  He mostly fished the following bluff bank pattern and caught five spots weighing 20.17 pounds on his scales!

1.  N 33 10.657 – W 86 31.141 – Put in at Beeswax Park and there is not need to crank your big motor.  There is a good grass bed running along the bank downstream of the ramp and many released fish go to it and hold and feed there.  We started here and Chandler quickly caught a 3.5-pound spot on a Z-Man Jackhammer, his favorite chatterbait. He was using a white bait with a silver blade in the muddy water. He will also throw black and blue in stained water but goes to a green pumpkin bait in clear water.

Fish from the ramp downstream, working all the grass. It looked dead, and Chandler said it might have been sprayed this year, but hopefully it will come back. Both largemouth and spots will hold and feed in this grass both pre and post spawn, and will spawn in the grass, too.

Hit any variation or transition in the grass like points, holes and cuts here and in all other grassbeds you fish.  Try a swim jig and spinnerbait in the more open grass, and punch the thick places with a punch bait, especially on sunny days.

2.  N 33 10.779 – W 86 30.771 – Across Beeswax

Creek a small island sits off the upstream point of a big cove.  There is a huge house on the point with a rock seawall then a steep wall further back. Go back into the creek to about half-way between the house and garage behind it.  Grass runs out from the seawall here that holds good fish.

    Fish the grass on this side then work further back into the creek, hitting all the cuts, points and holes with swim jig, bladed jig and spinnerbait.  We caught a long skinny largemouth here on a Z-Man Chatterbait that weighed about four pounds.

    Chandler says he reels the Jackhammer along steadily then gives it little pauses and speeds it up, making it dart with an action the fish love.  He also fishes a Dirty Jigs swim jig with a matching Baby Paca Craw on a Temple Fork Outfitters seven-foot three inch heavy action Pacemaker rod.  You need the heavy rod to get the fish out of the grass.  In stained to muddy water like we fished in most areas he likes a dark jig, but the water was much clearer back here and he used a white or bluegill color bait for it.

    3.  Go out to the long point running out from the left bank near the mouth of the creek and stop out from the Greek style gazebo on the bank.  It looks like a big mushroom on pillars.  The seawall running along this bank out to and around the point is an excellent feeding and staging area for bass moving in and out of the creek.

Keep your boat out a long cast from the bank and cast your baits right against it.  Where the grass is thin, a spinnerbait or bladed jig is good.  Chandler likes a white War Eagle bait with white blades in the muddy water but goes with something chartreuse and blue with silver blades in clear water.

Work around the point to the pocket on the downstream side. Hit the thick grass near it with your punch bait and swim jig.  Fish the dock in the pocket, the downstream point of it and the grass on that side, too.  

4.  N 33 10.712 – W 86 30.242 – Go out to the river and look downstream. Green channel marker 39 sits way off the downstream point of Beeswax Creek and a good ledge with brush on it is upstream of it. Idle over the river ledge from even with the mouth of
Beeswax going downstream toward the marker to find the brush in 5 to 15 feet deep.  Both pre and post spawn largemouth and spots hold in it this month.

Early in the day Chandler fishes the shallower brush but goes deeper as the sun gets bright.  He stays off the brush and cast a 6XD crankbait in shad colors if he sees fish holding over the brush.  If the fish are showing up down in the brush he uses a watermelon candy Ol’ Monster worm behind a three sixteenths to one half ounce sinker, a three sixteenths ounce shaky head or a drop shot worm to fish the brush.

Current moving through the brush helps the bite, as it does on all river places.  Some breeze ruffling the surface of the water will help fishing everywhere.  Try to cast up current and work your bait with the current in a natural movement way.

5.  N 33 10.179 – W 86 29.705 – going down the river, Sally Branch enters on your right where the river channel swings to the left.  Just downstream of the branch the bank is a steep rock bluff running downstream a couple hundred yards. At the end of the bluff it flattens out a little and has some grass on the edge just upstream of a small pocket.

Stop at the pocket and fish the wood cover and grass back in it, some fish will spawn in these small pockets.  Then fish the rocky point on the upstream side, working a shaky head on it as well as a crankbait and spinnerbait.  When the current is strong like it was the day we fished, largemouth will often pull inside the point out of the current while spots will stay on it in the current and feed.

If the current allows, come out of the pocket and work upstream, fishing the grass with swim jig, bladed jig and spinnebait. When you get to the bluff wall watch for little rock points, outcroppings that break the current.  Cast a half ounce spinnerbait or jig and pig into these eddies. 

This is a good pattern for big spots.  Zeke caught most of his big limit doing this and had a five-pound spot.  The current was so strong when we were here we went up almost up to the branch and let the current carry the boat downstream backwards, with Chandler pitching a black and blue jig into the eddy then Curtis, on the trolling motor, would hit it with his spinnerbait.

6.  N 33 12.005 – W 86 29.303 – Going up the river past Bulley Branch on the left, red channel marker 48 sits off the right bank. Behind it is a flat running to the bank where a riprap point with grass on it is on the upstream point of a small cove. 

Stop out from the marker and idle close enough to the point to fish it with your grass baits. Then work into the cove and fish there.  Bass feed on the point pre and post spawn and move into to the cove to spawn.  Largemouth will also pull back into the coved to get out of strong current, but spots will stay out in it and feed.

Chandler says the Jackhammer is worth its high cost because it has an action better than other similar baits.  He says when he gives it a little jerk while working it through the grass it darts in an action that is irresistible to bass.

7.  N 33 11.408 – W 86 29.892 – Across the river and downstream, the mouth of Bulley Creek has a ledge across it where bass hole both pre and post spawn.  Green channel marker 43 is on the upstream end of this ledge but it runs across the mouth of the creek downstream.

Stop out in 20 feet of water and cast a big crankbait up into the mouth of the creek, bumping bottom with it from 12 feet deep out to the drop.  Also fish it with your Ol’ Monster worm and shaky head.  Chandler puts a black Trick worm on his three sixteenths ounce shaky head.

8.  N 33 11.054 – W 86 29.891 – Going down the river past the mouth of Pope Branch, watch for a yellow and brown house on the upstream point of a small cove.  Stop out from the point and you will see a private ramp in the cove behind the boat house.  That ramp is actually the old road and you can see the bridge piling on the right bank.  The roadbed is on a ridge that runs across the mouth of the cove and holds bass.

Stay a long cast out from the ramp and work across the cove, casting a shaky head, spinnerbait and jig and pig across the roadbed and point. Work it up the inside drop, across the top then down the outside drop.

9.  33 09.219 – W 86 29.175 – Run down the river to the mouth of Flat Branch on the right. Paradise Point Marina is back in it.  The upstream point of the branch is a steep rocky point and there are two signs on it, one for the marina and one for land for sale. Both spots and largemouth hold on the point pre and post spawn.  

Chandler says this is a “twofer” point. First you can fish the grass along the edge with your grass baits. Then you can work around the point with shaky head and jig and pig, targeting fish holding in seven or eight feet of water.  There are big chunk rock on the bottom at that depth the spots love.

10. N 33 09.927 – W 86 29.060 – Going back up the river the right bank is steep and there is no development on it.  Where it opens back to the right you will see some low brown buildings marking part of the Alabama 4-H Youth Development Center.  Downstream of it a bluff bank runs out to a couple of small points on the river.

Depending on current, stop on the downstream point and fish it with crankbait, shaky head, jig and worm. Then work up the bluff, casting spinnerbait and jig and pig into eddies behind any protrusion on the bank. Rocks and blowdowns will break the current and offer a feeding spot for bass to hold. 

If the current is strong, go up to the end of the bluff and fish it drifting backwards with the current, using your trolling motor to control speed and boat position.

Fish were hitting on these spots a few weeks ago, our best five from them weighed about 14 pounds. Zeke, fishing similar places, had 20 pounds. You can catch Lay Lake spots and largemouth like that for the next six weeks.

How and Where To Catch March Neely Henry Bass

March Neely Henry Bass with Peyton Nance

Pre-spawn bass in the grass and feeding on points leading to bedding areas, eating just about any bait you cast.  Neely Henry can’t be beat for March fishing, where those hard fighting Coosa spots are fighting with quality largemouth for your lure.

Neely Henry is an 11,235-acre lake on the Coosa River at Gadsden running 77 miles from its dam to the Weiss dam upstream.   The upper lake is mostly river, with some oxbows and sloughs. The lower lake has big flats and creeks to fish. The whole lake has extensive shallow grassbeds, docks, rocks and sandy bottoms that are important in the spring.

Peyton Nance grew up right on the lake in Attalla. His father and grandfather took him fishing as far back as he can remember.  His father entered them into a tournament on Neely Henry when Peyton was ten years old, and he fell in love with bass tournament fishing.

Peyton’s uncle, Brian Colegrove, was a well-known tournament fisherman in the area for years. He also taught Peyton a lot about bass fishing.

 He fished some high school tournaments but concentrated on playing football and made the Auburn football team. He has been on the football team and the fishing team at Auburn the past three years.

Peyton also fishes local pot and buddy tournaments on Neely Henry as often as his college schedule allows and does well in them.  As we fished, he constantly pointed to places and said things like “we got a limit there weighing 18 pounds,” or “thats where we won the tournament in the last hour, catching five weighing 19.5 pounds.”

Two days after Peyton and I fished Neely Henry, he and his dad won the big ninth annual Rat-L-Trap tournament at Guntersville with five bass weighing 22.79 with a 7.03 kicker!

“By the end of February, water is warming enough, and days have gotten long enough that both spots and largemouth are concentrating on spawning,” Peyton said.  They are positioning themselves near spawning flats and feeding heavily to get ready.  They may move some with changing conditions day to day, but they will be near the spawning flats all this month.

“I usually keep it simple in March with just five baits out, and three of them are crankbaits,” Peyton said.  He always has a DT 4 and DT 6 as well as a Little John squarebill in shad colors rigged.  Those baits cover the water depth he fishes this month.

To back them up, he has a white swim jig and a white and chartruese bladed jig ready to fish in the grass. Although those five baits will cover almost all situations, he will also be ready to pull out a rattlebait, bladed jig, shaky head and jig and pig if the situation calls for them.

Peyton and I fished the first Friday in February, the day after the flooding rain. The river current was ripping as the Alabama Power Company released water trying to get ready for all the new water coming in, and it was muddy everywhere.  The lake dropped four feet from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, making it tough for us.

The following places are good all month long. You may have to adjust some based on daily conditions, but you can have great catches of both spots and largemouth right now.

1.  N 33 56.624 – W 86 01.221 – Going up the river just upstream of the Highway 77 bridges, a slough enters the river on your right.  AS you enter it splits to the left and right. To your left two small pockets are full of grass where March feed heavily. The point coming off the left bank at a blue pumphouse runs way out across the slough and holds staging bass.

Peyton eases into the slough and stops in the middle of the left side, out from the point between the two arms. But that is not the point he fishes; the point to fish comes off the left side across the mouth of the left pocket. It has big stumps on it the bass use for cover, ambushing shad moving into the coves.

Sit in about eight feet of water at full pool and make long casts across the point.  Depending on water level, you want to bump the bottom two to five feet deep, and Peyton chooses the DT right for that depth, a four for hitting up to four feet deep and the six for up to six feet deep.

After fishing the point, go into the grass and fish around both pockets with swim jig and bladed jig. Watch for birds in the grass, indicating baitfish is present. When we fished white cranes were feasting on shad that had gotten trapped in the grass by the rapidly dropping water.

This short pocket right on the river gives early bass fast access to the shallows.  There were a few bass chasing shad here, and a couple bumped Peyton’s bladed jig out in front of the grass, but the muddy water made it tough to hook up.

2.  N 33 57.048 – W 86 00.885 – Going up the river from the bridges, a roadbed runs right along the edge of the water on the left. Go to where the bank swings back to the right and leaves the roadbed.  There is a brown fishing dock with blue chairs on it, in front of two camping trailers. Start at that dock.

The river channel swings in right on this corner and largemouth, with a few spots mixed in, feed on the riprap alone the bank.  Cast your squarebill right on the rocks and bump them as you reel out.  Peyton likes a shad colored bait most days, but if the water is stained up bad, he will go with a red color.

Fish up to the first small point past the dock and fish it hard. It is rocky and worth a few casts with a shaky head or jig and pig after using your crankbait.  Sometimes fish on the point just want a slow-moving bait.

3.  N 33 56.846 – W 86 00.379 – Going upstream past the big pocket with the marina but before you get to the small island, a white wood fence is on a point on your left.  The point out from it is pea gravel and holds pre-spawn bass going into the cut behind it to spawn, but spots will spawn out on the point.

Peyton will fan cast it with his crankbaits, bumping the bottom with them. He will also try a rattle bait and likes a chrome with blue back Rat-L-Trap, buzzing it across the point. Some days the bass just seem to want that noisy vibrating action more than a wiggling crankbait.

4.  N 33 57.096 – W 86 00.453 – Go back into the big pocket with the marina in it.  The water in the mouth of it is very shallow but a channel is marked with poles to get into it. Big grass beds all around the back hold feeding fish all month, and some will spawn in here in March since the shallow water warms fast.

Peyton says he starts at the marina on the right side of it and fishes all the way around the back. He says if you hit every blade of grass in here with a swim jig like a three-eights white 6th Sense jig with a white Rage Craw trailer on it, you will catch a limit most days.  He normally uses a half ounce swim jig, but this shallow water calls for the lighter one.

You will be fishing shallow water, most less than two feet deep, and you will have to trim up your motor to keep it from dragging.  But the fish are hear even in the very thin water.  Toward the end of the month in warmer water, a frog like a Ribbet, reeled over and through the grass, will also catch fish here.

5.  N 33 56.101 – W 86 02.090 – Going back down the river under the bridges, a development with rainbow colored houses is on your left. At the end of them is the opening to the slough that runs back up parallel to the river.  The upstream point of the opening is a major staging area for bass moving into the slough to spawn.

Peyton says there are big logs and stumps on this point that the fish use.  Stop out on the end of it on the river side and fan cast it with crankbait, bumping bottom at different depths, then buzz a rattle bait on it.  Work upstream covering the end five or six feet deep all the way up to a foot deep at the bank.

Since this slough runs upstream, muddy water does not push into it fast and it will be clearer than the river when it first muddies up.  There was a definite mud line across its mouth the day we fished.  When this happens, shad and bass will often move back into the clearer water. 

Under those conditions, go back into the slough and fish the grass with swim jig and bladed jig.  We tried that, but the fast dropping water must have pulled the fish out with it. Under stable conditions, this pattern will work on tough days.

6.  N 33 54.707 – W 86 04.031 – Going down the river channel marker 12 sits on the downstream point of one of the islands in the string of them out from the bank.  Behind it is an old sand quarry and big spawning flats, and Peyton says the point is a place many bass hold on moving in during the month. Late in March there may even be some post spawn fish moving back out during a warm month.

Stop out on the river side. With the water down we could see the point of the island behind the marker drops down into a saddle that comes back up onto a hump with a big log on it. Peyton says that saddle is the key spot for holding fish.

Get your boat in close to the marker and cast toward the bank, across the tip end of the island in close to it in a foot of water.  Use both crankbaits, bladed jig and rattle baits. Work them all the way across the saddle, bumping bottom until you get to the log. Unless the water is real high you should be able to see them. Work a jig or shaky head through them.

Peyton chooses his jig based on water color, using black and blue in stained water and green in clear.  But with both he uses a green pumpkin chunk trailer.  Work the log carefully with it.

7.  N 33 51.527 – W 86 05.733 – Canoe Creek is a big creek on the right downstream where the river makes a sharp turn to the left. It is wide and shallow, so be careful back in it. Go in to where is swings to the right. Straight ahead is Permeter Creek and a bridge crosses near the mouth of it.

Peyton says bass hold on the riprap and move to the bank on the downstream right end of it to spawn back in the flat there.  Start at the bridge and cast your crankbaits along the rocks, bumping them from right on the bank down to six feet deep. Sun on the rocks will warm them and make the bite better, especially early in the month. And Peyton likes a little breeze in all the places he fishes, enough to ruffle the water and break up his baits silhouette.  That improves the bite.

Fish to the end of the rocks and the area at the end of them.  Bass bed back in here so later in the month, drag your shaky head and jig on the bottom in likely bedding spots.

8.  N 33 51.686 – W 86 05.678 – Just upstream  of the mouth of Permeter Creek a long shallow  point runs out.  If you have a good GPS map on your electronics, or a paper map, you can see how the Canoe Creek channel hits the bank upstream of it then turns and runs a long way along it. Fish hold all along the channel drop and move up it to spawning areas.

Leaving the riprap you have to swing way out, it is only a couple feet deep going across the point.  Get way out on the end of the point with your boat in the channel in 10 – 15 feet of water.  You will be a short cast from the top of the point that is three to five feet deep.  Cast your DT 6 up on top then bump it along the bottom until it clears the drop. Your bites will usually be right on the lip of the channel.

Also work your shaky head the same way. Peyton rigs a green pumpkin Big Bite Baits finesse worm on a three sixteenths ounce Spot Sticker head and crawls it along the bottom. When it gets to the drop, feed it line so it falls down the slope on the bottom.

This drop is long enough you can spend a lot of time fishing it, and going back over places you catch fish is worth it.

9.  N 33 51.768 – W 86 06.077 – Going up Canoe Creek a big ramp, Canoe Creek Park, is on your left.  There are a few houses downstream of it with a riprap bank in front of them. Stop downstream of the last house from the ramp and fish upstream to the pocket above the ramp.

This bank is an outside bend of the creek. The riprap and docks along it hold bass as does the wood cover along the bank. Just downstream of them there are a lot of blowdowns that are good to fish and there are stumps all along the bank, too.

Fish your squarebill crankbait, bumping rocks and wood, then follow up with your jig and pig, fishing it close to all the cover.  Released fish refresh this bank every weekend.

10.  N 33 52.343 – W 86 06.223 – Muscadine Creek enters Canoe Creek on the left a little further upstream. A big house with some big tall trees in front of it sits on the point between the two creeks. It is a big, flat, shallow point where spots and largemouth stack up pre-spawn moving into both creeks.

Peyton says you can have your best day ever for spots right here in March.  To prove his point, he hooked a spot that looked like it weighed about five pounds but came off right at the boat.

You should sit on the Muscadine Creek side in about seven feet of water just off the end of the point.  Fan cast it with your crankbaits, that is what the big spot hit.  Also try crawling your bladed jig on the bottom. We got a good three pound largemouth here on one.

There are some big stumps and gravel on the point. 
A shaky head will catch fish here, too.  Fan cast all over the point, hitting water three to five feet deep.

These places are producing spots and largemouth right now.  Check them out and catch some!