National Fishing and Boating Week is June 1 through June 9 this year. This week, set aside to recognize the millions of people who love fishing and boating, was started in 1979 a National Fishing Week and Boating was added later to include others.
Georgia celebrates this event by offering ”Free Fishing Days” from June 4 – 11th. During this week you can fish on public waters without first buying a fishing license. You also can fish on WMAs without a Land Pass and do not need a trout stamp to fish for them.
Based in those relaxed rules, this would be a good week to check out Big Lazer PFA south of Thomaston. It offers great shore or boat fishing and has good facilities for fishermen and their families. Although gas is ridiculously expensive to get there, there are no other costs once you arrive with your tackle and bait.
Also consider trips to High Falls, the Flint River (a public access boat ramp is at the Highway 18 bridge,) Still Branch Reservoir and Jackson Lake. All are less than an hour from Griffin and give you the chance to enjoy the water and catch some good eating fish for dinner.
I’m glad this all takes place after Memorial Day weekend. There are already many jokes on social media about the kinds of clueless boat owners that visit the lake on holiday weekends.
Some are just funny, like the pictures of boat ramps with truck underwater with boat trailer still in parking lot, or boat floating in the water with trailer still firmly attached under it.
But what is scary to me are the folks out there that don’t have a clue on driving a boat safely. They are apt to cut across in front of you illegally as well as not obeying other laws. They have no clue about boating “rules of the road.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
KastKing Contributes To Getting Wounded Warriors Back On The Water
May 8, 2024
By The Fishing Wire
The simple pleasure of casting into the water and connecting with a fish attracts millions of anglers to the thrill of the sport. It’s easy to take the sport and hobby we love for granted until a traumatic injury takes that opportunity away.
Such is the case with many wounded warriors and first responders harmed in the line of duty. Spinal cord or head injuries can leave them with limited or no use of their hands, arms, and legs.
Before their injuries, these wounded heroes may or may not have been avid anglers; however, veteran assistance groups, such as River Deep Foundation, recognize the restorative power of being outdoors and having a renewed empowerment to cast and retrieve a lure to catch a fish.
Through a collaborative effort with their non-profit alliance member organizations, River Deep Foundation works with vets with debilitating spinal cord and other traumatic injuries to offer outdoor family events, such as fishing, to assist in re-engaging in sport and adventure.
This is where Colorado University Graduate Engineering student, Connor Borshard, and the team of six other fellow engineering graduate students stepped in to help. A non-profit group called Quality of Life Plus issued a call for university STEM programs to create innovative technology solutions that improve the quality of life for injured veterans and first responders. Borshard’s team was drawn to a project aiding in the casting, catching, and reeling of fish for individuals who have little to no dexterity in their hands or upper limbs. Borshard and his team proposed and engineered a brilliant solution they’ve dubbed, the Adaptive Fishing Device.
In summary, the Adaptive Fishing Device holds a spin cast rod and reel in the vertical casting position above a firm tripod base. The device receives inputs from the user, such as the desired casting distance, then loads a set of torsion springs to bring the rod back while depressing the casting button of the reel. Once loaded, the device springs the rod tip forward while releasing the casting button and launching the lure toward the target.
As Borshard explains, “We wanted the device to be relatively portable, yet stable enough for different terrains. It weighs in at 36 pounds total weight and has a 15-minute setup by those providing assistance to the angler.”
There are two methods of casting with the Adaptive Fishing Device. For those with some fine motor dexterity remaining in their fingers, a joystick can be maneuvered back and forth to load the cast. If the angler is further limited with no movement in the arms, hands, and fingers, a sip or puff device can be utilized to provide casting inputs to initiate the cast with air pressure.
The notion of getting veterans and first responders back out into the therapeutic element of the outdoors struck a chord with Borshard, who in addition to being a graduate student, is also an active-duty U.S. Marine. Once his graduate studies conclude at Colorado University, he’ll enter the Marine Corps flight training program.
When KastKing President, Al Noraker, heard of the initiative by the CU Engineering team, he leaped at the chance to aid in the effort by donating six-foot KastKing Crixus spin cast rods and KastKing Brutus spin cast reels to be used with the Adaptive Fishing Device.
“I’ve been fortunate to witness the incredible transformation from those with extreme PTSD and debilitating traumatic injuries leading to severe depression,” remarks Noraker. “I’ve seen it in a 19-year-old wounded warrior to an older Vietnam vet and it’s truly amazing how a simple experience of catching a fish changes their whole demeanor in such a short time.”
Recalling the transformation struck an emotional chord with Noraker, as he added, “When you witness the difference that fishing can make to people who have lost almost everything in the service of their country; well, that’s why I’m involved and will continue to be well after I’ve retired.”
For those interested in learning more about or implementing the Adaptive Fishing Device, Quality of Life Plus will take ownership once the graduate team hands over the finished product.
For inquiries about the device, Scott Huyvaert, Program Manager at Quality of Life Plus can be reached via email at scott.huyvaert@qlplus.org.
For technical data and inquiries on the design, Connor Borshard is available at cjborshard@gmail.com.
Founded in 2013, KastKing had a vision of producing quality products designed by anglers for anglers and delivered directly to the consumer at affordable prices. True to that vision, KastKing products are developed through feedback from the fishing community and go straight to the manufacturing floor. This inverse of the traditional manufacturer-to-consumer formula introduces cutting-edge features into new products that anglers want and need. The brand has gained popularity among anglers by offering affordable innovation through in-house engineering, which allows KastKing to provide never before seen technology at truly remarkable prices. Ten years later, KastKing products have been sold to consumers in more than 150 countries and regions across the globe through a variety of supply chains. Originally, KastKing’s products were only available online, but consumers can now find their favorite products in a growing number of retail locations. For more information about KastKing and KastKing products, please visit our website at kastking.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Bass were feeding on herring or gizzard shad spawning on a rocky point. I caught every fish I weighed in except one by 8:30 each morning. Several hit a spinnerbait, the others hit an underspin lure.
For years at Clarks Hill after the spawn bass hung around back in coves and pockets feeding where they had bedded. I remember daddy and two other men going around the back of a creek with Hula Popper and hooking big bass one morning.
They would not let us kids back there with them, we were too noisy! Four of us were in a bigger ski boat that we had pulled their jon boat to the creek from the boat ramp. We were near the mouth of the cove, trying to paddle it and fish.
I tried to make a long cast to a button bush in the water with my Devil’s Horse topwater plug but it went way off target. As I reeled it in as fast as I could turn the handle on my Mitchell 300 Spinning reel, a huge bass attacked the plug.
Somehow we managed to land that seven pound largemouth. It was by far the biggest bass I had ever caught when I was 15 years old. For days we talked about that bass being crazy chasing down that lure skipping across the top of the water. Everybody knew you fished slowly for bass!
Now we know you can not reel a lure faster than a bass can chase it down, and often very fast moving lures will attract bites when nothing else will. Buzzbaits were invented for that kind of fishing. I just wish I had been smart enough to figure that out back then and invent them!
I caught many bass at Clarks Hill in the 1970s and early 1980s fishing back in coves and creeks in April. Then the blueback herring population exploded in the lake and changed everything.
Bass love the herring. They are big with an average size of about seven inches so they are a big meal to fill a bass fast. And they are very rich in oils and protein, perfect for bass recovering from the spawn.
Herring are an open water fish, living on the main lake where it is deep. When the herring spawn they go to shallow gravel and rock areas on the main lake and are easy for bass to catch and eat.
It seems all the bass have learned that and almost[RG1] all of them will head to open water as soon as they spawn in April to eat herring. It has changed the way I fish on herring lakes like Clarks Hill.
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!
