Sometimes ideas that help catch fish come from reading about others’ fishing trips. That is why I try to give some details of where what and how when I am lucky enough to catch a bass.
Years ago on a Saturday afternoon before a Sportsman Club night tournament at Jackson I was reading a fishing report from a Texas lake to post on my website. It said a jig and pig was working well for bass at night.
I did not have one tied on for the tournament but went out and rigged a rod and jig for fishing. That night, with less than two hours left to fish, I had one small keeper in my livewell and was not very happy.
I decided to try the jig and pig, I had not thrown it all night. But in the next hour I caught five keepers, culling the one in the livewell and winning the tournament.
That jig and pig worked well during night tournaments for the next four years helping me win or place second. Then the club decided they would rather fish during the day when it is hot, there is lots of boat traffic on the lake and the fish didn’t bite. So we stopped fishing at night when it is cool, there is little boat traffic and the fish do bite.
Reading about other fishing trips almost got me into serious trouble when I was 19 years old and a sophomore at UGA. An article in Outdoor Life magazine talked about the good trout fishing downstream of the Hartwell dam on the Savannah River.
I skipped classes one Monday and drove over there early that morning. When I got near the river I stopped at a small store/bait shop to ask for information.
The owner showed me an ice chest full of rainbow trout and said his two sons caught them that morning before school. He said the hatchery truck dumped fresh trout in the river at the old steel bridge and told me to turn at the next right and it would take me to the bridge and I could fish there.
I bought a can of kernel corn since he said that is what they were hitting, they were used to eating pellet food in the hatchery. When I got to the bridge about 10:00 AM I found a place to park and crawled down the steep bank to the edge of the river. It was almost a half mile wide there and there were streams and rivulets running over an expanse of flat rocks all the way across, with scattered bigger pools of water.
I tied on a #2 Mepps spinner and put a kernel of corn on one of the hooks. I waded upstream of the bridge casting to small streams and pools in the rocks, and caught a limit of ten rainbow trout before lunch.
After going back to the truck, putting my fish on ice and eating a sandwich I started fishing downstream below the bridge to look at new places. After about an hour I had caught two trout and had them on a stringer attached to a belt loop. I was right in the middle of the expanse of rocks, maybe 200 yards from the bank and that far downstream of the bridge.
A car went over the bridge and the driver blew the horn. I turned and waved and turned back to fish, but something was not right. Looking back upstream there was a fog bank rolling down the river almost to the bridge.
I realized the Corps of Engineers had released water at the Hartwell dam about four miles upstream. The ice cold water rolling down the river caused the fog.
I grabbed my fish and took off running across the slippery rocks as fast as I could. When I got to the bank I was standing in water about ankle deep. By the time I put my rod and can of corn on the steep bank and hooked my stringer to a bush, the water was up to my waist and I had to hold on to a bush to fight the current!
Looking back to where I had been a few seconds before, a torrent of ice cold water several feet deep rushed across the rocks. If it had caught me there is no way I would have survived. Whoever blew that car horn saved my life.
I stopped at the store and the owner told me someone had drowned there the week before after being caught by the current. I told him I thought the Corps blew a siren at the dam to warn folks when they released water and he said they used to but locals complained about the noise.
I “thanked” him for warning me and left, glad to be alive.
I was on the water just a couple times this past week as the cold and wind were just not my preferred fishing conditions. We did have some success, but it seemed like every time we located fish the wind would blow us off the location and force us to have to move to make the trip enjoyable.
We were preparing for the rattle trap season so all we fished, was the SPRO Aruka Shad rattle bait the entire time we were on the water each day. The results were great for size and average for numbers but getting ready for trap season that was a great result.
It’s time to set up your spring fishing days for bass or crappie, I believe it’s going to be a great year as the numbers of small fish caught this past fall was impressive. Leaving me assured that the lake is healthy and full of fish.
Come fish with me we have days available for the spring we wish with great sponsor products Mercury Motors, Boat Logix mounts, Vicious Fishing, Toyota Trucks, Duckett Fishing, Missile Baits, Tight-Line Jigs, Lowrance Electronics, Costa Sunglasses, Dawson Boat Center, Power Pole, Lew’s Fishing and more. Looking to entertain your customers we do corporate trips, family trips and have a group of guides available to entertain your customers, or family so you can thank your employees for the job well done or entertain a family affair. Call me today for details!
Bait Size Matters
As winter slowly moves on it is a time of year where size matters; at no time during the fishing year is the size of your bait more important than now! If your wanting to catch big quality bass, fish with big baits, like 7 inch swim baits, ¾ oz. jigs with large trailers that give the jig a bulky look; even ¾ to 1 oz. spinner baits with large willow leaf blades will produce that big bite.
The thing many fishermen do not realize is that slow lethargic large bass pick their prey and the bigger the better as their feeding is very selective and large presentations entice that big fish. I know you all have heard that saying that this time of year (winter) you’re fishing for a few bites; I believe this is true so if the bites are limited than the presentation of large bait becomes even more important. Size does matter; large bass are selective, they want slow moving baits, easy prey and that large presentation as they can lead you to that 30-pound sack we all hunt in winter fishing. Large baits do have some negatives as some days it can reduce the number of bites, but the bigger fish make it all worth it. Be color aware as wintertime fishing color does matter!
Some of the baits I like with large profiles are ¾ to 1 oz. Spinner baits with big willow leaf blades that get to the bottom easily and becomes a great large profile bait to slow roll on the bottom this time of year. I also like ¾ oz. football jigs you combine that big jig with a Missile Bait D-bomb trailer or Drop Craw, or big Missile Craw and it will produce big bites with this jig as it really entices those big females. Don’t underestimate the power of a big swim bait, some of those very expensive large swim baits when worked slowly over shallow grass can become your best friend; these baits can be very expensive, but wintertime proves their worth.
Big baits produce big fish, and you’ll have a big time on the water; you just have to get on the water to prove it; call me I’ll help you become a big bait fisherman!
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Come fish with me I am booking for the fall and would love to take you fishing call today 256 759 2270. We fish with great sponsor products Mercury Motors, Ranger Boats, Boat Logix Mounts, Toyota Trucks, Cornfield Fishing Gear, Costa, Duckett Fishing, Dawson Boat Center, Vicious Fishing, Power Pole, and more
GOOD. Water clear; 51 degrees; 0.06 feet above pool. Crappie are good in 15-30 feet on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on liver and cut shad. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 68 degrees; 65.84 feet below pool. Black bass are fair on main lake points and ledges. Football head jigs, grubs, Ned rigs, crank baits, Texas rigged worms fished in 20-25 feet are having the best results. White bass are good in 30-40 feet on spoons, underspins, umbrella rigs. Stripers are slow. Happy Fishing! Report by Captain Raul Cordero, Far West Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.94 feet below pool. Water level is low, but rising so the clarity is murky. Continue to target fish near the dam, and the deeper part of the lake. Drop down on brush piles. Use a slower approach now that we are experiencing colder weather and water temperatures.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 5.40 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are ho-ho-holding steady. Catfish are good drifting with fresh cut shad out in the main part of the lake. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 0.53 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be consistent for the Christmas week. Bass are good and can be caught in grass 5-10 feet with Texas rig worms, wacky rig senko and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow on small jigs over deep brush 25 feet. Report by Reagan Nelson, Lake Athens Bass Guide.
GOOD. Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.62 feet below pool. Water temperatures have quickly dropped on Lake Austin. Hovering in the lower 60s. Bass fishing has been good using a variety approaches. The most effective pattern for catching numbers would be fishing a small worm around grass beds and docks. There are fish hanging out around the mouths of creeks feeding on Shad. A shallow Jerkbait and weightless fluke are good in these areas. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing. Bass are good with catches up to 5 pounds, and some Guadalupe bass up to 2 pounds. Grass was holding most of the bass. The front third and bottom third of the lake has grass. Slowly fish senko style worms. The bigger bass are coming in 6-12 feet but there are plenty of bass up against the shores. The best bites are before noon. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide.
FAIR. Water stain; 63 degrees; 0.39 feet below pool. Mayflies are hatching, so expect some topwater bass action. Bass are fair on soft plastics in the cuts, or with frogs over grass. Crappie are fair with jigs in flooded timber. Catfish are fair on juglines.
GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees. Bass are good working worms and flukes around any water vegetation have been the most productive. The outlet will always produce some bass too. You can use small swimbaits and Texas rigged and shaky head trick worms to get bites. Some big fish gather on the rock piles out where the reeds on the right end on the way out. Cranking the dam or throwing a frog along the dam will get you a bite. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Bass are good with deep points and humps holding a few better size fish. The grass is holding fish but it can be tough. Still a few fish against what is left of the reeds. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.22 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be inconsistent. The typically good bird activity by gulls and terns has yet to materialize, and what few birds are present are focused on hyper-active short hybrid striped bass which flare up and feed briefly, then settle back down. These fish are tough to pin down, as they chase shad very quickly and are tough to keep up with. White bass fishing is fair in the Leon Arm, below average in the main basin, and just about non-existent in the Cowhouse Creek Arm. Although the fish are still chasing MAL Dense Lures vertically and chasing White Tornados horizontally thanks to a warm up early this week, that will likely stop again after the water drops back into the high 50s later this week. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent. With water temperatures dropping into the 60s anglers should search for blue catfish in deeper river channels and around steep ledges. The 30-45 feet range has been consistent. Larger cut baits have been effective for trophy size fish. Eater fish under 10 pounds are still active and slow drifting with small cut shad along sand flats will produce. Channel catfish are fair but can still be caught on warmer days using punch bait in 15-25 feet of water. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.49 feet below pool. Catfish are fair in deeper water. Perch are good in shallow water. Crappie are fair on structure with live minnows. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are shallow around structure using chatterbaits and Texas rigged worms.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.03 feet below pool. The bite has been tough, but the fish caught have been very good size and very healthy. Fish have been settling on the edges of creek channels and areas with a steep drop in depth. Dragging a green pumpkin worm on a shaky head or a natural colored jig have been most productive. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service. Windy, sunny banks and retaining walls are good bets for black bass. Try subsurface fish patterns in 5-10 feet of water. On warm, sunny days, small shad pattern flies might produce bass around submerged vegetation. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
SLOW. water stained; 57 degrees; 4.00 feet below pool. The lake is low and water temperatures 56-58 degrees. Early morning points are good with squarebill crankbaits and spinnerbaits in 4-6 feet. Spinnerbaits are also good on and around pond dams in 4-6 feet. Carolina rigs and Viper XP jigs are good on road beds and brush piles in 12-18 feet. Texas rigs with creature baits are good in timber around tree rows in 6-8 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. The lake level is low. Crappie fishing is excellent in the main river channel timber and lower third of the lake in 30-50 feet of water catching crappie 6-28 feet down. Fish are very healthy with big black crappie being caught on jigs. Some catches near the bridge. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 70 degrees; 13.54 feet below pool. Black bass are slow with a few being caught late afternoon before dark around deeper rocky shorelines using senkos and slow rolling spinnerbaits. Catfish are slow with a few caught late afternoon into the night on cut bait. Crappie and white bass are slow.
SLOW. Water stained, 71 degrees. Redfish are fair from the bank, or from the boat on the hot water side of the lake on shrimp, shad and crawfish. Channel catfish are being caught around weed lines and rock lines on cheese bait. Bass are being caught in weeds on plastics. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 8.41 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is just over 8 feet low. Water clarity ranges from muddy in the north end to very stained in the main lake. Catfishing remains good on cut and prepared baits. The north end and the mouths of creeks have been the best areas. Sand bass and hybrids remain scattered, slabs and deadsticking main lake structure may bring a fish or two. Largemouth bass have been slow but shallow running crankbaits fished near main lake points are catching a few fish. Crappie remain sluggish in the stained water, a few fish are coming in on minnows and jigs. Brush piles and deeper docks should hold some fish. All ramps are open. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.27 feet above pool. Black bass to 6.40 pounds are good on 1/8 ounce minnow baits scoping and Hag’s Tsunami 1/2 ounce jigs in Juice Box in 1-5 feet of water along weed edges, and Alabama rigs on the ledges. Bass are settling into a normal winter pattern. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows in brush piles 12-15 feet. White bass are fair to 2 pounds on crankbaits and jigs off lighted docks. Catfish are slow to 4 pounds on cut bait and liver.
EXCELLENT. Water slight stain; 55 degrees; 16.25 feet below pool. Striper and white bass are all biting in 32-36 feet of water hanging tight to bottom. Vertical jigging, or slabbing, with �½-1 ounce spoons continues to be the best producer. The birds continue to work some nice schools of fish most days. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Fishing patterns are consistent. The bite is consistent leading into the Holidays. Striped bass and white bass are good with jigging spoons and deadsticking in 17-40 feet of water. The afternoon seems to be the best bite. There is increased bird action leading the ways to schools of stripers and white bass. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service. Remember, the colder it gets the better this lake fishes. Throwing jigs and shaky heads with trick worms, die those tails, around those rock piles will catch a pile of bass. Crankbaits and swimbaits around the same areas will catch some big ones as well. A fluke in perch colors or even shad colors around rocks and lumber will get some bites anywhere out on this lake as well. A walking style topwater will catch some good ones around steep banks on main and secondary points. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
GOOD. Water stained; 52 degrees; 0.36 feet above pool. The water temperature has still been holding in the low 50s, so the bite has been really good on the lake. Anything shad pattern should work in the river or on the main lake around the grass and pad stems. Alabama rigs, chatterbaits, swimbaits, flukes and rattle traps will work. Crappie seem to be in the river channels. White bass, yellow bass and crappie are biting decent even with the black bass. Still a wonderful time of the year to come visit this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
GOOD. Water slightly stained, 75 degrees. Redfish are slow along the bank. Redfish are being caught down around the power lines trolling with shrimp or crawfish. Blue catfish are slow. Channel catfish are being caught around rock lines on cheese bait. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 62 degrees; 28.02 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are good along grass edges with rattle traps, watermelon red senkos, just off the grass in 14 feet of water cast an Alabama rig. White bass are good in 40- 50 feet of water with white �¾ ounce jigging spoons. Stripers are good schooling under the birds with some topwater action on clear walking baits. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.
GOOD. stained; 55 degrees; 3.88 feet below pool. 55-57 degrees; 3.71 feet below pool. The hybrid and white bass winter deadsticking bite is now in full swing! Use 1/2 ounce to 1-1/2 ounce jigs with 4-5 inch plastic flukes depending on what the winds are and drift long lengths of the lake in the deepest water 35-50 feet. Drift at speeds of .2 to .6 mph using your drift mode on your trolling motor or using drift socks. If the winds are not too bad you can just drift with the wind. Thumping on the bottom of your boat will attract fish and group them up underneath as you drift. Utilizing a splasher also works well with thumping. You will find the fish suspended between 22-28 feet when deadstricking. Look for Birds and Loons early mornings on shallow flats as the fish will come up to follow the bait and feed early especially on cloudier and colder days. The crappie bite has been getting better. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 7-15 feet under bridge pylons, hidden brush piles throughout the lake or under docks. Crappie fisherman have been moving spot to spot finding limits. Lots of crappies in the 7-9 inch range. Limits of crappie will happen but you may catch a lot of small ones getting to your limit. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. The shallow bite continues to be good for catfish along wind blown banks and points near the mouths of major creeks where the actual creek runs into the lake. Due to the low water you can only get a few hundred yards away. Fish in 2-6 feet with fresh shad anchored on bottom. The deep bite is also good dragging bigger cut shad or rough fish in 15-30 feet drifting main lake flats. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 32.94 feet below pool. Few anglers on the water while the lake level is low. It is possible to launch a flat bottom boat, or kayak. It is possible to fish from the bank at Callahan State Park. Report by Scott Springer, Fish Choke Canyon Lake.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 63 degrees; 12.30 feet below pool. Blues are biting good on cut bait. Crappie are hitting minnows in 30 feet of water. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. Lots of freshwater in the lake slowing the bite until the water settles. Largemouth bass are dispersed throughout the lake relating primarily near stumps and boat houses. Crappie are slow with jigs and minnows.
GOOD. 75 degrees; 0.47 feet above pool. Number of largemouth bass on points and near creek channel ledges. Eater sized channel catfish limits are common on prepared baits. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
GOOD. Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.73 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent with eater sized and trophy class fish being caught on baited holes and bulkheads. Bass are good shallow and deep with bigger fish on offshore structure with jerkbaits and swimbaits. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are in 13-22 feet close or in structure using jigs and minnows. Hybrids have been schooling in 12-26 feet on flats and drop-offs. Many folks are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, others are using slabs from Bradley Outdoors to jig for them and get ready for deadsticking. Always wear your life jacket! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees: 2.00 feet below pool. The lake is low, best to launch near the dam. Crappie are good roaming in the river channel transitioning to the dam for the river pattern. Crappie are hitting minnows, jigs, or hand tied jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
SLOW. 65 degrees; 12.51 feet below pool. A group of anglers launched a flat bottom johnboat and caught blue catfish. We have had mild winds late in the day with foggy mornings most days. With really light winds early in the day most days. Report by Weber’s Boat Landing.
GOOD: Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.64 feet below pool. The bite has been tough, but the fish caught have been very good size and very healthy. Fish have been settling on the edges of creek channels and areas with a steep drop in depth. Dragging a green pumpkin worm on a shaky head or a natural colored jig have been most productive. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 4.90 feet below pool. White Bass are fair, look for birds working or schools of bait on the main lake and in mid-depths on chartreuse and white slabs or paddle tail swim baits. Some white bass are still being caught in black water on 3-4 inch paddle tail swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure and cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in basically all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The warmer weather scattered the fish so you will have to work to find feeding fish, and expect the pattern to change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.
GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 44.83 feet below pool. Alligator gar rod and reel and bow fishing has slowed due to cold water. Trophy catfish are good in 8-12 feet of water with fresh cut bait on santee cooper rig. Keeper catfish are good in 3-10 feet of water on vertical structure with stink bait or shrimp on a slip bobber to keep bait about a foot off the bottom. Bigger catfish are on offshore timber. Largemouth bass are fair early or late in the day. Slowly drag deep diving crankbaits or plastic jigs over hard bottoms in 5-10 feet of water. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees. Bass are slow and difficult to pattern due to fluctuating weather. Find the bait and find the fish. Some bass can be caught with Carolina rigs, shaky heads, or rattle traps. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water Stained; 57 degrees; 2.39 feet below pool. Lake level is still low with water temperatures 55-58 degrees. Creek channels and ditches are best with Texas rigs and jigs worked around big wood or lay downs on the edges in 3-8 feet. Suspending jerkbaits is also working in the same areas. Docks are producing some fish. Offshore look for the bass to be on road beds and high spots in 15-22 feet with Carolina rigs and spoons. Report by Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork. The Lake Fork crappie fishing continues to be excellent as the surface temperatures continue to drop. Lots of fish can be found on timber, brush and bridges in 18-58 feet. If you find areas with tons of shad there will be crappie close by. Look for fish migrating towards deeper water that sometimes follow creek channels. The jig bite has kicked in for the winter. Small hand tied jigs are producing extremely well and soft plastics will get you a bite. Minnows are always a go to bait for crappie on Lake Fork. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.64 feet below pool. Crappie are fair as anglers continue to wait for crappie to move to winter patterns on deep structures. Bass are slow with a shallow crankbait or spinnerbait on rocky structure on the south side.
SLOW. Water stained: 60 degrees; 11.84 feet below pool. Sand bass can be caught with spoons. Bass can be caught in vegetation with crankbaits and Texas rigs.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.50 feet above pool. Crappie are improving in 15 feet of water on brush with jigs and minnows. Bass are slow. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling in shallow water on main lake flats. Catfish are biting on main lake flats on cut shad.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.22 feet below pool. Granbury water temperatures vary from low 50s in the river to 57 degrees on the main lake. Granbury is at full pool and there is a lot of debris floating. Be careful navigating. Granbury sand bass and crappie are good on small jigs on the upper ends from in town to Tin Top. Largemouth bass are also good on soft plastics on the upper ends near points and laydowns. Some good largemouth are also being caught near major creek entrances near Decordova subdivision. Striped bass numbers are good on soft plastics on the lower ends. Bigger striped bass are being caught from in-town to Hunter Park in 20-30 feet of water. Big blue and yellow catfish are also fair on cut bait near Hunter Park on channel ledges near tree lines. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.95 feet below pool. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs fished on the bottom in open water from 12-20 feet deep. White bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with shad. Yellow catfish are slow. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 1.49 feet below pool. White bass are under the birds or search with a graph using the deadstick technique with slabs on a stinger hook. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 49.27 feet below pool. Crappie are in standing timber. Sand bass are good. Catfish are good on minnows and worms. Largemouth bass are good.
GOOD. Water slightly stained. 60 degrees. Chain Pickerel are active in shallow water. Concentrate on areas with stumps, brush, and vegetation. Small bass are active in shallow areas relating to vegetation and structure. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. Crappie can be caught on brush with minnows and jigs. Bass can be caught on Texas rigs. Catfish can be caught on cut bait.
SLOW. Water Stained; 60 degrees; 13.06 feet below pool. The lake has risen about two feet over the week. Bass are fair with a few three fish stringers over 10 pounds. Try dragging soft plastics slowly on the bottom in 8-15 feet of water. Blue catfish can be caught on juglines with live bait or cut carp. White bass are schooling throughout the day.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 59 degrees; 0.10 feet above pool. Bass are slow on spinnerbaits along the bank, and with soft plastics from the bank to 25 feet. Fish seem to be scattered.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.48 below pool. Small bass can be caught on Texas rig soft plastics. Fishing should pick back up after these cold fronts stabilize. Crappie are in the shallow wood, but may slide out a little with the incoming front. White bass and catfish are sporadic here and there. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.51 feet above pool. Largemouth bass bite is excellent. Spotted bass schooling around the dam has slowed. Water clarity is good in coves that have not been wind blown. The fish are bulking up for the winter, and have been biting shad colored baits up in shallow coves and creek channels. Flukes, small swimbaits, or a dark colored jig around boat ramps have all produced good size fish. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 3.20 feet below pool. Crappie are in 20-30 feet of water on brush piles and deep submerged timber. There are a few fish sitting in 15-18 feet on structure. Crappie are hugging the bottom so you have to let a ⅛ ounce hand tied jig touch the bottom and then slowly lift to entice a bite. Minnows or soft plastics any color will produce fish. A lot of times in the winter they will hit it in the fall so be prepared. Use a bigger profile lure, so keep a couple 1/8 ounce jig heads. You can also find Fish spider rigging, or dragging a jig through the depth of the baitfish. Sometimes the fish will be laying on the bottom next to the dam usually no more than 100 yards off the rocks. Fish are laying at the base of the riprap where it turns into silt, and on the first tier of the riprap going underwater up to the rocks, to the dam. White bass are in 20-30 feet primarily on deepwater humps and levees, but some will be on points. Thumping the boat making noise will attract them to the boat if they are in the area. Slabs and 3-4 inch flukes have been getting them. There are also a small number of white bass inside the black water. Black water is the water along the shoreline that looks black because there is so much bait it turns the water black. There will be a line of black water approximately 3-4 feet thick and it’s just a little band of black going along the banks. The white bass will be swimming inside that black water with the bait so you must cast almost on the shoreline and drag it through the black water. Swimbaits 3-4 inches or rooster tails rooster tails will catch them. Expect to catch a couple black bass in your journey to the blackwater. Look for the birds on the bank and if you see a couple of them, go investigate and see what the water looks like There are a lot of spots that got the lake that you can just walk up to the black water as it will be 3 feet from the bank right in front of you, with millions of fish swimming by! Black bass are in 1-5 feet on rocks or concrete with Texas rigs, or in 15-20 feet on brush piles with jigs. There are some fish are being found 5-10 feet all day on any kind of structure close to the shoreline, such as stumps, trees, rocks, or any kind of debris. If you have side imaging, scan to find any kind of anomalies that these fish can hold on. The swimbait bite dragged a couple inches or so above brush piles has been stellar. Along with Alabama rigs if you can take the arm beating, it gives you. Blue catfish are great in 20-30 feet on cut gizzard shad on a Santee rig dragged behind the boat at approximately .03-.05 mph. Every day the school moves so you have to locate them. One day fish will be on one side of the lake and the next they will have traveled 3-4 miles to the other side of the lake. There is a great school of 15-25 pound fish roaming out there and once you find them, it can be an incredible outcome. Every so often as an example, if the wind suddenly changes directions, you will notice on your side imaging, the catfish are now laying in the mud and are not giving you a sonar shadow, but you can see them, sitting there. If they do not have a shadow on your side, imaging that means they are laying in the mud. If they do have a shadow that means they are on the hunt and those fish are catchable. To catch a monster target catfish in 3-10 feet the north end of the lake. Bluegills are becoming harder to find in numbers but can be found in 20-30 feet of water brush piles. The dam has trees and brush bluegill and crappie are mixed in. Worms on a very small hook and a split shot above just to keep it in the strike zone will still produce a nice table of fish. Crickets have been king as they also catch a few crappies. Using a cricket cage bait holder is imperative. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.24 feet below pool. Crappie are fair on minnows in 12-16 feet of water on brush with chartreuse jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on punch bait in 22-26 feet of water over drop-offs and rock piles. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are good working docks and bulkheads with creature baits, worms and flukes. A frog or topwater around underwater vegetation is working well. Do not forget a wakebait in those same areas. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. The water temperature is 58 degrees in the river and low 60s on the lower end of the lake. In the Colorado arm bass are biting Alabama rigs and jerkbaits, or under docks with green pumpkin senkos. The lower end in the grass with rattle traps, chatterbait and flukes. Look for the ducks to lead the way to the freshest grass. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.
FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; 3.11 feet below pool. White bass are slow on humps, points and ledges in 27-38 feet of water, and on deep flats and in river channels in 40-60 feet of water. In-line spinners, jigs, swimbaits, and live bait are working. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are slow to fair as well. They have been in 10-45 feet of water on drop-off ledges, the deeper parts of points, and deep flats. 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. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut shad. Drifting main lake flats near the river channel with active bait schools nearby has produced in 16-38 feet of water. Also with the recent rain, they will be shallow near the creeks and river mouths. Channel catfish are fair on baited holes on punch bait in 15-28 feet of water on humps and points. Crappie are fair in 6-38 feet of water. Check brush piles, bridge pilings, and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge. Cover close to drop off ledges has been best. The creeks have also started to produce. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. The water has cleared to 1.5 feet visibility. Hybrids and sand bass are in 15 feet of water on the main lake. Bass are scattered from 6-20 feet of water. The bite is slow on moving baits, or drag a Texas rigged crawfish in a few spots.
EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 3.08 feet below pool. Bass are fattening up for the spawn in a couple months. Many fish have fully developed egg sacks. Crappie are in 10-18 feet on offshore brush with minnows, or tight lining straight down in standing timber. White bass are schooling under the surface in 7-17 feet. Catfish are being caught in 10-20 feet on cut bait and minnows. Largemouth bass can be caught from 2-18 feet this week on docks, timber, bulkheads, rocks with Texas rigs, jigs, chatterbaits, and spinnerbait. Numbers of bass are still on offshore brush and roaming main lake points. Catfish and white bass are on points, flats, and roaming open water. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.
GOOD. slightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.96 feet below pool. Water color is a good green. White bass can be caught in 10-20 feet of water. Lots of juvenile hybrids right now, so people need to watch for not keeping them. Catching all fish on Ducktracker slabs and Texas teasers. White and chartreuseReport by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 57 degrees; 1.62 feet below pool. There are two turbines running at the power plant bringing water temperatures warmer after the outage. Bass are in pre-spawn to spawn depending on the area of the lake. Try spinnerbaits, swimbaits and rattle traps in and around the hydrilla. Crappie are a bit slow but should pick up when water temperatures stabilize better. Best bet will be 10-15 feet of water around brush using minnows and jigs. Report by Hambone guide service.
FAIR. Water stained; 51 degrees; 47.48 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady as the water starts to cool off. White bass are excellent. Bass are fair on artificials. Catfish are fair to good with nightcrawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad. Crappie are fair with artificial baits and minnows. Trout were recently stocked at the Stilling Basin. Expect the bite to improve on spinnerbaits, power baits, nightcrawlers and minnows. Walleye are good on minnows, grubs, and other artificial baits. Best of luck to you out there. Please be safe out there, watch weather reports. Life vests save lives. Best of luck in the New Year. Report by Kenneth Wysong, SharKens Honey Hole.
SLOW. Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.25 feet below pool. Bass are slow. Hybrids are still scattered, expect them to start schooling mid-December. Blue catfish are fair on shad in 14-20 feet of water. Very few catches of channel catfish. Crappie are slow in 14 feet of water.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.32 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are excellent with catches up to 11 pounds possible on large swimbaits and Carolina rigs off the bottom in creek channel swings in 12-15 feet of water. Crappie are excellent in 12-15 feet of water and standing timber and brush piles with 1/16 ounce translucent white crappie jigs on a split shot rig. Catfish are fair on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
GOOD. Water heavily stained; 58 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. There are still some large groups of bass in deeper water hovering just off the bottom, so a drop-shot has been working pretty well. A few have also been boated with a deep-diving crankbait. As always, shad imitations are in vogue. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on small swimbaits, Carolina rigs and dropshots. Crappie are excellent on brush piles and standing timber with a 1/16 ounce white crappie jig on a split shot. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees. 0.43 feet below pool. Bass are fair flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-3 feet of water. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. It is also important to slow down your retrieve this time of year to trigger these lethargic winter bass. Crappie were fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs and catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report provided by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.51 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent with catches up 32 pounds possible from the bank with shad. Crappie are good on brush piles using minnows. The occasional largemouth bass catch when crappie fishing. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 55 degrees; 22.81 feet below pool. Mild weather has maintained water temperatures in the mid 50s. The upper end is still clearing from stained and muddy water. Black bass are fair with some catches to 12 pounds with shad patterned swimbaits or crankbaits. The main lake is the best chance for a big fish. Crappie seem to be good on deep trees in river bends in 25-30 feet suspended in tops of trees. Minnows and jigs and white or shad patterns work best. Catfishing are good in 8-12 feet on cut shad and stink bait. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 17.92 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be slow with few anglers on the water. The white bass are being caught using small spoons such as the Bomber slab. A few reports of crappie being caught on brush piles with BoneHead jigs. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 0.96 feet below pool. Lake level is holding, with our sporadic but relatively light rains, and all launches appear to be open and usable. There have been 2 unseasonable, but short, warm spells lately that have gotten the fishing more active, and I think now we should be prepared for the more normal winter to move in. All fish metabolism will slow to a certain extent as the water cools, the normal seasonal low for Palestine is about 40 degrees. Bass will have breif feeding periods in December and January until they feel the beginnings of the spawn stage, so slower, larger baits with some vibration could be more effective. Catfish should continue to be fair to good. To catch smaller channels and blues in the daytime use smellier baits. Target flatheads and larger bluecatfish at night on larger live and cut bait. Hybrid stripers should be sporadic biters, with the best chances in the mid-morning to early afternoon times on bright days, often trolling. Crappie should remain deep during the winter. Live scopes will find them, as well as fishing with jigs or minnows at 20-25 feet over deeper areas where you can see them schooled, very slowly dragging the bait. White bass will also be sporadic, with short bite periods. Deadsticking a few feet over the deep schools will work in 25-40 feet. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Catfish are biting in 2-3 feet on cut bait or fresh shad. Crappie are slow with very few reports of bites. Sand bass are biting on roadrunners early in the morning and late evening. The lake is full, the water is murky, but the creek is clear. Blue catfish are biting in the creek on limb lines against the bank on cut bait and fresh shed. Report by Lake Palo Pinto RV Park.
GOOD. slightly stained; 55 degrees. Largemouth bass are excellent for numbers with many fish in the 3-5 pound range. Cast small swimbaits in 25 feet of water. Crappie are good on small white jigs on a split shot rig. Catfish are on cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.05 feet below pool. Striped bass are fair in 20-40 feet of water with live bait. Your best bet is to just put baits in the water and slowly move around with the trolling motor until you find them. Keep in mind that we are approaching deadstick season. Sand bass are fair in 20-30 feet of water with live shad or small slabs and jigs. Live shad seems to produce a few more fish than artificial. White and silver are good colors, but white seems to be preferred. Catfish are still fair to good near Rock Creek Camp. Cut shad is producing good numbers of fish in 5-20 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Water clarity is steady at 1-8 feet of visibility and slightly stained. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. Bass are moving up with the lake level rising. Target points and drop-offs with Carolina rigs, chatterbaits, and jigs. Report by JK Outdoors Bass Fishing Guide.
FAIR. Water light stain; 65 degrees. Bass are good with flukes, worms, and lipless crankbaits near the hydrilla grass edge are reported to be working for bass. No angler reports of crappie or catfish this week, but anglers can try minnows on crappie jigs near brush piles or piers to target crappie. Catfish can be targeted with worms or stink bait fished near the bottom at the prairie branch pier or over towards the dam by the valve release tower. Bluegill are biting on worms and hotdogs over at the boathouse dock. Anglers should try to use them on a free lined hook or with a hook and bobber.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 55 degrees; 2.74 feet below pool. White bass are gathering up in big schools on southern parts of the lake. White bass are gathering up in big schools on southern parts of the lake. Look for big bait balls in 30-38 feet of water with 3/4 ounce slabs with 2 jigs tied above working best spread at least 16 inches apart. When fish come through they are mostly suspended in the 20-30 feet range and reel up to the fish. Crappie are fair and relating to brush 18-28 feet deep moving on and off structure and starting to roam the deep flats. Minnows are working best. Catfish are excellent around the north end of the lake around timber using cut shad working best in 10-20 feet of water on prepared punch bait and cut bait. Larger blues are showing up on the deep flats. Drifting cut bait as shad, buffalo or carp working best. Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 1.43 feet below pool. White bass on live bait and slabs.25-45 feet on deep water humps. Crappie are in 15-25 feet on brush piles and small patches of structure, minnows or jigs. Recommend using a half ounce sinker on top of your jig. Blue catfish can be caught drifting or anchored on flats in 20-45 feet with cut bait. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 59 degrees; 2.21 feet below pool. White bass fishing fair to good using a slab and jig combination fished on the bottom in 25-30 feet of water off main lake points and near Pelican Island. Lift the bait slowly as it is almost deadsticking time! Hybrid striper action is fair on live bait and slabs off main lake points and Windsock Point in 30 feet of water. Lots of small hybrids mixed in with the Keepers! Eater size blue and channel catfish are excellent on punch bait in 20-30 feet of water in timber on the Richland Creek Arm of the Lake. Chum with Range Cubes and Fermented Grain for best results. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 2.29 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. The first two weeks of January are usually when the water really cools down. Bass are chasing shad in the shallows and off points. When you can find grass on the south end there is usually a bass that can be caught on crankbaits. Crappie and white bass are moving in the river channel, but are not stacked up in the river like normal. Catfish are good in 15-26 feet of water on cut bait and minnows. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 2.25 feet below pool. At Somerville marina the crappie bite is slow, bluegill are fair on crickets and worms, and catfish are fair on minnows and punch bait. On the lake crappie are slow on jigs and minnow over brush 8-16 feet of water. Catfish are good in 6-10 feet of water using cut shad or punch bait. Black bass are slow on slow moving plastics in 6-12 feet of water. White bass slow, trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids, fair in deeper water, using cut bait and mussels. Below the dam fishing is slow. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees. 45.65 feet below pool. Very few anglers on the water. The reports are very slow for black bass. The white bass are actively schooling biting spoons and inline spinners. Catfish are slow, with some reports of channel and blue catfish being caught from shore on cut bait. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.39 feet below pool. Crappie are good trending towards excellent fishing concrete submerged structures. The crappie house is starting to draw more anglers. Crappie have a belly full of shad. Some bait fish are shallow and on structures attracting the game fish. Bass are fair casting a small squarebill crankbait along shallow rocks. Catfish are fair.
GREAT. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.18 feet below pool. The white bass and largemouth bass are still putting on a show at Stillhouse with 2-angler catches over 100 fish in a morning. White bass are feeding on the edges of flats in the 20-foot range just after sunrise, then moving quickly deeper and continuing to feed until around 10:45 a.m. Fish can be caught as deep as 48-53 feet, especially on calmer, clearer days when the sun’s rays reach that deep on this lake’s very clear water. As of December 16, the water temperature from top to bottom was still 58-62 degrees, but will likely drop entirely into the high 50s with the chilly weather forecast heading into the weekend. MAL Dense Lures with silver bodies and chartreuse tails worked straight up off the bottom aided by a splasher are getting these results. We will likely drop back to a Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with a spinner and stinger hook going forward as the water cools and the fish slow down. There are plenty of largemouth bass and freshwater drum mixed in with the white bass in these same deep water areas. The shad-imitating 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab is the go-to bait for these fish. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 2.94 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni has shifted from a fall bite to more of a winter pattern as cold front after cold front continues to cool the water temperatures. The hybrid striper bite has been very up and down the last week. Lots of big wind has made it difficult to fish areas that are holding fish. Swimbaits and slab spoons are working best. Seems like the 10-25 feet range is holding fish. The eating sized catfish bite in the 1-4 pound range is still excellent. Baited holes are working best in 15-25 feet with punch bait. The trophy catfishing continues to improve weekly. Fish are being caught on cut bait in 2-15 feet. The largemouth bite has been good on plastics in 1-6 feet. Slow rolling shallow cranks are still putting fish in the boat but downsizing is working best. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.04 feet below pool. Catfish are good on the south end of the lake. Lake conditions continue to deteriorate with water levels continuing to drop. Certain boat ramps will be closing soon if the water level does not rise, so check before heading out.
GOOD. Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.59 feet above pool. Stripers are biting consistently in 30-40 feet of water near main-lake ledges and humps. Live bait, especially shad, has been the most effective, but white flukes are also producing well. Mid-day has been particularly productive, with fish schooling in deeper water as the day progresses. Look for birds working the surface to locate active schools. Bass fishing has slowed down but can still be rewarding for patient anglers. Target rocky points and submerged structure with finesse jigs or drop-shot rigs. Warm afternoons are your best bet for catching them closer to the shallows on plastics. Catfish are biting well on cut bait near creek channels and in 35-45 feet of water. Drift fishing has been particularly effective this week. Blue catfish have been the most active, with some nice-sized fish showing up. Crappie are holding tight to brush piles in 15-20 feet of water. Minnows and small jigs continue to work well. Focus on areas with good cover near coves for the best results. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass are good with Alabama rigs or swimbaits in 10-15 feet of water, and deadsticking in deeper water. Birds are working most days. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 61 degrees; 3.76 feet below pool. Fishing is good for this time of year with a late fall pattern. Bass can be caught with a swim jig, chatterbait, and spinnerbait on the bank in 1-6 feet of water. Then back out to 10-16 feet of water and catch them with a Texas and Carolina rig, or 18-25 feet of water with a spoon or dropshot. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 42.98 feet below pool. Bass are chasing shad in the backs of coves and cuts near deeper water. Also work the deeper water docks on the main lake with jigs and Texas-rigged power worms in pumpkin colors. A rattle trap or shallow crank in any craw colors is working well right now as well. Don’t forget to throw a small craw worm or creature bait on a light line if the bite falls off. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Bass are good around grass and hydrilla midlake to the dam with red chatterbaits, or shad colored hybrid hunter. Work Alabama rigs in 15-25 feet of water on the outside of grass. In the river crawfish colored crankbaits are landing bass on bluff walls and points. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.
SLOW. Water stained. 53 degrees; 38.64 feet below pool. Water level is very low so navigate with caution. Fishing continues to be slow. Crappie are slow with mostly smaller sized catches in deeper water on structure. Channel catfish are slow on stink bait. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.57 feet below pool. Crappie are slow in 20-25 feet of water. Catfish are slow, scattered in 10-16 feet of water stink bait and nightcrawlers. Bream are slow on red worms in deep water. Bass are slow on trick worms and crankbaits. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 65 degrees. Water levels remain extremely low, and the boat ramp is still closed for power boats due to ongoing repairs. Kayaks and canoes can still launch, and bank fishing is possible, but the low water and exposed rock piles are making things tricky. Fishing around the reeds has been tough with the water levels so low and grass mats so thick. Instead, focus on open flats with submerged vegetation. Try moving techniques like weedless swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Jerkbaits and Alabama rigs are also worth a shot in open water. Around the grass mats, weedless soft plastics, stick baits, dropshot rigs, and jigs are good options. Start transitioning to winter patterns by slowing down your presentation and working sections of submerged grass in the 8-10 foot range. Report by Team YAKUSA.
SLOW. Water heavily stained; 53 degrees; 5.17 feet below pool. Bass are slow. Crappie are good in the crappie house on jigs or minnows. Catfish are fair off rocks with punch bait and shad. Water visibility is 4 inches.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 0.03 feet below pool. Catfish are good using punch bait in 20-25 feet of water. The striped bass bite has improved deadsticking with flukes in 30-45 feet of water. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-20 feet on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is slow but some are being caught up the river on flukes and slabs. Largemouth bass are good around the docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 2.68 feet below pool. White Bass are fair, look for birds working or schools of bait on the main lake and in mid-depths on chartreuse and white slabs or paddle tail swim baits. Some white bass are still being caught in black water on 3-4 inch paddle tail swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure and cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in basically all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The warmer weather scattered the fish so you willl have to work to find feeding fish, and expect the pattern to change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.04 feet above pool. White bass are on fire just about everywhere in the lake eating to be ready for winter. The sandies are very active early mornings and late afternoons eating swimbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Largemouth bass are on docks and structure eating just about anything as well. Catfish are decent on the drop offs being caught with fresh caught shad. Crappie are deep and very tight to structure on the bottom being caught with minnows and small jigs but need to be enticed to bite a bit. 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.
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 December 25, 2024
Redfish Bay
FAIR. 66 degrees. Black drum can be caught with dead shrimp around crushed shells or sand flats. Redfish are biting as shallow as you can get on dead shrimp, or live piggy perch. Trout bite is sporadic on piggy perch. Sheepshead are around the jetty and on structures with live shrimp. Flounder giggers are producing catches of flounder. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
San Antonio Bay
SLOW. 61 degrees. Lots of trout along the shoreline with artificials. Water is high so redfish will be in the back lakes. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 68 degrees. Neches River is good for sheepshead, drum and redfish off the rocks and shell flats with live shrimp under a popping cork or on a Carolina rig. Some channel catfish are mixed in with the brackish water. Target the points, flats and rocks leaving the bayou where shrimp are flushing out. Trout are good at the Bessie Heights Marsh cuts and flats under the birds. There is a lot of shrimp in the marsh for game fish to gorge on. This pattern should continue through January. North Levy Wall and Pleasure Island are producing phenomenal speckled trout and limits of redfish with ⅜ ounce jigheads or �¾ ounce gold spoons. Sabine Lake is producing nice speckled trout and redfish mid to north lake under the birds with a �¾ ounce gold spoon, topwaters, and ⅜ ounce jigheads in white or white ice. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 67 degrees. Water levels are swapping back-and-forth this week with the north winds pushing the tide out, and the incoming tide is clear. Anglers are still catching plenty of redfish everywhere. The big croakers are still being caught along with a few more sand trout, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with a few small stingrays and sharks. The surf is producing numbers of redfish, black drum, the occasional speckled trout and crabs along the whole peninsula with more activity towards Gilchrist, High Island mainly. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay
SLOW. 63 degrees. The back end of the bay is good for scattered reds and speckled trout on live shrimp and artificial lures. Marshes are good for redfish. Fish are moving north, with good catches of speckled trout from above I-10 in the San Jacinto river. Live shrimp and soft plastics are effective. Still plenty of fish between Fred Hartman Bridge and I-10. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Water clarity is good. Redfish are being caught well in the current and near drop-offs feeding heavily in the bottom using swimbaits, gulp curly tails and gulp shrimp. Trout are fantastic in current over rock flats and shell flats being caught on swim baits and shrimp imitation baits. Flounder are starting to really pick up on drains using swim baits and gulp baits. Drum are heavy on rock flats being caught on live or dead shrimp. Always wear your kill switch when underway. God is great! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
GOOD. 62 degrees. Back water drains and lakes producing speckled trout and redfish on hard plastic baits and soft plastic lures. Reefs are good for black drum and sheepshead. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 62 degrees. The water clarity is excellent now for East Galveston Bay. The trout bite has remained steady, catching good numbers and some oversize fish as well on our artificial only trips. The ticket the past few days has been fishing very slowly on the bottom over deeper shell with 1/4 ounce jig heads with WACky shad XL tails by Wac Attack, with Rollover Moon, securing the most bites. The redfish bite has been on fire around grass lines and in the shallow water areas where we see active bait using imitation shrimp lures and Deadly Dudley Rat tails under popping corks, with a 1-foot leader. As in previous weeks, if you do not see active bait in the area move on rather quickly if you are not getting any bites. Do not let the less-than-ideal weather keep you off the water, as this time of year brings some of the best fishing conditions for larger fish. Get out and make it happen with your family and friends. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay
SLOW. 64 degrees. Upper Galveston bay around Sylvan Beach good for speckled trout on soft plastics. Clear Lake produces scattered trout catches on live shrimp and soft plastics. A few redfish in both areas. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay
GOOD. 64 degrees. Drifting the dirty streaks in the open bay producing scattered catches of speckled trout. Those fishing in Chocolate and even Hall’s Bayou catching speckled trout, black drum, and redfish on soft plastics and live shrimp are effective. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Texas City
GOOD. 62 degrees. All eyes have turned to flounder. Good catches of flounder are coming from the Galveston channel, with the best bite on live shrimp and gulps. Fish up to 7 pounds have been caught. Those gigging at night are doing well. Still bull redfish and oversized black drum being caught off the dike and the Galveston jetties. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Anglers are still catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and black drum with the occasional sand trout, gafftop and big croaker. Wade fishing has been sporadic, but great during the incoming tides. Along the dike has been productive from the beginning to the end still. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport
GOOD. 62 degrees. Fishing has been good in between fronts. Redfish and trout have been good working under the birds with plastic or gulp under a popping cork. In Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay, Salt Lake and Oyster Lake. Brazos River has been good with reds, trout, drum, sand trout with either live shrimp or fresh dead shrimp. Flounder have been good on gulp, new penny shrimp and live finger mullet. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures
East Matagorda Bay
GOOD. 55 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady with a consistent bite for trout in the The Colorado River with artificials, or live shrimp. Very little bird action. Redfish are good wade fishing or drifting with artificials. As the weather warms the redfish venture into the marsh and can be caught with artificials or cut mullet. On calm days the jetties are producing a few catches of drum and sheepshead. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
GOOD. 55 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady with a consistent bite for trout in the The Colorado River with artificials, or live shrimp. Very little bird action. Redfish are good in the sloughs and shallow water with cut bait. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O’Connor
GOOD. 60 degrees. Good numbers of trout can be caught on the outside of the jetties with live shrimp. Oversized and slot redfish outside and end of both jetties with blue crab or Spanish sardines. Sheepshead are biting throughout the jetty with live shrimp. Black drums are biting on the apron of the jetty with dead shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GOOD. 71 degrees. Tides will be lower this week. Trout are good on live shrimp and your favorite soft plastic drifting flats and in drains. Redfish are great on shrimp or cut mullet in flats fishing drains and guts. Black drum are great on live or dead shrimp and fish bites in drains, guts and along oyster beds. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Port Aransas
GOOD. 71 degrees. Redfish have been great on live shrimp and cut mullet on the north and south jetty. Oversized redfish have been good on cut crab and mullet. Trout are good with shrimp free lined along rocks. Black drums are fair on shrimp. Sheepshead are starting to show up using shrimp. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
FAIR. 66 degrees. Black drum can be caught with dead shrimp around crushed shells or sand flats. Redfish are biting as shallow as you can get on dead shrimp, or live piggy perch. Trout bite is sporadic on piggy perch. Sheepshead are around the jetty and on structures with live shrimp. Flounder giggers are producing catches of flounder. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
Baffin Bay
GOOD. 75 degrees. Baffin Bay is on fire with the big trout eating heavily when times are good. This is the time of year to focus on that one big fish that you want to catch really honing in on your soft plastics and corky game. When water temperatures drop fish will fall off into deeper areas closer to the deep deep areas where they go when things get very dicey for their survival. Between cold fronts when there is a sunny warm up with warm winds, the shallow water is the first place to heat up and that’s where they go to feed. So be thoughtful in your presentations during these two periods of time that we will yo-yo back-and-forth from all winter long. Use soft plastics like the 6 or even 8 inch Coastal Brew darts in natural colors as well as Down South Lures Big Smooth and Super Models on lightweight jig heads. Try Texas Custom Corky Fat Boys in the colder times and down-size a little to Texas Custom Corky Softdines during warmer periods. Report by Captain Sally Black.
Port Mansfield
GOOD. 76 degrees. The weather has stabilized and fishing is strong. Winds have kicked up a bit, but we are able to work through it easily. Concentrate on small potholes scattered over big flats. The best depth has been around 2 feet deep. Trout and redfish have been eager for suspending baits such as the Darter by Mansfield Knockers. There have even been some flounder catches near the pass. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.
South Padre
GOOD. 68 degrees. Windy gusts to high teens in the afternoons. Trout are in feeder channels and the edge of the intercoastal at Three Islands using live shrimp. Redfish good drifting on gaswell flats. Sheepshead are at the old causeway. Redfish and trout are fair drifting South Bay. Mangrove Snapper are good at the end of Brownsville Channel free shrimping with live shrimp. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
GOOD. 68 degrees. Windy gusts to high teens in the afternoons. Trout are in feeder channels and the edge of the intercoastal at Three Islands using live shrimp. Redfish good drifting on gaswell flats. Sheepshead are at the old causeway. Redfish and trout are fair drifting South Bay. Mangrove Snapper are good at the end of Brownsville Channel free shrimping with live shrimp. 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.
We knew fishing would be tough at Bartletts Ferry for the Potato Creek Bassmasters tournament last Saturday. The weekend before it took only 11 pounds to win a local tournament with 47 teams fishing. In local tournaments like that there are usually some very good fishermen that know the lake well and fish it several days a week to keep up with what will catch bass.
In our tournament 18 fishermen cast from 7:00 AM to 3:00 Pm to land 51 12-inch keeper bass weighing about 64 pounds. There were three five bass limits and two fishermen didn’t weigh in a fish.
I managed to win with five weighing 7.26 pounds, Doug Acree had five at 7.05 for second and Stevie Wright came in third with four weighing 6.01 pounds. Glen Anderson had three weighing 5.90 pounds for fourth and his 3.71 pound largemouth was big fish.
I went to Blanton Creek Campground on Wednesday to practice and try to figure out something on Thursday and Friday. Blanton Creek is a very nice Georgia Power campground about five miles by land and three miles by water from Idlehour Ramp where our tournaments are held.
I like camping there, it has nice shady sites with electricity and water hookups and a good bathhouse with hot showers. As usual, when I pulled up to check in the attendant said “you know you can not park your boat in the campground.”
I have run into that problem every time I camp there. My boat batteries have to be charged every night or I can not fish the next day. They want me to leave my boat in the ramp parking lot, where there are no outlets. And I have to take off all my electronics and take all my tackle with me. I am very uncomfortable leaving it exposed in a parking lot.
Some trips in the past I have been able to park my boat on my campsite, assuring the attendants I would not park it outside the gravel area or on the roads. This time I had gotten a site on the water, one of only about ten that allow you to keep your boat in the water and run an extension cord to it to charge your batteries.
Although written rules in the campground say no vehicles should be parked anywhere other than on the gravel camp sites, there were six to 12 trucks and cars parked outside campsites beside the road every day.
So they do not allow anyone to park a boat in the campground since someone might park outside their campsite, but they do not enforce the written rules for cars and trucks.
Seems very unfair to me.
I was shocked to win the tournament. My elbow started hurting the week before the tournament and I got a sharp pain in it every time I tried to cast. Thursday I tried to learn to cast with my left hand, and got pretty good at it, as long as I didn’t care where my bait went.
I cast about 20 times Friday and my elbow hurt so bad I stopped. I spent most of Thursday and Friday riding points, looking for places where I could drop a bait over the side or heave it out with no target, let it sink then drag it around with the trolling motor.
I started Saturday morning on a rocky bank where I could heave my spinnerbait toward it and not care much where it hit. I hooked and lost a fish on my third cast, then lost another a few minutes later. That was not a good start.
I next went to a hump with some hydrilla on it and heaved a topwater bait out, and got a good keeper on my second cast with a topwater plug. After that I caught three on Trick worms on seawalls. Fishing them allowed me to cast in the general direction, often landing my bait on the bank, then pulling it into the water.
After the sun got high I got my fifth keeper dragging a small jig on a point with some brush. Then, with less than 30 minutes to fish, I went back to the hump where I caught my first fish.
With five minutes left to cast I hooked and landed a 2.5 pound largemouth on a spinnerbait. It was my biggest fish of the day and culled a 12-inch spot that weighed less than a pound! That made the difference between first and fourth or so.
Water Level: The lake level stands at .64 feet ABOVE full pool.
Water Temp: Temps are hovering in the upper 70s on my Garmin
Water Clarity: Nothing significant to report on the clarity of the lake, it’s typical clarity for June.
I have been on Lanier for 4 of the past 7 days. The fishing was very good for numbers with some good fish mixed in to keep things interesting.
There really has not been a lot of changes in what I have been doing since my last report. Top water is still the most productive pattern day in and day out. I expect this to continue until the water temps creep up into the low to mid 80s range. When that happens, the thermocline will become more prevalent, surface O2 levels will decrease and Anglers will have to get more creative with presentations.
For now, it’s time to enjoy the famed topwater bite that Lanier is known for. My focus is humps and point in 25’-35’ FOW. Chrome if it is sunny, bone or more subdued colors when it is cloudy.
This is also the time of the year where it is a good idea to have several different styles of top water baits available. Anglers may need to vary their retrieves and bait profile to figure out what the fish want on any given day.
Lastly, I want to hit on our old buddy the shaky head. While Top water rules the roost for most days, the shaky head can still be a trip savior. Anglers often don’t think of the SH as a June bait, but it can be extremely effective on days when the fish just don’t want to play ball or when Anglers are just looking to give fish a different look. I throw it in the same areas as I do top water, I am just slowing way down. A 3/16oz Davis HBT head with a Trixster Tamale is my go to set up.
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 (261 previous videos). You can sign up and view videos at https://jeffnail.uscreen.io
Lake Lanier Fishing JournalDaily updates on bass fishing at Lake Lanier. Created by Jeff Nail Fishing and Guide Service.jeffnail.uscreen.io
For the new few weeks, I have the following dates available: June 15-18 and 21. July: I am pretty open for all days after the 8th. If you are interested in a trip, please reach out and I will get you on the calendar.
Jeff 770-715-9933 [email protected] jeffnail.uscreen.io Jeffnailfishing.net
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!
St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Presented by SEVIIN Reels Kicks off Division 2 Competition on Lake Ouachita
Hot Springs, AR — At over 40,000 acres, Ouachita is Arkansas’ biggest lake and one of the most popular fisheries in the state. It has been more than 20 years since B.A.S.S. visited the lake for a major tournament, but today through Saturday, high-stakes bass fishing is back, with Visit Hot Springs hosting the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Ouachita presented by SEVIIN. It’s the second Opens event of the 2024 season, and the first of three in Division 2 competition.
Tournament days are scheduled for Feb. 15-17, with daily takeoffs set for 6:45 a.m. CT from the Brady Mountain Rec A ramp. Anglers will return for weigh-in each day at 2:45 p.m. The full field of pros and co-anglers will fish the first two days before the field is cut to the Top 10 pros on the final day. The winner will punch a ticket to the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, provided they have fished every event in Division II. EQ Anglers (those signed up for all nine Opens) will earn points towards the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers race.
With surface water temperatures barely rising above 50 degrees in most parts of the sprawling lake, Ouachita remains very much in a late-winter pattern. Rain leading up to and throughout practice has impacted water clarity, impacting how and where anglers will chase bites from the lake’s abundant smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass. Ouachita has both Northern- and Florida-strain largemouth, the latter of which can reach double-digit weights feeding on the lake’s shad, crayfish, and other ample forage. Expect anglers to use live sonar to focus on suspended bass keying on shad in open water areas, jigs and crankbaits on main lake points, and vertical presentations in Ouachita’s copious amounts of standing timber. Grass flats will also come into play, as long as competitors can find the ones that have pockets of clear water.
Maple Grove, Minnesota angler and St. Croix and SEVIIN Reels pro, Chad Grigsby, is a familiar face and talent in bass circles. He’s been fishing full-time on the national level for over 20 years – 18 on the FLW/MLF tour and two seasons in the Bassmaster Elites.
Grigsby says he has two goals fishing the Opens this season. “I’m fishing all nine events in hopes I can finish in the top nine in points and re-qualify for the Elites,” he says. “The other goal would be to win one of the nine events to get into the Bassmaster Classic.”
Going into this week’s competition, Grigsby says his goal is much simpler. “It’s the same mindset I have going into any tournament,” he says. “Ultimately, I just want to catch five bass to weigh every day. But I want to do it by putting myself in a place where I can get as many bites as possible.”
The pre-spawn period on Lake Ouachita is a pretty good place to do that. “It’s consistent fishing here,” says Grigsby, who has fished multiple tournaments on the lake in the past. “There’s really no fish headed to the banks yet, so it’s not like Florida where a cold front rolls through and messes things up. I think the rain is over, so it looks like we’ll have stable weather throughout the competition. Everyone is out live-scoping deep, but there’s bait and fish everywhere. I caught a couple 4.5’s in practice shallow, but they didn’t look as healthy as those deeper fish.”
While multiple options abound, expect the jig to play throughout competition for Grigsby. “I’ve got a lot of confidence fishing a jig and it’s been as good for me as anything else throughout practice,” he says. “I’ve been throwing jigs on a bit shorter St. Croix Legend X 7’ medium-heavy rod (XLC70MHF) with 14-pound line and a SEVIIN GS 7.3:1 reel,” he adds. “What I’m seeing them eat is really small.”
The final day of competition on Ouachita will be broadcast live on FS1 Saturday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET, with streaming available on Bassmaster.com, as well as FS2 and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Presented by SEVIIN Reels Schedule
Division 1 February 1-3, Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Florida March 7-9, Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, South Carolina October 10-12, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, South Carolina
Division 2 February 15-17, Lake Ouachita, Hot Springs, Arkansas May 2-4, Logan Martin Lake, Lincoln, Alabama June 20-22, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Oklahoma
Division 3 July 11-13, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Michigan August 22-24, Leech Lake, Walker, Minnesota September 12-14, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wisconsin
St. Croix & SEVIIN Rewards Programs
The St. Croix Rewards Program remains unchanged this year, but an identical SEVIIN Rewards Program has been added.
Each program pays $1,000 to any registered pro angler (boater) who wins an Open tournament fishing St. Croix rods or SEVIIN reels, or $500 to the highest-finishing registered top-10 pro angler (boater) fishing St. Croix rods or SEVIIN Reels.
Similarly, each program awards $500 to any registered co-angler who wins an Open tournament fishing St. Croix rods or SEVIIN reels, or $250 to the highest-finishing registered top-10 co-angler fishing St. Croix rods or SEVIIN reels.
Since these are two separate contingency programs, a registered angler fishing both St. Croix and SEVIIN who wins or finishes highest in the top 10 would receive both rewards – up to $2,000 for a boater and up to $1,000 for a co-angler.
Anglers must pre-register to be eligible to win these contingency programs. Registration takes place at the St. Croix / SEVIIN tent prior to the start of competition at each tournament.
Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly producing the “Best Rods on Earth” for over 75 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major producer to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The company remains family-owned and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Legend Xtreme®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph®, Mojo, and BASSX, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world.
Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and crafting products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by a passion to deliver the most reliable reels on the water.
KEEP YOUR FINGER ON THE FISHING INDUSTRY PULSE
THE DEFINITITIVE NEWS SOURCE OF THE FISHING & MARINE INDUSTRY
While the weather cannot seem make its mind up this week, we are still in that fall turnover pattern on the water. The line sides are definitely on the move and headed back in the creeks in search of bait and water quality. It is still a grind but good fish and numbers can be caught using a number of techniques. Long points and humps are really coming into play now as the fish are roaming more shallow. These areas in the middle and back portions of the creek have been getting better as we get deeper into the fall pattern.
Planer boards and free lines have been my staple pattern. As I mentioned in my last report, I will discuss my standard set up in this report. A Captain Mack’s Mustard Stick paired with an Okuma line counter reel is my go-to. I like to be spooled with 17 lb test mono and a 10-12# Sunlike Sniper Fluorocarbon leader approximately 8’ long. I use a #2 Gamakatsu Octopus hook for the Blueback Herring. I use the line counter reel to let 30-40’ back before I clip the Perfect Planer on and then let the planer back around 80’ on my outside rod and then 50’ on my inside rod when running 2 rods per side. Set your reels drag loose enough the fish will pull drag slightly on that initial run but tight enough to get a solid hook set. This is my standard setup but you can vary it to your style. Braid works just fine as a main line and hook sizes need to match the bait you are pulling.
Trolling Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs over these same points and humps in 25-35’ will definitely add more fish to the boat and also the best way to scout out new areas when searching a creek arm. 90-125’ behind the boat is ideal doing this method. Keep a Super Jig (white with mylar or white chart) or top water bait tied on for the surfacing fish.
Check out these weekly updated reports for selected lakes in Georgia and Alabama Lakes Fishing Report. If any guides or fishermen do weekly reports and would like them published on my site please contact me: [email protected]
Captain Mike with nice Guntersville bass
Fishing Report, Lake Guntersville 9/21/19
With my truck being repaired from someone hitting it at a ramp and of course the culprit not
owning up to it; my report will be somewhat second hand; but have no fear I have it back and
will be back on the water next week. It appears the top water bite remained strong and so
did the worm fishing. Although size was hard to come bye as it generally is in the late summer
numbers were good.
Baits being used this week, top water mainly pop-r’s, Zara spooks, and Picasso buzz baits, on
the bottom we have mainly fished small worms like Missile bait ‘48” stick baits in 8 to 10 feet
of water.
Come fish with me no one will treat you better or work harder to see you have a great day on
the water. I have guides and days available to fish with you. We fish with great sponsor
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Fishing, Duckett Fishing, Navionics mapping and more.
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