There is no doubt the fall bite is on its way, as bait balls and chasing are prevalent all over the lake. As always in the fall the bait s everywhere and we are seeing some second spawn fish right now; this is never a big spawn in the fall, but we caught a few fish with bloody tails and see them on some deeper bedding areas.
We are fishing with many moving baits. SPRO jerk baits, Duckett spinner baits, Missile Bait DBombs and Tight-Line swim jigs most of the time. There are a few exceptions, but these are the key baits. The grass is dying off either from spraying or weather in many places making it a little easier to move some faster baits.
Fall A-rig Fishing
A bait that has proven very effective in the fall over the past several years is commonly known as the Alabama Rig (A-Rig.) As the baitfish schools up and chasing becomes more the norm in the fall the A-Rig has become a very effective fall bait. Although there is lots of floating grass and thick grass as the bait moves to the mouths of the creeks the A-rig has become extremely effective. It’s also a bait that has changed over time as many versions of the A-Rig are now on the market allowing you to purchase lighter versions so you’re not sinking directly into the grass, allowing it to be fished over and around grass!
Even though for me the A-rig has not been as common on my boat as other baits, this has been my own choosing not to fish it as much because of the danger of all the hooks in the boat with customers. I also think that the different manufacturers of the A-rig are starting to create different versions of it so the bait can be fished at different depths with more flash and for a variety of fish species. Many of the manufacturers have taken weight out of the bait and reduced the size of the wire and added willow leaf blades for flash, to improve presentation.
The other change is that the A-rig is being fished in more types of cover and at different depths than the original use presented. Anglers have found that the bass have not moved to the bridges as they did in past years. I believe this is a by-product of the rig beating up the fish and changing some of their normal migration paths. Allowing anglers to move to creeks, shallow water, points and river ledge areas to find the fish that will hit it. The good news is that as the migration path changed the A-rig manufacturers were ahead of the curve and did many of the things stated above to allow the bait to take on more water other than the 20 to 30 ft. drops we all fished in past years. The thing that hasn’t changed on the A-rig is it is a bulky bait and most average and older fisherman are physically challenged to fish with it!
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; 85 degrees; 2.30 feet below pool. Crappie continue to be good in 15-25 feet on minnows and jigs. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 91 degrees; 68.42 feet below pool. Black bass are fair on main lake points, sheer bluffs, chunk rock ledges in 15-25 feet are holding better fish. Weightless senkos, wacky rigs, weightless flukes, suspending jerkbaits on light fluorocarbons are giving you the best results. White bass are fair on deep water ledges around bait balls and birds in 30-50 feet up the Rio Grande. Jigging spoons, white bass rigs, Alabama rigs are getting the best results. Stripers are slow. Tight lines and have a Safe Labor Day Weekend! Report by Captain Raul Cordero, Far West Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 88 degrees; 5.79 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns are steady. Bass are fair on points, or off docks where bass are seeking out that secondary cover. Catfish are excellent on shallow rocks with cut bait on a bobber. Crappie are biting on brush piles with jigs and minnows. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 5.52 feet below pool. Summer pattern is still in full swing. Catfish are scattered out in open water flats and drop-offs. Drifting with fresh cut shad works best. Crappie can be caught over brush piles and the oil derricks. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 0.18 feet below pool. Bass are fair on jigs and artificial worms. Fish are scattered on deep grass edges out to 12 feet. Schooling bass are active but scattered as well. White flukes and small swimbaits have been catching these fish. Crappie are slow over brush out to 25 feet. Small jigs and minnows are catching fish early and late. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.69 feet below pool. Lake Austin has been good. Best at night, flipping docks with big creature baits and big worms but some good ones in the day as well, mostly early. Docks then as well, but rocky walls and along thick vegetation throwing jigs and Texas-rigged plastics are working well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stain; 85 degrees; 0.55 feet below pool. Water is being released into the lake from Sam Rayburn Reservoir. 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. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees. Schooling bass are good early in the discharge and several places throughout the lake later on using small swimbaits with belly weighted hooks and tiny straight tail swimbaits on round head jig heads There are some good ones deep as well. Humps and deeper ledges using Carolina rigged finesse worms, flukes, and small creature baits. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 89 degrees; 0.65 feet below pool. A definite late summer trend has developed as we go into Labor Day weekend. Quality white bass are typically caught in a fairly short morning window from 6:45-7:50 a.m., then again in the evening from around 6:45 p.m until dark. Outside of these windows, short fish under 10 inches have been the rule. During these productive windows, I have been finding concentrations of fish via downrigging with #13 Pet Spoons behind 3-armed umbrella rigs, then, once fish are found, Spot-Locking atop them and fishing both vertically and horizontally with MAL Minis and MAL Originals chosen to match the bait size. Some morning topwater is occurring, but it is far from consistent. If you do not have a splasher, this is the season where they are most helpful, I strongly suggest mounting one. A splasher is very helpful in drawing these fish in toward the boat and keeping them there. Otherwise, you will catch a few, the school will depart, and your search for fish starts all over again. Work MAL Minis vertically or horizontally on long spinning rods with very full spools of light braided line to help with sink rate and casting distance. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent. Shallow water continues to be productive for nights and early mornings. Smaller blue catfish and trophy size catfish can be caught in 10 feet or less using live bait as well as fresh cut bait. As the sun rises drifting deeper water along river channels has been great. Flatheads have been caught near rock piles with live perch or shad. Channel catfish have been great in shallow water around timber using punch bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 2.80 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 18-20 feet of water using live minnows. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are good using Texas rigged worms in the stumps. Catfish and bluegill are good from the bank with worms, and stink bait. Sand bass are schooling near the dam hitting spinnerbaits. Report by Benbrook Marina. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 93 degrees; 0.29 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns are holding steady. Big blue catfish 15 feet or less. Channel catfish are fair in 15-20 feet of water on baited holes with stink bait. Crappie are good in 30 feet of water, or suspended in 15 feet of water with minnows. White bass are good at night in the lights with a white spinnerbaits. A few catches of white bass while targeting crappie with a crappie jig and white curly tailed jig. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Black bass are feeding early on shad patterns around grass and retaining walls. Main lake points are good for bass using clouser type patterns. Bream are plentiful with wooly buggers and small worm patterns. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Bass are good on points in 18-22 feet of water using deep water baits like deep diving crankbaits, dropshots and Texas rigs. Night fishing has the best bite and is an escape from the heat and recreational boaters. Sand bass and black bass schooling together near the dam, and bridges. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
stained; 85 degrees; 1.64 feet below pool. Bass are very slow early morning. The offshore bite is best midday with Carolina rigs, dropshots, Texas rigs and football jigs on structures such as brush pikes and pond dams in 15-24 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 12.47 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. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained, 97 degrees. Redfish are fair from the bank using live bait and shrimp also trolling gold or silver spoons 17-21 feet around the dam area. Channel catfish are fair around rock lines on cheese bait bass are slow. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stained; 85 degrees; 11.11 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is hovering around ten feet low. Water clarity is good with water temperatures in the mid 80s. All ramps are open. Crappie continue to be good on minnows and jigs. Best areas have been offshore brush piles, docks and the 380 bridge. Largemouth bass have been tough though occasional big fish are being caught. Start with topwaters early and back off to deep cover as the sun warms, with deep diving cranks and slow moving soft plastics. Hybrids and sand bass are moving quickly around the lake. Look around deep structures to see if they come through. Chartreuse slabs will put them in the boat. Also, keep an eye out for surfacing fish early and late. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 89 degrees; 3.96 feet below pool. Black bass catches up to 6.74 pounds are fair on Hag’s F8 tornados in watermelon/red flake on the ledges and brush piles in 12-18 feet with shaky heads and on crankbaits off the rocks in 6-12 feet around the mid lake to upper end early and late. Crappie are slow around docks with brush on minnows in 15-18 feet. White bass are slow on crappie jigs, or trolling crankbaits. There is some schooling action all over the lake but fish are not staying up long. Catfish are fair with catches between 5-10 pounds on prepared bait at baited holes or drifting cut baits on the main lake flats. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 87 degrees. Bass are biting good midday, also right before dark while the sun is going down. Have caught them good lately on a jig off rock, and throwing moving baits in shallower areas. Darker colors have been working best.Report by the Aggie Anglers.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 12.11 feet below pool. Live bait has produced a few striped bass over the week, but is still the slower technique. There are still a few schools that come up in the mornings, but it is short lived and done. Trolling with white, yellow and chartreuse �½ ounce jigs and trailers is producing stripers in 8-17 feet of water. The fish are moving fast so being in the right place at the right time will produce good results. Just remember if you are trolling the topwater fish stay on the outside of the boiling fish as that is where the trolling bite is, if you drive through the middle of them it has been sending the fish down Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Striped bass bite is fair as then topwater action has slowed down. Trolling bite is slow for striped bass and white bass on ledges and main lake points in 25-35 feet of water. Catfish are good on rock piles and trees in the creek channels in 25-30 feet of water using live or cut shad or punch bait. Largemouth bass are slow to fair, but can be caught off main lake points or ledges, and shallow rock piles in 8-12 feet of water. Topwater bites over scattered brush in 5-12 feet of water. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service. Crappie are good on timber 20 feet of water. Catfish are good in 20-35 feet of water on punch bait. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.06 feet above pool. Never thought I would say this about Caddo this year after all the rain we had in the spring, but we need some rain. Lake is falling quickly now and the bite has slowed down some but there are still some big ones being caught on topwater lures early. River fish are still setting up decently and can be caught on june bug colored Texas rigs, dropshots and shaky heads in your cuts and curves of the river plus along the grass pad lines. Looks like some lower temperatures and chance of rain is on the forecast, so maybe the bite will pick back up some. If you are new to Caddo just put in on the river and have a fluke, pop r or Texas rig tied on and just cover the grass line on edge and you should get bit. Lake is setting up nice and is always a beautiful and majestic trip out here to see and fish this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained, 92 degrees. The fish kill is over and the oxygen level is back up along the bank line. Redfish are being caught from Jet Ski Cove to Spider Island on live bait also being caught trolling on gold and silver spoons and some plastics from the dam to 181 cove 15-19 feet. Blue catfish are being caught out in the mouth of 181 cove on cut bait channel cats are being caught around weed lines on cheese bait bass are slow Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 24.01 feet below pool. Water clarity is a normal stain on the main lake, and stained up the river. Bass are on grass edges in 15 feet of water being caught on a dropshot. Report by Evan Coleman, Big Bassin Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
EXCELLENT. slightly stained; 90 degrees; 1.32 feet below pool. Now that the hot weather has consistently set in, the fishing is consistently excellent. Some days are just amazing but others are just very good with big numbers of white bass being caught and hybrids are generally mixed in. If you find a pattern right now stick with it and continue to fish the same techniques. Hybrids and white bass are good early in the morning at daylight on midlake points and drop-offs along sandy flats throughout the dam area, Crappie Island, Key Ranch and the spillway humps in 13-19 feet. Cast spinners and slabs and look for schooling fish on these flats as well as deeper seawalls and shorelines. Then fish any hump in 17-25 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools as the day heats up. Use spinnerbaits or drop a slab down to the bottom and work it fast up and down and the fish will hit it immediately. Also throwing out a slab and reeling it back with a slow retrieve is also working well. The evening bite from 5-9 p.m has also been very good. Hit up seawalls close to points in depths of 5-18 feet and cast rattle traps, spoons, slabs or sassy shads to get the hybrids to bite. The crappie bite has been getting better. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 5-12 feet under bridge pylons, hidden brush piles throughout the lake or under docks. Limits are being reported, although guides have been reporting conditions are improving with bigger sized fish being caught. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are good drifting cut drum, gizzard shad or carp. Producing catches in the 10-30 pound range. The humps in 16-24 feet are still best for numbers. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees; 30.70 feet below pool. Few anglers on the water due to the heat and low water levels. Bass are fair early in the morning or late in the afternoon on long extended points with watermelon colored soft plastic worms and flukes. Bass are chasing shad. Catfish are in 15-30 feet of water. Crappie are biting in brush piles in 20-30 feet of water on minnows or chartreuse and black grub. White bass are schooling early in the morning on long points near the dam. Report by Scott Springer, Fish Choke Canyon Lake. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 83 degrees; 13.93 feet below pool. Channel catfish are good, with a few catches of flathead catfish. Bass up to 5 pounds have been caught. Crappie are slow. Lake is turning over and there is low clarity. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 3.98 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are biting topwaters in the morning. Later in the day target standing timber with finesse baits. Crappie are good in Rattlesnake Cove. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 94 degrees; 0.29 feet below pool. Water temp 91 degrees in the morning to 97 degrees in the afternoon. Catfish are good on baited holes and ledges near structure and shallow at night. Bass shallow early and chasing schools of bait after sun rises. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are hit-or-miss in 13-21 feet. Hair jigs are producing better than plastics.
GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees: 2.00 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent in a post spawn phase hanging out in 2-13 feet of water on timber. Hybrids and sand bass are good schooling on main lake humps and points, and in the river feeding under balls of shad. Fish can be caught on spoons or slabs. Crappie are good on main lake brush piles, or in 4-18 feet of water on timber. Fish are not schooled up, so hit several trees for a mess of crappie. Minnows are out fishing jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD: Water stained; 94 degrees; 0.41 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns are consistent with an excellent bite. Channel catfish are excellent in 15-20 feet of water with stink bait. Crappie are excellent in 20-25 feet of water on brush piles with minnows. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Bass are good on deep water points and boat docks with deep jigs, diving crankbaits, dropshots and Texas rigs. Schooling activity has picked up on main lake points. Night fishing has the best bite and is an escape from the heat and recreational boaters. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 86 degrees; 4.41 feet below pool. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 47.66 feet below pool. Trophy catfish are slow but can be caught late in the afternoon with fresh cut bait. Channel catfish are excellent in 5-10 feet of water with shrimp, or in 3 feet of water on a cork rig. Alligator gar are good for bow anglers, or with rod and reel with a 3/o or 4/o with cut carp or tilapia. Bass are good in 8-20 feet of water on hard bottoms with plastic worms and crankbaits. Crappie are slow. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 95 degrees. Only consistent fishing is perch. Early morning is the most comfortable to fish before the hot Texas heat. Bass are slow suspended in deep water. Thermocline is settled in at 12-25 feet of water. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water Stained; 81 degrees; 1.17 feet below pool. The early morning bass bite has been slow, but a few can be caught on windy points with spook type baits and chatterbaits in 2-5 feet. Offshore bite is best in 12-25 feet on humps, roadbeds, long points with flukes, and dingers. Deep crankbaits are still good over deep channel swings and brush piles in 20-25 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. August brings in hot temperatures. Bass are feeding in 10-12 feet where the thermocline is not present. Look for schooling bass in the open water and creeks as shad hatch is in full swing. Also, check out the brush piles as big bass are using them to feed on crappie. 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. Crappie fishing on Lake Fork has continued to be excellent. We are seeing some big white crappie on timber in 18-28 feet along creek channels. Covering water and finding the areas holding lots of fish are the ticket. Lots of single fish on pole timber and some trees may have several fish in the branches. Brush piles, bridges and lay downs have been slow the last few weeks. For the best bite try to find a structure that has not experienced a lot of fishing pressure. Minnows are working well, but some anglers are having success with hand tied jigs and soft plastics. The catfish bite is absolutely on fire on Lake Fork. We still have loads of fish in shallow trees around roosting birds. I’m also seeing a big migration of catfish moving into the 18-28 feet range along creek channels. Catfish may be following bait fish just like other fish will do as we head into the fall months. Baiting holes with cattle cubes or sour grains will hold fish to your area. Use any preferred catfish bait to load the boat once you get the fish stacked up. You can catch 100 fish in just a few hours right now. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 8.06 feet below pool. Hybrid stripers are fair to good. White bass can be caught trolling with crankbaits or live shad. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters along the rocks. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained: 85 degrees; 7.80 feet below pool. Slight improvement to the bite after the recent rains. Sand bass are hit-or-miss in the evenings. Bass are slow in the evenings with catches up to 2 pounds. Carp and gar can be caught up stream. Black drum can be caught in the stilling basin. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 95 degrees; 3.61 feet below pool. Bass fishing is tough. Bass are out on deep brush. Crappie fishing is good out in 15 feet deep brush. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling out on the main lake. Catfish are slow biting on cut shad out in deeper water. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees; 1.12 feet below pool. Lake Granbury water level is falling, so watch for submerged obstructions. We could use a good rain to cool things off and to bring the lake back up. Thermocline is still present around 20 feet down on the lower ends. Striped bass on Granbury are slow to fair with catches up to 10 pounds on trolled Alabama rigs and live bait fished from Striper Alley to the Dam. White bass are fair to good on trolled baits and slabs from in town by the Shores to Indian Harbor in 10-15 feet of water. Some sand bass are chasing bait in open water. Largemouth bass are fair to good on deep diving crankbaits and soft plastics worked near humps and ridges off of creek channels. Some good topwater reported in major creek entrances and main lake points. Crappie fishing is good on small minnows and jigs fished off of standing timber from near Waters Edge to Decordova Bend Subdivision. Catfish are active on many areas of the lake. Best catfish action is reported late evening or night on cut shad and prepared baits. Look for flats and humps off the main channel about 15 feet deep. See you on the water! Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.74 feet above pool. Black bass are good to 5 pounds on worms and crankbaits fished up river and around main lake cover. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows fished over cover in 6-12 feet of water. White bass are all over the lake but most are small and undersized. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with shad. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.25 feet below pool. Rain showers in the forecast heading into the weekend that may cool the water temperature improving the bite. White bass are fair on humps in 24 feet of water with slabs and jigs or trolling with pet spoons. Use double rigs to increase the chances of bites. Fish are moving fast so you will have to frequently be on the move. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 49.15 feet below pool. Crappie are in standing timber. Sand bass are good. Catfish are good on minnows and worms. Largemouth bass are good. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained. 80 degrees. Bass are good with clousers around edges of grass during the day. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Bream will be on beds and easy to spot, remember they can see you too. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.15 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are consistent. Sunfish are good. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Bass are slow midday, with the best bite in the morning. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water Stained; 85 degrees; 14.04 feet below pool. Bass are slow with the best bite around the north end of the dam on rocks of the overflow, and in Game Warden Cove in 4-11 feet of water on trees near the rocky shoreline. Smaller fish are biting topwaters, and bigger fish were caught on square bill crankbaits for jerkbaits for schooling bass. Blue catfish can be caught on juglines with live bait or cut carp. White bass are schooling throughout the day. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 92 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Bass bite continues to be tough, some schoolers caught on topwater and swimbaits. The few we have been catching are on finesse worms and weightless worms on brush in 10-16 feet. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. White bass are starting to pop up more here and there. Bass can be caught at night dragging a big 10 inch worm. Crappie can be caught on deep brush with minnows. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.29 feet below pool. Solid summer pattern is holding steady for the bass. Bass are good with schooling activity starting to pick up. Follow the shad to find the bass. There is still some bass in the bushes along the banks pitching Texas rigged worms and jigs, or wacky rigs. Bass are good on brush piles on points on the south end of the lake in 15-25 feet of water with deep running crankbaits, jigs, wacky worms and Texas rigs. The north end of the lake is producing catches in the grass and bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.59 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. The thermocline has settled in at approximately 27 feet give or take 4 feet depending on where you are on the lake. Fish will not be deeper as there is no oxygen below the thermocline. Crappie are great with 1/32-1/8 ounce jigs or minnows on laydowns in 9-18 feet of water and any kind of hard structure, and brush piles in 15 feet of water. There is no golden depth, but 10 foot laydowns or brush piles hold mostly keepers, not too many babies. Black bass are in 3-20 feet of water biting white and chartreuse spinnerbaits early in the morning. About an hour or two after sunlight when the bite ends, switch to a 3-6 foot diver then gradually go to a 12-15 foot diver as the sun rises higher around 10 a.m. On days bass do not react to a reaction bait, such as a crankbait, slow down your approach with a Carolina rig or Texas rig to entice a bite. There is still some submerged brush on main points and secondary points that are holding fish early morning till the drop back out 10-20 feet. Target rocks along banks, boat ramps, floating and submerged tire reefs, and rock piles. White bass are very good, but everyday is different. One day they are over here, the next day they are on the other side of the lake. Look for fish to be popping up near the dam or Mallard Park railroad track area early in the morning. If they do not pop up by 7:30 a.m., hit the main lake points and ledges in 15-20 feet with topwater plugs and swimbaits for surfacing fish, or a 1 ounce white slab for when fish are related to the bottom. Lately we’ve been seeing them pop up around the dam or Mallard Park railroad track area. Bluegills are super good on structures, such as brush piles mainly, in 15-20 feet with earthworms, wax worms, mealworms on 2-4 pound line. Crickets are catching bigger fish. Do not be surprised if you catch crappies while targeting bluegills. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.36 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 20 feet of water over brush piles with jigs or minnows. Channel or blue catfish are good on punch bait in 20-25 feet of water over brush piles and creek bed edges. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.39 feet below pool. White bass are fair to good on humps and points in 10-25 feet of water. There has been some sporadic bird activity in shallow water and mid lake flats. Slabs, jigs, and live bait are working. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are slow. They will be 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. Blue catfish are fair on cut shad. Drifting mainlake humps, points, and flats near the river channel have produced in 12-32 feet of water. Channel catfish are good on baited holes on punch bait in 8-25 feet of water. Crappie are fair in 6 to 26 foot of water. Check brush piles and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge. Cover close to drop off ledges has been best. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Water clarity is about 6-8 inches of visibility. Shad are grouped in small bait balls. Hybrid striped bass and white bass are pursuing the bait balls early and late in the day. Bests bite on live bait and spoons. Largemouth bass and spotted bass are grouping up in 3-6 fish schools chasing bait fish in open water, or sitting around brush piles and natural structure. Best bite has been on a crankbait or dragging a jig. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 90 degrees; 1.22 feet below pool. Summer patterns are holding steady. Fresh willow tree piles continue to be the best cover for largemouth and crappie. Thermocline is around 13-15 feet over water. Largemouth bass are good in 3-11 feet of water on Texas rig, Carolina rig, finesse jig, swim jig and at topwater frog if you can find the grass. Catfish and white bass are the same. Crappie are suspended in 8-14 feet of water on brush piles, standing timber and power line pylons on minnows. If you want to attract crappie, fresh willow trees are the best for making brush piles. White bass have been schooling in the back of the creeks. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. slightly stained; 89 degrees; 0.26 feet below pool. Catching a lot of white bass in 8-12 feet of water with white and chartreuse slabs. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 98 degrees; 0.99 feet below pool. Martin Creek is 96 degrees at the boat ramp and 100 degrees plus west of scrapper cut. Bass are fair to good on deep brush piles using redbug worms and 6XD crankbaits. Early and late along the hydrilla with weightless senco’s.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 89.36 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers on the water due to limited access and low water level. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 47.62 feet below pool. The stilling basin was recently stocked with catfish and bluegill. The dog days of summer are here again, with no forecast of rain and triple digit heat, watch out for each other and stay hydrated. White bass are excellent on just about anything. Bass are good on minnows and artificials. Catfish are fair to good with crawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad. Crappie are fair with artificial baits and minnows. Trout are slow, slow and slow on powerbaits, minnows, worms, small spinners, spoons and flies. Walleye are good on minnows, grubs, and other artificial baits. Please be safe out there, watch weather reports. Life vests save lives. Report by Kenneth Wysong, SharKens Honey Hole. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.25 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers on the water. The best bite will be early and late in the day. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.92 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are good on standing timber and hard spots with a Carolina rig or deep crankbait in 15-20 feet of water. The size of bass are 2-4 pounds on average. Crappie are fair in brush with ⅛ ounce white or chartreuse crappie jigs. Catfish are poor on cut bait and live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 87 degrees; 1.00 foot below pool. Keep an eye on the thermocline because this tells you the exact depth to present your offering. Even over deep water, do not go below this line. The jerkbait Jr. Plus-1 got the most bites over the weekend. If you find them hugging the bottom in 8-10 feet, dragging a Texas rig Mag-worm can be effective. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on Carolina rigs and small paddle tail swimbaits in 8-12 feet of water. Fish might be suspended over 20 feet of water but they are 8-10 feet below the surface. Crappie are excellent with numbers around standing timber. Fish are 10-13 inch stacked up in large groups. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live minnows, especially near the pier. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees. 0.47 feet below pool. The bass bite continues to be good on white chatterbaits and spinnerbaits early morning and evening. Midday flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-3 feet of water is the ticket to catch shaded up largemouth bass. Crappie were good around 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. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.13 feet above pool. White bass are good on chartreuse slabs. White Bass can be found in the main lake on underwater humps or schooling on the surface in the morning and afternoons. Catfish are good on punch bait and shad in the flooded timber on the west end of the lake. Crappie are good on minnows around brush piles in 15-20 feet of water. Largemouth bass are fair on crawfish jigs near the dam. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 32.46 feet below pool. Record high temperatures have got the fish a bit stingy but they’re still biting. Black bass are fair with catches up to 9 pounds on creature baits such as a rage tail Space Monkey or rage bug in Okeechobee Craw colors flipped and thick cover 4-8 feet. Still fish being suspended in bigger trees in 15-25 feet with 10 inch worms in red bug and Plum Apple. Crappie really good on minnows suspended 6-18 feet in trees 20-25 feet. White bass are being caught at night under lights with minnows and shad. Catfish fair on drop lines on cut shad and big blue cat being caught on trotlines upriver on perch and shad. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 18.57 feet below pool. Reports of bass over 7 pounds being caught on large plastic worms with large shaky heads. The Untamed Sportsman worms and Xcite on �¾ ounce heads. Swimbaits fished deep have also produced some fish. Crappie reports are improving with anglers catching limits with live bait and Bone Head jigs. Crappie are schooled up on brush piles and trees. Anglers utilizing forward facing sonar are reporting success. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water slightly stained; 91 degrees; 0.36 feet below pool. Cooler weather in the forecast, so fish should become more active. Blue and channel catfish may continue through the day on stronger baits, such as shrimp. Some hybrid stripers have been caught by trolling redneck rigs with 2 inch Pet spoons over humps and roads. A large factor has been the thermocline, which continues to be high in the water column, only about 13 feet down, less in shallower water. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 96 degrees; 1.87 feet below pool. Crappie are biting about 3 feet off the bottom and brush piles and tree stumps own live minnows. Sand bass and hybrids are good early morning late evening on minnows or roadrunners. Blue catfish are slow while the water temperature is hot. Report by David Holt, Lake Palo Pinto RV Park and Resort. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. slightly stained; 88 degrees. Largemouth bass are excellent with fish varying from2-5 pounds. Bass are in timber suspended over 20 feet about 8 feet below the surface using big swimbaits, small 5 inch white swimbaits, and dropshots. Crappie are fair with fish scattered and very few on brush piles with crappie jigs or live minnows. Catfish are poor with cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.38 feet below pool. Striper are fair and live bait is putting fish in the boat every trip. Downriggers are very slow at the moment. Any kind of artificial bait is fishing slow at the moment. Look for them in 30-50 feet of water. They are moving fast and not staying in one spot long. Be willing to try multiple spots in a trip. Sand bass are still slow. Look for them in 10-20 feet of water. Use live shad or small slabs and jigs or rattle traps. You may need to cast them to keep from spooking them out of the area. white and silver are good colors. Catfish are fair. Cut shad or your favorite brand of stink bait, also known as punch bait, is producing good numbers of fish in 20-30 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Water clarity is steady at 6-12 feet of visibility. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. Bass are scattered on ledges, points, and deep timber hitting crankbaits, Carolina rigs, dropshots. Report by JK Outdoors Bass Fishing Guide. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 4.12 feet below pool. Fishing is slow for all species. Catfish are slow but can be caught from the bank on punch bait, in deep with cut bait, or on jug lines. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees. There is some rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast to help improve the bite. Crappie are fair on minnows and artificial grubs. Bass are fair on soft plastic artificials. Catfish are fair on worms fished off the bottom. Bluegill are excellent at the boathouse dock on crappie bites and worms. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.27 feet below pool. White bass are fair on points and long ridges on the shorelines in 12-17 feet of water. Fish are also in shallow humps 13-16 feet, but they are moving fast. Fish and a horizontal presentation throwing Bo-Blade slabs and slow rolling. Very little early morning schooling on flats. Trolling is also producing white bass 13-16 feet of water. Crappie are fair and relating to brush 24-35 feet deep suspended around 16-20 feet with minnows working best. Crappie are showing up suspended on bridge piles. Catfish are fair around the north end of the lake around timber using cut shad working best in 5-12 feet of water. Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 83 degrees; 0.23 feet below pool. White bass schooling up on top early mornings late afternoons. Crappie are decent in 15-30 feet on brush piles and bridge pillars on minnows and small jigs. Channel catfish bite is great on punch bait 10-20 feet of water. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.31 feet below pool. Richland Chambers continues to have very few anglers on the lake on any given weekday. It can be difficult to find fish and the summer heat seems to be the primary reason. Those that are fishing have found the action only fair. The lake level is 4 inches below full pool level. A thermocline has set in at around 25 feet on the main lake. White bass fishing is poor as the fish are scattered with very few being found or caught on the main lake. A few reports of white bass being caught on slabs up the Richland and Chambers Creek channels on points and humps in 10-15 feet of water. Hybrid stripers are fair at best early morning in 25 feet of water. Check out the South Shoreline from Fisherman’s Point Marina to Ferguson Point. Live bait and shad are the key to catching the hybrids. Trollers are also catching a few. Blue and channel catfish are good on shad or punch bait in 20-25 feet of water in timber on the Richland Creek Arm of the Lake. Chum with Range Cubes and, or fermented grain. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.40 feet above pool. Water is off-colored like the lake is trying to turnover. Water is being released. Hydrilla is surfacing and could be a good place to cast for bass. Bass are slow in shallow water in brush with many smaller fish being caught on frogs, and spinnerbaits. Deeper bass bite is fair with Carolina rigs. Crappie are slow moving to and from the brush to timber. Catfish are all over the lake in 20 feet of water and in 12 feet of water in the creek channels. White bass are on points in the south end of the lake near the dam. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Bass are feeling the heat as well. Lake level is fluctuating due to recent rains. Bass are biting on finesse baits, dropshot or jig head minnow or Carolina rig. Mid lake to north lake is the most productive area. Lots of fish schooling on main lake flats and ledges. Falling water creates current so fish congregate and now that the lake is risen again the fish are scattered. Report by Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.29 feet above pool. Only changes this week are water level, temperature, clarity and white bass bite. Lake is 2 inches above normal, discharge is 90 cfs at the dam. Water temperature is 85 degrees and clarity is now clear. At the Somerville Marina crappie bite is slow, bluegill and catfish are fair. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnow on main lake brush in 8-16 feet of water. Catfish are fair in 3-10 feet of water with cut shad or punch bait. White bass are fair trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are fair in deeper water, afternoon bite is best when you locate them, using cut bait. Below the dam fishing is fair, while water is being slowly released. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees. 50.66 feet below pool. The overall black bass bite has improved slightly from last week with anglers reporting some success on soft plastics such as the Hags Cheat code, craws and stick type baits. Catfish bite has been fair to good. Reports of blue catfish and yellows are being reported on cut bait such as carp and shad. The Yellow Cats are being caught on live bait as well. Shore anglers are also having success. The White Bass bite have begun to get active. They are being caught on top water baits and spoons such as the K.T. Slabs and Bomber Slab spoons. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.99 feet below pool. Crappie are fair with increased angler traffic targeting the species. Focus on deeper brush piles and concrete. Catfish are fair. Bass are fair but should improve with the promise of cooler weather. Cast into the reeds with senko type bait, or creature bait. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. Largemouth bass fishing has had to transition away from reliance on hydrilla-related patterns due to the total loss of this reservoir’s hydrilla due to extended flooding in May and June. Anglers targeting fish on structures positioned on irregular topographies are often rewarded with multi-fish catches as fish consolidated on the sparse cover remaining. Texas-rigged, dark soft plastics have produced consistently in 12-18 feet. Tournament anglers report a feeding window about 20 minutes either side of sunset in the evenings, but very tough, hit-or-miss fishing beyond that. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.72 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish good despite very hot water temperatures. We consider these the dog days of summer, but even with that said the hybrid striper, white bass, catfish and largemouth continue to bite well. The hybrid striper and whites are up shallow as oxygen content in the water is high. Some schooling is happening early and late. Middle of the day fishing is best on humps and ledges working in-line spinners and slabs. Trolling is also catching fish. Best depths have been 8-14 feet. The eating sized catfish are as good as it gets right now. Prepared bait such as punch and dip bates are working best in 2-15 feet. The trophy catfish are showing signs of biting again. Medium sized cut bait in 12-20 feet is best. The crappie bite is slow. Largemouth bass are good early and in the evening in the pads on frogs. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.80 feet below pool. Catfish are good on the south end of the lake. Crappie and bass are fair on the north end. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.40 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is slow to terrific! There are a lot of schooling fish in deep water across the main lake river channels and bigger fish schooling on shallow flats. Small top waters, slabs and live bait are working depending on the school and depth. Look for bigger fish under the schoolies. Crappie fishing is slow on hair jigs and paddle tail jigs swam slowly above brush and on structure. Use electronics to locate fish roaming in 15-20 feet of water near main lake points. Bass fishing is okay throwing top waters early on main lake points and sand flats. Jerk baits below the surface mimicking injured shad in the backs of coves on the bluffs. Fish brush and structure later in the day and top waters again late evening. Catfishing is good on punch bait over baited holes for keeper blues and channels. Points and humps in 15-20 feet of water. Bigger fish are roaming around the thermocline on flats and ditches in 40-50 feet of water. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Striped bass are good with a slab bite one day and the next on topwaters. As the weather starts to cool fish will move fish into shallow water. Expect to land bigger fish shallow with topwaters, and box fish in deeper water. Some big groups of fish beneath surfacing fish, so just keep moving to find the fish. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 92 degrees; 3.60 feet below pool. With the moon on the fall, the night fishing has slowed down. Few fish are still being caught on Texas rig big worms in 12-18 feet, but for most part, it is slow at night. The day fishing continues to be tough, just very little to no early topwater bite at all. A few good reports of fish schooling in the afternoon, this is happening when we get few clouds around the lake, not many good fish, but reports saying good numbers and some large groups are showing up all around the lake. The deeper bite should get back going anytime. Crappie are slow too, but the few that are being caught are good size, these coming on minnows on standing trees and brush piles. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 89 degrees; 40.24 feet below pool. Bass fishing is tough and a pattern has not emerged. Fish are in the marinas but the bite is just slow with a few fish being caught on a variety of baits. The water temperature should begin to cool over the week and hopefully improve the bite. Bait fish are tiny, so downsize your lure. Report by Randal Frisbie, Central Texas Fishing Guide, LLC. Lake Travis is fishing decent. Lots of fish offshore. Have to use your electronics to find them bunched up. Throwing jigs, shaky heads, and Texas-rigged soft plastics are the best for those. There are some decent fish up shallow as well around the flooded bushes from the lake rising. Cast 4-5 inch soft stick baits are working for those. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water stained. 88 degrees; 39.49 feet below pool. Lake level is low, so navigate with caution. Channel catfish are fair holding near the thermocline on cheese bait and nightcrawlers. White bass are chasing shad on the surface, even during the heat of the day. A lot of small fish to sift through. Crappie are slow in cover in 7-10 feet of water in brush with live bait or jigs. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 91 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. Rain in the forecast heading into the weekend. This should cool the water and improve the bite. Night fishing is good for catfish and crappie in the lights. Crappie are slow using minnows on brush in 16-25 feet of water. Catfish are slow in 16 feet of water shrimp, and liver. Bream are slow on red worms off the barge and throughout the lake. Bass are slow in 10-12 feet of water with topwaters, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.19 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns are steady. Crappie are good in 10-20 feet of open water on brush piles with live minnows or jigs. Largemouth bass are slow and scattered. The best bite is early or late in the day with soft plastics. Sand bass are excellent on small slabs, small crankbaits, small swimbaits and small spoons in 15-35 feet on open water humps, points, ridges, roadbeds, and on the Old Dam. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good with cut bait or live shad on juglines or rod-and-reel in 10-30 feet of water. Hybrids up to 7 pounds are being caught with 5 inch swimbaits or spoons at the Old Dam. Best colors are white and chartreuse or chrome. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees. Bass are good with schooling action on sunny days. The frog bite has produced some large fish, and 5 inch senkos are good on sunny days. Hybrids are slow. Bream have been good. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide. Catching lots of bass throwing worms mostly with some still on frogs and flukes and on swimbaits when they are schooling. Both sides of the lake can be good. You just have to check both sides as one side may not be producing very well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. There is a good bass bite early in shallow water. Seeing a lot of fish pushing shad into the pockets. Small topwaters, flukes and small swimbaits are good. Fishing the very backs of pockets with a frog is also producing a few nicer fish. Majority of the fish right now are suspended out in deeper water around bait balls with quite a bit of schooling activity. Making direct casts with a topwater to fish coming up on the surface has been good as well. Chrome and clear are good color choices. Spooks are good for reaching out to fish surfacing at a distance. Launching a full-size bass boat is still doable but for not much longer. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water heavily stained; 88 degrees; 3.14 feet below pool. Cooler weather in the forecast, so the bite should improve as the water cools. Catfish are fair along the rocks with cut bait and shad. Crappie are fair with the best bite in the crappie house and deep brush piles with minnows. Bass are slow on deeper water ledges with crankbaits and soft plastics. The lake is heavily stained with about 6 inches of visibility compared to the normal 1 foot. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 22.34 feet below pool. Catfish are good. Crappie are good on minnows. Largemouth bass are biting in deeper water ledges with soft plastics. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.51 feet below pool. Catfish are poor using cut shad in 25-35 feet of water. Striped bass bite is slow on live bait or drifting in 25 feet of water. Very few are caught on artificial baits while trolling umbrella rigs and Alabama rigs. Crappie are fair on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-20 feet on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is slow. Largemouth bass fishing is slow. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 86 degrees; 2.69 feet below pool. White bass are good in shallow water main lake points and fish are reported being caught on main lake structure on slabs. White bass are good on main lake structures on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.58 feet above pool. The lake level is high and water is being released. Be sure to check ramp status before heading out. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 95 degrees; 0.09 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are in the shallows early around structure roaming off to submerged points and docks when the water heats up being caught on swim baits, worms and grubs. Catfish are abundant in fresh caught shad and perch. White bass are slowly showing up to the main lake being caught on swim baits. Crappie are good in Luce Bayou fishing structure in 8-14 feet of water. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. Anticipate increased boater traffic due to the Labor Day weekend.
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Saltwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of August 28, 2024
Redfish Bay
GOOD. 86 degrees. Tides have risen, but the bite is good. Black drums are on fire hitting freelined dead shrimp. Trout are good on piggy perch, with the occasional bite on croaker. Redfish are good on cut mullet or live finger mullet with a slice �¾ down the body to create a scent trail. Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
San Antonio Bay
GOOD. 88 degrees. Trout and redfish are good in the surf on live shrimp or live croaker. Tarpon 3-6 feet in length are being caught in the surf and jetties. Winds are low so the water so surf fishing has been excellent. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 88 degrees. Starting at 6:00 a.m. at the jetties for trout, redfish and drum with live shrimp under a popping cork. When the sun rises the sharks show up. Move to the channel for catches of trout and redfish during outgoing tides using salt and pepper with a chartreuse tail artificials on rock piles and shell flats. There is finally some bull redfish schooling on the south end of the lake. Threadfin shad are coming out of the marshes, this is usually a sign the bull redfish are coming. The best bite has been during the incoming tide. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
EXCELLENT. 85 degrees. Black drums are feeding off the surf and jetty. Lots of speckled trout, redfish, croakers, sand trout, a few flounder, black drum, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty plus lots of stingrays and sharks. The shark tournament this past week produced some almost 10 foot sharks. The surf is still producing limits of speckled trout, lots of bull reds and black drum, lots of stingrays, and bigger sharks along the whole peninsula. People are using all kinds of different things for bait with awesome results. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay
SLOW. 88 degrees. Fish are moving up the channel, and the best bite is on the spoil islands lining the Houston ship channel. A few speckled trout showing, but a good number of black drum and redfish on live shrimp under popping corks. Those throwing soft plastics over shells near the channel are picking up fair numbers of speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trout are on structure in the shallows early especially around rocks being caught on live shrimp and artificial shrimp rigged weedless. Redfish are in the shallows in a high tide moving to current and cooler waters when the water heats up hitting live shrimp and artificial shrimp. Drum and sheepshead are right to rock groins and reefs in both the middle of the bay and right to the bank being caught on live shrimp. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
GOOD. 88 degrees. Water conditions only fair with scattered trout and a few redfish being caught over open bay reefs. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 87 degrees. The water clarity is improving slightly for the majority of East Galveston Bay, with clearer and saltier water as you get over towards Elm Grove Basin, and beautiful water the closer you venture over towards Galveston. We are spending more and more time locating trout, redfish and flounder in the intracoastal relating to structure, in areas closer to deep water with active bait in the area. We are starting out on the jetties, to find a solid early morning trout bite with artificials on most outings when the wind cooperates. We are still having good success on MirrOdines, rattle traps, �¼ ounce soft body swimbaits, and tails with 1/8 ounce heads in light colors on the shallower ends and �¼ ounce when we are fishing in deeper water. Our clients are still enjoying solid success using Fish Smack Popping corks with a 1-2 foot leader above shrimp imitation lures, as well as salt and pepper tails by WacAttack and blue moon rat tails by Deadly Dudley. After the sun rises, we are venturing over to the reefs and that bite has started to heat up for us, as the water continues to improve. We found a few birds working this week on a couple reefs, but had to weed through a good number of Gafftop to find the better trout. The Topwater bite has still been strong when utilized on our early morning and late afternoon trips, so if you like throwing walking baits, now is a great time to get on the water and make it happen, with bone being one of our favorite colors we have the most confidence in. The crowds are starting to slack up now that summer is winding down, so now is the perfect time to get out on the water and make some memories. Until Next Time Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay
SLOW. 87 degrees. Scattered good catches of trout, along with a few sheepshead, and black drum from the gas wells in the middle of Galveston bay. Best bite on live shrimp. Rock spoil islands are still producing speckled trout, black drum and a few sheepshead, along with the occasional upper slot redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay
GOOD. 90 degrees. Live croakers and live shrimp have been the ticket to good catches of speckled trout and redfish, along shoreline guts and over deep shell reefs. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Texas City
GOOD. 87 degrees. Galveston jetties are still fair for speckled trout, but bull redfish catches have improved. Surf still coughing up good catches of trout, best along beachfront rock groins. Plenty of big sharks being caught just outside the Galveston jetties. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Anglers are catching plenty of speckled trout, more redfish, and a few flounder every day with some occasional black drum, sheepshead, sand trout, and gafftop. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport
GOOD. 89 degrees. Fishing been steady for trout, redfish, and flounder around the San Luis Pass, Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay and the west end of Galveston Bay. Wade fishing has been good in the guts at the pass and in west Galveston bay with croaker and shrimp for trout and redfish with a few flounder mixed in. The Freeport Harbor is steady for sheepshead, drum, redfish and mangrove snapper free lining shrimp with a split shot. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures
East Matagorda Bay
GOOD. 90 degrees. The trout and redfish bite is good after the recent rains cooled the water. As small fronts roll through the bite will only continue to improve. Drifting for catches of trout, redfish and drum with live shrimp under a popping cork and artificial lures. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
FAIR. 90 degrees. The trout and redfish bite is good after the recent rains cooled the water. As small fronts roll through the bite will only continue to improve. Wade anglers are producing catches off mid bay reefs with croaker. Drifting for catches of trout, redfish and drum with live shrimp under a popping cork and artificial lures. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O’Connor
GOOD. 85 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Oversized black drum outside of the south jetty at the end on live crab and dead shrimp. Trout are biting in the surf on live croaker. Slot redfish are good at the end of the north jetty with live crab and Spanish sardines. Keeper drums are biting in the flare of the jetties. Tarpon are good, drifting the ship channel with large croakers on the bottom. Bull redfish continue to good in the morning in incoming tides at the back of the jetties to Bird Island. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GOOD. 84 degrees. Trout are great on croaker along grass and shell in 3-4 feet of water. popping cork and shrimp have been produced in flats while drifting Reds have been great on shrimp piggy’s and cut skipjack or mullet in flats fishing sand pockets. Black drum are good on live or dead shrimp and fish bites in drains, sand pockets and along oyster beds. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Port Aransas
GOOD. 84 degrees. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut bait. A few pompano are starting to show up. Trout are good with croaker or shrimp free lined along rocks. Black drum have been good on shrimp. Surf fishing has been producing good redfish and trout in first and second gut with an occasional shark king fish are good drifting ribbon fish around first rigs and sips. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
GOOD. 81 degrees. Tides have risen, but the bite is good. Black drums are on fire hitting freelined dead shrimp. Trout are good on piggy perch, with the occasional bite on croaker. Redfish are good on cut mullet or live finger mullet with a slice �¾ down the body to create a scent trail. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
Baffin Bay
GOOD. 90 degrees. Late summer fishing can be touch and go. There is so much food in the system, and no real reason for the fish to worry, so, it can get interesting! If there is no tide, Baffin has no tide, and no wind to move the water, the fish do not actively feed. It seems they do not know what to do with water that is not moving, either tidal or wind driven. Sometimes waiting them out is the answer. The wind is usually going to blow in the afternoon, so drop off of the edges and catch fish.
Port Mansfield
FAIR. 90 degrees. Water levels remain low as of this writing and water temperatures are still very hot. Our temperatures start out around 87 degrees and end around 92 degrees toward the end of the day. Best bite has been early morning and most fish are coming in shallow water close to deep water access. Still finding good pods of redfish and have even found some bigger schools along the flats. We are catching a lot of smaller trout and the occasional big trout just about each day. Flounder are still good near the pass. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.
South Padre
GOOD. 85 degrees. Very light southwest winds and the water temperature is holding at 85 degrees .Water temperature holding at 85 degrees. Trout are still holding on edges of deeper water. Redfish are good on the Gas Well Flats drifting with live shrimp under popping cork. Still a few small schools of black drum near the causeway. A few bull redfish at jetties. Mangrove snapper excellent at end of Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
GOOD. 85 degrees. Very light southwest winds and the water temperature is holding at 85 degrees .Water temperature holding at 85 degrees. Trout are still holding on edges of deeper water. Redfish are good on the Gas Well Flats drifting with live shrimp under popping cork. Still a few small schools of black drum near the causeway. A few bull redfish at jetties. Mangrove snapper excellent at end of Brownsville Channel. 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.
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 jeffnailfishing@gmail.com jeffnail.uscreen.io Jeffnailfishing.net
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!
Call it a tale of two Sinclairs. Or a tale of three lakes in only three days. Last weekend showed how fast bass fishing can change this time of year.
Last Friday I met Ricky Layton to get information for my GON April Map of the Month article. The weather guessers were right for a change when they predicted high winds, bluebird skies and cold weather. That combination is usually the kiss of death for fishing in the spring.
Ricky said we would meet at Bass’s Boat House, an old marina where the clubs used to put in back in the 1970s. It was near the dam and the water might be slightly clearer in that area, and we would be more protected from the wind. All this spring the flooding rains have made our lakes fill up with very muddy water.
We waited until 9:00 AM to go out since it was cold. The first two hours seemed to show the weather and muddy water was working against us. Ricky took me to some places he had caught good fish the weekend before, but the water was even muddier than it had been and we got no bites.
At 11:00 Ricky was starting to look at the article pattern and caught an eight-pound largemouth on a bladed jig. The fish was up shallow near a grass bed, the pattern for April. That is a big fish for Sinclair, it has been a long time since I have seen one that big there, although there have been several that were close the past few years.
About noon we started fishing and marking places for the article, working bass bedding and shad spawning areas. Ricky caught a five-pound largemouth out of a grass bed on what will be hole #2. A few minutes later he caught one weighing about six pounds there.
The next place we fished Ricky caught another fish right at six pounds, on the same pattern, halfway back in a creek with grass beds up shallow on the bank. One of the last places we fished he landed his smallest fish of the day, one that weighted about 3.5 pounds. In all that time I landed one weighing about 2.5 pounds, but my excuse is I was too busy netting his fish and taking pictures and notes to fish.
Ricky ended up with five bass weighing a conservative 28 pounds. That is the kind of catch you dream about and expect on Guntersville, not Sinclair, especially under bad weather conditions. The water temperature was 58 to 59 degrees where we fished, making those big largemouth were looking for bedding areas.
On Saturday Ricky took his son fishing at Sinclair. Although colder, the weather was better, but the fishing was not. He said they did land a seven-pound fish out of hole #10 but their best five weighed “only” about 14 pounds, not great compared to the day before.
I could not wait to get on the water Sunday morning in the Flint River Bass Club March tournament at Sinclair. I should have known better.
After fishing from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 13 members landed 20 bass weighing about 36 pounds. There was one five bass limit and five people didn’t catch a 12-inch keeper.
Travis Weatherly won with five weighing 9.02 pounds and his 4.99 pound largemouth was big fish. My three weighing 7.47 placed second and I had a 4.57 pounder for my biggest fish. Niles Murray placed third with three weighing 5.75 pounds and Brent Drake came in fourth with three weighing 4.20 pounds.
The cold air made me shiver on my run to my first stop. Luckily there was enough wind to keep the fog down, it was wispy and hanging just off the water. But there was enough to make it scary trying to watch for all the floating wood.
I stopped off a grass bed that was perfect for the pattern Ricky caught his big fish on Friday, but my heart sank when my temperature gauge hit 49 degrees. A nine or ten degree drop just had to affect the bass. It surely did affect my optimism!
I fished three places in three hours without a bite. Around 11:00 the weak sun was warming the water a little, raising the temperature to about 51 degrees in the cove where Ricky caught a six pounder. I cast a Chatterbait across in front of a grass bed, something thumped it and I set the hook.
My rod bowed up and the fish headed for deep water. I just knew I had a six pounder on, but suddenly my line went slack. The fish just pulled off without me ever seeing it.
At noon I was in the area where Ricky caught two fish, hole #2. I was very down, fishing half the day without a keeper. The water had warmed to 52 so I had some hope. I cast my Chatterbait into some grass and hooked the four pounder I weighed in. That improved my attitude a lot.
After another hour of fishing without a bite, I caught a two pounder in front of some grass, then at 2:00 PM landed my third keeper, a one pounder, from another grass bed. That was it. I fished hard for the rest of the day without another bite.
Borrowing finesse bass rigs for endless crappie, bluegill and panfish action
Ladson, SC – Sometimes, it pays to pitch for panfish as if they’re merely miniaturized versions of their larger bass brethren. In a way, they are. As members of the (Centrarchidae) sunfish family, species like bluegills, crappies and bass, in fact, all share a common pedigree.
The connection is even closer than anglers realize, as each of these species regularly co-mingle near the same aquatic turf, feasting upon the very same prey. Crayfish, insect larvae and tiny shad and shiners all whet the appetites of these communal predators. Bass and big bluegills frequently stalk the same rock-strewn turf, nosing around in little nooks and crevices for concealed crayfish, or larval insects clinging to the hard cover. Same deal on boat docks.
Just as often, they’re hovering and hunting around the fringes of brush and aquatic plants where baitfish hide. Here, bass, crappies and adult bluegills chomp and even cannibalize scads of baby, thumbnail-sized panfish.
Whether close to cover or cherry-picking emerging insects in the abyss, panfish frequently feed up and off bottom, leaning on their nearsighted talents to inspect potential prey, eye-to-eye. Picture a single big crappie or sunfish, nosed right up close and personal with their next meal, examining it for several seconds before finally scooting in for the kill shot. Imagine then the power of presenting a bait that hovers and quivers continuously in the water column, rather than sinking to the bottom and out of the strike zone.
Offering all the depth precision of a slip bobber or float rig, yet with the added ability to traverse the bottom terrain, micro-sized finesse rigs remain among the deadliest yet most overlooked panfish presentations of all. But accomplishing the valuable “hover” portion of the presentation relies solely on a new generation of specialized superplastics—exceedingly soft and lively, impossibly durable and perhaps most important, naturally buoyant.
Micro “Hover” Rigs Consider the value of a micro finesse dropshot, Carolina or Cherry (aka Tokyo) rig, coupled with a softbait that floats and hovers naturally in the water column. Often, panfish graze insatiably on emerging insect larvae that hatch out of soft bottom. In other waters, crappies and sunfish crunch crayfish and bugs, such as dragonfly larva, clinging to the upper branches of aquatic plants, vertical dock pilings, or tangles of brush.
In each of these fish-attracting scenarios, a Z-Man LarvaZ™, StingerZ™ or Baby BallerZ™ rigged on a dropshot soars at a set depth, continuously. The natural buoyancy of this specialized ElaZtech material offers ample loft to float the hook itself, tirelessly hovering and twitching nervously, right in the fish’s strike zone. Little tics of the rodtip make the bait’s tail kick, dance and undulate in place, mimicking the exact movements of a live larva. The durable nature of the softbait material keeps the bait on the hook and won’t tear, even if you merely impale it once through the nose with a #8 to #14 hook. Or thread it onto the hook shank for a more horizontal posture while maintaining complete tail motion.
If sonar shows fish staged two feet off bottom, rig the dropshot with the hook riding 2-1/2 to 3 feet off bottom. Most panfish enthusiastically swim up to feed, so always better to keep your bait at eye level or a foot or two above. When fish gather closer to the substrate, switch to a shortened dropshot or “Cherry” rig, pinning the bait/hook within inches of the bottom. Once again, the buoyancy of the ElaZtech material keeps the bait hovering right at the fish’s eye level and out of soft mucky bottoms, where a traditional soft plastic will descend and disappear.
As noted, tail-kicking microbaits like the LarvaZ and StingerZ shine for moving slowly around smaller areas where fish gather. For covering more water or for imitating faster moving baitfish, switch to a micro finesse swimbait like the Shad FryZ™ and drag the rig slightly faster across the terrain. Moreover, the versatile Micro GOAT™ imitates both a crayfish or a baitfish. Rigged flat and retrieved with a slower, rod-twitching cadence, the Micro GOAT resembles a crayfish. But arranged on the hook vertically and retrieved faster, the GOAT’s twin tails become a double tail swimbait with an alluring scissor-kick action. . .
About Z-Man Fishing Products
A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for nearly three decades. Z-Man has long been among the industry’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt material used in jigs, spinnerbaits and other lures. Creator of the Original ChatterBait®, Z-Man is also the renowned innovators of 10X Tough ElaZtech® softbaits, among the most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is one of the fastest-growing lure brands worldwide.
A trip to Neely Henry four years ago got me thinking about muddy water.
I met Peyton Nance, an Auburn University bass team member and reserve defensive tackle on the football team. We managed to get the boat in and to the dock in the ripping current. The water level had dropped four feet overnight. Peyton explained they were trying to get it down to hold all the flooding water coming downstream.
We looked at and tried to fish ten spots that are good in March, but the current made river places impossible to fish and back-outs very muddy. I did manage to land a three-pound largemouth on a Chatterbait, my only bite. Peyton lost a five-pound spot right beside the boat when it pulled off his crankbait.
Muddy water makes bass fishing tough. Bass tend to get very tight to cover and not move much. It is like us in a heavy fog, we like to stay in familiar places and not run around and get lost!
My Garmin Panoptix has confirmed this. In clear water I see bass holding near but not down in brush and just over rocks and stumps. In muddy water they are down in the brush and right against rocks and stumps.
Bass still have to eat, though. They can be caught, especially if the water has been muddy for a couple of days and they have gotten used to it and have gotten hungry.
A bright lure that sends out sounds in the water is usually best. I will be fishing a bright chartreuse spinnerbait with chartreuse blades and skirt. A rattling chartreuse crankbait will also be used as will a black and blue Chatterbait, the bait I caught the three-pounder on at Neely Henry in the mud.
Even my jig and pig, a black and blue one with bright blue trailer, will have rattles in it. And I will fish all of then slowly and tight to cover.
When writing about open-water fishing, I often refer to the “fish-catching equation” of finding fish and then finding the best presentation to catch as many as possible. One our TV shows we often refer to this as L2: location plus lure. A winter outing awhile back where jumbo perch were the target brought to mind a simple winter fishing equation: a sonar plus a jigging spoon equals fish!
This trip included three hours of drilling holes, fishing in each for a few minutes, and then moving looking for fish. Eventually my partners and I located a school of perch. These fish would appear on sonar, a few could be caught in short order, and then no action until the next small “pack” appeared. Interestingly, we were able to use an aggressive jigging approach to “call in” packs of fish minimizing our time between bites. Here’s what we did.
We started using a variety of jigging lures trying to locate fish. Eventually we settled on the Jointed Pinhead Pro. This spoon has a joint in the middle for extra action and movement. It creates a unique combination of flash, sound, and vibration in the water. More subtle baits slither and flutter through the water, this spoon’s action, sound, and vibration are more aggressive. This day, that aggression was what the fish wanted.
We baited our spoons with minnow heads or wax worms, dropped them near bottom, and aggressively worked them. When fish appeared on the sonar, we slowed up and simply held the spoon above the fish and waited. Invariably, one would swim up and inhale it and the fight was on. The next order of business was landing the fish and quickly returning the bait near bottom. Often, we would land two or three fish in short order.
When the action slowed, we would go back to aggressive jigging, with one twist. We discovered that we could minimize our time between flurries by letting the spoon crash into the bottom occasionally. This crashing created disturbance on bottom to call in fish from a distance. When they appeared, we simply raised our jigs again, slowed the jigging action, and held on!
On this day we used 1/16-ounce spoons in a perch holo color pattern. As daylight gave way to evening, we switched to the chartreuse lime glow pattern. Often using a glow lure late in the day will put a few extra fish on the ice and this day was no exception.
Another important part of our successes was the use of sonar. Knowing when fish were in the area to slow our jigging strokes and elevate the bait was critical. And, when no fish were around, we knew it was time to go back to aggressive jigging, with occasional bottom crashes mixed in. Not only does sonar increase success, but it adds to the fishing fun as well. The FLX-28 unit I use is loaded with features and does a great job of showing bottom, my bait, and fish allowing me to call in and trigger fish. Plus, it comes in a soft-sided carrying case which protects the unit when hauled around in my truck or in my portable fishing shelter.
Moving from spot to spot, using aggressive jigging, and closely monitoring our sonar units put several dozen perch on the ice this day. Though the mood of the fish will vary, staying on the move, experimenting with lures and ways to fish them, and using sonar will lead to winter success on your trips as well. In fact, a jigging spoon plus a sonar unit equals fish is one equation anglers across the North Country can use to increase their successes this winter. Good luck on the ice and, as always, remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
