Links in “The Professionals: Featured Lakes”

Kurt Dove

Lake Amistad is fixing to bust loose!  Fishing has been up and down over the last several weeks as the bass are probably as confused as some anglers moving up and down the water column from cold fronts we have had every couple days. We have generally been catching 15+ fish per trip with some topping 20 fish.  The activity of the fish changes every day.  With the warming over spring break it should gearing up to be more consistent.  My clients and I have been catching some great quality fish with one recently right near 10lbs! (See recent catch pics)   Water temps are around 60, but should continue rising faster!  The water level is currently steady at 1065.00 ft above sea level, but rumors are it will begin dropping over the next several weeks for another round of watering down the valley.  At the time of this report Box Canyon, Diablo East and Rough Canyon Ramps are open and spur 454 is due to open if the water drops a few more feet.

Current Patterns -
Shallow: I have seen some spawning activity this past week and it appears the shallow bite is heating up.  I have been catching some fish with fineness techniques as they move up near the spawning areas.  This shallow bite will get better over the next few weeks as the spawn becomes the main behavioral pattern of the fish.  I have worked shaky heads with Jr. Gila Monsters from El Grande Lures and Hatch Match Sticks in the Tilapia color.  Stay slow and stealthy to be successful in this depth range.  We have also caught some fish on the 5’ Optimum BLT swimbaits and my favorite color is Wagasaki.  This bite is about to explode once the water temps get into the mid 60’s.
Mid-Depth: Most of our bigger fish are coming in this depth range (15-35 feet) and the Carolina Rig has been the number one producer.  I believe with the pressure we have been seen on the lake has made many fish shy and the natural presentation on the C/Rig is fooling them better than other presentations.  A Football jig has also been working but the fish are not really committing to eating the lure everyday… you often get short strikes… but it is producing big fish when you can get a hook in them!  Points and quick drop offs have been most productive.
Deep: I have been staying in some water around 30-45 feet and catching some good fish on the same techniques mentioned in the mid-depth section of this report.  Fish will be moving away from this depth range over the next several weeks… I would concentrate my efforts in the mid-depth to shallow range this time of year.
http://amistadbassguide.com/

Guide Paul Keith

Bass are relating to the vegetation right now and will hit a variety of lures. Texas-rigged or shaky head worms, Senkos, flukes, and swimbaits are all working on Caddo.

The Cypress that are mixed with pads or vegetation have been the more productive trees over the past few weeks. Good numbers of bass can be caught in the creeks on worms and shaky heads. With the water cooling and the vegetation starting to die off, the bass are beginning to bunch and start their Fall-time feeding pattern.

Crappie are bunching up, too and are being caught along the deeper creeks — we have caught some nice stringers in recent days. In the right areas, shiners and jigs will do the trick. The lake is about 1.5 feet low and water temperatures are ranging from 59-65 degrees.

www.caddolakefishing.com

Guide Debra Hengst

The current lake level is 261.83 or 39.37 low. Due to the current release of water upstream from Lake Amistad, the north end of Falcon is off color down to around marker number 9. Plenty of fish are still being caught flipping in the heavy hardwoods located just across the lake out of Veleno in the mouth of Salado in Mexico. I’ve been having luck with Texas Rigged Strike King Rage Tail Thumpers in plum, green pumpkin or blue fleck. I’m pairing with our Tour Grade Tungsten in 1/4 oz, the Rage Hawg Watermelon Red Flake or Summer Craw along with the Tour Grade Tungsten 1/4 oz. If you fish the Mexico side, the Coyotes and Benevides have been producing some larger bass flipping the hardwoods with baits I mentioned along with the Strike King Rage Craw in Falcon Lake Craw. The Tigers — all the way to the Dam are producing fish. Try any main lake point including the old concrete rock foundations. The king of baits is the Series 6XD by Strike King (Citrus Shad or Sexy Shad) in 15-18 feet of water. Right now, the larger bass are relating more to the deeper rocks. If running north from the County Ramp, be very careful of the old bridge that crosses the river. The pilings are showing now but some are just below the water line. Launching is still good at current lake levels at Beacon Lodge and the County Ramp. If you head south, be sure to run the main river channel staying in 18-25 feet. The State Park concrete ramp is now closed and out of the water, but launching is still available off of the bank using the steel ramp that has been placed in the water and is monitored and moved accordingly. When fishing the Mexico side of the reservoir use caution and all occupants of the boat should carry a Mexican Fishing license. http://www.debrahengst.com/

A nice stringer of crappie from a recent trip with Simon Cosper

Spring is a magical time of year on Livingston. When people call  and ask  what’s biting, I tell them “everything.”  The white bass are stacked in the river and the crappie are shoulder to shoulder on the banks. It doesn’t get much better than that! We are catching solid numbers of white bass up and down the Trinity and the key is finding clean water in the river. Look for where the creeks come into the river and you should see the clear water lines and thats were they will stack up. One-half ounce rattle traps and road runners have been the best baits for me the past few weeks. The crappie are in 2 to 5ft of water in the creeks off the main lake. Minnows fished under a slip cork has worked great as well as dead sticking jigs around stumps. The black bass are also on the banks getting ready to spawn. If there is enough water to cover their backs, you can catch fish. Simply find protected pockets from the wind. Texas rigged brush hogs and square bill crank baits should keep you in the action.

www.lakelivingstoncatch.com

Crappie fishing is good now on Richland Chambers

The hybrids and whites have slowed over the past weeks. Still catching 40 to 70 whites each trip but very hard to get. And hybrids are even harder.  I’ve been using the Gunslinger Slabs from www.RoostersTackle.com .  A little early morning topwater action on the whites and then it’s on to the humps and bumps for the rest of the morning’s fishing.  But with the cooler weather, they are going to turn on Big Time – Very SOON! The blue cats are good – I’ve been fishing points and humps with shad (cut gizzard shad being best) in 18 to 30 feet of water.  As the white bass pick back up – so will the blue cats, which hopefully is now as you read this. The fish run a little bigger this time of year.  The Black Bass are fair and as the weather gets cooler during the fall the bass fishing just gets better. Hit the banks early (or very shallow humps) and begin working out deeper as the morning sun rises. Topwater season for the blacks is on now thru October – early mornings and late evenings.  During the day, work a little deeper with your plastics. The crappie are good with limits common on standing timber in 18 to 30 feet of water fishing 10 to 17 feet down (just keep moving and hitting new trees till you find them). Brush piles are good in 14 to 25 feet of water.  The bridges are always good during the fall on Richland Chambers.  Use minnows to locate them and then switch to jigs once found to conserve those minnows to find more again. http://www.texasguidefishing.com/

Tommy Martin

The lake is in an unusual situation for this time of year.  Toledo Bend is nearly full thanks to plenty of rain in February and March. But that is making it harder on us. Usually during August, the lake is lower and the fish are congregating. Don’t get me wrong, we are still finding them with average daily catches numbering in the 15 to 20 range.  A percentage of those fish are in the 4-6 pound range. I’m finding them scattered in 15-20 feet along the underwater ridges and points using a Zoom Trick Worm in red or junebug colors. When Carolina rigging, I’m having the best luck with watermelon and candy red around that deep water structure. Just recently, I have noticed that the bass are beginning to school a bit more. Top water action is good for a few catches in the early morning hours. I definitely sense a change coming. As soon as we get some cooler nights, the fish will make their way into the creek channels and the numbers should pick up substantially.  The bottom line: it’s decent fishing in the mid-lake of Toledo, but you have to find them. It should be getting better soon — especially if history repeats itself. http://www.off-the-hook-marketing.com/MTM/TMGuideService.htm#Guide_Service

Clancy Terrill on Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan is approximately 27 feet low, with water temperatures in the mid 60′s. Color is stained on the downwind side thanks to the algae. That’s a good thing because that’s where you are going to catch shad.

Stripers have been good to excellent at the upper end of the lake drifting live shad or jumbo shiners.  Fish in shallow water early then moving out deeper toward the trees as the day gets later.  White bass are excellent jigging in 15 to 30 feet of water on humps and ledges.  Catfish are excellent on cut bait with rod and reel or jug lines near ledges and rock piles. Concentrate in 10 to 15 feet depths early and 20 to 40 feet as the day gets later. http://www.centraltexasfishing.com/

Guide Ron Higgins

The water temperature is between 82 to 87 degrees and the lake is about 2.88 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair but should get better with falling water temps. We are catching them in 2 to 10 feet of water around deeper boat docks, rip-rap, brush piles, roadbeds, brushy humps, main lake points and stickups. Soft plastics in Junebug, Watermelon Red, and other colors have been working well. The fish average 2 to 4 pounds with a couple over 6 pounds.  When air pressure is low, medium-diving to deep-diving crank baits have been working around humps, brush piles and rock piles. Also, try small spinner baits and chatter baits in white, white/silver and Sexy Shad around stickups and brush piles in 3 to 6 feet of water. Look for bush piles near drop offs around secondary points and creek beds. A few hybrid stripers are being caught in 19 to 26 feet of water off main lake points and humps, the 1097 bridge, and around the dam. Try the lighthouse at Seven Coves and the Island using live shad, chicken liver and minnows. Although crappie are slow during the day, the best bet is fishing with medium minnows at night using lights in 15 to 20 feet of water near the F.M. 1097 bridge pilings and the power lines at Atkins Creek and Little Lake Creek. Catfish are good right now around stumps, pockets, brush piles, and humps along main lake points and creek channels in 4 to 15 feet. Drifting along the creek channels in the coves has been working well, along with jug lines. Minnows, shad, cut bait, chicken liver, or dip baits have been working well. Try baiting holes with soured Milo or a commercial product. The channel cats are in the 3 to 6 pound range with some up to 9 pounds. www.higgysfreshwateradventures.com