T_boy
03-24-2009, 09:03 PM
ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the mid-60s.
Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina says bass fishing has been good to nine pounds. The fish are taking four inch green pumpkin plastics, lipless cranks and spinnerbaits. Best depth range is 0-6 feet.
Crappie are excellent on live shiners and white jigs fished in 8-10 feet of water around brush. Catfish are fair to seven pounds on night crawlers, shrimp and minnows.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is about 1 1/2 feet low and stained at the south end, muddy up north. Water temp is in the high 50s, low 60s.
Lots of activity in shallow water. Fishing guide Jason Barber is picking up good numbers of white bass and hybrids on points and humps using swim baits, slabs, Rat-L-Traps.
Barber said crappie spawning near shore in a foot of water in places. Small cuts and pockets off major creeks are holding the most fish. Jigs and live shiners are working equally well.
Bass are good in shallow water, as well. Barber suggests tempting them with spinnerbaits, creature baits and lizards on a light Texas rig. Catfish are good on cut or whole shad fished Carolina style on windy shorelines or around cormorant roosts.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about one foot high and stained up north, clear down south. Water temp is in the low 60s.
Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff said bass fishing has been good on black/blue Mister Twister Comedas or spinnerbaits worked around shoreline cover. Jigs are taking some quality fish around stumps lining creeks. Vandergriff is spending most of his time up north.
Crappie are good on jigs fished at varied depths from two feet to 17 feet. The fish are holding around brush. Kickapoo Creek and the Neches River arm have been good up north. Down south Vandergriff is targeting brush piles. White bass are excellent up the Neches to the Highway 31 bridge crossing.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about 14 inches low and is mostly clear except for the upper reaches. Water temp is in the upper 60s, low 70s.
Bass are fair to seven pounds on Senkos tossed over grass flats in 3-6 feet of water. A few fish also reported on jerk baits, Chatterbaits and crankbaits. Flocks of coots have made fishing around the grass difficult at times.
Crappie are hit and miss in shallow water, mostly on jigs. A few anglers reporting partial limits on minnows soaked around brush piles.
SAM RAYBURN — The lake level has risen about a foot; water clarity is stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the upper mid-to-upper 60s.
Bass are good to nine pounds. Assorted baits including Senkos, lizards, swimbaits, Rat-L-Traps and square bill cranks are producing some solid fish around shallow grass in 2-4 feet of water. Anglers are reporting good numbers of fish on spawning beds and expecting another wave to move shallow soon.
Crappie are fair on jigs and Roadrunners tossed around grass beds. A few fish holding around brush piles in 12-14 feet of water and around bridge pilings.
FORK — Lake Fork is about two inches low and stained-to-clear. Surface temp is in the low 60s.
Bass fishing has been good to 13 pounds. Good numbers of solid slot fish reported in 3-8 feet of water, some on beds. Fishing guide Gary Paris said soft jerkbaits, wacky worms and Texas-rig lizards are producing some 20-30 fish days.
Crappie are scattered around shallow grass and brush. There also are some fish beginning to group up around bridge pilings. Catfishermen are reeling in partial limits over baited holes in 12-18 feet of water.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 4 1/2 feet low and stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the lower 60s.
Bass fishing has been good to six pounds. Shallow water is the ticket. Larry Winters at Midway Landing said there are good numbers of fish on beds in 1-4 feet of water that are taking Texas-rig lizards and spinnerbaits.
Crappie are fair. The fish are hanging in 5-8 feet of water around timber and brush. Best reports are coming on minnows and jigs.
The catfish bite has been good to 30 pounds on jugs tipped with live perch and shad. Magic depth is 12-18 feet. Rod and reelers are faring best on windy shorelines using punch bait and cut shad.
TOLEDO BEND —Â* T-Bend is about 18 inches low and fairly clear down south, stained up north. Water temp is in the low-to-mid-60s.
Charlie Shively at Bill’s Landing said rising water has put the catfish on a tear. Several blues and op between 50-70 pounds weighed during the last week. Rod and reelers are picking up good numbers of blues in shallow and deep water.
Shively said the crappie bite has waned up north, although a few anglers are still reporting 15-20 fish days on minnows soaked cypress trees in four feet of water. Down south anglers are picking up some quality keepers on jigs fished around shallow grass.
Shively said black bass are slow up north. From midlake to the dam anglers are picking up solid fish to nine pounds using Senkos, wacky worms, Rogues and spinnerbaits around hydrilla beds and stump fields in 2-6 feet of water.
PINKSTON — The lake is about 1 1/2 feet low and clear on the main lake, stained in some of the pockets. Water temp is in the upper 60s.
Alan Spruiell said there are good numbers of fish on beds, but the better quality bass are still in a pre-spawn mode and holding in 12-15 feet of water. Flukes, lizards and Senko are producing best results.
Crappie are slow. A few fish holding around grass in 4-5 feet of water.
Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina says bass fishing has been good to nine pounds. The fish are taking four inch green pumpkin plastics, lipless cranks and spinnerbaits. Best depth range is 0-6 feet.
Crappie are excellent on live shiners and white jigs fished in 8-10 feet of water around brush. Catfish are fair to seven pounds on night crawlers, shrimp and minnows.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is about 1 1/2 feet low and stained at the south end, muddy up north. Water temp is in the high 50s, low 60s.
Lots of activity in shallow water. Fishing guide Jason Barber is picking up good numbers of white bass and hybrids on points and humps using swim baits, slabs, Rat-L-Traps.
Barber said crappie spawning near shore in a foot of water in places. Small cuts and pockets off major creeks are holding the most fish. Jigs and live shiners are working equally well.
Bass are good in shallow water, as well. Barber suggests tempting them with spinnerbaits, creature baits and lizards on a light Texas rig. Catfish are good on cut or whole shad fished Carolina style on windy shorelines or around cormorant roosts.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about one foot high and stained up north, clear down south. Water temp is in the low 60s.
Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff said bass fishing has been good on black/blue Mister Twister Comedas or spinnerbaits worked around shoreline cover. Jigs are taking some quality fish around stumps lining creeks. Vandergriff is spending most of his time up north.
Crappie are good on jigs fished at varied depths from two feet to 17 feet. The fish are holding around brush. Kickapoo Creek and the Neches River arm have been good up north. Down south Vandergriff is targeting brush piles. White bass are excellent up the Neches to the Highway 31 bridge crossing.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about 14 inches low and is mostly clear except for the upper reaches. Water temp is in the upper 60s, low 70s.
Bass are fair to seven pounds on Senkos tossed over grass flats in 3-6 feet of water. A few fish also reported on jerk baits, Chatterbaits and crankbaits. Flocks of coots have made fishing around the grass difficult at times.
Crappie are hit and miss in shallow water, mostly on jigs. A few anglers reporting partial limits on minnows soaked around brush piles.
SAM RAYBURN — The lake level has risen about a foot; water clarity is stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the upper mid-to-upper 60s.
Bass are good to nine pounds. Assorted baits including Senkos, lizards, swimbaits, Rat-L-Traps and square bill cranks are producing some solid fish around shallow grass in 2-4 feet of water. Anglers are reporting good numbers of fish on spawning beds and expecting another wave to move shallow soon.
Crappie are fair on jigs and Roadrunners tossed around grass beds. A few fish holding around brush piles in 12-14 feet of water and around bridge pilings.
FORK — Lake Fork is about two inches low and stained-to-clear. Surface temp is in the low 60s.
Bass fishing has been good to 13 pounds. Good numbers of solid slot fish reported in 3-8 feet of water, some on beds. Fishing guide Gary Paris said soft jerkbaits, wacky worms and Texas-rig lizards are producing some 20-30 fish days.
Crappie are scattered around shallow grass and brush. There also are some fish beginning to group up around bridge pilings. Catfishermen are reeling in partial limits over baited holes in 12-18 feet of water.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 4 1/2 feet low and stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the lower 60s.
Bass fishing has been good to six pounds. Shallow water is the ticket. Larry Winters at Midway Landing said there are good numbers of fish on beds in 1-4 feet of water that are taking Texas-rig lizards and spinnerbaits.
Crappie are fair. The fish are hanging in 5-8 feet of water around timber and brush. Best reports are coming on minnows and jigs.
The catfish bite has been good to 30 pounds on jugs tipped with live perch and shad. Magic depth is 12-18 feet. Rod and reelers are faring best on windy shorelines using punch bait and cut shad.
TOLEDO BEND —Â* T-Bend is about 18 inches low and fairly clear down south, stained up north. Water temp is in the low-to-mid-60s.
Charlie Shively at Bill’s Landing said rising water has put the catfish on a tear. Several blues and op between 50-70 pounds weighed during the last week. Rod and reelers are picking up good numbers of blues in shallow and deep water.
Shively said the crappie bite has waned up north, although a few anglers are still reporting 15-20 fish days on minnows soaked cypress trees in four feet of water. Down south anglers are picking up some quality keepers on jigs fished around shallow grass.
Shively said black bass are slow up north. From midlake to the dam anglers are picking up solid fish to nine pounds using Senkos, wacky worms, Rogues and spinnerbaits around hydrilla beds and stump fields in 2-6 feet of water.
PINKSTON — The lake is about 1 1/2 feet low and clear on the main lake, stained in some of the pockets. Water temp is in the upper 60s.
Alan Spruiell said there are good numbers of fish on beds, but the better quality bass are still in a pre-spawn mode and holding in 12-15 feet of water. Flukes, lizards and Senko are producing best results.
Crappie are slow. A few fish holding around grass in 4-5 feet of water.