T_boy
05-19-2009, 01:24 PM
ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.
Bass are good to seven pounds on Texas rig plastics and spinnerbaits. Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina said there are still good numbers of fish roaming the shallows from the bank out to about six feet. Best plastic color is blue fleck. A few fish also hammering topwaters and buzz baits, but the bite has not been very consistent.
Bream fishermen are making some banner catches using crickets and night crawlers n 2-4 feet water. Crappie have moved into brush piles in 15-19 feet of water. A few limits reported on live shiners.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is at normal level and stained. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 70s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber said crappie fishing has been good on jigs pitched beneath docks in 5-10 feet of water. Brush piles in 10-20 feet of water also are holding some concentrations of fish.
Hybrids and white bass are schooling early and late; topwaters and swim baits are producing some solid fish. Humps, ledges and points are holding the better concentrations during the midday hours.
Catfish are good on cut shad soaked on windy shorelines in 2-6 feet of water, mainly early and late. The midday bite has been best in 10-20 feet water.
Barber said bass anglers are picking up keepers using Texas rig plastics and shad or firetiger crankbaits around boat docks and rip rap. Shallow weedbeds are producing a few fish on topwaters and buzz baits.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is two feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said catfishermen are reporting excellent results up the Richland Creek arm using punch bait and shad on bottom in 8-12 feet of water. Trotliners have been brought in several flatheads up to 50 pounds recently.
Black bass are fair to five pounds on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Texas rigs worked along creeks in 4-8 feet of water. Crappie are hit and miss. Best bite has been in standing timber, 12-15 feet deep. The fish have been holding a crank or two off bottom.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is at full pool and fairly clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.
Greg Porter at Porter's Sporting Good said catfishing has been outstanding. Lots of keepers spawning around the rocks. Night crawlers and punch bait are working best.
Porter said bass fishing has been fair to five pounds. Porter said the best bite has been shallow using buzz baits and watermelon plastics around weed beds in 2-4 feet of water.
Crappie fishermen are plucking steady limits out of 8-15 feet of water using live shiners and jigs. Brush piles are most reliable.
FORK — The lake is a few inches high and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low-70s.
Fishing guide Brooks Rogers said bass fishing has been good to 13.11 pounds. Plenty of slot fish reported on topwaters, crankbaits and spinnerbaits from the bank out to four feet. Good numbers of fish also holding along outside grass edges in 4-8 feet of water.
Crappie are fair on live shiners fished vertical around brush piles in 14-20 feet of water. Bridge pilings and cross members also are holding a few fish.
Catfish are good in shallow water using night crawlers and cut bait fished beneath a slip cork.
PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is at normal level and slightly stained. Water temp is in the low 80s.
Fishing guide Alan Spruiell said there are lots of small fish schooling near the dam. The fish are taking all sorts of topwaters. Pop Rs and Tiny Torpedos are producing the best results. Some good quality fish up to six pounds reported on Texas rig Powerworms worked along outside grass edges in 10-15 feet of water.
Crappie are scattered from eight feet out to 22 feet. Spruiell said it has been tough to find concentrations.
SAM RAYBURN — Sam Rayburn is 15 inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s, low 80s.
Ann Thomasson-Wilson at Ann's Tackle said bass fishing has been fair to four pounds. Bone pattern Yellow Magics are working well over shallow grass beds in 4-8 feet of water. Wacky worms and Senkos are producing in same areas. Wilson said there also has been a decent bite on football jigs worked along outside grass edges.
Wilson said crappie fishing has been hit and miss. The better results are still on 1/8 ounce Triple Ripple jigs fished along outside grass edges in 8-12 feet water. Wilson said brush piles have not been very consistent.
TOLEDO BEND — Toledo Bend is slightly above normal and clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 70s.
Charlie Shively at Bill's Landing said bass anglers are reporting excellent results using frogs and Texas rig plastics fished around stands of pepper grass in shallow water and in shoreline buck brush. Good numbers of bass in the 4-5 pound range reported.
Catfish are good on trotline tipped with live perch. The better fish up to 60 pounds are coming on line sets near the river. Lots of 20 pound blues holding in the timber. Rod and reelers are picking up good numbers of blues and channels in 4-8 feet of water using night crawlers and cut bait on bottom or beneath a cork.
Crappie are slow. Bream have been tough to locate with the high water. Shively said a few anglers are finding bedding areas in 5-6 feet of water.
Bass are good to seven pounds on Texas rig plastics and spinnerbaits. Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina said there are still good numbers of fish roaming the shallows from the bank out to about six feet. Best plastic color is blue fleck. A few fish also hammering topwaters and buzz baits, but the bite has not been very consistent.
Bream fishermen are making some banner catches using crickets and night crawlers n 2-4 feet water. Crappie have moved into brush piles in 15-19 feet of water. A few limits reported on live shiners.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is at normal level and stained. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 70s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber said crappie fishing has been good on jigs pitched beneath docks in 5-10 feet of water. Brush piles in 10-20 feet of water also are holding some concentrations of fish.
Hybrids and white bass are schooling early and late; topwaters and swim baits are producing some solid fish. Humps, ledges and points are holding the better concentrations during the midday hours.
Catfish are good on cut shad soaked on windy shorelines in 2-6 feet of water, mainly early and late. The midday bite has been best in 10-20 feet water.
Barber said bass anglers are picking up keepers using Texas rig plastics and shad or firetiger crankbaits around boat docks and rip rap. Shallow weedbeds are producing a few fish on topwaters and buzz baits.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is two feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said catfishermen are reporting excellent results up the Richland Creek arm using punch bait and shad on bottom in 8-12 feet of water. Trotliners have been brought in several flatheads up to 50 pounds recently.
Black bass are fair to five pounds on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Texas rigs worked along creeks in 4-8 feet of water. Crappie are hit and miss. Best bite has been in standing timber, 12-15 feet deep. The fish have been holding a crank or two off bottom.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is at full pool and fairly clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.
Greg Porter at Porter's Sporting Good said catfishing has been outstanding. Lots of keepers spawning around the rocks. Night crawlers and punch bait are working best.
Porter said bass fishing has been fair to five pounds. Porter said the best bite has been shallow using buzz baits and watermelon plastics around weed beds in 2-4 feet of water.
Crappie fishermen are plucking steady limits out of 8-15 feet of water using live shiners and jigs. Brush piles are most reliable.
FORK — The lake is a few inches high and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low-70s.
Fishing guide Brooks Rogers said bass fishing has been good to 13.11 pounds. Plenty of slot fish reported on topwaters, crankbaits and spinnerbaits from the bank out to four feet. Good numbers of fish also holding along outside grass edges in 4-8 feet of water.
Crappie are fair on live shiners fished vertical around brush piles in 14-20 feet of water. Bridge pilings and cross members also are holding a few fish.
Catfish are good in shallow water using night crawlers and cut bait fished beneath a slip cork.
PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is at normal level and slightly stained. Water temp is in the low 80s.
Fishing guide Alan Spruiell said there are lots of small fish schooling near the dam. The fish are taking all sorts of topwaters. Pop Rs and Tiny Torpedos are producing the best results. Some good quality fish up to six pounds reported on Texas rig Powerworms worked along outside grass edges in 10-15 feet of water.
Crappie are scattered from eight feet out to 22 feet. Spruiell said it has been tough to find concentrations.
SAM RAYBURN — Sam Rayburn is 15 inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s, low 80s.
Ann Thomasson-Wilson at Ann's Tackle said bass fishing has been fair to four pounds. Bone pattern Yellow Magics are working well over shallow grass beds in 4-8 feet of water. Wacky worms and Senkos are producing in same areas. Wilson said there also has been a decent bite on football jigs worked along outside grass edges.
Wilson said crappie fishing has been hit and miss. The better results are still on 1/8 ounce Triple Ripple jigs fished along outside grass edges in 8-12 feet water. Wilson said brush piles have not been very consistent.
TOLEDO BEND — Toledo Bend is slightly above normal and clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 70s.
Charlie Shively at Bill's Landing said bass anglers are reporting excellent results using frogs and Texas rig plastics fished around stands of pepper grass in shallow water and in shoreline buck brush. Good numbers of bass in the 4-5 pound range reported.
Catfish are good on trotline tipped with live perch. The better fish up to 60 pounds are coming on line sets near the river. Lots of 20 pound blues holding in the timber. Rod and reelers are picking up good numbers of blues and channels in 4-8 feet of water using night crawlers and cut bait on bottom or beneath a cork.
Crappie are slow. Bream have been tough to locate with the high water. Shively said a few anglers are finding bedding areas in 5-6 feet of water.