LAKE REPORTS
The trusty Solunar Tables predict promising majors this weekend.
Thursday and Friday will have early morning peaks from 6 to 9 a.m., peaking again from 6 to 9 p.m.
The trend continues through Monday with major times dropping off around midweek.
Cold Fronts and Rainy Seasons Can Make For Great Fishing
The traditional big bass seasons in spring and fall can fluctuate a lot based on rainfall, weather patterns, and temperature changes.
Don’t wait till the official “first day of fall” to start adapting to the faster season. Try moving up the water column if deep water strikes aren’t arriving.
Rainy weather will initially cause a “big feed”, bass and catfish will become very active before hiding away in deep water during the storms.
But, they have to eat sometime. During extended periods of rainfall, watch for pauses in precipitation while working the top and middle of the water column.
Cold fronts are preceded by Cirrus clouds. These might be more than 100 miles off, and often signal the arrival of a cold front. Again, fish can sense these changes, and will be making big moves.
During the cold front, overcast conditions means that they might end up moving higher in the water column. Bass might be feeding in shallow areas.
Cumulus clouds signal the end of a cold front, and a return to more regular patterns.
Finally, pay close attention to wind direction, as the currents will push small baits like shad and frylings towards structure like points and shorelines. If you’re fishing the big middle of a body of water and not get anything, look behind you. You might have paddled right past them.
Advice From The ASU Fishing Team
“Don’t be afraid to flip back into the thickest cover you can find. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass.”
Riley hindes, angelo state fishing team, nasworthy report
TPWD Fishing Reports
Amistad
GOOD – 33.7 percent, stained water: temperature 81 degrees, 60.97 feet below pool.
The bite has been tough as the lake recently rose about six feet, now holding steady. Hot weather and warm water conditions have made fishing challenging, and anglers are working hard for bites. Report by Kurt Dove, Amistad Bass Guide
Brady
SLOW – 96.7 percent, stained water: temp. 76 degrees.
Fishing on the lake is slow right now though the lake is plumb full. Reports of a few anglers catching white bass, scarce crappie, and gaspergou. Anglers attribute slow fishing to the heat. Report from Brady Lake Store.
Brownwood
GOOD – 95.1 percent, stained water: temp. 73 degrees, 0.63 feet below pool.
Black bass are good to 4-5 pounds in 18-25 feet on shaky heads with green pumpkin F5 worms, dropshots with 6-inch worms in “morning glory”, whopper ploppers and square bill crankbaits.
White bass are fair to 1.25 pounds on crappie jigs and minnows out of the lights at night.
White bass around 1.5 pounds are slow on crappie jigs and crankbaits out of the lights at night. Catfish are slow on cut shad on the main lake flats.
Buchanan
GOOD – 98.7 percent, slightly stained water: temp. 87 degrees, 0.48 feet below pool.
Stripers in 18-20 feet of water on main lake points and humps, trolling with downriggers and live shad. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service.
Canyon Lake
FAIR – 68.7 percent, stained water: temp. 87 degrees, 16.54 feet below pool.
Lake levels have risen high enough to access most boat ramps recently.
Bass fishing is showing signs of improvement with some good catches being reported.
Coleman
FAIR – 93 percent, water slightly stained: temp. 87 degrees, 1.49 feet below pool.
Black bass of 2 pounds are slow in 10-20 feet of water around the off points of the lake with a scope minnow.
Excellent Crappie fishing: 14 inch fish on minnows in 8-15 feet under docks in Rattlesnake Cove on the right side going in. Hybrid bass are good to 6 pounds on square bill crankbaits in the lighted docks.
Catfish are slow on prepared bait, nightcrawlers and chicken livers.
Hubbard Creek
FAIR – 50.7 percent, stained water: temp. 80 degrees, 12.12 feet below pool.
Bass are fair to good with soft plastics in brush piles.
Crappie are on brush piles biting minnows or jigs.
Several anglers out trolling for white bass.
Insider tip: try a white fluke with glitter or black specks, like Bass Assassin’s Phantom Shad.
Nasworthy
GOOD – 85 percent, slightly stained water: temp. 87 degrees, 1.03 feet below pool.
The largemouth bass bite has been good flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-3 feet of water. The bass are staying in the shallows but seeking the shadiest places possible around reeds.
Don’t be afraid to flip back into the thickest cover you can find. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass.
Crappie were fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs.
Catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report by Riley Hindes, Angelo State Fishing Team.
O.C. Fisher
SLOW – 17.4 percent, stained water: temp. 88 degrees; 29.94 feet below pool. Water has dropped 1 percent over last four weeks.
Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
O.H. Ivie
FAIR – 52.2 percent, stained water: temp. 85 degrees; 16.90 feet below pool.
Black bass are fair to 7 pounds on topwater frogs and whopper ploppers. Numbers are up on a variety of worms and creature baits in 10-12 feet with some schooling activity around shad schools.
Crappie are picking up good around timber 12-14 feet deep suspended. Minnows are best but jigs have been coming on strong midlake and upriver.
White bass have no report.
Catfishing is good with cut shad and a variety of stink baits in 5-8 feet around boat ramps. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
Spence
SLOW 14.5 percent, stained water; 86 degrees, 48.78 feet below pool.
Few reports due to the fluctuation of water level – Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
Channel catfish are doing good using punch bait and fresh cut bait – Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
Twin Buttes
FAIR- 15.1 percent, stained water: temp. 86-87 degrees, 32.27 feet below pool.
Channel catfish have been good in the evenings and early mornings using punch bait. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
