PINEY WOODS

 

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn
HOTSPOT: Boggy Creek
GPS: N 31 21.558, W 94 19.7939
(31.3593, -94.3299)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Rat-L-traps in red, spinnerbaits, soft plastics
CONTACT: Mike Knight
936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
TIPS: The water level is at or above full pool right now and will likely be that way still in March. The bass spawn will be on fire all month long. Lots of fish are shallow and this is the easiest month of all to catch a bunch of fish with some real big ones thrown in. Bed fishing will be great, but the bass will be way back in the flooded stuff. Throw Rat-L-Traps and spinner-baits the 1st two weeks of this month and plastics the last half. The whole lake will be hot fishing. If there are any bad places to bass fish on Rayburn in March, I just don’t know where they are.

LOCATION: Caddo Lake
HOTSPOT: Clinton Lake
GPS: N 32 45.03, W 94 6.5159
(32.7505, -94.1086)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Black/blue chatterbaits, wacky rigged Senkos in dark colors, 6” lizards in dark colors
CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith
318-455-3437
caddoguide1@att.net
www.caddolakefishing.com
TIPS: Fish this area of the Texas side (upper end) and stay in the trees that sit in 3-4 ft of water. Work theses lures around the base of the cypress trees. March and April are our 2 biggest months for catching trophy sized bass and most all come from around the base of the cypress trees. This is where the bass spawn in the Spring on Caddo Lake. Stick with dark col-ored soft plastics like black/blue, junebug, and black/ red flake. Once the water gets up to 58 degrees the bass begin the spawning process.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 24.522, W 95 34.8179
(30.4087, -95.5803)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers
BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad
CONTACT: Richard Tatsch
936-661-7920
admin@fishdudetx.com
www.fishdudetx.com
TIPS: The hybrid stripers are doing great now, and this is the time to catch trophy fish. They will be all around the lake on main lake points and humps. The use of electronics is a ne-cessity! Find the schools of shad and you will find the hybrids. This time of year they will range in the water column from 15 to 40 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. One mistake a lot of people make in doing this is they don’t constantly watch what depth the fish are in. These fish move up and down in the water column hour to hour and if you don’t fol-low them you will stop catching fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice, but the swim shad will work if you can control the depth. Good luck and good fishing! Bank Access: Stowaway Ma-rina

LOCATION: Lake Fork
HOTSPOT: Glade Creek
GPS: N 32 53.502, W 95 31.8659
(32.8917, -95.5311)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Zoom Magnum black finesse worm
CONTACT: Doug Shampine
940-902-3855
doug@lakeforktrophybass.com
www.lakeforktrophybass.com
TIPS: March is the month the big female bass are looking for places to spawn and feeding up as they look for the right spot. Look at the protected flats from a north wind and that has a creek channel close by. Having vegetation is a plus. My best bait year in and out will be a magnum black finesse worm rigged with a split shot about 10 inches above the worm. This is a killer for the big female bass, and I work it very slow. Most bites come when just lying there. I also use a chartreuse ring fry rigged the same way. Check the water that is 4-7 feet and fish the warmest water you can find. I also like to use a white swim bait to locate bass in those areas. Check out Little Caney, Glade, Burch and Running Creeks for pre-spawn action.

LOCATION: Lake Fork
HOTSPOT: Dale Creek
GPS: N 32 48.918, W 95 36.474
(32.8153, -95.6079)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Grandebass 6.5-in. Rattlesnake, Finch Nasty Elite Hunter Thumper swim jig
CONTACT: Lance Vick
903-312-0609
lance@lakeforkbass.com
www.guideonlakefork.com
TIPS: March is spawn time on Lake Fork. Bass are moving shallow to take care of spawning actives. What does this mean? More bass are shallow and more accessible to bass fisherman. There are three main techniques that I employ during this time. First is a Gran-debass 6.5”” Rattlesnake, rigged weightless on 17 lb. fluorocarbon line with a 5/0 hook. Cast-ing this rig into shallow water around stumps, grass and laydown logs. Fish with a twitch, pause, retrieve. Second technique is a Texas rig. I’ll use this rig when the wind is blowing, or the fish are deeper. I still use the Grandebass Rattlesnake for the most part, however, mixing it up is always fun. Here’s the third technique to cover water. I have two ways to do it when the sun is out, and wind is blowing. I’ll use a Grandebass Hammer Jammer swimbait Texas rigged with a 4/0 hook and 1/8 tungsten weight. When the wind is blowing, or the weather is nasty I turn to the Finch Nasty Elite Hunter Thumper swimjig. This jig shakes big ones into biting when nothing else will.
Fish these two techniques in areas leading into spawning areas, covering standing timber, lay down logs, grass and hard bottom points . Good fishin’ all!

LOCATION: Lake Livingston
HOTSPOT: Harmon Creek
GPS: N 30 51.492, W 95 26.8079
(30.8582, -95.4468)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad, Blue Fox, Rat-L-Traps, Tsunami Cocktail spinners, Road Run-ners,
CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service
936-291-9602
dave@palmettoguideservice.com
www.palmettoguideservice.com
TIPS: March 15th is the peak of the incredible white bass spawn on Lake Livingston. Harmon Creek is often referred to as the “white bass capital of the world”. Now, sows or “pigs” will be full of eggs and ready to spawn out. Spring White Bass fishing is met with a fa-natical following here. Whites will move into upper Lake Livingston creeks in huge numbers to spawn. Harmon Creek is famous for white bass fishing in March. However, many factors need to come together to get in on the great fishing here in March. Current conditions can dictate the fishing as one day can be feast and famine the next day. Water conditions, temperature and fluctuating levels can dictate success or failure. Typically, the best time to go is with a warming trend bringing a southeast wind following a recent local rain. The moving water from run off will pull the fish up stream and stack them up in deep holes far up Harmon Creek. Here the whites will stack up under the right conditions. Launch at Harmon Creek Marina and go far up stream, looking for clearing or “tea” colored water. Key in on the downstream side of sand-bars in deep holes. Make a long cast and work the baits slowly. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is fishing the baits too fast. With lower water temperatures in March the white’s metabolism is lowered, making for a less aggressive bite. Lake Livingston consists of 90,000 surface acres of water and 450 miles of shoreline. BANK ACCESS: Harmon Creek Mari-na “

LOCATION: Toledo Bend Lake
HOTSPOT: Indian Mounds Area
GPS: N 31 18.378, W 93 41.7779
(31.3063, -93.6963)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Rat-L-traps, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, bass jigs
CONTACT: Mike Knight
936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
TIPS: It’s all about the spawn. Toledo is so long from North to South that bass will be in all stages. On the north end the fish will be on beds and some nests will be hatched with males guarding fry while on the south end it could be pre-spawn with staging fish feeding like crazy. There will be fish at all depths hitting just about everything so just fish your favorite spots and lures and enjoy.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend North
HOTSPOT: Anderson Island Area (Car Body Hole)
GPS: N 31 42.54, W 93 46.3019
(31.7090, -93.7717)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, soft plastics, frogs, tubes, jigs, spinnerbaits, top water baits, stick baits, shallow diving crank baits, just about anything in your tackle box
CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages
936-368-7151
gregcrafts@yahoo.com
www.toledobendguide.com
TIPS: The bass are in shallow water moving in and out of the spawning flats. If a cold front moves in, the fish will stay in the same area but will move out to the closest drop-off into deep water. Start off with a fast moving bait like a Rat-L-Trap or spinnerbait to cover a lot of water to locate the fish. If you catch one, slow down because there will usually be more fish in the same area. With the increase in boat traffic, please be courteous to your fellow fishermen! Statistics show that more “lunker bass”” weighing 10 lbs. or more are caught in March than any other month of the year. If you are lucky enough to land a “lunker” and have it weighed and certified at a registered Toledo Bend Lake Association station.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake
HOTSPOT: Major Creek Arms
GPS: N 32 14.5319, W 96 1.656
(32.2422, -96.0276)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, bass jigs, soft plastics
CONTACT: Jason Barber
903-603-2047
kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com
www.kingscreekadventures.com
TIPS: This time of year we are “power fishing” for bass. Fish the back of all the major creek arms and coves with spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, as well as jigs and soft plastics. Tar-get bass in 1 to 4ft of water as bass are moving shallow for the spawn.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla
HOTSPOT: Snake Island
GPS: N 31 55.038, W 97 12.726
(31.9173, -97.2121)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Little Georges, Tail Hummers, chrome Rat-L-Traps, chartreuse slabs
CONTACT: Randy Routh
817-822-5539
teamredneck01@hotmail.com
www.teamredneck.net
TIPS: Have your binoculars handy, birds are still working, and the Whites are gorging and spawning around Snake Island. Cast above lures along wind-blown points for spawning whites. Triplet Point is also producing a lot of whites. Little Georges, chrome Rat-L-Traps and chartreuse slabs are producing great catches early and late.

LOCATION: Bachman Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 51.564, W 96 51.3839
(32.8594, -96.8564)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass & Crappie
BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and crappie jigs
CONTACT: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
thorn_alex@yahoo.com
TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com
TIPS: For bass, throw spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps along the weed lines. Bass fishing is especially good at the dam, by the banks and near the timber under the bridge. Crappie are under the bridge at night this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bet right now.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake
HOTSPOT: Mud Flats East of Church Point
GPS: N 32 55.492, W 97 30.051
(32.9249, -97.5009)

SPECIES: White bass
BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12 in. above; spinnerbaits with shiny blades
CONTACT: Johnny Stevens
817-597-6598
johnnystevens@1scom.net
johnnysguideservice.com
TIPS: This area is composed of many slopes and humps. Water depth is normally 12 to 24 feet deep. When water temp approaches 60 degrees many sand bass will spawn on these humps and slopes. Look on each slope and hump with your electronics until you see a series of small humps on the bottom. Throw out a marker buoy and anchor over them and jig up and down.

LOCATION: Fayette County Res.
HOTSPOT: Intake Corner
GPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 44.8379
(29.9213, -96.7473)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Stink bait, worms
CONTACT: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
TIPS: Fish are eating algae and bait fish along the rocks and also spawning here. Fish rocks and cattails along the intake. Dawn to mid-morning seem to be the best times to fish.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res.
HOTSPOT: Lone Tree East of Hog Point
GPS: N 30 37.878, W 96 3.78
(30.6313, -96.0630)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Shad, CJ’s punch bait
CONTACT: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
TIPS: This is a great area when south winds blow into the bank here. Fish tight line or with cork set shallow. Cast close to shore. The bite can be fast so be ready!

LOCATION: Granger Lake
HOTSPOT: San Gabriel River and Willis Creek
GPS: N 30 39.06, W 97 25.6259
(30.6510, -97.4271)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: River minnows
CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell
512-365-7761
crappie1@hotmail.com
www.gotcrappie.com
TIPS: Now is probably the most popular time for most people to fish. The weather is warming up and the white bass spawn is in full swing. The most popular place to fish is at Dickerson’s River Bottom (The Steps) up from the lake near Circleville. Willis Creek can also be very good and maybe be less crowded. The time of day can sometimes be very important when fishing for white bass. Sometimes they will make a run just before dark and you can limit out very quickly at that time. That is an important tip I will give. Using river minnows instead of bought ones can also improve your catch. I hope this helps. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury
HOTSPOT: Tin Top
GPS: N 32 34.559, W 97 49.295
(32.5760, -97.8216)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Small jigs with soft plastics in Electric Chicken and Chartreuse colors worked near structure near banks/docks
CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters
817-578-0023
TIPS: Work the bends in the river and look for fish either in the deeper holes and when active on top of flats adjacent to the deeper water. Crappie will be spawning most creeks and sloughs all over the lake and in the river. Granbury water temperatures are in the 60’s. Spring patterns are in full force. Stripers are active and are moving back and forth from the river to deeper water on the main lake. Wintering Birds are still in place and are pointing anglers to active feeding fish from the dam to the river above Granbury. Passing cool fronts/storm fronts continue to dominate the weather pattern.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 33 2.124, W 96 29.0459
(33.0354, -96.4841)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs, minnows
CONTACT: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
thorn_alex@yahoo.com
TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com
TIPS: Crappie are spawning shallow in 1-10 feet of water this time of year. Look for them on wood, gravel, sand, and rocks. If the lake is up at full, look in the submerged willows and standing timber. You can also try fishing a jig and bobber the rocks.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine
HOTSPOT: Chimney Cove
GPS: N 32 4.986, W 95 25.002
(32.0831, -95.4167)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Big Eye spinnerbaits, Shimmy Shakers , Big Eye buzzbaits, Big Eye jigs, medium running crankbaits
CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff
903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201
ricky@rickysguideservice.com
www.rickysguideservice.com
TIPS: The best fishing will be on your main lake points and back in the main lake creek pockets. There are several lures that are good to use this time of year. The hotspot given is Chimney Cove and is a good starting place for bass this time of year.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts
HOTSPOT: Sand Branch Point
GPS: N 33 23.729, W 97 0.78
(33.3955, -97.0130)

SPECIES: Crappie, white bass
BEST BAITS: Minnows, White/chartreuse spinners, white/shad colored crankbaits
CONTACT: Justin Wilson
214-538-2780
TIPS: March is one of my favorite times of the year to catch white bass on this lake. The fish are loading up getting ready for spawn and are feeding heavy. Look for schools of fish stacking up on points and humps close to creek channels in 20-30 foot of water. Keep an eye out for gulls working .Slabs and just about anything bright colored will catch them, but I like tying on a bigger deep diving crank bait and catch good quality fish. Hold onto your rod too be-cause there could be a largemouth or two feeding beneath the whites . The crappie bite is get-ting better and starting to see more keepers. Crappie have been on brush piles and bridge pil-lars in 15-25 foot of water. Jigs are working well but the quality of fish seem to be better on minnows.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Res.
HOTSPOT: Richland Creek Arm
GPS: N 31 57.2819, W 96 18.8159
(31.9547, -96.3136)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Danny Kings punch bait
CONTACT: Royce Simmons
903-389-4117
simmonsroyce@hotmail.com
www.gonefishin.biz
TIPS: March can be an awesome or very tough month on RC, and it all depends on Mother Nature! The crappie can be on their spawn and easy to catch in the shallows. Or the White Bass may have already finished their spawn way up creek channels and made their way back to the main lake. However, if we have a late winter or cold and wet early spring, you may not be able to find and catch either species. That’s why we normally stick with catfish in March and continue to catch ice chests full of “”eater size”” blues and channels and an occasional big blue that may be the fish of a lifetime. Stick with the Richland Creek arm of the lake and fish on or near the edge of the creek channel in depths of 30’-35’ feet of water. Danny Kings Punch Bait on a # 4 Treble Hook fished near the bottom is normally deadly.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville
HOTSPOT: Snake Island
GPS: N 30 18.75, W 96 35.634
(30.3125, -96.5939)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Shad, punch bait
CONTACT: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
TIPS: Fish the south side of this island with wind blowing into the shore. Shad should be gathering shallow now. Use tight line and cast close to the shore here.

LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni
HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats
GPS: N 32 51.064, W 95 54.934
(32.8510, -95.9155)

SPECIES: Catfish & White Bass
BEST BAITS: Cut and live shad
CONTACT: Andrew Taylor, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service
903-269-6587
etxbass@gmail.com
TIPS: As we move out of the winter season and start to transition into a tad bit warm-er weather, we will start to see more and more fish pull up shallow. I typically start to wrap up my catfish season around the end of February and start to move into the eater sized cats as well as white bass and hybrid- striper. I change my gear over from 8’ PRO Angler rods back to 7’ MH Cherry wood rods for a better feel. I like to focus large flats for eater size catfish along with the bass. Typically I’ll run a Carolina Rig (1 oz. weight and 24”” leader) tipped with a piece of cut threadfin shad. The reason these small eater cats are staged up on top of these flats are because of the shad. Once the shad feel the water temperature warming up, they go to it, making catching the cats easy work. As for the white bass what I typically find is schools of them on the side of humps 14’-22’ feet of water. These fish are getting ready for their spawn and are HUNGRY. I run a Carolina rig with live bait, using 3”” threadfin shad.”

LOCATION: Lake Texoma
HOTSPOT: Paw Paw Creek and Mill Creek Cut
GPS: N 33 49.7339, W 96 45.3059
(33.8289, -96.7551)

SPECIES: Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Road Runner jigs, Sassy Shad jigs
CONTACT: Bill Carey
903-786-4477
bigfishlaketexoma@gmail.com
www.striperexpress.com
TIPS: In March the white bass have already spawned, and the stripers are staging up the main tributaries. Structure like main lake points, ditches and creeks will hold stripers. Using 1oz. RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs in white or chartreuse will work best. Fish the creeks in 12’ to 20’ of water with a slow retrieve for fish up to 20 pounds. Pay attention to the seagulls. They can be your best fish finder. When you are fishing under the birds keep your lure in the top 15’ of water. Most activity will be west of the Willis bridge and north of the railroad bridge on the Washita arm of the lake. Bank Access: Slickem Slough and Paw Paw Creek

LOCATION: Lake Whitney
HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump
GPS: N 31 54.672, W 97 20.868
(31.9112, -97.3478)

SPECIES: Striped Bass & White Bass
BEST BAITS: Chartreuse Wild Eyed Shad, Sassy Shad, Fle-Fly, live gizzard shad
CONTACT: Randy Routh
817-822-5539
teamredneck01@hotmail.com
www.teamredneck.net
TIPS: Early in the morning we are using Wild Eyed Shad swimbaits and casting out on the hump and retrieving back with a medium to fast retrieve and catching the stripers as they are moving up on the hump gorging on the spawning shad. After the sun comes up, I like back-ing off the hump and anchoring in 30’ of water and fishing live shad suspended off the bottom. Also, make long casts up on the hump with live shad and free line them on a Carolina rig. The stripers will pick them up and make a long run. Long distance fight and provide a lot of fun. For white bass, check out Nolan River at the Brazos (N32 05.242’, W97 28.152’) for spawning whites but they can also be caught the main lake. Spawning whites on the main lake are in Whitney Creek and along Whitney Point. Use a small swim bait (Sassy Shad) and tie a Fle-Fly about 10” above it and make long casts up on points and bounce up and down along edge of point back to boat. Catch them two at a time!

 

PANHANDLE

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry
HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks
GPS: N 33 2.634, W 101 3.732
(33.0439, -101.0622)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Shaky heads with blue worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits
CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services
806-792-9220
nclayton42@sbcglobal.net
www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html
TIPS: “March will find the bass moving up the creeks looking for a spawning place and chasing
shad. Any creek on the lake will be holding bass. I will be using shaky head jigs, crankbaits,
and spinnerbaits which will all work well. Some bass will also be on the steep banks where a jerkbait will be a good choice.”

LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Res.
HOTSPOT: Lower Creek Arm
GPS: N 32 45.468, W 99 0.6751
(32.7578, -99.0113)

SPECIES: White Crappie
BEST BAITS: jigs, small spinnerbaits
CONTACT: Michael D. Homer Jr., Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
325-692-0921
michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov
TIPS: Historically, anglers have reported catching great numbers of crappie in the lower creek arm in the southern end of the reservoir. Fishing the submersed brush and vegetation with curly-tailed jigs and small spinners may yield a bite.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom
HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch
GPS: N 32 53.627, W 98 30.998
(32.8938, -98.5166)

SPECIES: Striped, white bass, hybrids
BEST BAITS: Jigs, slabs, live shad
CONTACT: Dean Heffner
940-329-0036
fav7734@aceweb.com
TIPS: March is the beginning of spring, so if the rain comes hard and water is flowing in then disregard most of this and head to where the water is flowing in—the fish will too! We like cloudy days on the Peanut Patch, as that is how the fish also like it. We are still jiggin’ & slabbin’ but when we can find them, we fish fresh live shad. Colors depend on the water clarity. The clearer, the brighter light chrome. More stained the more we go to chartreuse and bold colors. When you catch a fish look at the graph and take note of the water depth. Usually they will run that depth down a bank line like a natural highway. If I catch a fish and its 20 feet deep, the rest of the day I will catch fish at 20 feet. Also, you still have birds, so watch them—they will put you on fish.

 

BIG BEND

LOCATION: Amistad
HOTSPOT: Rough Canyon Area
GPS: N29 34.20456, W100 58.4892
(29.570076, -100.974820)

SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms, crankbaits, soft plastic jerkbaits
CONTACT:
Stan Gerzsenyl
830-768-3648
stan@amistadbass.com
amistadbass.com
TIPS: Fish the shallow pockets in the various arms off the river channel. Start at the mouths of the coves and work your way to the back of them slowly. On bright days, make long casts with soft plastic jerkbaits and Carolina-rigged worms.

 

HILL COUNTRY

LOCATION: Canyon Lake
HOTSPOT: Guadalupe River
GPS: N 29 54.468, W 98 17.3759
(29.9078, -98.2896)

SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass & Crappie
BEST BAITS: Luhr-Jensen Radar 10 in chrome blue or chartreuse
CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures
210-573-1230
capt.steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com
www.sanantoniofishingguides.com
TIPS: Troll the Luhr-Jensen Radar 10 in the main river channel from the rapids of the river to the mouth of the lake until you locate the fish. Then, fish the area of the river you find them in. This is one of my favorite times of year on Canyon. On any cast you may catch a white bass, striped bass, largemouth, crappie or even catfish!

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan
HOTSPOT: Upper Main Lake
GPS: N 30 51.6299, W 98 25.5239
(30.8605, -98.4254)

SPECIES: Striped Bass & White Bass
BEST BAITS: Live shad, chartreuse slabs
CONTACT: Clancy Terrill
512-633-6742
centraltexasfishing@gmail.com
www.centraltexasfishing.com
TIPS: White bass and stripers on the move towards the river. Fishing is good drifting or anchored with live shad. Concentrate on the upper half of lake, near humps and ridges. Fish in the 5-30 foot range. When you hit a school of fish, anchor and jig white or chartreuse slabs just off the bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan
HOTSPOT: Garret Island
GPS: N 30 50.5139, W 98 24.978
(30.8419, -98.4163)

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass
BEST BAITS: Top water lures, live shad
CONTACT: Ken Milam
325-379-2051
kmilam@verizon.net
www.striperfever.com
TIPS: Stripers will be on the windy points early morning chasing shad. This time of year should be good top water but, then again, it’s just getting started. Throw Pencil Poppers, Zara Spooks or any kind of topwater lure. Chrome w/ blue back as well as chrome w/ black back, along with chartreuse are great colors for this time of the year. White bass will be on the up-per end of the lake around Shaw & Garret island areas as well as Silver Creek using live shad.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 34.404, W 98 21.6719
(30.5734, -98.3612)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie
BEST BAITS: Hard plastic jerk baits, soft plastic jerk baits, slow rolling spinnerbaits
CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd
210-771-0123
barry@teachemtofish.net
www.teachemtofish.net
TIPS: Water temperature is in the 50’s but the bass and crappie are looking to begin their search for spawning grounds. Most fish are still deeper during the cold nights and days; however, bass seem to never leave the comforts of oxygen rich vegetation and move into shal-lower water as the sun heats it up. The best fishing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south. Generally, the best fishing is in the afternoons on north banks protected from the north winds and areas that receive lots of sun-shine. Try throwing hard plastic jerk baits over grass with longer pauses on the retrieve. Soft plastic jerk baits and slow rolling spinnerbaits in the same areas are also good producers.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ
HOTSPOT: Elm Creek Area
GPS: N 30 34.7039, W 98 21.7739
(30.5784, -98.3629)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Hard plastic jerk baits, soft plastic jerk baits, slow rolling spinnerbaits
CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd
210-771-0123
barry@teachemtofish.net
www.teachemtofish.net
TIPS: The Elm Creek area is a good location this time of year. There is lots of vegeta-tion, ditches, and deeper water nearby and fairly protected from the north wind.

LOCATION: Travis
HOTSPOT: Arkansas Bend
GPS: N30 23.70522, W97 56.9988
(30.395087, -97.949980)

SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Deep crankbaits and C-rigs with Watermelon Finesse worms and Baby Brush Hogs in Watermelon Candy color.
CONTACT:
Bryan Cotter – Texas Hawgs Bass Fishing Guide Service
512-762-0190
texashawgs@gmail.com
www.texashawgs.com
TIPS: Work the Arkansas Bend area using deep crankbaits and Carolina rigs with Wa-termelon Finesse worms and Baby Brush Hogs in Watermelon Candy in 15-30 feet.

LOCATION: Travis
HOTSPOT: Sandy Creek
GPS: N30 28.16778, W97 54.56292
(30.469463, -97.909382)

SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Shallow to medium diving crankbaits and Shaky Heads with craw worms.
CONTACT:
Bryan Cotter – Texas Hawgs Bass Fishing Guide Service
512-762-0190
texashawgs@gmail.com
www.texashawgs.com
TIPS: The Sandy Creek area is producing nice bass in the backs of pockets but be sure to fish this area earlier in the day for the best results.

 

 

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

 

LOCATION: Falcon Lake
HOTSPOT: Upper Rio Grande Tributaries
GPS: N27 0.06276
W99 23.61198
(27.001046, -99.393533)

SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms, lizards, spinnerbaits
CONTACT:
Robert Amaya
956-765-1442
robertsfishntackle@gmail.com
robertsfishntackle.com
TIPS: Fish the numerous coves on the Texas side of the Rio Grande with spinnerbaits early and then switch to jigs and soft plastic worms and target the brush along the rocky banks in three to four feet of water. Fish slowly.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake
HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek
GPS: N 28 44.91, W 97 10.158
(28.7485, -97.1693)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Shad colored lures
CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service
361-960-0566
TIPS: March means winter is coming to an end as a rule in South Texas. This month seems to kick off bass fishing in most areas. Further south the spawn is already at its peak time or most likely in post-spawn. Here at Coleto it’s usually pre-spawn. Use bigger baits and take advantage of warmer days. Big females will be moving toward creek mouths, then moving up shallower during the day, waiting on a male to come guide her toward his little bed he has made for her. If she likes it, she will leave her eggs with him to guard. If she doesn’t like what she sees, she will wait for another male. Shad, perch and crawfish will be on the menu. Females are pregnant and grouchy so hang on for a fight!

LOCATION: Lake Falcon
HOTSPOT: Little Tiger Creek
GPS: N 26 53.112, W 99 15.5099
(26.8852, -99.2585)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: “War eagle spinnerbaits – Screaming Eagle in Gold Shiner color.
CONTACT: Jim Behnken
210-414-8048
jimbehnken@hotmail.com
www.fishlakefalcon.com
TIPS: Place your boat in the creek channel and vary your casts from the center of the channel up onto the edges of the creek channel. Slow roll the spinner making as much contact with underwater bushes and trees as possible. Occasionally flutter the bait to attract bites.

 

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