HOTSPOTS: Freshwater – January 2020

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK-Tides & Prime Times – January 2020
December 24, 2019
HOTSPOTS: Saltwater – January 2020
December 24, 2019

PINEY WOODS

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Toledo Bend Lake
Hotspot: Chicken Coop Area
GPS: N 31 17.3219, W 93 45.6659
(31.2887, -93.7611)

Toledo Bend Lake

Toledo Bend Lake Chicken Coop Area

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Crappie jigs
Contact: Mike Knight
(936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
Tips: Graph for man-made brush piles on top of the ledges. Best baits should be heavy jig/plastic combos. If water temps drop into the 40’s, crappie should pile up on the legendary chicken coop area about 4 miles north of Pendleton Bridge.
• • •
Location: Caddo Lake
Hotspot: Big Cypress River
GPS: N 32 43.9559, W 94 8.682
(32.7326, -94.1447)

Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake Big Cypress River

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Crankbaits and umbrella rigs in shad or white color, 1/2 oz. chrome jigging spoons
Contact: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith
318-455-3437
caddoguide1@att.net
www.caddolakefishing.com
Tips: Concentrate on the bends and cuts in this main channel. When the bass are active, throw the shad or white colored crankbaits and umbrella rigs. When they are not feeding well, drop a 1/2 oz. chrome jigging spoon in these same areas and vertically jig off them off the bottom. Watch visibly and on your electronics for balls of shad to increase your odds of finding these wintertime schools of bass.

Location: Lake Conroe
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 22.7099, W 95 35.352
(30.3785, -95.5892)

Lake Conroe

Lake Conroe Main Lake

Species: Hybrid Stripers
Best Baits: Live shad, Strom Swim Shad
Contact: Richard Tatsch
936-661-7920
admin@fishdudetx.com
www.fishdudetx.com
Tips: The hybrid stripers are schooling around ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will find the hybrids. This time of year, they will run shad up on these ridges. During the day, they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the water temperatures drop, they will be in the 30 to 40-foot depths.
Live shad will be the bait of choice in deeper water, but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the fish are going to be in. The depths will vary from one day to the next. Today they may be in 20 foot of water and tomorrow they may be in 40 foot. It all depends on the schools of shad. Good luck and good fishing!

Location: Lake Fork
Hotspot: Little Caney Creek
GPS: N 32 49.086, W 95 33.4559
(32.8181, -95.5576)

Lake Fork

Lake Fork Little Caney Creek

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Minnows, jigs in pink/chartreuse color on a 1/8 oz. jig head
Contact: Doug Shampine
940-902-3855
doug@lakeforktrophybass.com
www.lakeforktrophybass.com
Tips: January is the month I look for the deeper crappie bite. You can find them schooled up in the 30-45-foot range around the deeper creek channels or humps and flats around the mouth of Little Caney. When you find the bait fish you will also find crappie around them. Make sure you keep a marker handy so when you find these schools you can throw out a marker and be able to stay around the schools. The deeper winter crappie will hit either jigs or minnows. Best color is pink/chartreuse in the jigs and I like the 1/8 oz. jig head as it’s usually a little windy in the winter months and you will be fishing open water. This is one of the months you will need to keep the first 25 you catch. This applies for the months of December through February.

Location: Lake Fork
Hotspot: White Oak Branch
GPS: N 32 55.608, W 95 40.824
(32.9268, -95.6804)

Lake Fork

Lake Fork White Oak Branch

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Lipless rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, Finch Nasty Thumpers, GrandeBass Air Pro, Texas rigged 6.5 Mag Rattlesnake
Contact: Lance Vick
903-312-0609
lance@lakeforkbass.com
www.guideonlakefork.com
Tips: Happy New Year! On Lake Fork the bass are moving into pre-spawn stage. Rattlebaits, spinnerbaits and Finch Nasty Thumpers work well on the windy days. On sunny days weightless soft plastics like the GrandeBass Air Pro, a salt heavy stick bait with the airtail chamber so you can put scent or rattles in it, or a light Texas rig with a 6.5 Mag Rattlesnake. Work secondary points and creek channel swings on flats. Lay down logs and any vegetation are great cover this time of year. Its big fish season!

Location: Lake Livingston
Hotspot: White Rock Creek
GPS: N 30 54.2819, W 95 15.9179
(30.9047, -95.2653)

Lake Livingston

Lake Livingston White Rock Creek

Species: White Bass
Best Baits: ¼ oz rattle trap (silver/blue), 1/4oz. Tsunami Cocktail, 2 shad swim baits on 1/4 oz jig heads
Contact: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service
936-291-9602
dave@palmettoguideservice.com
www.palmettoguideservice.com
Tips: January is spring fever month on Lake Livingston. It is not too early for the annual white bass run. Conditions in January can be volatile. With the first good warming spell in January, spring fever becomes contagious. White Rock Creek is the first major creek the whites will begin to stack up in to spawn. Best fishing here is after a local rain and a south east wind. Look for water temps to be 50 degrees or higher. The moving water will pull the whites upstream. Go as far up White Rock as you can looking for tea colored water. Throw 1/4 oz Tsunami Cocktails and shad swim baits on 1/4 oz. jig heads. BANK ACCESS: White Rock City Marina, HWY. 94 public ramp.

Location: Sam Rayburn Lake
Hotspot: Coleman Bay
GPS: N 31 9.0059, W 94 10.128
(31.1501, -94.1688)

Sam Rayburn Lake

Sam Rayburn Lake Coleman Bay

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: 6- to 7-inch suspending jerk baits, red Rat-L-Traps, bass jigs, Carolina rigs, deep diving crankbaits
Contact: Mike Knight
936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
Tips: January is one of the three best months of the year to catch a bass over 10 pounds on this lake. If the winter is mild, look for big pre-spawn females to move into big bays and stage in drains and ditches that are 8 to 15 feet deep. Best baits will be 6 – 7 suspending jerk baits and the Rayburn standby, red Rat-L-Traps. If the winter is cold/bitter, try ledges and channel swings in 15 to 25 feet with jigs, Carolina rigs and deep cranks.

Location: Toledo Bend North
Hotspot: Brown’s Bend
GPS: N 31 42.324, W 93 47.8199
(31.7054, -93.7970)

Toledo Bend North

Toledo Bend North Brown’s Bend

Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Slab spoons, Rat-L-Traps, tail spinners
Contact: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages
936-368-7151
gregcrafts@yahoo.com
www.toledobendguide.com
Tips: In January, the white bass will be feeding heavy, bulking up before making their annual run up the river to spawn. The whites will be holding on the north end river channel sandbars. If we receive a lot of rain and have a strong river current, you will start seeing some action in the river proper. Otherwise, work the main lake sandbars with slab spoons, Rat-L- Traps and tail spinners. Use your electronics to locate the bait fish and you’ll locate the whites. Your daily limit is 25 fish per person.

 

PRAIRIES & LAKES

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Lake Fayette
Hotspot: Hog Pond Trees
GPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 43.056
(29.9213, -96.7176)

Lake Fayette

Lake Fayette Hog Pond Trees

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Earthworms or punch Bait
Contact: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
Tips: Catfish are in pre-spawn mode. Fish 10 feet of water, close to stumps, straight down with tight lines. Chumming this area will help too.
• • •
Location: Bachman Lake
Hotspot: Bridge or Dam Areas
GPS: N 32 51.5699, W 96 51.3839
(32.8595, -96.8564)

Bachman Lake

Bachman Lake Bridge or Dam Areas

Species: Largemouth Bass and Crappie
Best Baits: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and jigs
Contact: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
Whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com
www.whitebassfishingtexas.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: Cedar Creek Lake
Hotspot: Lower Main Lake
GPS: N 32 13.308, W 96 6.4619
(32.2218, -96.1077)

Cedar Creek Lake

Cedar Creek Lake Lower Main Lake

Species: Hybrid Striper & White Bass
Best Baits: Swimbaits, buck tail jigs, flukes on jig heads
Contact: Jason Barber
(903-603-2047
kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com
www.kingscreekadventures.com
Tips: This month we are dead sticking for hybrids and whites. Fish the lower main lake in 30’-50’ of water with shad imitations such as swimbaits, buck tails, flukes on jig heads, etc. Present your bait vertically to fish, relating to suspended schools of shad.

Location: Lake Eagle Mountain
Hotspot: South of Pelican Island
GPS: N 32 54.304, W 97 30.237
(32.9051, -97.5040)

Lake Eagle Mountain

Lake Eagle Mountain South of Pelican Island

Species: Blue catfish
Best Baits: Cut or whole shad
Contact: Johnny Stevens
817-597-6598
johnlu1313@gmail.com
johnnysguideservice.com
Tips: This area is surrounded by two channels, Walnut creek on the west and Trinity River on the east. This area is 4- to 10 ft. deep. The water warms during the day. The shad go up in the shallow water and the blue cats follow them. I like to anchor the front and back of the boat to eliminate sway. I use a Carolina rig with circle hooks. If you don’t find them in a few minutes move until you find them. They tend to stack up in one area.

Location: Gibbons Creek Reservoir
Hotspot: North Bank on Eagle Point
GPS: N 30 38.118, W 96 3.0779
(30.6353, -96.0513)

Gibbons Creek Reservoir

Gibbons Creek Reservoir North Bank on Eagle Point

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Shad or CJ’s punch bait
Contact: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
Tips: This creek comes close to shore here so fish in 12 feet of water using tight line. Large blues pass through this creek area. Use a #6 treble hook for punch bait.

Location: Lake Granbury
Hotspot: Deep Water Ledge, Lower End
GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.55
(32.3836, -97.7092)

Lake Granbury

Lake Granbury Deep Water Ledge, Lower End

Species: Striped bass
Best Baits: 3/4- to 1-oz. jig heads with 5-inch swimbaits/jerkbaits in blue/chartreuse
Contact: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters
817-578-0023
www.unfairadvantagecharters.com
Tips: Work over structure slowly and work deeper until you locate the best depth. Very little movement is required to get bit.

Location: Granger Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 42.672, W 97 20.808
(30.7112, -97.3468)

Granger Lake

Granger Lake Main Lake

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Cut bait, shad, Zote soap
Contact: Tommy Tidwell
512-365-7761
crappie1@hotmail.com
www.gotcrappie.com
Tips: The wintertime at Granger Lake is very spotty fishing for crappie, white bass, and black bass. These species are good for the 8 warm months of the year, but the best fishing now is for catfish and namely the blue catfish. Blues like the cold weather and are highly active during this time of year. Fish wind-blown shorelines where shad are being blown in. On very cold days there can even be some shad die offs and this just turns on the blues. Jug lines work well using all the normal baits, but rod and reel can also be good. Take advantage of this time to fill your freezers with some good catfish fillets.

Location: Lake Lavon
Hotspot: Island and Dam Area
GPS: N 33 3.0119, W 96 28.416
(33.0502, -96.4736)

Lake Lavon

Lake Lavon Island and Dam Area

Species: White Bass & Crappie
Best Baits: Live minnows, flukes in white or chartreuse
Contact: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
Whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com
www.whitebassfishingtexas.com
Tips: Crappie will be suspended next to the dam in 18-25 feet of water. Spider rigging minnows is your best bet. White bass will be near the island and out towards the dam. Concentrate your fishing efforts in 20-30 feet of water. Dead sticking Berkley Gulp Minnows, dead sticking live minnows, or dead sticking a 3 to 4 fluke in white or chartreuse just one foot above the school, when you find them, usually produces the best catches.

Location: Lake Palestine
Hotspot: Flat Creek
GPS: N 32 12.522, W 95 31.782
(32.2087, -95.5297)

Lake Palestine

Lake Palestine Flat Creek

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Big Eye jigs, Texas Spinnerbaits
Contact: Ricky Vandergriff
903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201
ricky@rickysguideservice.com
www.rickysguideservice.com
Tips: This time of year, there are a few locations that I will focus on – all in the Flat Creek area. There is standing timber so fish your lures around all your trees and any tree you find up near the creek bends. Take extra time fishing this area and cast to the tree several times. Lures I will use will be my Big Eye jigs and the Texas Spinnerbaits. The best jig colors will be black/brown amber, black/blue and blue candy. These colors will work in clear, stained and muddy water. Spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white and black neon will work well too.

Location: Lake Ray Roberts
Hotspot: Johnson Branch
GPS: N 33 23.753, W 97 0.801
(33.3959, -97.0134)

Lake Ray Roberts

Lake Ray Roberts Johnson Branch

Species: Crappie, white bass
Best Baits: Minnows, 3/4- to 1-oz. slabs
Contact: Justin Wilson
214-538-2780
Tips: The start of the year is here along with cold temperatures but the fishing is still great. White bass bite has been consistent. Look for big schools of fish stacking up on points and humps close to creek channels in 20-30 foot of water. Slabs off the bottom have been the best with bucktail teasers tied on as well. Light boat traffic has made it easier to stay on fish once you find them. Keep an eye out for diving gulls making easy meals off bait fish being pushed up from schooling fish. The crappie bite has been good. Crappie have been on brush piles in 20-30 feet of water. Jigs are working well but the quality of fish seem to be better on minnows.

Location: Richland Chambers Lake
Hotspot: Crab Creek
GPS: N 31 57.348, W 96 19.914
(31.9558, -96.3319)

Richland Chambers Lake

Richland Chambers Lake Crab Creek

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Danny King’s Punch Bait
Contact: Royce Simmons
903-389-4117
simmonsroyce@hotmail.com
www.gonefishin.biz
Tips: Bundle up, take a thermos of coffee and get ready to catch some really nice blue cats on Richland Chambers. While we fish all winter for catfish, January and February are the best months to catch some of the bigger blues. Our target is eater size blues and channel cats but almost every trip someone will hook into a really big blue. We’re fishing in the heavy timber in Crab Creek and along the Richland Creek channel in 25’-35’ using Danny Kings Punch Bait on a # 4 treble hook. If you want to stock up on catfish filets, the winter is the time to do it on Richland Chambers!

Location: Lake Somerville
Hotspot: Big Creek Park Shoreline
GPS: N 30 19.2419, W 96 34.908
(30.3207, -96.5818)

Lake Somerville

Lake Somerville Big Creek Park Shoreline

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Shad or CJ’s punch bait
Contact: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
Tips: Park is closed. Fish from shore, casting out or anchor 40 yards offshore and fish back toward shore along edge of the cane.

Location: Lake Texoma
Hotspot: Paw Pak Creek and Willis Bridge
GPS: N 33 53.9879, W 96 53.796
(33.8998, -96.8966)

Lake Texoma

Lake Texoma Paw Pak Creek and Willis Bridge

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Road Runner and Sassy Shad Jigs
Contact: Bill Carey
903-786-4477
bigfishlaketexoma@gmail.com
www.striperexpress.com
Tips: January is a big fish month at Lake Texoma. The cool water winter fishing is legendary. Large stripers up to 20 pounds will hold on structure. A 7-foot medium heavy fishing rod with 20-pound test is recommended. Throwing 1oz. Road Runner jigs with a white 9 worm will produce fish located on main lake points, the mouths of creeks and humps with deep water nearby. The cooler the weather, the better the fishing holds true for these hard-fighting fish. Bait fishing with live shad is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Pay attention to the weather forecast and dress warm. Our charters depart at 10:30 a.m. in the winter. The fish will bite all day and the solar heat can help keep you warm. Keep your eyes on the seagulls; they can be your best fish locator. Bank Access: The Oil Wells and Texas Flats (Using the same baits mentioned – shad will work best on the banks. Tie on jigs if the seagulls are working near you.)

Location: Lake Whitney
Hotspot: State Park Area
GPS: N 31 55.074, W 97 21.8219
(31.9179, -97.3637)

Lake Whitney

Lake Whitney State Park Area

Species: Striped Bass & White Bass
Best Baits: 3 chartreuse swim baits from RSR Lures and chartreuse Bass Assassins
Contact: Randy Routh
817-822-5539
teamredneck01@hotmail.com
www.teamredneck.net
Tips: SLOW IS THE NAME OF THE GAME! The water temp has dropped, the shad have been pushed from the creeks, ganging up in a safety in numbers type of pattern in the open water. The stripers and whites are following gorging on them. The water is cold, the bait fish are lethargic and not moving as fast as normal so when you think your fishing slow enough, slow down even more. Two patterns are putting stripers and whites in the boat right now. Wild Eyed chartreuse swim baits cast out behind the boat and slow trolled with the trolling motor covers a lot of water and presents your baits to more fish. Again, SLOW is the name of the game. Watch your graph and when you do come up on a school of bait and fish, mark the fish, stop the boat and switch over to 5 to 6 Bass Assassins with 3/4 oz. lead heads. Drop them down to just above the fish, then DO NOTHING and hold the bait dead still (dead sticking). Every so often, raise your rod tip slowly and then drop it back down slowly and get ready for a quick hook set. The bite will more often than not feel like the tap of a small fish.

 

PANHANDLE

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Lake Alan Henry
Hotspot: Little Grape Creek
GPS: N 33 2.8626, W 101 3.6119
(33.0477, -101.0602)

Lake Alan Henry

Lake Alan Henry Little Grape Creek

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, bass jigs
Contact: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services
806-792-9220
nclayton42@sbcglobal.net
www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html
Tips: January will find the bass in mostly deep water depending on the weather we have up until then. On good sunny days, the bass will move to the steep banks where the direct sun light is hitting the banks. Try slow rolling spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and using jigs to find the bass. Try one spot and, if nothing happens, go try another until the fish are found. Also, on a really sunny day, there may be some bass found up the creeks where spinnerbaits, jigs, or
crankbaits may catch them. Fish fun-fish safe.
• • •
Location: Ft. Phantom Hill Res.
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 35.4179, W 99 42.084
(32.5903, -99.7014)

Ft. Phantom Hill Res.

Ft. Phantom Hill Res. Main Lake

Species: Blue catfish
Best Baits: Cut carp, shad, live bait
Contact: Michael D. Homer, Jr., TPWD
325-692-0921
michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov
Tips: Ft. Phantom Hill produces many quality-sized blue catfish for anglers. Anglers interested in catching wintertime blues will have luck using cut carp or shad bait as well as live bait. Fishing slopes and drop-offs or adjacent to bait balls may likely produce a bite.

Location: Lake Possum Kingdom
Hotspot: Pickwick Bridge
GPS: N 32 54.777, W 98 27.939
(32.9130, -98.4657)

Lake Possum Kingdom

Lake Possum Kingdom Pickwick Bridge

Species: Striped & white bass, hybrids
Best Baits: Live shad, slabs
Contact: Dean Heffner
940-329-0036
fav7734@aceweb.com
Tips: PK has a lot of fish to be caught this month. Live shad are always best but, this time of year, they are hard to come by. We use slabs and jigs with Mister Twister curly tails, because you can just count them down and set them in a rod holder and the fish will bite them. This is called dead sticking. We catch a lot of stripers, white bass and hybrids with these methods and the fish will be as fat as they will get all year long.

 

BIG BEND

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Lake Amistad
Hotspot: Salem Point Draws
GPS: N 29 29.1299, W 101 5.8439
(29.4855, -101.0974)

Lake Amistad

Lake Amistad Salem Point Draws

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Plastic worms, Senkos, Stanley Wedgetail Minnows, Roadrunners
Contact: James Burkeen
830-734-9652
jjburkeen@gmail.com
amistadbassin.com
Tips: Fish the rocky drop-offs with ultra-light equipment, letting the Wedgetail Minnows weightless Senkos or Roadrunners fall slowly and then lifting your rod up very lightly. The strikes often occur when the small lures are on the fall. Later in the day, use Carolina-rigged plastic worms in the deeper water when you find second drop-offs near the channels.

• • •

LOCATION: Lake Amistad
HOTSPOT: Pecos River
GPS: N29 42.039, W101 22.3422
(29.700650, -101.372370)

Lake Amistad

Lake Amistad Pecos River

SPECIES: white bass
BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, shallow-diving crankbaits
CONTACT: Larry Scruggs, Amistad Lodge and Adventures,
210-789-1645
TIPS: White bass stage in this area before making their annual spawning run toward the upper portions of the Pecos River. Another good place to find them is at the mouth of the Devil’s River.

 

HILL COUNTRY

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Lake LBJ
Hotspot: Bell Tower Point
GPS: N 30 33.5039, W 98 21.24
(30.5584, -98.3540)

Lake LBJ

Lake LBJ Bell Tower Point

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigs
Contact: Barry Dodd
210-771-0123
Tips: This area is a good location this time of year. There is lots of deep water with rock and some deeper vegetation. The rocks hold some warmth and the fish naturally gravitate to that warmth. Many times the long point gives a good windbreak.
• • •
Location: Lake Buchanan
Hotspot: Granger Lake
GPS: N 30 51.12, W 98 24.9839
(30.8520, -98.4164)

Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan Granger Lake

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live Shad
Contact: Clancy Terrill
512-633-6742
centraltexasfishing@gmail.com
www.centraltexasfishing.com
Tips: Striper will be in transition and moving towards the upper end of the lake. Drift or anchor with live bait, preferably live shad. Fish in 25’ -35’ on ridges and humps. Then move to the river channel around the trees. Early mid to upper end of the lake will be best for fishing this time of year: from Chism Cove or Rocky Point to Garrett Island.

Location: Lake Buchanan
Hotspot: Tow Area
GPS: N 30 52.398, W 98 27.624
(30.8733, -98.4604)

Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan Tow Area

Species: Striped Bass, Hybrids and White Bass
Best Baits: Live bait, jigs, slabs
Contact: Ken Milam
325-379-2051
kmilam@verizon.net
www.striperfever.com
Tips: Stripers, hybrids and white bass will be on the upper end of the lake towards Garret Island to Tow. Some top water action can be found this time of the year as well. Watch for the gulls! This time of year is a tricky one. Just put your time in and when you hit a pattern, stay on it!

Location: Canyon Lake
Hotspot: River Channel
GPS: N 29 53.49, W 98 17.778
(29.8915, -98.2963)

Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake River Channel

Species: Striped Bass, White Bass & Crappie
Best Baits: Luhr-Jensen Radar 10, jigging spoon in chrome blue or chartreuse
Contact: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures
(210-573-1230
steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com
www.sanantoniofishingguides.com
Tips: Troll the Luhr-Jensen Radar 10 in the main river channel around the mouth of the lake until you locate the fish and then fish the area of the river where you find them with a 1 oz. jigging spoon. This is one of my favorite times of year on Canyon Lake, on any cast you may catch a white bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie or even catfish.
Location: Canyon Lake
Hotspot: Canyon Park Point
GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638
(29.8876, -98.2273)

Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake Canyon Park Point

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Hogies 4-in. Super Shad pearl/black back
Contact: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures
210 573-1230
capt.steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com
www.sanantoniofishingguides.com
Tips: Look for the striped bass to be shallow (20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom produces fish in this area. Tight lines and fish on!

 

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

 • • • SPOTLIGHT • • •
Location: Coleto Creek Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 28 45.5939, W 97 10.104
(28.7599, -97.1684)

Coleto Creek Lake

Coleto Creek Lake Main Lake

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Zoom pearl white or watermelon Fluke using a 4/0 worm hook, rigged weedless
Contact: Rocky’s Guide Service
361-960-0566
Tips: Starting the new year out right has always been important to me. I like to go to bed at a decent hour get up rested and spend the first day of the new year on the water. I figure I have a better chance of the rest of the year going right compared to getting off on the wrong foot (hungover)! January is kinda a relaxing month to fish. Fishing is a little slower as a rule along with presentation. If you watch the water, usually, most everything is moving slower. So, to look natural, slow your baits down and enjoy. I hope everyone has a great new year! May your bites be big, and your fish be healthy!
• • •
Location: Falcon Lake
Hotspot: Dam Area
GPS: N 26 33.648, W 99 9.738
(26.5608, -99.1623)

Falcon Lake

Falcon Lake Dam Area

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Flukes, Senkos, deep diving crankbaits, Brown/Orange jigs
Contact: Bassin Billy’s Guide Service and Lodging
281-928-1133
billy34@gmail.com
www.lakefalconfishing.com
Tips: Rocks are holding fish. Approach them with a Texas rig or Carolina rig and fish very slowly. When throwing the crankbait make sure you are digging into the rocks and pause often. The fish should be moving to the back of creeks by now in preparation of the spawn.

 

Get More HOTSPOTS Here

 

< PREV Return to CONTENTS Page NEXT >

 

Loading

Comments are closed.