Hyper Hybrids, Buzzing Bass & Creeky Crappie

Reported by TF&G STAFF

Email us at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Location: Caddo Lake
Hotspot: Ames Spring Basin or Old Folks Playground
GPS: N 32 42.678, W 94 5.3399
(32.7113, -94.0890)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Plastic frogs, buzzbaits, flukes
Contact: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith
318-455-3437
caddoguide1@att.net
www.caddolakefishing.com
Tips: Fish the vegetation/cypress tree mix in these areas. Look for water that is 2-4 ft. deep that is in shady areas during the bright part of the day. I recommend heavy braid when fishing around all the cover and because of the trophy sized bass that Caddo Lake regularly serves up.

Location: Lake Conroe
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 22.974, W 95 34.9259
(30.3829, -95.5821)

Species: Hybrid Stripers
Best Baits: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad and crankbaits
Contact: Richard Tatsch
936)291-1277
admin@fishdudetx.com
www.fishdudetx.com
Tips: The hybrid stripers are in full swing now and this is the time to catch trophy fish and pos-sibly lake record Hybrids. They will be all around the lake on main lake points and humps. The use of electronics will be the key to finding the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year, they will range in the water column from 12 to 26 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice, but the swim shad and crankbaits will work if you can control the depth.

Location: Lake Fork
Hotspot: Little Caney Creek
GPS: N 32 50.112, W 95 33.6653
(32.8352, -95.5611)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Crankbaits, topwater lures, Grande Bass Airtail Rattler, poppers and frogs
Contact: Lance Vick
903-312-0609
lance@lakeforkbass.com
www.guideonlakefork.com
Tips: I believe May on Lake Fork is the most exciting time of year. As the shad are spawning early in day use crankbaits and topwaters. Main lake points are best to find them feeding. When that is over you can catch fry guarding fish with topwater poppers and frogs back in the creeks around flooded cover. If that’s not enough action, tie on a Carolina rig put a Grande Bass Airtail Rattler on it and fish points and drop offs in 15 to 25 foot of water. Adding a rattle in the tail will set you apart from the crowd. Great areas to try are Little Caney, Birch creek, and Wolf creek.

Location: Lake Livingston
Hotspot: Harmon Creek
GPS: N 30 52.134, W 95 23.9039
(30.8689, -95.3984)

Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Jigs, Rat-L-Traps in Chrome Blue
Contact: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service
936-291-9602
dave@palmettoguideservice.com
www.palmettoguideservice.com
Tips: Cast jigs and Rat-L-Traps in the deep holes off sandy points. Troll the deep holes with the same baits.

Location: Lake Nacogdoches
Hotspot: Main lake Schooling Area
GPS: N 31 36.001, W 94 49.84
(31.6000, -94.8307)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Topwaters, RatLTraps
Contact: TPWD District Fisheries Office
409-698-9114
Tips: Fish chrome topwaters and RatLtraps. This is the best schooling area on whole lake. Avoid midday.

Location: Lake Nacogdoches
Hotspot: Split Cove
GPS: N 31 36.036, W 94 50.187
(31.6006, -94.8365)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Soft plastics
Contact: TPWD District Fisheries Office
409-698-9114
Tips: This is a good spawning area. Look for bedding fish. Avoid midday.

Location: Lake O the Pines
Hotspot: Alley Creek
GPS: N 32 47.966, W 94 35.165
(32.7994, -94.5861)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Live minnows, jigs
Contact: TPWD District Fisheries Office
903-938-1007
Tips: Fish live minnows or red/white jigs. Work the brushpiles & creek. Dawn through midday.

Location: Lake O the Pines
Hotspot: West Two Stumps
GPS: N 32 53.099, W 94 42.371
(32.8850, -94.7062)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Soft plastics, tubes
Contact: TPWD District Fisheries Office
903-938-1007
Tips: Fish worms or tubes. Slow down and work cover entirely. Midday through afternoon.

Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
Hotspot: Duranzo Creek
GPS: N 31 21.618, W 94 26.722
(31.3603, -94.4454)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Soft plastics, spinnerbaits
Contact: Mike Knight
936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
Tips: This is a good spawning area with high water. Fish the timber and brush. Dawn to late morning, dusk.

Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
Hotspot: Firetower
GPS: N 31 07.291, W 94 14.861
(31.1215, -94.2477)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Minnows, Roadrunners
Contact: Mike Knight
936-635-2427
notechmike@hotmail.com
www.easttxfishingguide.com
Tips: Slow roll live minnows or Roadrunners over grass. Dawn to late morning, dusk and night.

Location: Toledo Bend North
Hotspot: Bayou Seipe
GPS: N 31 43.602, W 93 49.4879
(31.7267, -93.8248)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Minnows (shiners) and jigs
Contact: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages
936-368-7151
gregcrafts@yahoo.com
www.toledobendguide.com
Tips: May is the month the Crappie will be moving off the beds and following the creeks back to their main lake haunts. If you drop some brush or locate some natural cover along the creek channels the Crappie will hold in these areas before heading back to the main lake. Straight-line shiners or jigs over the cover. Remember, the month of May is “Take a Kid Fishing” month. The bream will be on the beds and it’s a good time to get a kid hooked on fishing.

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Mid Region is Crappie Central in May

Reported by TF&G Staff

Email us at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Location: Lake Austin
Hotspot: Lake Austin Flats and Docks
GPS: N 30 20.922, W 97 48.5159
(30.3487, -97.8086)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: V&M Delta Bug, V&M Trickster, Picasso Tungsten, Picasso Inviz Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Double Barrel Underspin
Contact: Brian Parker – Lake Austin Fishing
817-808-2227
lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com
www.LakeAustinFishing.com
Tips: This will be post spawn feeding time on Lake Austin and other Lower Colorado River lakes. It’s very important to throw multiple times at the same spot when skipping or fishing docks and the reason is these fish are usually coming back from feeding in the mornings and are in metabolize mode (meaning they are digesting their meals from the morning feed).

Location: Bachman Lake
Hotspot: Bridge
GPS: N 32 51.576, W 96 51.378
(32.8596, -96.8563)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: 1/16th jig in white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse under a 2-inch pegged bobber
Contact: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
thorn_alex@yahoo.com
TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com
Tips:
Under the bridge, are all sorts of trees stuck on the pylons. They are sitting anywhere from 5 to 6 foot of water some a bit shallower. The Whataburger side, West, right up against the bank is anywhere from 6 to 9 foot. The east side of the bridge is 2 to 4 foot. So, standing on the west side is best. Under the bridge behind Whataburger is good all day, but nighttime from 8 pm-4 am is killer with a 1/16 the jig-head white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse, under a 2-inch pegged bobber, but replace the peg with a glow stick.

Location: Belton Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 31 8.49, W 97 28.8359
(31.1415, -97.4806)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors
Contact: Henry Niemiec
254-368-0294
surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com
Tips: With the water temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s and daytime temperatures reaching into the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up. Look for shorelines with stickups or larger rocks in the water. The backs of coves are great starting points for this time of the year. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action!

Location: Lake Buchanan
Hotspot: Main Lake Points
GPS: N 30 48.738, W 98 25.968
(30.8123, -98.4328)

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live shad or perch, topwater plugs, Long A Bombers and Red Fin lures
Contact: Ken Milam
325-379-2051
kmilam@verizon.net
www.striperfever.com
Tips: Stripers will still be hitting top water plugs on main lake points where you see thread fin shad running. You can also find them near back of creeks. Live shad or perch ALWAYS work well but artificial lures such as the Long A bombers and Red fin type baits are also serious consider-ations.

Location: Canyon Lake
Hotspot: Canyon Park Point
GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638
(29.8876, -98.2273)

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Hogie’s 4 Super Shad in Pearl with black back
Contact: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures
210-573-1230
steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com
www.sanantoniofishingguides.com
Tips: Look for the Striped Bass to be shallow (20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the riv-er 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!

Location: Cedar Creek Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 10.9379, W 96 4.8635
(32.1823, -96.0811)

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Punch bait
Contact: Jason Barber
903-603-2047
kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com
www.kingscreekadventures.com
Tips: Fish all rocks and riprap along ridges, dams, retaining walls etc. Punch bait of any kind will work in 2’ to 10’ of water on the bottom or under a float.

Location: Coleto Creek Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 28 43.4759, W 97 11.334
(28.7246, -97.1889)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Topwater lures, weightless watermelon lizards, pearl white or watermelon flukes, white spinnerbaits
Contact: Rocky’s Guide Service
361-960-0566
Tips: What a great month to fish. The lake is at full level, there are lots of hiding places for the fry and insects are flying. Anything goes this time of year. Some of my favorites are top water lures, spinnerbaits, flukes, and Texas rigs. I’d stay focused in back of creeks that have a lot of fry and fish top water early morning. Then I’ll find clear water during the afternoon and pitch white spinners during windy day. If no wind I’d throw pearl white or watermelon flukes. Just let it sink really slow. If they are there, they will hit it. Sometimes I’ll throw watermelon red lizard weightless. Remember: Fish the back of creeks! As always, may your bites be big, and your fish be healthy.

Location: Eagle Mountain Lake
Hotspot: Twin Points Humps
GPS: N 32 53.16, W 97 29.672
(32.8860, -97.4945)

Species: White bass
Best Baits: Slabs with a fly 12 inches above
Contact: Johnny Stevens
817-597-6598
johnnysguideservice.com
Tips: This area has two exceptionally large humps. During the early summertime, the shad congregate around these humps and the sand bass follow. I find the shad and fish on electron-ics and jig straight down with a slab and fly and many times you will get a double for the peo-ple who like to cast. Fan cast over these humps with a Mepps spinner or a tail spinner worked very slowly just off the bottom.

Location: Lake Eagle Mountain
Hotspot: 200 Yards North of Dam
GPS: N 32 52.588, W 97 28.067
(32.8765, -97.4678)

Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Slab with a fly 12” above Slab
Contact: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598
817-597-6598
johnnysguideservice.com
johnlu1313@gmail.com
Tips: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps and ridges. This area was used to supply earth for the dam. Use your electronics to check the slopes and humps. When you locate the fish anchor on them and use a vertical jig method on them. If you prefer to cast to them. Use a slab and jig combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to boat.

Location: Fayette County
Hotspot: Park Cove
GPS: N 29 56.544, W 96 44.9639
(29.9424, -96.7494)

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: CJ’s punch bait
Contact: Weldon Kirk
979-229-3103
weldon_edna@hotmail.com
www.fishtales-guideservice.com
Tips: Spawn is mostly over by now. Fish will be shallow in the timber. Put chum around the trees and fish with a slip cork.

Location: Granger Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake Brush Piles
GPS: N 30 42.1079, W 97 21.066
(30.7018, -97.3511)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: 1/32 oz. Marabou jig
Contact: Tommy Tidwell
512-365-7761
crappie1@hotmail.com
www.gotcrappie.com
Tips: May is the beginning of the best crappie fishing at Granger Lake. The fish are biting in every spot that has brush. Concentrate on open brush piles in 6-12 feet of water. The key is finding the spots with the bigger fish. Those big slab sized crappie are normally in the smaller less obvious underwater cover. A few small sticks in 6 feet of water can produce some of the largest crappie of the year. There is no need to use minnows this time of year since the crappie are so hungry after spawning. I always use a Berkley Crappie Nibble on my jigs. It helps to make the fish hold the bait longer. Fish vertically over the cover and hold the jig still. Wait no longer than 5 seconds for a bite. Then move the jig a little to a new location and do the same. If you feel cover and do not catch a crappie within 5 minutes, you need to move on to the next spot. Good luck and good fishing.

Location: Lake Joe Pool
Hotspot: Bowman Creek Bank
GPS: N 32 37.246, W 97 03.879
(32.6208, -97.0647)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Minnows
Contact: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com
whitebassfishingtexas.com
Tips: Fish live minnows. This spot has lots of bank access and plenty places fish. Avoid midday.

Location: Lake Lavon
Hotspot: Humps Between the Power Plant and Dam
GPS: N 33 2.676, W 96 28.266
(33.0446, -96.4711)

Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Small Flukes in Pearl White, chartreuse, and silver/black
Contact: Carey Thorn
469-528-0210
whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com
whitebassfishingtexas.com
Tips: The main school will be located in 18 to 26 foot of water near the dam or somewhere around the main island. Also check the humps in between the dam and the powerhouse. Dead sticking small flukes right off the bottom.

Location: Richland Chambers Lake
Hotspot: 309 Flats
GPS: N 31 58.71, W 96 6.864
(31.9785, -96.1144)

Species: White Bass and Hybrid Striper
Best Baits: Slabs
Contact: Royce Simmons
903-389-4117
simmonsroyce@hotmail.com
www.gonefishin.biz
Tips: May is my FAVORITE month of the Spring as the weather is more predictable, the tem-perature is pleasant, and the fish are easy to find and catch! The Hybrid Stripers and White Bass will be feeding aggressively in the Main Lake area all month long. Silver RSR Slabs fished in 20’-30’ water off the 309 Flats will result in lots of White Bass action and the occasional LARGE Hybrid Striper. Look for the Gulls to help locate the baitfish that the whites are feeding on.

Location: Lake Ray Roberts
Hotspot: 3002 Bridge
GPS: N 33 26.053, W 97 06.616
(33.4342, -97.1103)

Species: Crappie
Best Baits: 1/16-oz. plastic jigs, white/chartreuse or black/chartreuse
Contact: Cliff Spindle
940-727-3493
cliffspindle@yahoo.com
spindleguideservice.com
Tips: In May the crappie spawn should be close to being over and the crappie are now migrat-ing back out to the main lake. As they pass by the FM 3002 bridge they will often hang around the pilings of the bridge, and this is one of the most productive areas of the lake for crappie at this time of year. This bridge has support beams between the pilings that should be from 10 to 12 feet down, depending on the water level. The crappie normally will be from the support beam up. Slow reeling up and a pitch and swing technique works well under the bridge. Using a tandem rig is also effective. Some fisherman like to tie up and work one set of pilings. I per-sonally like using the trolling motor and go from piling to piling. You get new fish daily under the bridge. They are migrating back to the main lake, so they are not always at the same set of pilings each day. Night fishing is very good under the bridge this time of year. Tie up on a set of pilings and set out your fishing lights. Once the bait starts coming to the light, the crappie should be close behind. Live bait will work best at night. Don’t try it on a windy day: two- to four-foot waves will make it unfishable.

Location: Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 31 0.8579, W 97 36.402
(31.0143, -97.6067)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors
Contact: Henry Niemiec
254-368-0294
surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com
Tips: With the water temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s and daytime temperatures reaching into the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up. Look for matted grass around the flats and also the tim-ber around the back side of the island. Work around the timber on the shady side and along the edges and through the grass. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action.

Location: Lake Texoma
Hotspot: North End & Washita Point
GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67
(33.8678, -96.6945)

Species: Striped Bass and White Bass
Best Baits: Sassy Shad jigs, top water plugs, live shad
Contact: Bill Carey
903-786-4477
bigfish@striperexpress.com
www.striperexpress.com
Tips: May is most fishermen’s favorite month of the year on Lake Texoma. Most of the Stripers are finished with the spawn and are roaming the lake. Large schools of post spawn fish are hungry and will strike on artificial lures and live bait. Cast Pencil Poppers and Big Chug Bugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings. After the top water bite, switch to 1oz. White Glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad. Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges. Limits of fish are common and May is an exciting month on Lake Texoma.

Location: Lake Whitney
Hotspot: Whitney Hump and 22 Road Bed
GPS: N 31 54.612, W 97 20.754
(31.9102, -97.3459)

Species: White Bass and Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live threadfin shad for stripers and flutter jigs for white bass
Contact: Randy Routh
817-822-5539
teamredneck01@hotmail.com
www.teamredneck.net
Tips: Live bait (threadfin shad) is working best. Rig up on a Carolina rig and fishing straight down around 18’ just off ledges and edges at Whitney hump and other main points and humps. Watch your graph along these edges and humps and if your screen lights up with big balls of bait, the stripers aren’t far behind.

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Go West for Bass, Cats, Hybrids and Stripers

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

Email Dean Heffner at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Location: Lake Alan Henry
Hotspot: Main Lake Creeks
GPS: N 33 2.8199, W 101 3.7979
(33.0470, -101.0633)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Bass Jigs (white), 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head with a blue fleck worm or Senko type worm, Texas rigged worms
Contact: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services
806-792-9220
nclayton42@sbcglobal.net
http://www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm
Tips: In May, the fishing usually gets easy on Alan Henry. The bass are on beds. You can use most anything that you can let set in the nest. May is also a great shaky head time. I fish the steeper banks with a 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head. I will also use a senko type worm on the shaky head. The bass will start moving out of the backs of the creeks to the channel edges, and on the humps and flats at the mouths of the creeks. Check out the mouth of Big Grape, Rocky, Little Grape, and Ince Cove.

Location: Lake Amistad
Hotspot: California Creek
GPS: N 29 32.856, W 101 00.898
(29.5476, -101.0150)

Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Grubs, minnows, jigs
Contact: Stan Gerzsenyl
830-768-3648
stan@amistadbass.com
www.amistadbass.com
Tips: Use grubs, live minnows, tube jigs. Work the grass and rocks. Dawn to mid-morning; dusk.

Location: Lake Falcon
Hotspot: Big Tiger
GPS: N 26 44.300, W 99 08.750
(26.7383, -99.1458)

Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Topwaters
Contact: Robert Amaya, Robert’s Fishing Tackle
956-765-1442
www.robertsfishntackle.com
Tips: work all the points and back end creeks during spawn. Dawn through dusk.

Location: Lake Granbury
Hotspot: Lower End
GPS: N 32 22.659, W 97 42.009
(32.3777, -97.7002)

Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live shad, Willow shaped Slabs, bucktail jigs with a curly tail
Contact: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters
817-578-0023
Tips: Live shad worked near feeding flats. Downrigging jigs near channel ledges near baitfish can help locate active fish. Live shad fished on a Carolina rig fished 15 to 25 feet down is hard to beat.

Location: Possum Kingdom
Hotspot: Tabletop
GPS: N 32 51.234, W 98 33.00
(32.8539, -98.5500)

Species: Striped Bass, White Bass, Hybrids
Best Baits: Live shad, jigs, slabs
Contact: Dean Heffner
940-329-0036
fav7734@aceweb.com
Tips: Stripers Hybrids are finally moving back into main lake and will be easier to pattern. Stick to the breaklines along the old riverbed and flats & points for striper and hybrids with live shad, jigs, slabs and trolling baits. Look for stripers to push balls of shad up on Tabletop. Once you figure out the right suspended depth, stick to that depth for fast action. Sandbass will be where you find balls of shad. You can rack up fast numbers with slabs. You can quickly move from chasing actively feeding schools to fishing off bottom vertically without changing lures.

 

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