Hot Winter Action for Bass, Crappie, Cats
Reported by TF&G STAFF
Email us at ContactUs@fishgame.com
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Location: Caddo Lake
Hotspot: Ames Basin
GPS: N 32 42.756, W 94 5.376
(32.7126, -94.0896)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Chatterbaits, swim jigs and magnum flukes.
Tips: Fish the flats in areas in and like Ames Basin. Hydrilla covers all this part of the lake and is 2-5 ft. deep. Watch for schooling fish paying particular attention to any fish eating birds and shad hanging around in particular areas. Shad colored baits listed above work well here. A secondary pattern would be flipping any dark colored jig and trailer around the base of the trees in the same type areas.
Location: Lake Chapman/Cooper
Hotspot: South Sulphur Channel
GPS: N 33 17.733 , W 95 45.542
(33.2950, -95.7590)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Cut bait
Tips: Fish cut bait on a split shot and Kahle hook. Drift channel edges. Action best from midday through night.
Location: Lake Conroe
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 26.226, W 95 35.508
(30.4371, -95.5918)
Species: Hybrid Stripers
Best Baits: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad, crankbaits and jigging spoons
Tips: The hybrids will begin their aggressive feeding habits in December. They should be in the 16 to 28 foot range along the channel edges and humps on the main lake. Use live shad to be more productive. Artificial baits like swim shad and crankbaits also work well if you find a good school of fish. Look for humps with bait stacked up around it and drop a jigging spoon. Let it hit bottom and jerk it in an aggressive manner. Do it repeatedly along the edges where the bait is bunched up, and it won’t be long before something is going to try and jerk the rod out of your hand.
Location: Lake Fork
Hotspot: Dam Area
GPS: N 32 48.6642, W 95 32.064
(32.8111, -95.5344)
Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Minnows and jigs in Electric Chicken or a jig with pink and green.
Tips: December is a great time to crappie fish on Lake Fork. This is the first month the length limit changes on the lake and you must keep your first 25 crappie per person, no matter the size. The reason is that the crappie go deeper in the winter and when they are caught from the 35-45 foot range it will kill the crappie when you get it to the surface and no body wants to see dead fish floating around. So where to look for these deeper fish? Around the damn in that 30-foot plus range there are many humps where the crappie hang out. Depending on how warm or cold December is, will be the factor on depth. The warmer weather will have them shallower. The colder the water, the deeper they will be. Another place to check will be the flats in the mouth of Little Caney or Woodpecker point.
Location: Lake Fork
Hotspot: Main Lake Points
GPS: N 32 50.4419, W 95 37.506
(32.8407, -95.6251)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Lipless rattle baits, bass jigs, spoons and umbrella rigs
Tips: December is great on Lake Fork. For one the lake is not as busy as people are hunting and/or it’s cold but that doesn’t keep big ones from biting. Flipping jigs at standing timber, around creek channel bends and cranking lipless rattle baits around grass on points is a good shallow pattern. Deep pattern spoons on points and humps and umbrella rigs around bridges put big uns’ in the boat.
Location: Lake Livingston
Hotspot: Mid-Lake River Channel at the Old 190 Bridge
GPS: N 30 45.3959, W 95 6.864
(30.7566, -95.1144)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Fresh dead shad or live perch
Tips: Carolina rig off the bottom near drop offs in the old river channel. Drift baits across flats.
Location: Lake Nacogdoches
Hotspot: Big Brush Pile
GPS: N 31 37.721, W 94 48.454
(31.6287, -94.8076)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics
Tips: Look for a giant brush pile here. Best action at dawn and dusk.
Location: Lake O the Pines
Hotspot: Johnson Creek
GPS: N 32 47.176, W 94 32.434
(32.7863, -94.5406)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Shrimp, dough bait
Tips: Use bottom rigs. This spot is good all day.
Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
Hotspot: Knife Blade
GPS: N 31 17.209, W 94 19.307
(31.2868, -94.3218)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Crankbaits, jigs, soft plastics
Tips: Fish point edges with crankbaits. Use jigs and plastics in the willows. Dawn to late morning, dusk.
Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 31 8.4599, W 94 7.7459
(31.1410, -94.1291)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Jerkbaits, 3/4 oz. lipless crankbaits
Tips: Fish the drains of side coves in major bays with suspending jerkbaits and 3/4 oz. lipless crankbaits. If deep hydrilla is found in these side coves, the fishing will be even better. Late December is a perfect time to catch a double-digit fish!
Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
Hotspot: Parker Creek
GPS: N 31 9.8879, W 94 11.622
(31.1648, -94.1937)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Jerkbaits, shad imitating reaction baits
Tips: November at Sam Rayburn is about finding shad schools to find bass. The shad will be bunched and constantly moving towards the backs of creeks. Shad imitating reaction baits will work best. Rayburn has lots of hydrilla that should be starting to recede deeper and the shad will be just above this deeper grass. A suspending jerkbait could be the secret weapon to catch a late fall personal best.
Location: Toledo Bend
Hotspot: Huxley River Channel
GPS: N 31 44.5248, W 93 49.764
(31.7421, -93.8294)
Species: Crappie
Best Baits: Shiners and crappie jigs
Tips: November is a favorite month of the year to be fishing on Toledo Bend. Besides the weather being pleasant with cool mornings and warm afternoons, the vista of the lake can be mesmerizing with the fall foliage and waterfowl migration. Besides soaking in all the glorious surroundings of nature, the fish will be feeding like crazy bulking up for winter. On the north end of the lake the Crappie will start moving and bunching up along the ledges of the river channel. A good stretch to cover is the river ledges between Still Water and Bayou Seipe. Use your electronics to locate the bait-fish and natural cover or drop your own brush tops. As the water temperature falls the Crappie will move deeper. Either shiners or jigs will load up an ice chest
Location: Toledo Bend
Hotspot: The Hay Meadow
GPS: N 31 42.912, W 93 48.7379
(31.7152, -93.8123)
Species: Crappie & white bass
Best Baits: Slab spoons & Rat-L-Traps for the Sandies and shiners and jigs for the Crappie
Tips: Unwrap an angler’s Christmas gift here: two “hotspot” species in one location. Catch both crappie and white bass. Toledo Bend is blessed with year-round fishing. December is the time to kill two birds with one stone, or two limits of fish with one rod and two baits in the same relative location. December is a prime month to be fishing on the north-end of the lake for both crappie and white bass. Crappie will be bunched up on the main lake river channel ledges over planted and natural brush. And, the white bass will be on the channel sandbars.
Location: Lake Wright Patman
Hotspot: McGuthrie Slough
GPS: N 33 18.885, W 94 11.137
(33.3148, -94.1856)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Cut bait
Tips: Fish cut bait on a split shot and Kahle hook. Drift channel edges. Action best from midday through night.
• • •
As Winter Descends, Fish Go Shallow
Reported by TF&G Staff
Email us at ContactUs@fishgame.com
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Location: Lake Austin
Hotspot: Hog Pen Creek
GPS: N 30 20.5199, W 97 48.8999
(30.3420, -97.8150)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Jigs, spinners, spoons.
Tips: December is some of the best bass fishing in Texas, and a great time to catch giants.
Location: Bachman Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014
(32.8531, -96.8669)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: 10” red and black worms Carolina rigged
Tips: Everything is shallow right now so fish in 1-8 feet of water. Bass prospects are good early and late. Bigger fish being caught at midnight hours on 10 inch red and black worms Carolina rigged. We are seeing a 3-6 lb. average.
Location: Lake Belton
Hotspot: Main Lake Points
GPS: N 31 7.092, W 97 29.4059
(31.1182, -97.4901)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Bass jigs and jerkbaits in natural colors
TIps: If jig fishing is your style of fishing, this is the time of the year for you. In December in Central Texas the bass have fattened up and have moved to their winter holding areas. Now is the time to be thinking about fishing deep points. Points close to deep river channels are going to be key for this time of the season. Fish natural color baits and keep in mind you will need to fish them really slow. Bass will not chase a bait and are looking for an easy target. Just because bass have moved to deep water, does not mean that they cannot be still taken in shallow water. On those nicer days in late fall, early winter, fish a jerkbait around stick-ups along the shoreline.
Location: Lake Buchanan
Hotspot: Shaw Island Area
GPS: N 30 49.0619, W 98 24.924
(30.8177, -98.4154)
Species: White Bass and Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live Shad and top water lures
Tips: Fish mid-lake towards Shaw Island drifting or anchor with live shad in 30’ to 50’ of water. Some top water showing throughout day but they don’t stay up very long in most cases. Pay close attention to the Willow sticking up near Shaw Island in the mornings.
Location: Lake Buchanan
Hotspot: Humps and Old River Bed
GPS: N 30 48.216, W 98 23.994
(30.8036, -98.3999)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Cut perch, carp or shad
Tips: “Catfish will be along the old river bed around and off the sides of humps. Cut perch, carp and Shad should be the best bait.”
Location: Canyon Lake
Hotspot: Guadalupe River Area
GPS: N 29 53.892, W 98 18.7199
(29.8982, -98.3120)
Species: Crappie & largemouth bass
Best Baits: Top water lures, spinnerbaits, square-billed crankbaits, and wacky-rigged worms
Tips: The water temperature will fall into the low 60’s in December. Both bass and crappie are still chasing schools of baitfish so they are in one place today and another place tomorrow. The cool fronts are becoming more influential on the surface water temperature and can drop several degrees overnight. Game fish respond to prefrontal conditions with feeding frenzies but can have lockjaw for a couple days with postfrontal conditions. Remember that neither largemouth bass nor crappie prefer places in direct north wind or strong current. If the wind is strong from the north, look for more protected areas. Key areas are those with a significant depth change and cover nearby. With the water temperature more comfortable (for fish and people), enjoy the serenity and productive fishing. This area is full of cover and shallows adjacent to deep water. Crappie and bass are holding on the drop-off ledges around the cover.
Location: Cedar Creek Lake
Hotspot: Mid to Lower Main Lake
GPS: N 32 14.0339, W 96 5.868
(32.2339, -96.0978)
Species: Hybrid Stripers
Best Baits: Soft plastics
Tips: Fish the main basin of the lake from mid lake south in 25’ to 50’ of water using your electronics to locate bait and fish suspended throughout. Present the bait vertical off the bottom 2’ to 10’ up depending on where the fish are hanging. Use the “dead sticking” technique with soft plastics.
Location: Eagle Mountain Lake
Hotspot: Twin Points Hump
GPS: N 32 53.16, W 97 29.672
(32.8860, -97.4945)
Species: White bass
Best Baits: Mepps spinner or Tail Spinners, Slabs with a fly 12-in. above
Tips: This area has two very large humps surrounded by deeper water. During the late fall shad congregate around these humps and the sand Bass follow. Find the shad and fish on Electronics and jig straight up and down with a slab and fly and many times you will get a double.
Location: Eagle Mountain Lake
Hotspot: Long Ridge South of Pelican Island GPS: N 32 52.65, W 97 30.009
(32.8775 -97.50015)
Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Slab with a fly 12’’ above Contact: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnysguideservice.com johnlu1313@gmail.com
Tips: This area is a long ridge surrounded by deeper water. White bass chase shad along this ridge. I have found the best way to work this area is to find fish with your electronics and anchor on them and let them come to you along this ridge. I use a slab and jig above, jig this rig up and down. This is also an area that they surface sometimes in the morning.
Location: Fayette County
Hotspot: Cedar Creek Bridge pilings
GPS: N 29 56.448, W 96 44.562
(29.9408, – 96.7427)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: CJ’s punch Bait
Tips: The water is 40’ deep here at this hotspot. Throw out a buoy and chum beside the buoy so you know where to keep your hook. Anchor and fish straight down and set the hook at the slightest bump.
Location: Gibbons Creek
Hotspot: Troy’s Ridge
GPS: N 30 38.412, W 96 3.2279
(30.6402, -96.0538)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Shad, Shrimp, worms
Tips: This area is close to the hot water discharge and, therefore, holds shad. Trees and stumps are in this area for cover. Tight line here and expect cats that can be small or huge.
Location: Granger Lake
Hotspot: Main Lake Flats and Points
GPS: N 30 42.624, W 97 20.8019
(30.7104, -97.3467)
Species: Blue Catfish
Best Baits: Shad, perch and cut bait
Tips: With the weather getting colder and fronts coming in, the blue catfish become active feeding on shad being blown in to shallow points and flats. Jug lines work well for this type of pattern. However, rod and reel will also work well.
Location: Lake Joe Pool
Hotspot: Joe Pool Dam Rip Rap
GPS: N 32 38.590, W 96 59.599
(32.6432, -96.9933)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Stinkbaits, prepared baits
Tips: Fish stinkbaits or prepared baits on Carolina rig. All day.
Location: Lake Lavon
Hotspot: Main Lake
GPS: N 33 5.5079, W 96 28.6799
(33.0918, -96.4780)
Species: White Bass
Best Baits: Flukes
Tips: Both White Bass and Crappie will be suspended in about 18-25 feet. Tapping on the boat with a rubber mallet or a broomstick will usually call them in as they will come to investigate the noise. Dead sticking flukes is usually the best bet.
Location: Lake Palestine
Hotspot: Kick-a-Poo Creek
GPS: N 32 17.67, W 95 30.2219
(32.2945, -95.5037)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Big Eye Jig in black/blue, Big Eye spinnerbait in white and shaky head worm
Tips: Fish the creek channel in 6 -10 foot and fish the ledges which will be about 3-6 foot deep. Fish any and all tree stumps along the creek. Down south, fish the boat docks on the main lake south of The Villages Marina. Fish them with the same lures and also a shaky head worm.
LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts
HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps
SPECIES: White Bass
GPS: N 33 25.118, W 97 01.686
(33.418634 -97.028105)
CONTACT: Cliff Spindle
940-727-3493
cliffspindle@yahoo.com
spindleguideservice.com
TIPS: The whitebass action is hard to beat this time of year on Lake Ray Roberts. Using a jigging spoon or slab just off the bottom on the many main lake humps that Ray Roberts has to offer can be non-stop action. The sandies are feeding up for the winter so just look for the baitfish and you will find the sandies.
Location: Richland Chambers Lake
Hotspot: Windsock Point
GPS: N 31 56.424, W 96 7.194
(31.9404, -96.1199)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: 1 oz. RSR Silver Glitter slab or 2 oz. chartreuse jigging spoon
Tips: In December and usually for the remainder of the winter, the Windsock Point will hold quality White Bass and sometimes a great big Hybrid Striper. Fish will relate to the deeper sides ( 30’-35’ depths) of the Windsock Point and will normally be on or near the bottom. However, sometimes if you move out into the 50’ water depth, you’ll find huge schools of suspended fish. Use a 1 oz. RSR Silver Glitter slab or even a 2oz. chartreuse jigging spoon and jig it slowly off the bottom. If the fish are suspended, reel up to the depth they are in and then move the slab very slowly or even just hold it in place. (This is called “deadsticking”) Keep the drag set loosely on your reel as this is a prime time to hook into a large Hybrid Striper.
Location: Lake Somerville
Hotspot: Rocky Creek Road Bed
GPS: N 30 18.522, W 96 33.39
(30.3087, -96.5565)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: CJ’s punch Bait or cut shad
Tips: Use a tight line here in 15’-18’ of water along a roadbed. Use 1/0 Kahle hook with shad or #4 treble with CJ’s bait. Shad are moving deeper and fish will follow them.
LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow
HOTSPOT: Weed Beds
GPS: N31 1.72872, W97 33.0057
(31.028812, -97.550095)
SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Chrome/blue back lipless crankbaits or a shad colored weightless flukes
TIPS: The lake level is still dangerously low (9.75 feet low) and caution is a must. The water is stained at the lower end and clearer towards the dam. Fishing has been good early and then again in the evenings and both largemouths and a few smallmouths are being caught. Fish crankbaits along the edge of weed beds and flukes on top of weed beds.
LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni
HOTSPOT: Sky Point
GPS: N32 53.4261
W95 56.80956
(32.890435, -95.946826)
SPECIES: white bass
BEST BAITS: Slabs, Sassy Shads on lead-head jigs, spoons
TIPS: Concentrate on the deepest or fastest dropoff at the end of the point. Work Slabs, spoons or Sassy Shad jigs in chartreuse, white and a combination of the two off the bottom, beginning at the top of the point and working out into deeper water to locate the bite. Watch your depth finder to locate schools of shad or schools of white bass. Start early in the morning and as the sun rises work your way out to the end of the point at the dropoff.
LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni
HOTSPOT: Two Mile Bridge Area
GPS: N32 54.34242, W95 58.83252
(32.905707, -95.980542)
SPECIES: catfish
BEST BAITS: Punch bait
TIPS: Use your sonar unit to locate where the main channel crosses beneath the two-mile bridge. Chum both sides of the river channel beneath the bridge with soured maize. Also chum a bridge piling to the east and west side of the channel closer to the shorelines. Use punch bait on a No. 4 treble hook and fish vertically close to the edge of the channel or close to the bridge pilings.
Location: Lake Texoma
Hotspot: Juniper Point East
GPS: N 33 51.888, W 96 49.83
(33.8648, -96.8305)
Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Road Runner and Sassy Shad jigs
Tips: Few anglers know how good fishing is in December. Cool water temperatures make the fish go into a feeding frenzy. Large fish up to 20 pounds will be on the prowl. A 4 to 6 inch Sassy Shad on a 1-ounce jighead will work the best. Texoma’s stripers prefer white glow and chartreuse colors. Road Runner 1 ounce jigs with a 7-inch worm are deadly on the big fish holding on structure. Fish the main lake points, mouths of creeks and humps near deep water. Always keep your eyes on the seagulls. Large schools of stripers can be under the birds.
Location: Lake Whitney
Hotspot: Striper Point / Whitney Hump
GPS: N 31 53.238, W 97 23.1059
(31.8873, -97.3851)
Species: Striped Bass
Best Baits: Live Threadfin Shad, 1/2oz Stripaholic Lead Heads and chartreuse Swim Baits from RSRLures.com
Tips: If the birds are working and diving on shad, us chartreuse Swim Baits and cast out behind the boat. Use the trolling motor to slow troll or “stroll” the jigs along the edge of the fish. You can also make long casts and make a medium retrieve. Look along the ledge in 20’ to 30’ of water out from the island. You can also use live bait and fish 10’ to 21’ suspended below the boat.
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Water Temps and Birds Keys to Winter Fishing
Reported by DEAN HEFFNER
WATER TEMPERATURES continue to fall into the 60s and winter patterns will start to take shape toward the end of November. The constant passage of cool fronts dominates the weather patterns.
Fall feeding frenzy continues and the wintering birds are in the region, to point you to active fish.
White bass continue to school on the surface early and are on deeper humps later in the day. White bass are good on slabs and spinners jigged vertically.
Best bait for striped bass continues to be live shad fished near channel ledges in 20 to 30 feet. Striped bass are also good on swimbaits worked under the birds and especially when pushing baitfish to the surface.
Black bass are good in numbers using soft plastics fished near channel drop-offs, especially after a passing front. The largemouth will move up on those warmer days and then move out deeper on the colder days. Largemouth bass to seven pounds are possible.
Fish for crappie around deeper brush and docks. Soon the crappie will be moving out to their wintering locations in deeper water near bridge pilings and deeper structure.
Catfish catches are good on prepared baits, hot dogs or cut shad deeper docks and near humps during the day.
Email Dean Heffner at ContactUs@fishgame.com
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Location: Lake Alan Henry
Hotspot: Back of Main Creeks
GPS: N 33 1.866, W 101 3.7979
(33.0311, -101.0633)
Species: Largemouth Bass
Best Baits: Shaky heads with worm, bass jigs, crankbaits and hard or soft jerkbaits
Tips: In December, fish the pretty days just before the cold fronts come through. Look in the back of the creeks first and then any of the steep banks with shaky heads with a worm, a jig, or even a crankbait. Don’t be afraid to try a jerkbait, hard or soft. Look in the backs of Big Grape, Little Grape, Ince, Rocky Creeks and also the main lake of the Brazos River. Fish Fun-Fish Safe!
Location: Lake Amistad
Hotspot: San Pedro – Old Hwy. Bridge
GPS: N 29 29.869, W 100 54.761
(29.4978, -100.9127)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Live minnows, jigs
Contact: Stan Gerzsenyl
830-768-3648
stan@amistadbass.com
www.amistadbass.com
Tips: Work pilings and shade using live minnows or crappie jigs. Dawn to mid morning; dusk.
Location: Lake Falcon
Hotspot: Big Tiger Points
GPS: N 26 42.631, W 99 09.982
(26.7105, -99.1664)
Species: Catfish
Best Baits: Punch or stink bait
Tips: Use punch or stink bait, chum the points and be patient!
Location: Lake Granbury
Hotspot: Lower End Near Blue Water Shores
GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.550
(32.383567 -97.709167)
Species: White bass
Best Baits: Little Georges, Mepps spinners, roadrunners, rattle traps and holographic slabs in silver and chartreuse
Contact: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters
254-396-4855
Tips: Look for hovering birds and use the Little Georges, rattle traps and Spinners on schooling fish. Bring your binoculars.
Location: Lake Kirby
Hotspot: Pump House
GPS: N 32 22.6961, W 99 43.7744
(32.3783, -99.7296)
Species: Blue Catfish
Best Baits: Cut bait
Tips: Lake Kirby’s pump house has been a great bank fishing spot for landing decent blue catfish. Cut shad and carp as well as live sunfish are excellent baits to use. Punch baits can also be effective at landing smaller blues and channel catfish.
Location: Lake Possum Kingdom
Hotspot: Peanut Patch
GPS: N 32 53.627, W 98 30.988
(32.893783, -98.516467)
Species: Striped Bass, White Bass, Hybrids
Best Baits: Slabs, jigs
Contact: Dean Heffner
940-329-0036
Tips: We love fishing the Peanut Patch with slabs and jigs. The fall patterns are starting to give way to winter patterns, so change is in the air. Cold fronts will dictate the bite from here on out, so on warm days fish shallow and on cold days fish deeper. Birds will be on the prowl and will steer you to active fish, so keep an eye out for them. Live bait is best, but it is slabbin’ and jiggin’ weather. The best bite is before a cold front arrives. If you can’t schedule a trip before a front, then it’s best to wait 12 to 24 hours after. All species are biting now to fatten up for winter. Pay attention to little details when you catch a fish and then reproduce them for another fish.
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