LAKE CONROE – March/April 2022

SECRETS OF THE SABINE FISHING CALENDAR – March/April 2022
February 25, 2022
PIKE ON THE EDGE by Doug Pike – March/April 2022
February 25, 2022

The Unlikely Big Bass Machine

LAKE CONROE IS AN ANOMALY. Covering approximately 20,000 acres and 21 miles from the dam to the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, it is indeed a large lake. But it’s nowhere the size of mammoth Texas reservoirs such as Sam Rayburn and Texoma.

It is also a reservoir with sparse natural vegetation and has more shoreline development than any other major Texas water body.

Yet, it continues to produce monster-sized fish on a regular basis.

From Scott Stephen’s 14.25 pounder ShareLunker largemouth caught in 2021 to regular 8 to 10 pounders caught in local and national tournaments, it is a phenomenal bass fishery. Ditto for catfish, crappie and bream, both in abundance and size.

We have investigated Lake Conroe and have found some fascinating factors regarding why it continues to give up world-class bass and will likely continue to do so in the coming years.

Numbers and Cover

Conroe’s early struggles with grass carp introduction are well-documented. However, the historical outflow of that with the response of anglers and fisheries managers is part of the lake’s success.

During a fishing trip and photo shoot with Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs, we were able to get some great insight on the lake.

Combs, who won two Toyota Texas Bass Classics (world championships) on the lake, has a truly unique perspective on its trophy bass fishery.

“Conroe has lots of bass, but compared to some of the grass-heavy lakes, I don’t think the population is as big,” he said. And I think that’s what helps it produce so many big bass. There are lots of prey fish and not quite as many competitors for them.”

The current lake record largemouth bass, caught in January 2009, weighed 15.93 pounds and measured 27 inches in length. That was one of four fish entered into the Toyota ShareLunker Program (for bass 13 pounds or larger) in the 2008/2009 season. Overall, at the time of this writing, Conroe has produced 19 fish for that program.

The aforementioned grass carp issue inspired anglers early on to put out manmade reefs and structure. This has helped the bass as many amateur anglers are not as familiar with catching largemouths in deeper manmade structure as they are around docks and grasslands.

That gives big bass, which spend much of their time in deep water, an edge.

In our investigation, we came across an old study on Lake Conroe’s bass that spanned seven years. The study related to preying on fish specifically during the juvenile phase.

The study found that when the lake had more natural cover, little bass consumed few fish. In fact, few bass measuring four inches or smaller ate fish and did not start doing so frequently until reaching five inches.

“Following the elimination of all submerged vegetation by grass carp, fish were consumed by most largemouth bass 2.5 inches or longer. The initiation of piscivorous (preying specifically on fish) behavior at smaller sizes resulted in significantly faster first-year growth for all largemouth bass year-classes produced after vegetation removal. Although shifts in the structure of the forage fish community occurred, ample fish prey existed for largemouth bass before and after vegetation removal.”

Tinkering with nature can have many results. It is entirely possible that all of the factors that have fallen into place on Lake Conroe have helped it become a premier big bass destination.

Stocking

Speaking of enhancing what nature has to offer, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials have actively stocked Conroe with Florida bass for decades.

TPWD has stocked more than two million Florida bass fingerlings into the lake since 2010, boosting not only its population, but genetic potential for monster fish. 

Strategically releasing them into areas with the best cover has provided strong survival opportunities and yielded big bass on the lake.

On top of that according to (TPWD) officials over the last 15 years have worked diligently on habitat management actions. This includes maintenance of the native aquatic vegetation nursery below Lake Conroe and the deployment of large fish attractor structures at 14 sites.

In addition, they have planted a five-mile stretch of shoreline in the Caney Creek arm with native vegetation. This has helped mitigate some of the negative impacts of shoreline development.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs lands a nice bass near a dock on Conroe.
(Photo: Chester Moore)

The Panfish Connection

Conroe is a top-tier panfish lake. The lake has some of the biggest bream to be found anywhere in Texas with one-pound fish not uncommon. The crappie fishery is also phenomenal in fish size and abundance, both.

Big perch are a great prey species for big bass. Studies show that large bass often change their dietary preferences to larger fish. Calorically, It makes more sense to eat a one-pound bream instead of chasing a hundred shad.

With bass, bream and crappie often inhabiting the same manmade cover on the lake, Conroe’s giant bass don’t have to go far to grab a giant protein-rich meal that sustains them and helps them grow to epic proportions.

Additionally, this panfish fishery offers excellent opportunities for families and serious perch aficionados to catch a mess of fish for the frying pan. But beware, if you tie on a shiner to catch a slab crappie, a lunker largemouth might just take it from you.

Lake Conroe Has Giant Catfish, Too!

(Photo: Adobe)

IT’S NOT JUST big bass that draws anglers to Conroe. Catfish are the most abundant sportfish on the lake.

The lake record channel catfish weighed a whopping 18.50 pounds and was caught by Jody Baughman in 2011. The record blue came in 2019 on gizzard shad and weighed 67 pounds. The lucky angler was Morris Taymon.

Flatheads roam the lake as well and way back in 1990, Jimmie Lee Johnson bagged an absolutely monstrous 86 pounder.

When it comes to catfish, Conroe has an incredible amount to offer and is one of the closest things to a guarantee that anglers can find in Texas.

For more information on connecting with fishing opportunities on Lake Conroe, go to www.visitconroe.com.

 

Hot Streak

Lake Conroe is coming off a hot streak in 2021 with more than 20 fish entered in the ShareLunker’s Elite, Lunker and Legacy categories. The smallest fish recognized here is eight pounds. However, many anglers are not aware the program has expanded beyond its 13-pound-plus origins.

Looking at local tournament weigh-ins, it’s easy to see Lake Conroe is cranking out quality fish on a frequent basis. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest more true monster-sized fish are hiding around the deep docks, reefs and riprap on the lake.

The lake has often been referred to as “Houston’s Playground” for its popularity among all levels of water recreation, but it’s definitely a legitimate home for some of the biggest bass found in Texas.

On the surface, perhaps it should not be, but after examining the mysteries of Lake Conroe’s continual big bass production, it comes as no surprise to us.

For more information on connecting with fishing opportunities on Lake Conroe, go to www.visitconroe.com.

DIGITAL BONUS

 

Lake Conroe Rescued from Hydrilla

Hyrdrilla is a fast-growing invasive plant that’s infested several Texas lakes, including Lake Conroe near Houston. Texas Parks and Wildlife is fighting this noxious weed and working to make Lake Conroe a world-class fishing lake.

 

 

 

 

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