• • •

East Texas

HotSPOTLight: Lake O the Pines

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LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin
HOTSPOT: Charlie’s Ridge
GPS: N 33 2.615, W 95 4.615
(33.0436, -95.0769)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Live and artificial trout bait
TIPS: Night is the best fishing for this spot.

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LOCATION: Brandy Branch Reservoir
HOTSPOT: Intake/Spillway
GPS: N 32 25.835, W 94 29.051
(32.430583, -94.484183)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics
TIPS: Hydrilla forms a point at the intake. Hit the hydrilla edges with soft plastics; dawn, morning, dusk.

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LOCATION: Caddo Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake Pad Fields
GPS: N 32 41.634, W 94 3.7979
(32.6939, -94.0633)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Hollow body frogs, V&M Wild Thang 8.5-inch worms, buzzbaits
TIPS: Fish the main lake pad fields using the hollow body frogs and buzzbaits where the pads are a little scattered. Also make sure there are baitfish and hydrilla present. Use the large worms in colors of junebug and redbug with a 1/2 oz weight on the edges of the thick vegetation where it meets a drop off a channel or creek.

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LOCATION: Lake Conroe
HOTSPOT: Caney Creek North Point
GPS: N 30 27.293, W 95 36.283
(30.4549, -95.6047)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Minnows
TIPS: Fish live minnows vertically into the stumps to a depth of 25 feet; should work all day.

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LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Jim Chapman
HOTSPOT: Cannon Creek
GPS: N 33 20.481, W 95 41.103
(33.3414, -95.6851)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits
TIPS: Bump red/white spinnerbaits into submerged stumps. Morning to midday.

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LOCATION: Lake Fork
HOTSPOT: Mouth of Running Creek
GPS: N 32 55.145, W 95 32.865
(32.9191, -95.5478)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows
TIPS: Fish at 22-27 feet with minnows or jigs in Electric Chicken; bite is good here all day.

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LOCATION: Lake Houston
HOTSPOT: Powerlines
GPS: N 30 0.203, W 95 7.737
(30.0034, -95.1290)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Minnows
TIPS: Cut minnows, drift or use flagged juglines.

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LOCATION: Lake Livingston
HOTSPOT: Mouth of Harmon Creek
GPS: N 30 52.111, W 95 23.914
(30.8685, -95.3986)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Cut bait
TIPS: Best when there’s current. Let your cut bait drift downstream; dawn through dusk.

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LOCATION: Lake Murvaul
HOTSPOT: Point at Cut Through
GPS: N 32 2.653, W 94 26.925
(32.0442, -94.4488)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits, plastics
TIPS: Fish the docks, look for brush; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

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LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches
HOTSPOT: Deep Bank
GPS: N 31 37.912, W 94 48.761
(31.6319, -94.8127)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, jigs
TIPS: Fish the deep bank with patches of hydrilla. Dawn to noon.

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LOCATION: Lake O the Pines
HOTSPOT: Hurricane Creek
GPS: N 32 46.935, W 94 30.997
(32.7823, -94.5166)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Minnows, spinnerbaits
TIPS: Fish minnows or chrome/black spinnerbaits. Watch for birds. Dawn through midday.

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LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn
HOTSPOT: Franklin Branch
GPS: N 31 13.440, W 94 16.040
(31.2240, -94.2673)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Roadrunners
TIPS: Work the island points and hydrilla with Roadrunner jigs in a slow roll.

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LOCATION: Toledo Bend Res.
HOTSPOT: Crappie Bend
GPS: N 31 30.698, W 93 42.659
(31.5116, -93.7110)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs
TIPS: Work channel bend edges to top with live minnows or jigs; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

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LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman
HOTSPOT: Woodland Island
GPS: N 33 17.959, W 94 12.79
(33.2993, -94.2132)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Slabs, topwaters
TIPS: Fish chartreuse slabs off bottom or fish topwaters. Work them slowly. Dawn through dusk.

 

• • •

Central Texas

HotSPOTLight: Lake Aquilla

• • •

LOCATION: Lake Austin
HOTSPOT: Emma Long Park
GPS: N 30 19.498, W 97 50.546
(30.3250, -97.8424)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Crankbaits
TIPS: Crankbaits work best; all day; All year, all day.

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LOCATION: Bachman Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014
(32.8531, -96.8669)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Small rooster tails and small creature baits (3-4 inches long)
TIPS: Bass are on fire shallow along the banks as shad are running shallow too. Fish in 1-5 feet of water using the bridge for shaded cover. Cast along the banks parallel as the fish are no more than five feet from the banks.

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LOCATION: Lake Belton
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 31 8.3459, W 97 31.932
(31.1391, -97.5322)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, spinnerbaits
TIPS: Crankbaits or spinnerbaits in a white or sexy-shad color, worked from the shoreline out have been the best producer. The downside is you will have to cover a lot of water to get a bite, but the upside to that is when you do hold on, the fish are big and healthy.

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LOCATION: Lake Buchanan
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 49.572, W 98 23.658
(30.8262, -98.3943)

SPECIES: Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Top water lures, slabs and jigs
TIPS: Stripers will be around mid-lake. Watch for top water fish. Look for seagulls working. Any top water lure will work as well as slabs and jigs for under water lures.

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LOCATION: Canyon Lake
HOTSPOT: Comal Park Area
GPS: N 29 51.7079, W 98 14.28
(29.8618, -98.2380)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics
TIPS: Generally, just before a front arrives and as the front is pushing in, fish become more active and feed much more aggressively. This secondary point has deep and shallow water along with brush. The brush extends into the cove and along the bank.

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LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake Bridges
GPS: N 32 18.546, W 96 6.738
(32.3091, -96.1123)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Jigs and minnows
TIPS: Fish all bridges and you’ll find the fish suspended around the pillars usually about 10 to 12 feet down regardless of the depth.

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LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 28 43.4879, W 97 11.178
(28.7248, -97.1863)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Zoom pearl white fluke
TIPS: The heat is finally over. The water is starting to cool, and the fish are biting. This time of year, the fish are getting ready for winter. Topwater lures are good choice early morning and late evening. Zoom pearl white flukes are good, too. Dip it in a little chartreuse while the sun is high for better action.

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LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake
HOTSPOT: North of Dam
GPS: N 32 52.709, W 97 28.044
(32.8785, -97.4674)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12 in. above it
TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps, ridges and ditches. Never seems to be any fish in the bottom of the ditches. Use your electronics and look on the top of ridges and along the slopes. When you locate fish anchor over them and use a vertical jigging method on them. If you prefer to cast to them, use a slab and fly combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to the boat.

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LOCATION: Fayette County Res.
HOTSPOT: Deer Stand Hump
GPS: N 29 55.944, W 96 43.7819
(29.9324, -96.7297)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait
TIPS: Anchor on the shoreline side of the hump which allows you to cast toward the shoreline or the hump. Excellent night fishing spot. Throw out buoy, chum around it, then cast at the chummed spot.

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LOCATION: Granger Lake
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 30 42.406, W 97 20.810
(30.706778, -97.346833)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Marabou jigs, Berkley Crappie Nibbles
TIPS: This is probably the best time of the year for crappie at Granger.They have been feeding heavily all summer and are very thick and fat. The weather is good this time of year and the crowds are scarce with most people hunting or watching football. Find any kind of structure in 6- to 12-feet of water and you will find some good quality crappie. Fish a jig vertically holding it very still right over the structure. Make sure you put a Crappie Nibble on the jig running it up to the body and not on the tip of the hook. Tie the jig using a loop knot. This will make a big difference in the number of fish you catch. Not all spots hold good fish so if they are not biting in a good-looking spot, keep moving until you find them.

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LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool
HOTSPOT: Deep Grass Along Dam
GPS: N 32 38.424, W 96 58.910
(32.6404, -96.9818)

SPECIES: Largemouth
BEST BAITS: Red bug baits
TIPS: Fish the middle of the grass early, deep edge later with Carolina rigged red bug. Midday.

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LOCATION: Lake Lavon
HOTSPOT: Lower Main Lake
GPS: N 33 2.646, W 96 31.116
(33.0441, -96.5186)

SPECIES: White Bass
BEST BAITS: Slabs, Rat-L-Traps, Rooster Tails, Road Runners, small Crappie jigs, and top water plugs up to 7 inches
TIPS: This time of year, they are starting to boil up at about 8:30 in the morning till about 11:30 in the morning. Then they pop up again between 4:45 and 5:45 and go until 7:30pm. You can catch them on the surface even when it was dark. The wind will make it difficult locating them. The fish have been popping up between Collin Park and Lavonia which is near the railroad tracks. Move down the south bank all the way along the dam, and go to the railroad tracks, then go to the island and back to Collin Park. Move in circles until you see them. If they’re not up on the surface they should be located on one of the points. Or some kind of structure.

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LOCATION: Lake LBJ
HOTSPOT: Flyin’ K Recreation Area
GPS: N 30 34.152, W 98 20.953
(30.5692, -98.3492)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Minnows
TIPS: Float rigged minnows around shallow brush in 2-5 feet of water; avoid midday, evening.

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LOCATION: Lake Lewisville
HOTSPOT: 2 Ditches East of 121 Cut
GPS: N 33 4.907, W 96 56.68
(33.0818, -96.9447)

SPECIES: Hybrid Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Shad
TIPS: Fish live shad on bottom rigs; good all day.

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LOCATION: Lake Limestone
HOTSPOT: Sanders Creek
GPS: N 31 25.915, W 96 19.811
(31.4319, -96.3302)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Always be on the lookout for vegetation, find it and fish it.
TIPS: Always be on the lookout for vegetation, find it and fish it; dawn through dusk.

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LOCATION: Lake Palestine
HOTSPOT: Flat Creek and Saline Creek
GPS: N 32 12.852, W 95 32.316
(32.2142, -95.5386)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig, Texas rigged baby Brush Hog and spinnerbaits
TIPS: Fish the back of Flat Creek near the dogwood ridge as well as the back of Saline Creek. Use a Big Eye Jig on and around the docks. Fish Texas-rigged baby Brush Hogs and spinnerbaits on the stumps.

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LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard
HOTSPOT: 66 Bridge East
GPS: N 32 55.452, W 96 29.373
(32.9242, -96.4896)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows
TIPS: Black jigs or live minnows, work bridge pylons; morning through midday.

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LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts
HOTSPOT: Spillway, Deep Channels, and Brush Piles
GPS: N 33 24.426, W 97 3.1979
(33.4071, -97.0533)

SPECIES: Crappie, White Bass, Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Road Runners, Picasso Jigheads and Pacemaker jigs.
TIPS: If you’re searching for white bass, just look for washing machine activity by the spillway and throw a white or silver Road Runner. Pay attention to the size you keep as the Game Wardens will check them. Crappie are hanging out in brush piles between 10 and 20 feet of water. Picasso jigheads with white and chartreuse jig bodies have been working consistently. Largemouth up to 10lbs have been under the schooling sandbass and in the 15-20 feet of water creeks. Pacemaker Adrenaline jigs with a V&M Wild Craw Jr. or V&M J-Bug trailers in green pumpkin have produced early until noon.

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LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake
HOTSPOT: Creek Channels & Timbered Flats
GPS: N 31 56.424, W 96 7.38
(31.9404, -96.1230)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Danny King’s Punch Bait on a #4 treble hook
TIPS: Late Summer can be slow fishing for many species, but you can always count on the Channel and Blue Cats on Richland Chambers for lots of action! Most of our fish come from areas where we have “baited” with a 5-gallon bucket filled with range cubes. I drill 1/4” holes in the bucket, tie it off to a tree, sink it, and the cubes dissolve over a period of a few days. The Catfish are attracted to the area. Throw out a little sour maize when you first arrive, and you will know within a few minutes if catfish are around. If you haven’t caught any fish in 10 minutes or so, move to another baited area. Most fish are in the 2-pound size range, but you might hook a “big blue!”

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LOCATION: Lake Somerville
HOTSPOT: Yegua Park
GPS: N 30 18.552, W 96 31.6679
(30.3092, -96.5278)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait/cut bait
TIPS: The north shoreline of Yegua allows you to reach deeper water. Great catfishing, also white bass.

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LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Res.
HOTSPOT: Dam Bluffs
GPS: N 31 1.699, W 97 31.849
(31.0283, -97.5308)

SPECIES: Smallmouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Jigs
TIPS: With a black small hair jig, maximize the lure fall and watch the line; dawn through morning, dusk.

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LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni
HOTSPOT: Rabbit Cove
GPS: N 32 52.872, W 96 0.227
(32.8812, -96.0038)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics
TIPS: This is a BIG FISH area, hit shallow brush, roadbed & docks; dawn, morn, dusk.

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LOCATION: Lake Texana
HOTSPOT: Mustang Creek Bridge
GPS: N 29 1.445, W 96 30.3
(29.0241, -96.5050)

SPECIES: Crappie
BEST BAITS: minnows, jigs
TIPS: Fish live minnows under cork or white crappie jigs; this spot is productive all day.

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LOCATION: Lake Texoma
HOTSPOT: Catfish Bay
GPS: N 33 59.147, W 96 37.065
(33.9858, -96.6178)

SPECIES: Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Jigs, shad
TIPS: Cast jigs on main lake points & anchor with live shad in 30 feet; dawn through dusk.

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LOCATION: Lake Waco
HOTSPOT: Reynolds Creek
GPS: N 31 35.348, W 97 14.95
(31.5891, -97.2492)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: shad, prepared bait
TIPS: Fish the bottom; morning, dusk through night.

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LOCATION: Lake Whitney
HOTSPOT: Striper Point / Whitney Hump
GPS: N 31 54.834, W 97 23.0879
(31.9139, -97.3848)

SPECIES: Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Redfin and Live Shad
TIPS: Look for a shallow topwater bite at Striper Point and Whitney Hump. Make long casts with a redfin. Retrieve it back to the boat and make it wobble on the surface. When the Striper blows up, wait until the rod doubles up with the weight of the fish and THEN set the hook! After the sun gets up, back off the points, drift the same area in 18 feet of water.

 

• • •

West Texas

HotSPOTLight: Lake Kemp

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LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry
HOTSPOT: East Bank Past Dam
GPS: N 33 3.464, W 101 2.306
(33.0577, -101.0384)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Senkos
SOURCE: TPWD Inland Fisheries-Abilene
325-692-0921
TIPS: Fish a 5- to 7-inch green/red Senko, Texas rigged with no weight and swim it slowly; dawn through morning, afternoon.

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LOCATION: Lake Arrowhead
HOTSPOT: Cove
GPS: N 33 43.76, W 98 22.516
(33.7293, -98.3753)

SPECIES: Catfish
BEST BAITS: Punch bait
TIPS: Chum the area first, fish the bottom; productive all day.

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LOCATION: Lake Cisco
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 32 26.497, W 99 00.092
(32.441616, -99.001537)

SPECIES: White Bass and Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, stick worms
SOURCE: TPWD Inland Fisheries-Abilene
325-692-0921
TIPS: Lake Cisco has several lighted boat docks that can be fished at night for white bass and largemouth bass. The lights attract smaller bait fish therefore attracting feeding white bass and largemouth. Popper type top water baits work very well for enticing strikes. Fishing at night also allows fishermen to escape the hot summer days. Weightless stick worm baits are also a great option.

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LOCATION: Lake Coleman
HOTSPOT: Rear Cove
GPS: N 32 2.3976, W 99 27.6871
(32.0400, -99.4615)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: Live shad, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, slabs
TIPS: Largemouth bass production has been great. The coordinates listed mark an old concrete structure that is surrounded by flooded brush. Fishing that shoreline into the rear cove works best with spinner baits, whacky worms, Senkos, and trick worms to catch bass. Sunrise often produces a great top-water bite in the rear cove. Occasionally hybrid striped bass can be caught in this cove, which these fish will put up a nice fight. Anglers targeting hybrids may have the best luck using live shad for bait or spinner baits, chrome or white suspending jerk baits, or slabs.

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LOCATION: Lake Granbury
HOTSPOT: Twin humps Near Town
GPS: N 32 26.404, W 97 46.977
(32 26.404, -97 46.977)

SPECIES: White and Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: Holographic slabs in silver and chartreuse for sandies and crankbaits/soft plastics for largemouth
SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta
Unfair Advantage Charter
254-396-4855
TIPS: Look for bait congregated on or near the bottom in around 15 to 20 feet of water. Look for surface feeding fish on humps and flats from in town to Decordova. Granbury water temperatures are generally in the 80’S as summer continues in September with a slow cool down towards fall (October). Summer patterns continue for most of September and the cooling will start in October for sure. The Texas heat is starting to taper off, but fishing continues to be best early and late. Thermoclines are starting to disappear, and lake turnover will occur as the surface cools. White bass are located near structure and are feeding on near drop offs in 15 to 20 feet of water. Largemouth bass number’s action is great on lipless crankbaits and soft plastics (red shad, blue fleck and black) fished near main lake points near stick ups. Largemouth bass to eight pounds are possible.

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LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom
HOTSPOT: Sandy Beach
GPS: N 32 53.354, W 98 31.599
(32.8892338, -98.5266583)

SPECIES: Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: Live shad, and trolling jigs
SOURCE: TJ Ranft
940-452-8439
ranftguideservice.com
TIPS: Use downriggers for trolling and fishing live shad strait down. September and October striper fishing on PK means covering ground and using different tactics daily. Trolling and live bait are solid tactics this time of year. If trolling, use jigs that are white, chartreuse, yellow, and the occasional pink. Down-rigging is a great way to get the jigs down deeper in the water column but isn’t always necessary. Flatlining jigs out the back while trolling can also produce good numbers of fish. The fish will be transitioning into a fall feeding pattern, so always be prepared for some fast action when they decide to feed. The water temperature will range from mid 80s and fall into the mid 70s come late October.

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LOCATION: Possum Kingdom
HOTSPOT: Gaines Bend
GPS: N 32 52.689, W98 28.001
(32.8781, -98.4667)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass
BEST BAITS: live shad, perch, plastic worms, topwaters
SOURCE: TJ Ranft
940-452-8439
ranftguideservice.com
TIPS: Bass love free swimming shad or perch, but jigs & pigs and worms are the staple this time of year. But don’t forget topwaters; bass are suckers for that bait.

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LOCATION: Lake Proctor
HOTSPOT: Main Lake
GPS: N 31 58.6996, W 98 28.4398
(31.9783, -98.4740)

SPECIES: Hybrid Striped Bass
BEST BAITS: RatLTraps, crankbaits, slabs
TIPS: Hybrid striped bass have been stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for many years to support the popular fishery. On the northwest and southeast sides of the island near the dam, there are humps that hybrids can commonly be found shoaling together. Trolling with chrome or white RatLTraps, deep diving crankbaits, or slabbing may produce a good catch. Heavy spinner baits with similar colors could be effective as well.

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