East Texas Fishing Report Dec 07
January 2nd, 2008 by Fishing admin
The East Texas Fishing Report
ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Charles Spearman at Lake Athens Marina said bass anglers are reporting good numbers of slot fish using crankbaits and worms along drops and creek edges in 15-20 feet of water.
Crappie are fair on minnows soaked around brush piles in 25 feet of water. Catfish are fair to six pounds on jugs baited with shad.
CEDAR CREEK — Cedar Creek is about a foot low and slightly stained. Water temp is the low 50s.
Bass are fair to three pounds using Carolina rigs, jigs and crankbaits on main lake points with brush and around deeper boat docks.
Catfish are fair on shad drifted over deep humps and on punch bait. White bass and hybrid anglers are picking up partial limits using spoons on main lake points and humps.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about normal level and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Josh Meadows at Porter’s Sporting Goods said minnows and jigs are producing limits of crappie around the Highway 155 bridge pilings; most fish are suspended 12 feet down. Deep cedars along the edge of the Neches River near the dam also are holding fish.
Meadows said bass fishing reports were sparse over the holidays. Catfish are fair on punch bait soaked on bottom in 2-8 feet of water.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 1 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Catfish are fair to 20 pounds on jugs tipped with cut shad. Rod and reelers are picking up limits of blues and channels using punch bait and night crawlers in standing timber 15-20 feet deep and along windy shorelines.
Crappie and black bass are slow. White bass are fair on spoons bounced on humps and points in about 28 feet of water.
FORK — Lake Fork is three inches low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Chris Parker at the Minnow Bucket said bass fishing has been excellent to seven pounds on Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits, drop shot rigs and Storm swim baits. The best bite has been shallow around hydrilla in 6-8 feet of water.
Crappie fishing has been or miss. Parker said the better concentrations of fish are holding around deep brush in 30-35 feet of water. Points around the dam are hotspots. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken gizzards fished beneath cormorant roosts and over stump flats.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about 18 inches low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Bass fishing has been fair to six pounds on crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and Texas rig plastics fished around scattered hydrilla in 3-8 feet of water. Crappie fishermen are picking up a few keepers using live shiners and jigs over deep brush piles.
SAM RAYBURN — The lake is about 5 1/2 feet below normal and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Fishing guide Jeff Buchanan said Flukes, Senkos and spinnerbaits fished in relation to lily pad stems in 1-4 feet of water are producing good numbers of quality fish up to 4 1/2 pounds. The bite has been best under the warm, afternoon sun. Rat-L-Traps are working around grass patches in 1-5 feet of water.
Buchanan said crappie anglers are picking up steady limits using live shiners and jigs along the edges of the Angelina River just south of the Highway 103 bridge.
TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is about 3 1/2 feet below normal and clear. Water temperature is in the low 50s.
Fishing guide Stephen Johnston said bass fishing has been fair on 1/2 ounce spoons fished vertical in standing timber in 35-40 feet of water. There also has been a decent bite along outside grass lines using a 1/2-ounce jig and DD22 crankbait.
Johnston said the mid-lake crappie bite has slowed down considerably in recent weeks, mainly because of rising, dirty water.
PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is about one-foot low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Fishing guide Alan Spruiell said all fishing has been slow. Not much traffic on the water over the holidays.
Spruiell suggested that crappie anglers target deep brush tops and creek bends with stumps using live shiners or jigs. For bass, work jigs, Carolina rigs and Texas rig plastics slowly around outside grass edges, on points and along creek channel breaks in 8-22 feet of water.
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