East Texas Fishing Report

Published 12:19 am Thursday, September 5, 2024

Tyler — SLOW. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be slow for all species. Night fishing is best for catfish and crappie in the lights. Crappie are slow using minnows on brush in 16-25 feet of water. Catfish are slow in 16 feet of water shrimp, and liver. Bream are slow on red worms off the barge and throughout the lake. Bass are slow in 10-12 feet of water with topwaters, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Palestine — SLOW. Water slightly stained; 91 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. Based on current weather forecasts, trends and events from the past week, and knowledge of the lake, fishing should be improving. Higher possibilities of rain, and more clouds to lower the temperature should create a longer bite period around and after sunrise for all species. White bass, yellow bass, and hybrid striped bass should continue to be active into mid-morning. Look for these fish trolling over humps and roads, especially in rocky and concrete bottom areas. Bass should improve into fair off the points and rocky points, but only down to about 15 feet. Crappie have also been affected by high thermocline, so they may still be up in the compacted brush and aquatic grass areas at 13 feet or less. This bite should be fair to good. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.

Bob Sandlin — GOOD. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.38 feet below pool. Channel catfish are fair in 25 feet of water on baited holes with stink bait. Crappie are fair in 20 feet of water on brush piles. White bass are fair at night in the lights with a white spinnerbaits. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Black bass are feeding early on shad patterns around grass and retaining walls. Main lake points are good for bass using clouser type patterns. Bream are plentiful with wooly buggers and small worm patterns. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Bass are good on points in 18-22 feet of water using deep water baits like deep diving crankbaits, dropshots and Texas rigs. Night fishing has the best bite and is an escape from the heat and recreational boaters. Sand bass and black bass schooling together near the dam, and bridges. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Caddo — GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.04 feet above pool. The water level is higher than it was a year ago after all the rainfall we have received this year, but the water level is low so navigate with caution. Fishing with a frog, buzz bait or pop R early is working well. A fluke, Texas rig or drop shot is working well along the grass edges. There are some schooling fish all over the lake right now. The lilies are blooming and the lotus are really growing tall so along with the fishing the lake is really beautiful and a wonderful time to come see this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Fork — GOOD. Water Stained; 81 degrees; 1.40 feet below pool. Early morning bass bite has been pretty good around weeds, grass, chatterbaits, swimbaits and flukes. Mid range bite is good 5-7 feet most of the day around bream beds in 3-5 feet with squarebill crankbaicits and shaky heads. Offshore bite picks up from noon to 3 p.m. Carolina rigs and big shaky heads best with big worms in 15-20 feet. Humps, points and road beds are good. Deep crankbaits are fair over humps in 18-25 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Serve. Bass are feeding in 10-12 feet where the thermocline is not present. Look for schooling bass in the open water and creeks as shad hatch is in full swing. Also, check out the brush piles as big bass are using them to feed on crappie. Bream are excellent in the shallows, wooly buggers and small poppers should bring a strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. The Lake Fork crappie fishing continues to be hot even though the temperatures are dropping each week. The big white crappie have been showing out on timber in 18-28 feet. There has also been a great bite for white crappie on brush piles in 14-22 feet. We are still not seeing the black crappie stacking up as the water cools down, but it should not be long. Minnows are still the dominant bait by far on Lake Fork, but we are seeing the jig bite get better each week going into fall. Catfish are moving deeper and in huge numbers. Seeing tons of fish around timber along creek channels in 18-28 feet. They are following the shad as they migrate towards deeper water where they will spend the winter. You can just target them around timber with any catfish bait of choice or bait the area well with cattle cubes or sour grain to really tear them up. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Lake O’ the Pines — GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.34 feet below pool. Solid summer pattern is holding steady for the bass. Bass are good with schooling activity starting to pick up. Follow the shad to find the bass. There is still some bass in the bushes along the banks pitching Texas rigged worms and jigs, or wacky rigs. Bass are good on brush piles on points on the south end of the lake in 15-25 feet of water with deep running crankbaits, jigs, wacky worms and Texas rigs. The north end of the lake is producing catches in the grass and bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Athens — SLOW. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 0.26 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns will hold steady until the weather starts to cool. Bass are fair on jigs and artificial worms. Fish are scattered on deep grass edges out to 12 feet. Schooling bass are active but scattered as well. White flukes and small swimbaits have been catching these fish. Crappie are slow over brush out to 25 feet. Small jigs and minnows are catching fish early and late.

Hawkins — GOOD. Water slightly stained. 80 degrees. Bass are good with clousers around edges of grass during the day. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Bream will be on beds and easy to spot, remember they can see you too. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville — SLOW. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.06 feet below pool. Bass bite has improved, especially in the mornings, on soft plastics and shaky heads in 10-16 feet of water on brush. Topwater bite has improved, but is not on fire yet.

— Hicks can be reached at phicks@tylerpaper.com