Fishing North East Texas April 01 2018

[SteveTX]

Well guys seems the water temps are rising and the spawn is in full bloom. Im catching all varieties pre-spawners, spawners, ans post-spawners. Seems most are still spawning from what I can tell. I mainly fish a small lake that is well extremely muddy water year round. Here I will include this picture to show two things. One how muddy the water is and two that spring is showing signs of life. One of extremely few lily pads starting to open up. 


OK on to the fishing today. Well the temps were upper 60s and might have hit 70 while I was out. Almost always complete cloud cover and about a 10mph SSW wind. The water temp was showing 68.
Lure choices were 10" worms and a Slither Rig.
Right off I fish in the cover, so we never use less than 50lb braid here. I usually use a Heavy or a Mag heavy rod Dobyns has been very good for me pulling these fish from deep in the cattails and any other vegetation. 
I was throwing 1/4oz weight with the Zoom old Monster 10" worm in Red Shad. I did have a 5mm glass worm rattle in the worm and I was using a Oversize worm hook I think its a Gamakatsu. Well as usual the Zoom worm would destroy itself on every fish. I swore to not buy them again just finishing off what I had. Culprit and Berkley Powerbait make decent worms as well as Doc Irv. 
I switched to a Berkley Powerbait 10" worm in Tequila Sunrise color and still used the rattle but dropped the hook down to a 4/0 Eagle Claw Round Bend worm hook. I should have used a 5/0 due to the thickness of the worm. But the 4/0 got me by this time. Still using the 1/4 oz weight also.

The only other bait used was a 3/8oz Slither Rig with a black n blue skirt. This was pegged and used a Trokar 130 flippin hook snelled and a Baby Paca Craw in Coosa color. Of course we had a 7mm Gene Larew glass rattle shoved up the snout of the Paca Craw also. Just rig the craw like a texas rig but do not bring the point of the hook through the craw entirely. Just put the point through into the opening in the center of the craw and leave it there. Don't worry when you bring the pain that last layer of plastic aint stopping that Trokar hook. 

I used these setups pitching it to high % areas and just made the rattle work a little here and there like a dinner bell. 

18.00"


19.50"

[cport]

Well guys seems the water temps are rising and the spawn is in full bloom. Im catching all varieties pre-spawners, spawners, ans post-spawners. Seems most are still spawning from what I can tell. I mainly fish a small lake that is well extremely muddy water year round. Here I will include this picture to show two things. One how muddy the water is and two that spring is showing signs of life. One of extremely few lily pads starting to open up. 


OK on to the fishing today. Well the temps were upper 60s and might have hit 70 while I was out. Almost always complete cloud cover and about a 10mph SSW wind. The water temp was showing 68.
Lure choices were 10" worms and a Slither Rig.
Right off I fish in the cover, so we never use less than 50lb braid here. I usually use a Heavy or a Mag heavy rod Dobyns has been very good for me pulling these fish from deep in the cattails and any other vegetation. 
I was throwing 1/4oz weight with the Zoom old Monster 10" worm in Red Shad. I did have a 5mm glass worm rattle in the worm and I was using a Oversize worm hook I think its a Gamakatsu. Well as usual the Zoom worm would destroy itself on every fish. I swore to not buy them again just finishing off what I had. Culprit and Berkley Powerbait make decent worms as well as Doc Irv. 
I switched to a Berkley Powerbait 10" worm in Tequila Sunrise color and still used the rattle but dropped the hook down to a 4/0 Eagle Claw Round Bend worm hook. I should have used a 5/0 due to the thickness of the worm. But the 4/0 got me by this time. Still using the 1/4 oz weight also.

The only other bait used was a 3/8oz Slither Rig with a black n blue skirt. This was pegged and used a Trokar 130 flippin hook snelled and a Baby Paca Craw in Coosa color. Of course we had a 7mm Gene Larew glass rattle shoved up the snout of the Paca Craw also. Just rig the craw like a texas rig but do not bring the point of the hook through the craw entirely. Just put the point through into the opening in the center of the craw and leave it there. Don't worry when you bring the pain that last layer of plastic aint stopping that Trokar hook. 

I used these setups pitching it to high % areas and just made the rattle work a little here and there like a dinner bell. 

18.00"


19.50"

Nice fish Steve. How r u liking the new reel?

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[SteveTX]

Nice fish Steve. How r u liking the new reel?

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It's great so far. I didn't use it much yesterday but I've used it heavily on several trips last month and it's done well.
I mainly used the Lew's Super Duty yesterday, it's a beast as well. Very smooth and about breaks their neck bringing the fishy out of them nasty places. Haha


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[SteelHorseCowboy]

Oh, watch out for them lilly pads, I hear they can be a real bear!

Nice fish!

[Captsteve]

man I wish I was out fishing. nice catch.

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[Lipripper]

Thanks for the report Steve and nice catch there.