Weekly Fishing Report Week of July 19, 2023
FRESHWATER
Sam Rayburn
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88-90 degrees; 1.61 feet below pool. Summer pattern is holding steady. Fish are staying near older wood where the PH is lower. Some bass and white bass can be found schooling. Bass are good with topwaters in the pencil grass and hydrilla. Bigger bass are on points and humps biting crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are stacking up on brush in 16-22 feet of water with bluegill mixed in biting on minnows or jigs. Catfish are good in 22-25 feet of water on brush and around creeks. White bass are schooling on points biting jigs and crankbaits. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
Toledo Bend
GOOD. Water stained; 79-83 degrees; 1.59 feet below pool. The water level is 170.2 with both generators running 6 hours a day. Water temperature at the Dam is 81 degrees. North of the three-mile Pendleton bridge, temperatures have been running 79-83 degrees. Crappie continue to be caught in 12-20 feet of water depending on cloud cover and generator schedule. Small minnows are the best bait this time of year. Bass are best early and late in the day using topwater poppers, chuggers, spooks and frogs over vegetation. Another Bass pattern is a flutter spoon 7-10 inches over humps and ledges. During the heat of the day bass can be caught in 20-25 feet over ledges with deep diving crankbaits. Texas and Carolina rigs with 7-10 inch worms have been producing in the outer swings of the creek bends. Best color worms are watermelon candy red, June bug red and red shad. The night bass bite has been coming on strong with Texas rigged 10-12 inch worms in all black, black with a red glitter, black with a blue tail, Vudu magic super 7, and midnight special from Natural Forage Baits. Another great bait for the nighttime bass bite will be a spinnerbait in all black with a single spin Colorado blade 3/4 or 1 ounce, cadence slow off points. White bass are biting a black/blue back �½ ounce rattletraps, jigging spoons in 1/2 and 3/4 ounce, or a medium diving crankbait. Kayakers are catching blue and channel catfish near deep water on shallow flats in 1-6 feet of water with a floating cork and split shot. Best baits this week have been punch baits, squid, finger mullet, shrimp, and fresh lake shad. Remember, it is always better to play it safe by telling a loved one or friend the area you will be fishing, how many people are in your party and the expected return time. Good luck and keep casting forward! Report from Master Captain Steve “Scooby” Stubbe, Mudfish Adventures LLC, Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, and Mudfish Custom Rod Shop.
SALTWATER
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 83 degrees. Trout and redfish are good on lake points and cuts where water drains from the bayous flushing shrimp into Sabine Lake using live shrimp under a popping cork. Trout and redfish are good on Sabine Channel rock piles 2-4 feet of water using glo chartreuse 5 inch plastics with a 1/16th ounce jig head. The wind has been too gusty to fish the jetties. Intracoastal Canal to Taylor’s Bayou producing good numbers of redfish, but few slot. ICW to Pleasure Island points if good for trout drifting in 2-4 feet of water on the flats. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 81 degrees. The surf is holding lots of black drum, shark, and some big redfish on cut bait or live on the bottom. The North Jetty Gulf side is holding limits of sheepshead and trout against rocks with an occasional redfish near the end with a popping cork and shrimp. The wreck is holding good numbers of trout on free-line shrimp or croaker close to rocks. Channel side holding some nice trout close and big redfish on the bottom. Sharks are at the end of the jetty on the gulf side. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
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