Weekly Fishing Report Week of January 3, 2024
Sam Rayburn
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 53 degrees; 7.19 feet below pool. Now until the end of March is a good time to catch big bass. The females will start to move shallow in the next few weeks gearing up for the spawn. Bass are good shallow out to 12 feet of water, with some bass on deeper points using rattletraps and shallow running spinnerbaits, and topwaters early. Crappie are moving to the creek channels stacking up in deeper water. White bass are moving up the river using small rattletraps and roadrunners. Catfish are in the creeks in 12-18 feet of water biting using cut bait, or live minnows. Many sandbars and stumps so navigate with caution. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Large amounts of black bass are offshore, in creek channels or main lake ditches biting Alabama rigs, jigging spoons, dropshots or shaky heads. There is a shallow bite in the early morning and late afternoon on chatterbaits, lipless crankbaits or hybrid hunters. Report by Captain Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.
Toledo Bend
GOOD. Water clear; 57-60 degrees; 4.22 feet below pool. The creeks have cleared and fishing patterns are holding steady as we head into 2024. Bass continue to be good in all three depth stages. Shallow bass are in 2-6 feet of water biting spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and rattletraps. Bass in 10-18 feet of water can be caught using a big crankbait, Texas or Carolina rig worm. Deeper bass can be found in 22-28 feet of water on spoons, dropshots and any kind of deep diving bait. Crappie are good in the bends of creeks in 6-10 feet of water fishing with jigs or minnows. Catfish are slow. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
SALTWATER
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 58 degrees. Sabine Lake is good for redfish drifting tight along the bank keying on mullet in 2-4 feet of water on points, drops and bayous with 3.5 inch soft plastics with a 1/4 ounce jig heads. Trout are in the winter pattern and can be caught drifting with submerged baits in 2-6 feet of water off the bottom with 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jigs on 3.5 or 5.5 inch plastics. Big bull redfish continue to school under the birds. Trout and redfish are biting near Coffee Ground Cove in 2-4 feet of water drifting over shells with live shrimp under a popping cork or plastics. Bessie Heights Marsh produces limits of sheepshead and drum, a few flounder and slot redfish with Carolina rigs with live shrimp in 6-8 feet of water in the cuts. Sheepshead drum and redfish are good in the Neches River rock piles, points and buoys with Carolina rig or popping cork with live shrimp. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 60-65 degrees. Goat Island drains water runoff into the open water, holding redfish and trout on topwaters early and late, soft plastics later. Fish cuts through the intercoastal waterway from goat Island to rollover. Ytes Bayou drains holding redfish on soft plastics and live shrimp under popping cork. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
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