Weekly Fishing Report Week of May 17, 2023
Toledo Bend
GOOD. Water stained; 68-72 degrees; 0.46 feet below pool. The water level is 172.48 with both generators running 24 hours. Water temperature at the dam is 68 degrees. North of the three-mile Pendleton bridge, temperatures have been running 68-72 degrees. Zoom speed craws and creature baits rigged Texas style and a u-tail swimming worm in all white and white with a dipped chartreuse tail have been producing more bass in flooded timber and brush. Some bigger bass have been caught on senkos and flukes in black/blue flake, watermelon red, black/red flake and motor oil colors rigged wacky or Texas style. The spinnerbait bite has been solid this week. Key colors are white/chartreuse, chartreuse/blue, with black/yellow-colored skirts. The frog bite has been good on popping frogs and hollow body frogs at first light and late in the evenings over vegetation. Flyrodders are catching quality bass over vegetation using 8 and 10 weight fly rods. Top flies this week have been a weighted spoon fly black with red glitter, a Stealth Goober, and shad imitation topwater popper fly. The crappie, white bass, yellow bass, catfish and bluegill bite has moved offshore in 15-28 feet of water in the brush piles and creek ledges with standing timber using Wager jigs #1 ghost minnow, #46 blue grass, #3 monkey milk and minnows. 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. With increasing fisherman and boaters enjoying the lake, just remember your boat etiquette. 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.
Sam Rayburn
GOOD. Water stained; 77 degrees; 1.07 feet above pool. Bass are slow with some males still guarding fry. Bass can be caught flipping crankbaits, jigs and soft plastics into buck brush and timber, and the grass lines in 6-12 feet of water. Some fish can be found on secondary points and in 25 feet of water with crankbaits, Carolina or Texas rigged worms. Crappie on brush piles biting minnows and jigs, some fish still spawning shallow. Catfish are fair on the points in creek channels. Sand bass are schooling off main lake points. A ton of bluegills on brush piles. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
SALTWATER
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 78 degrees. Shrimp are gradually moving out of the marshes attracting the trout. Limits of slot trout in the points in the bayous with live shrimp under a popping cork, or long drifts in incoming tides over shell with morning glory chartreuse tails with quarter ounce jig heads. North Levee wall is on fire for limits of trout using topwaters early in the morning, switching midday to live shrimp under a popping cork, swimbaits and crankbaits. Jack crevalle are in the jetties. Channel rock piles and shell flats are good for trout using live shrimp under a popping cork. Channel holding nice flounder staging up on rock piles in outgoing tides quarter ounce jig head tipped with shrimp. Limits of redfish in Bessie Heights Marsh on live mullet and free lining live shrimp. Sheepshead and drum are moving to deeper water in the marsh as the water temperature increases. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 74 degrees. The surf is starting to hold some pompano, small sharks and the occasional redfish. The gulf side of the North Jetty is holding sheepshead and trout against the rocks, look for bait up close to rocks. Channel side holding some nice trout and big redfish on the bottom. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
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