San Antonio Express-News

FISHING REPORT

- BRAUNIG

The weekly fishing report is compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

FRESHWATER

BASTROP: SLOW. Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; Largemouth bass are slow fishing cranks and soft baits near creeks, rocks, and brush. Crappie are slow on minnows in brush piles and standing timber in 14-25’. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cut bait, punch bait. BELTON: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 51 Degrees; 0.71 low. Black bass are fair near rocky shorelines, timber edges, and channel drop-offs on jigs, A-rigs, and crankbaits. White bass are fair on the main lake points, channels, and drop-offs with flutter spoons, slabs, and swimbaits in 3545’. Hybrid stripers are fair with live bait and swimbaits in the main lake from 25-40’. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs in brush piles, timber on or near a drop-off, and deep creek beds. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 56-58 degrees; Largemouth bass are good and continue to be hot with plastic worms, spinners, and jigs hitting. Striped bass are fair surface feeding. Red drum are fair surface feeding similar to stripers. Catfish are good on live bait and cheese bait.

BROWNWOOD: FAIR. Water stained; 46 degrees; 2.98 low. Largemouth bass are slow with crankbaits and jigs near creeks. Crappie are fair on minnows in brush piles and timber edges near a creek channel or drop-off. White bass and hybrids are fair on slabs and swimbaits in the creeks. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait in 15-25’ near baited areas.

BUCHANAN: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 6.79 low. Largemouth bass are fair with football jigs, medium diving crankbaits, and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Striped bass are fair along the river channel with live bait and swimbaits. White bass are fair on silver slabs and swimbaits near drop-offs, humps, and creeks. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs in 15-25’ fishing timber and brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait. Blue cats are good on cut bait.

CALAVERAS: FAIR. Water stained; 65-69 degrees; Red drum are fair starting their season slow on live bait. Black bass are good, and it’s shallow water fishing time. Use soft plastics and small, fast spinners. Hybrid striped bass are fair on rattletrap­s moving mid-lake. Catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers, and cut shad.

CANYON LAKE: GOOD. Water clear; 51 degrees; 5.68 low. Striper fishing is good along the river channel with live bait, swimbaits, and jigging spoons. White bass are fair on humps, flats, and ridges with slabs and creeks with small swimbaits and rooster tails. Largemouth bass are fair with jigs and plastic worms near points, timber, and rock piles. Smallmouth bass are fair on small swimbaits, plastic grubs, and small cranks in 5-15’ along rock ledges and steep rocky shorelines. Catfish are good with prepared baits and cut bait. Crappie are fair with live minnows near timber in 18-30’.

CHOKE CANYON: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 64-67 degrees; 22.66’ low. Largemouth bass are good fishing shallow and wooded areas in the Frio on jigs, plastic worms, and crankbait. White bass are fair, moving close to creeks and some mid-depth coves with small crankbaits and plastics. Catfish are consistent­ly good on larger live bait, cut baits, and stinkbait.

FALCON: GOOD. Water lightly stained north and clear south; 68 degrees; 39.34’ low. We are fully back in a strong spawn for largemouth­s, and the lake continued returning to water temps that promote activity. Black bass are good, and all fish have been in spawn, making sure that this month will be the best of the year at Falcon. It’s best to fish shallow trees and very shallow brush casting into the banks and shallow coves with shaky heads, soft plastics, and senokos. Crappie are good in hardwoods and over shallow brush, moving towards creeks and coves on big jigs. Catfish are excellent working creek points using live bait and stinky bait. Remember to stay on the Texas side unless you possess a Mexican Fishing License.

GRANGER FAIR. Water stained; 44 degrees; 0.33 high. Black bass are slow on crankbaits, spinners, and skirted jigs near rocky shorelines, brushy creeks, and timber in 1530’. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs on brush piles and timber near a drop-off in 14-28’. White bass are fair slabs in 25-35’ near lake channels, flats, and drop-offs. Catfish are fair on punch bait. Yellow cats are slow.

LBJ SLOW. Water lightly stained; 43 degrees; 0.73 low. Black bass are slow on shaky heads, jerk baits, jigs, and crankbaits worked near brush, main lake points, and rock ledges. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs around brush piles, rock ledges, and docks. White bass are fair over main humps and creeks with jigging spoons and slabs. Catfish are slow on punch bait and cut bait in 14-28’ in baited areas.

STILLHOUSE: SLOW. Water lightly stained; 44 degrees; 0.53 high. Black bass are slow on spinners, skirted jigs and crankbaits working creeks, brush piles, ledges and points. Smallmouth bass are slow with small jigs and plastic grubs near rocky shorelines, creek ledges, and drop-offs. Crappie are slow on minnows in brush piles and standing timber in 14-28’. White bass are slow on slabs off main lake ridges, humps, drop-offs, and along the dam. Channel catfish are fair with punch bait. Blue cats are fair with cut bait.

TRAVIS FAIR. Water clear; 51 degrees; 22.05 low. Largemouth bass are fair with crankbaits, skirted jigs, soft swimbaits, and Texas-rigged plastic worms near deep bluffs and channel ledges. White bass are fair with slabs working main lake channel, drop-offs, and creeks. Trolling is fair with swimbaits and small crankbaits. Striper action along the main river channel is fair with live bait and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows in 15-35’ near docks, brush piles, and rock ledges. Catfish are slow on cut bait and prepared baits in 18-35’.

WALTER E. LONG SLOW. Water lightly stained; 45 degrees; Largemouth bass are slow on drop shots, crankbaits, and jigs near timber, creek ledges, and brushy shorelines. Hybrid stripers are fair with live bait. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs in 14-28’ near brush piles and timber. Catfish are slow on cut bait and live bait. Sunfish are slow.

SALTWATER

BAFFIN BAY: FAIR. 66 degrees. Fishing for speckled trout and redfish will be in shallow water, less than a foot where it is warmest. Black drum are fair in the deeper water transition­s on shrimp. Please consider catch and release or hold off for the time being to help the fisheries recover until we can adequately assess.

CORPUS CHRISTI: POOR. 59 degrees. The assessment is ongoing to determine the effect of the freeze and the extent of fish killed. Catch and release is encouraged in this area for the time being to help the fish recover.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: POOR. 59 degrees. Speckled trout are around the ICW on mullet. There are some signs of a black drum run. Use dead shrimp or cut mullet and stay in the deeper water.

PORT ARANSAS: FAIR. 69 degrees. The assessment is ongoing to determine the effect of the freeze. For now, there is some luck with black drum on mullet or shrimp in the deeper water, and speckled trout and redfish may be found around the jetty on mullet or shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: FAIR. 66 degrees. There are some black drum in the deeper water where it is warmest on shrimp or mullet. Speckled trout and redfish may be found around the jetties and are good on shrimp or mullet.

PORT MANSFIELD: POOR. 70 degrees. After the freezing conditions that devastated our fisheries, it looks like the speckled trout were affected the most, with almost no sign of them after a few days out on the water. Redfish seem to have faired a little better but are still affected. If there was ever a time to practice catch and release, it is now. Keep a few to eat and release the rest.

PORT O’CONNOR: POOR. 57 degrees. There is a large number of dead baitfish due to the weather events of last week. The assessment is still ongoing regarding the extent of the fish kill. Initial assessment­s indicate the majority of fish impacted were non-recreation­al species. Please consider catch and release at this time.

ROCKPORT: POOR. 65 degrees. Black drum can be found on the bulkhead and are good on shrimp. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good on shrimp or mullet if you can find it.

STILLHOUSE: SLOW. Water clear; 43 degrees; 0.55 high. Black bass are fair on finesse jigs, and A-rigs working creeks, brush piles, ledges and points. Smallmouth bass are fair with small jigs and plastic grubs near rocky shorelines, creek ledges, and drop-offs. Crappie are slow on minnows in brush piles and standing timber in 14-28’. White bass are slow on slabs off main lake ridges, humps, drop-offs, and along the dam. Channel catfish are fair with punch bait. Blue cats are fair with cut bait.

SOUTH PADRE: FAIR. 61 degrees. There may be some black drum in the deeper water where it is warmest. Use dead shrimp or mullet. Speckled trout and redfish are around the jetties when using live baits.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: POOR. 59 degrees. Redfish and black drum are around the reefs on live shrimp under a popping cork. Speckled trout are a little harder to find due to the recent weather conditions but look in the deeper water and use mullet or shrimp.

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