WOW….we have had some weather the past few weeks First the Lake was over pool by two feet with water being released to bring the level back to the current level of just slightly over pool at 201.19. Then the cold fronts hit and dropped the surface temperature to the low 50’s. The North end of the Lake is still pretty muddy from all the rain, with the South end beginning to clear except in the river channel.
Weather
Ask any serious angler and he or she will tell you how important water temperature is to their fishing success. They know that temperature often determines the actual depth and location for fish to be found and once located, they know water temperature can have a tremendous influence on a fish’s appetite and behavior. Even a difference of one or two degrees can determine whether or not a fish will bite and we have had a drop of as much 6 degrees over the past two weeks. Fish are cold-blooded. This means that their temperature is approximately the same as their surroundings. And since fish take on the surrounding temperature, they cannot tolerate rapid changes in temperature.
Good video on season changes by Doug Hannon.
White Bass and Hybrid/Striped Bass
White Bass and Hybrids have also been scattered; but, some fair catches have been coming in for those fishermen fishing humps on the mail Lake and the deep side of drop offs along sandbars and extended points out into the main Lake. Both the Whites and Hybrids have been pushing shad up into the shallows on the main Lake late in the evening and even after dark this past week. Trolling PetSpoons behind a deep diving crank bait has worked for some fishermen; but, the majority are using jigging spoons and working back and forth over fish they have marked with their electronics. Several good catches of hybrids have been reported using live bait.
Catfish
Catfish fishing continues to be excellent. The fish have just moved to deeper water and are not near as aggressive with the cooler water temperature. Most of the catfish fishermen are finding baited holes in 28 to 32 feet of water along creeks and the river channel where there is running water deep. Some good catches have also been reported from many of the deep Marinas around the Lake. Liver, shrimp dipped in “CatfishKiller Cheese Bait” and Premo that has been diluted down with menhaden oil seem to be the baits of choice. Weather conditions have been such that we have not had very many jug fishermen on the Lake the past few days.
Bass
Fishing has been tough for Black Bass with several tournament winners taking home the money with one or two fish. The fish being caught are in deeper water near the edges of grass beds using Texas-rigged watermelon red worms and plum/blue worms, chartreuse & white spinnerbaits, shad colored crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Most fishermen are working all of their brush with an occasional fish on each spot that is near a main Lake point. There is a bait that looks strange; but, several are using it in the grass. It is the 7/16 oz. Terminator tungsten spinnerbait. It can be used both as a spinner bait or run over the top of the grass like a lunker lure. Check it out at their website: (www.terminatorlures.com.)
Crappie
Crappie have been fair on minnows in brush piles in 18 to 22 feet of water. There are lots of fish that are just under the legal size limit; but a nice slab hooks up every once in awhile. Several fishermen that could stand the cold and wind under the 1097 Bridge have also reported good catches.
Water levels, river flow and rainfall can all be view by visiting the San Jacinto River Authority website at: http://www.sjra.net/
What’s Next?
The weatherman seems to think we are going to have some warmer days ahead with lots of sunshine for the end of January and the first of February. The Lake has leveled off near pool and the release should stop in the next few days. What does this all mean? The fishing should improve dramatically.
Keep A Tight Line And Enjoy!!!
Papa John - Anchorage Marina |
