Here is the fishing report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the week of Jan. 28:
FAIR. 46 degrees; 5.49 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in 25-35 feet with minnows. Report by Randy Britton, The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.41 feet below pool. Expect fish to push deeper and the bite slow due to the weather. Bass should be offshore biting Carolina rigs, jerkbaits or small swimbaits. Crappie will be scattered.
SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 3.05 feet below pool. Black bass to 10.20 pounds are good stroking a creature bait, in Lone Star Disco color, on the ledges in 15-18 feet of water. Shallow bass can be caught with crankbaits on the rocks and docks and Alabama rigs around main lake pockets and points suspended. Crappie are fair to 12 inches on minnows and white and chartreuse or shad colored jigs. Target main lake scattered brush piles in 11 feet of water or shoot under docks in 18-22 feet of water with jigs. White bass are slow to 1.5 pounds on crankbaits scattered around the main lake. Catfish are slow on minnows and on jug lines with cut shad or perch in the main lake docks and drains.
SLOW. Water stained; 53 degrees; 2.59 feet below pool. Striper bite has slowed down on live bait with the winds mixing up the water column and sending cool water deeper. Historically after a big cool spell like we have just had there could be a good trolling bite 20-40 feet water depths. Jigging spoon or deadsticking soft plastics 30-50 feet of water will be the best bet for striper and white bass. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. The winter weather may disrupt the fishing patterns, so expect patterns to emerge in the coming weeks. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service. Crappie should bunch up in deeper water. Crappie are fair in standing timber suspended 25-30 feet down with minnows. Blue catfish are good in 25-30 feet of water on midlake points with cut shad. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 47 degrees; 3.38 feet below pool. Catfish should be shallow biting shad. Bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
GOOD. Water stained; 48 degrees; 5.57 feet below pool. After the freeze there may be a shad kill which will bring catfish shallow to feed. Catfish should be shallow on fresh cut shad. Hybrids should be in 25-50 feet of water trolling or with live bait. Crappie are in 12-20 feet of water on structure with minnows and jigs. Report by Big Country Guide Service.
SLOW. Water Stained; 47 degrees; 14.53 feet below pool. Catfish should be shallow biting shad. Bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
SLOW. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.88 feet below pool. Based on past cold snaps, expect the Arctic blast to push bass more firmly into true winter patterns. Fish should concentrate tighter to bait, especially on deeper structure, ledges, and channel-related areas. Open-water fish that were roaming ahead of the front will likely continue to do so, but may just hold lower in the water column. Umbrella rigs, drop-shots, football jigs, and slower mid-strolling presentations should become some of the key players. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.95 feet below pool. Expect the bite to slow but return to the same pattern when conditions stabilize. Bass are fair flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-5 feet of water. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. Bass are holding back in the shade around heavy cover to escape the sunlight. Early morning and late evening topwater is also effective for targeting bass. Baitfish are in the backs of pockets and upriver with the bass close behind. It is important to slow down your retrieve during the winter months because the fish are more lethargic due to the colder water temperatures. Crappie are fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
SLOW. Water stained; 48 degrees; 32.08 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 19.61 feet below pool. Expect bass to group up off the bottom under cover this weekend. With the full moon anticipate quality fish over quantity because the bigger bass should bite. Before the Arctic blast largemouth bass were good for catches up to 7 pounds. A 13 pound bass caught with a shaky head minnow. Target bass in 8-25 feet of water on river channel ledges, long tapering points close to deep water and outside Creek Bends. Use Alabama rigs, swimbaits or jerkbaits. Most success with shad patterns but some fish being reported on green pumpkin worms Texas rigged or on Shaky Head. No crappie report. White bass have been good on jigging spoons, small minnow style baits and crankbaits in the middle of the river channels and 25-35 feet of water. A lot of these white bass are up to 2.5 pounds. Some catfish being reported up river on rod-and-reel with chicken liver, cut shad, and cheese bait. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 48 degrees; 22.88 feet below pool. Crappie are on brush and roaming open water with jigs or minnows. Bass are slow with soft plastics in deeper water.
GOOD. Water stained; 48 degrees; 2.69 feet below pool. Expect the fishing patterns to be off for the next week or after the recent Arctic blast. Stripers are fair in 30-40 feet of water with live bait out performing artificial lures. Sand bass are fair in 30-35 feet of water on main lake points and sand flats. White is the best color but chrome is also catching a few. Throw in a few chartreuse lures to change it up and give the fish something different every now and then for best results. Catfish are fair to good with cut shad or live shad in 25-35 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Bass have been steady in deep water around structure in 40-50 feet of water on live bait but can probably be targeted with deep water baits and deadsticking methods. Bonus rainbow trout below Possum Kingdom Lake Dam at the Hwy 16 Bridge. This is a light tackle fishery so bring your extra light tackle or flys for best results. Use baits like Powerbait in orange or chartreuse colors or whole kernel corn hooked on a very small hook with a light punch bait 12-18 inch above the bait. They will also sometimes hit small jerky baits but dough baits seem to be the best bet. Cast them out and let them sit for best results. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. .
FAIR. Water stained; 49 degrees; 2.86 feet below pool. The water temperature is in the 40s, so expect the fish to group up in deep channels in 22-24 feet of water. There may be a shad kill due to the cold water temperatures. This should bring catfish shallow to feed, and look for bird activity. Catfish may be caught on. Shad colored lures for hybrid should also be great. Follow the birds feeding on all the Shad. Report Juan Tienda, local angler.
FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 51.68 feet below pool. Expect this cold front to push fish to deeper water in search of stable water temperatures. Fish will suspend off the bottom, and stack up in channels. Channel catfish are fair on punch and fresh cut bait in deeper water. Blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait in deep water on flats and channels. On sunny days big blue catfish can be caught on shallow flats. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 47 degrees; 35.72 feet below pool. Expect this cold front to push fish to deeper water in search of stable water temperatures. Fish will suspend off the bottom, and stack up in channels. However, blue catfish will be shallow in 4-15 feet of water biting fresh cut bait. Start the hunt in 15 feet of water. Channel catfish are slow on punch and fresh cut bait in deeper water. Crappie are slow on live minnows and jigs on brush. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
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