East Texas Fishing Report

By Matt Williams Outdoors Writer

January 06, 2009 09:35 am

— The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of Jan. 4:
ATHENS — Lake Athens is about seven inches low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s, upper 40s.
Bass fishermen are picking up fair numbers of slot fish to six pounds using crawfish pattern Rat-L-Traps and Texas rig plastics worked along outside grass edges in 6-8 feet of water.
Charles Spearman at Lake Athens Marina said crappie are stacked around deep brush piles in 20-30 feet of water. Limits are steady on live shiners.
CEDAR CREEK — The water level is about three feet below normal pool and stained. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber is picking up a few quality bass using jigs and crankbaits around rip raft and deeper boat docks doctored with brush. Barber says fishing ultra slow is the main key to getting bit.
Crappie fishing has been fair on live shiners fished vertical around main lake brush piles and around some of the deeper boat docks.
White bass and hybrids are running in mixed packs at suspended depths on the main lake. Barber is collecting steady limits using Sassy Shads and jigs.
Catfish are good on cut shad fished Carolina style under cormorant roosts at the lake's upper end and along windy shorelines and points. Some quality blues also taking cut bait drifted over main lake humps and creeks.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about three inches low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s, upper 40s. Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff is picking up keepers around docks with brush in 4-6 feet of water, and along creek channels up north. The fish are relating to stumps. Black/blue jigs are working best.
Crappie anglers are reporting steady limits at the Highway 155 bridge crossing. Vandergriff said the are suspended around the second cross member in 20 feet of water.
Vandergriff said jug liners and trotliners are picking up blues and ops to 40 pounds on live perch. White bass and hybrids are schooling early near the dam and taking chrome Rat-L-Traps.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 4 1/2 feet low and stained. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said catfishing has been good on rod and reel using punch bait, shad and shrimp in 10-18 feet of water. Jug line activity as been very light.
Bass fishermen are picking up a few keepers on spinners, jigs and crankbaits worked along creeks. The fish are holding in 3-5 feet of water and relating predominantly to wood.
White bass and crappie are slow.
FORK — Lake Fork is about six inches low and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s, upper 40s.
Fishing guide Gary Paris said bass fishing has been good to six pounds on crawfish pattern Rat-L-Traps and medium-diving crankbaits fished around scattered grassbeds in 4-8 feet of water. The better quality fish are taking jigs, Carolina rigs and swim baits worked on main lake ridges and roadbeds in 18-25 feet of water.
Crappie fishing has been excellent over deep, main lake points around the dam. Limits are plentiful. Catfish are good on punch bait fished on bottom in 12-18 feet of water and on chicken gizzards tossed beneath cormorant roosts over 20-28 feet of water.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about two feet low and clear. Water temp is in the mid-50s.
Bass are fair to three pounds on shad and crawfish pattern crankbaits. A few also taking Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits. Best bite has been around shallow grass in 2-6 feet of water. Not much happening in deeper water.
Crappie are fair on live shiners soaked around deep brush piles near the dam and on main lake points.
TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend about 3.8 feet low and stained to clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Bass fishing has been fair to five pounds on deep cranks and heavy spinnerbaits worked slowly along outside grass edges in 15-20 feet of water. The better numbers are still coming on spoons and drop shot plastics, according to fishing guide Stephen Johnston of Hemphill. Johnston said the fish are hanging around clouds of shad in 27-34 feet of water.
— Matt Williams