East Texas Fishing Report

By Matt Williams

August 12, 2008 09:08 am

— The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of Aug. 10:
ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.
Jerry Spearman at Lake Athens Marina said bass fishing has been fair to four pounds. Anglers are picking up good numbers of slot fish using Texas rig worms in 10-15 feet water. Some schooling activity reported during midday hours, but most of the fish are small.
Crappie anglers are picking up steady limits over deep brush piles in 20-22 feet of water using minnows. Spearman said night fishermen are faring best.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is about 15 inches below full pool and slightly stained. Surface temps are ranging in the upper 80s, low 90s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber says fishing deep is the ticket for largemouths, crappie, white bass, catfish and hybrids, alike.
For largemouths, the guide suggests working deeper docks or main lake points with brush using a big bill crankbait or Carolina rig plastic. Barber said there are also some fish hanging around main lake humps in water ranging 15-30 feet deep.
White bass and hybrids are running in gangs around main lake humps in 15-30 feet of water. Barber is relying on swim baits, slabs and live bait to box limits. The bite is best early and late. Catfish are hanging around the same areas. Most of the better fish are coming on shad or cut perch.
Crappie fishing has been fair on minnows and jigs. Barber said the fish are holding around bridge pilings in water ranging 15-25 feet deep.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about two feet low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said crappie fishing has been good in 18-30 feet of water in standing timber. The fish are suspended 10-20 feet down and hitting minnows. Best bite has been during the heat of the day.
White bass are schooling early and late, but the better catches are coming during the middle of the day when the fish are bunched on main lake points in 15-25 feet of water.
Largemouth bass are slow. A few fish reported early, but no size to speak of. The better fish are coming on Carolina rigs dragged on pond dams and other main lake structure during the middle of the day.
Winters said catfish are slow. Rod and reelers are picking up partial limits on bottom in 12-18 feet of water, mostly on punch bait. Jug liners are reporting blue cat to 30 pounds using gold fish.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about normal level and slightly stained. Water temp is in the upper 80s.
Bass fishing has been fair, according to Josh Meadows at Porter's Sporting Goods. Meadows said anglers are faring best using topwaters early and late around shallow grass. Jigs and plastics pitched along channel breaks are producing some quality fish, according to fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff.
Crappie are fair in 15-20 feet of water. Most anglers are using minnows and targeting brush. Catfish are good on Danny King's punch bait. Best results are coming in 15-25 feet of water around brush piles.
Meadows said white bass are slow.
FORK — Lake Fork is about two inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.
Fishing guide Brooks Rogers said bass fishing has been fair. Light Texas rig worms worked in 8-12 feet of water have been good for some solid fish up to four pounds. A few fish taking topwaters early and late.
TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is about 3 1/2 feet below normal and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s, low 90s.
Bass are good to four pounds using Texas rig plastics and shad pattern deep and medium-diving cranks around points, humps, roadbeds and ridges in water ranging 10-14 feet. Fishing guide Tommy Martin said there has been a lot of schooling activity over these areas during the midday hours, but the better fish seem to be suspended or relating to bottom. The grass bite has been fair in 12-14 feet of water down south.
— Matt Williams