East Texas Fishing Report

By Matt Williams Outdoor Writer

November 11, 2008 12:08 pm

— The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of Nov. 9:
CEDAR CREEK — Cedar Creek is about 2 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Surface temps are ranging in the low-to-mid-60s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber said lighted boat houses are still producing good results with plenty of sand bass, hybrids and largemouths showing up in angler creels. Barber said the fish are taking assorted baits including lipless crankbaits and Sassy Shads.
Crappie anglers are picking up partial limits around marinas and boat docks with brush. Some decent catches also have been reported around some of the bridge crossings, mainly on minnows. Barber says catfishermen taking limits early and late using fresh shad and punch on humps and points in shallow water. Drift fishing in deeper water is the ticket at midday.
Bass anglers are reporting good results around boat docks with brush, mainly on jigs, spinnerbaits and cranks.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 3 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 60s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said fishing traffic has been very light. Bass fishermen are picking a few small fish around shallow grass using buzz baits, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits.
Catfishermen are making some good hauls on jug lines tipped with cut shad. Several blues in the 10-15 pound range reported; most fish are in the five-pound range. Rod and reel traffic has been sparse.
Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on slabs bounced off bottom in 20-25 feet water, mostly on humps and points.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is eight inches low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the mid-60s.
Greg Porter at Porter's Sporting Goods said bass anglers are reporting good numbers of fish on shaky heads at the north end of the lake in Flat Creek. The better quality fish are coming on jigs and Texas rigs pitched to stumps lining channel breaks. Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff said he is picking up a few fish on black/brown/amber jigs pitched around boat docks with brush in about 10 feet of water.
Porter says crappie fishermen are picking up limits at the Highway 155 bridge, mainly on minnows. The fish are suspended about 20 feet down. Brush piles in 18-20 feet are holding concentrations of fish as well.
Catfish are good on punch bait and night crawlers soaked on points near deeper water and in standing timber 12-15 feet deep.
White bass are slow.
FORK — Lake Fork is eight inches low and clear. Water temp is in the mid-60s.
Fishing guide Gary Paris said bass fishing has been good to three pounds on spinnerbaits, wacky worms, Flukes and topwaters worked in 2-4 feet of water around grass. A few fish also taking spoons in 25-30 feet of water. Jigs cast to outside grass edges are producing some solid fish as well.
Crappie fishermen are collecting limits around bridge cross members in 20 feet of water. Early morning bite has been best. Paris said some concentrations of fish are beginning to show up on deeper points near the dam.
Catfish are good on chicken gizzards tossed to cormorant roosts in 20-25 feet of water. Punch bait has been effective on main lake points and stump flats in 4-8 feet of water.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about 2 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 60s.
Bass fishing has been fair to eight pounds on shallow diving crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, wacky worms and weightless Flukes worked around scattered clumps of hydrilla in 4-6 feet water. Light Texas rigs producing a few fish around submerged grass 7-10 feet deep.
No report on crappie. Not many fishermen out.
SAM RAYBURN — Sam Rayburn is about 7 1/2 feet low and clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 60s.
Ann Thomasson-Wilson at Ann's Tackle said bass fishing has been good to nine pounds on Rat-L-Traps fish in about six feet of water around scattered hydrilla. Chug Bugs, Pop Rs, Senkos, Dead Ringers and Speed Worms in a green pumpkin pattern are working in the same areas.
Wilson said crappie fishing has been slow. The best results are coming on chartreuse/red jigs fished in relation to deep brush piles.
TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is 4 1/2 feet low and clear. Water temp is in the mid-60s.
Charlie Shively at Bill's Landing said crappie fishing has been good when the wind allows. Best bite has been on jigs and minnows fished along the edges of the Sabine River in 12-20 feet of water. Tenaha Creek also has been holding good concentrations of fish.
Bass fishing has been good to four pounds on jigs and Texas rig worms worked along the edges of the creeks. Shively said the fish have been holding tight to stumps in about 6-8 feet of water.
Catfish are good on rod and reel, stump hooks and trotlines. Hand lining is best along the edges of the river and up Tenaha Creek. Best bite has been in about 12 feet of water.
— Matt Williams