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February 5, 2010

2/5 The East Texas Fishing Report

Matt Williams The Athens Review

Athens — ATHENS — Lake Athens is five-inches high and stained. Water temp is in the low 40s.

Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina said bass fishing has been good on drop shots soaked around schools of shad in 20-25 feet of water. Some anglers reporting are up to 75 fish per day, but most are small, 1-2 pounds. Hanson predicts a shallower bite towards the end of the week as surface temperatures warm.

Crappie are fair on live shiners soaked around brush piles in 15 feet of water. Keepers are hard to come by.

CEDAR CREEK — The lake is six inches high and stained. Water temp is in the low 40s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber says the big blue cats are on the prowl. He suggests bottom fishing in  3-6 feet of water at the lake's north end using cut shad. Down south, Barber is catching fish drifting shad over channel swings and main lake humps.

Barber says schools of white bass and hybrids are gravitating towards the mouths of creeks, but working swim baits over deeper structure in 18-35 feet of water has been the most reliable.

Crappie anglers are plucking partial limits off brush piles staged along main lake drops and off deeper docks in 8-15 feet of water. Bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and jigs fished slowly around brushy docks on secondary points in 4-10 feet of water.

PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is six inches high and stained up the river, clear down south. Water temp is in the low 40s.

Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff says all fishing has been major tough since the last week's front. The guide looks for the bite to improve with the next warming trend.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is 14 inches high and stained up the creeks. Water temp is in the upper 40s.

Larry Winters at Midway Landing said bass fishing has been very slow. Big spinnerbaits and jigs worked very slowly along channel breaks in six feet of water have been producing a few fish to 3 1/2 pounds.

Catfish are fair. No limits reported. The better reports are coming in 10-15 feet of water near channel breaks, mainly on shad and punch bait.

Crappie and white bass are slow.

FORK — Lake Fork is about three-inches high and clear. Water temp is in the low 50s.

Fishing guide Gary Paris said bass fishing has been tough. A few fish up to four pounds are taking Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits worked around main lake grass beds and channel breaks in 4-8 feet of water. Paris said plenty of fish are gravitating towards the shallows. Senkos and Flukes are producing in the same areas.

Crappie are fair on live shiners soaked on points in 35-45 feet of water. Not many limits reported. Catfish are good over baited holes in 18-22 feet of water.

SAM RAYBURN — The lake is about two feet low and stained up north. Water temp is in the low-to-mid 50s.

Bass fishing has been tough. A 17-pound sack won the Media Super Team tournament over the weekend. The weights dropped off to 11 pounds from there. Best reports are coming on Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and Senkos fished around scattered grassbeds in 3-12 feet of water.

— Matt Williams

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