5/12 The East Texas Fishing Report

Matt Williams The Athens Review

ATHENS — ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal pool and clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.

Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina said bass fishing has been good. Topwaters are producing hits in shallow water early and late, then switching to Texas and Carolina rigs and crankbaits during the midday hours. Best depth is 12-15 feet.

Crappie fishing is excellent. Hanson is seeing lots of limits around brush piles in 20 feet of water, mainly on minnows. Catfish are good to 10 pounds on shad, punch and night crawlers fished beneath a cork in shallow water.

CEDAR CREEK — The lake is at normal level and stained. Water temp is in the low 70s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber said catfishing has been good on cut shad soaked on windy points and shorelines in water ranging 2-5 feet. Concrete retaining walls also are holding good numbers.

Black bass are fair on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics worked around docks and shallow brush, 2-5 feet.

Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Docks with brush in 10-12 feet of water are holding fair numbers, but the better bite has been coming around rip rap in 1-5 feet of water.

 White bass and hyrbids are running in mixed packs over shallow points.

PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is at full pool and clear. Water temp is running 71-75 degrees.

Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff said bass fishing is good to six pounds on Texas rig worms and crankbaits tossed around docks in 4-6 feet of water and on main lake points. A few fish busting frogs up north.

Crappie are good around brush piles in 8-14 feet, mainly on jigs tipped with Mr. Minnows. White bass have picked up on main lake points in 2-6 feet of water. Cranks and spoons are producing limits.

Catfish are good on punch bait soaked in shallow water, about four-feet deep.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS — The lake is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.

Larry Winters at Midway Landing said catfish are good in shallow water, 1-5 feet of water. Punch bait and shad are the tickets for limits of blues in the 1-5 pound  range.

Black bass are fair in 1-4 feet of water using lizards, Carolina rigs and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on live shiners fished around brush, stumps and grassy shorelines.

White bass are schooling, but high wind has made for tough fishing. A few hybrids are in the mix.

NACOGDOCHES — The lake is about six inches low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.

Bass are fair to six pounds on swimbaits, Texas rig plastics and wacky worms worked in relation to deeper grass in 8-12 feet of water. A few fish hitting topwaters and frogs fished around shallow pads near channel breaks.

Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows fished around brush piles in 12-25 feet of water.

FORK — Lake Fork is a few inches above full pool and fairly clear. Water temp is in the low 70s.

Chris Parker at the Minnow Bucket says bass fishermen are reporting good results, mostly in shallow water, 1-5 feet. Lots of fish still on beds. A 10.53 pounder was the biggest fish reported over the weekend. Best bite has been coming on weightless Flukes, Senkos and Rattlesnakes. Shallow cranks and swimbaits also are producing fish. Parker said there also are some fish showing up in 12-15 of water that are hitting DD22s and Carolina rigs.

Crappie are good under the 515 bridges, suspended at 15-20 feet. Brush piles and boat docks with brush also are holding fish. Catfish are good on night crawlers fished in shallow water.

TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is about 18 inches low and stained. Water temp is in the low 70s.

Fishing guide Stephen Johnston said bass fishing has been good to five pounds using soft jerkbaits and wacky worms over the tops of grass in 3-7 feet of water. Buzz baits and topwaters are working in the same areas under overcast skies. Johnston says there also are some fish holding along outside grass edges in 8-10 feet of water.

Johnston said crappie are scattered between shallow and mid-range depths at the south end of the lake. The bite is slow up north, according to Rhonda Shivley at Bill's Landing.

Shivley said catfishing is excellent on trotline tipped with cut bait and live perch. Lots of blues in the 3-7 pound range; several fish up to 55 pounds reported.

PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is at normal level and stained. Water temp is the low 70s.

Bass to six pounds are taking swim baits, wacky worms and Senkos bumped along outside grass edges in 6-8 feet of water.

Crappie are good on small jigs worked around hydrilla, but keeper fish are hard to come by.

SAM RAYBURN — The lake is a few inches low and falling slowly. Water temp is in the mid-70s.

Fishing guide Tommy Martin said bass are fair to eight pounds soft jerkbaits, wacky worms and light Texas rigs fished around scattered hydrilla, pepper grass and lily pads. Martin says there also are a few fish busting Zara Spooks worked in the same areas.

Crappie are fair on live shiners and jigs fished around outside grass edges and brush piles in 12-18 feet of water. Limits are scarce. Lot of catfish working the shallows. Noodlers and rod and reelers are boxing limits of channels using punch bait, cut bait and shad.

— Matt Williams

Text Only