Here are some recent pics and editorial from a few trips over the past few weeks of yak fishing on Lake Texoma. The Striped Bass fishing has been good all year but has turned on to a whole new level over the past week. This pattern should hold up through December as the fish continue to fatten up into deep winter. A great fishery and a blast anytime you get into them�.and even moreso from the kayak. Enjoy:


Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen the daily air temps go from 70�s down to lows in the 20�s and 30�s. The shorts and short sleeves have now been permanently replaced with waders and winter wear. One of the last pics we'll see of anyone in shorts or short sleeves this year.




We�ve been going through a period where the water temp has been cooling almost daily. Currently, it�s consistently at 55 deg or below (I will tell you why that is meaningful later) and continuing its drop. As we started this cooling period, smaller (20� and under) stripers were in great abundance with the ability to easily hook limits with a nice smattering of big fish. The cooling temp triggers the fish to start their big feed in preparation for winter and the fish start gaining significant weight from their lean summer �torpedo � shape. Just as water started cooling, this is what we were catching a lot of and were able to catch multiple daily limits in one outing (of course we did not keep limits) - nice healthy fish but not the size we prefer:

The lake levels are still down about 6 foot and no anticipation of it gaining much in the near term but launches are still easy��..with a yak, you can even use some of the launches no one else can use. This is a launch unusable by boats and a short distance to the islands. Yaks rule.



Over the past week(s), with several very cold fronts coming through and the smaller box fish (20� and under) are now harder to find���.that�s not a bad thing as the bigger fish have come out to play. I follow a lot of the Texoma guide reports and I personally believe we are in a record period for big fish being pulled from Texoma � at least in the time I have been fishing it. Ok, a sampling of some most recent fish pics from the yak:

Not only do the fish have length but the fattening up is working well. The bait (shad) population continues to look very healthy making for good forage. The big fish are VERY thick in the shoulders and starting to get more sow bellied daily. You will find some of the best fighting fish during this time of year IMO � they still have high metabolism and good weight to go with them.



And of course, I can�t show fish pics without showing Adrian�s (yakfinaddic) bruiser from a bit over a month ago � I believe this is the largest yak caught Texoma striper I or my other fishing buds have been privy to. A great catch by a great angler and proud to call him a friend and teammate.



The lures of choice (for me) have been plastics on jig heads. I am a big fan of the .75oz or .50oz head with a 4� cocahoe minnow in glow color. Swim it slower as the water gets colder. Other good choices are the standard sassy shads and the large road runners with trailers- chartreuse is a good color as well. The topwater bite is my favorite way to catch but it went away about a month ago (at least for me). This is a cocahoe � a favorite �go to� swim bait that has been working well:

I love working the shallows and stump fields but the fish have moved out into a bit deeper water recently. Am now finding fish concentrating in deeper water still holding to structure such as submerged stumps, brush piles, points, quick rising bottoms. I still often check the shallows as it is a hard habit to break and you can find the random fish but the odds are higher looking deeper. Here�s a shot of some fish corralling a bait school in 18FOW. This was even midday when fish aren�t supposed to be biting and we got a couple solid fish out of this school before we lost them. When you see this on the screen, you know things are about to get heated.




The graph shot above shows a 57deg water temp but many areas are now 55 and below (surface temp). 55 degrees is kind of �the point� where a method called deadsticking starts becoming effective. Deadsticking is just as unexciting as it sounds until you hook up��you locate fish, drop a fluke with special jighead (deadhead) down on them, hold it still or light jigging and usually that�s all it takes other than setting the hook and listening to the drag scream. This becomes even more effective as water gets colder and the fish are less willing to chase down their bait. I have used this technique on my last few trips and the fish are starting to accept it. However, they are still so aggressive they are tearing up the flukes used in this method. I still prefer to cast to fish but you need to add deadsticking to your methods as we get later into the winter � likewise, it�s a good technique when you are sitting direct on fish and cannot easily swim a bait to them. Here is a �one fish� fluke taken by a 30�+ striper:

In summary, the Texoma striper fishery is in great shape and looking forward to it continuing through the winter. If interested in seeing what Texoma has to offer, there are always a number of us who fish together who can help you get rigged, find fish and learn techniques.
Every day is not a guarantee � this is still called fishing but the odds of tying into quality fish is as good as it gets IMO. But even on the off days, Texoma has a lot to offer. We have witnessed bald eagles and ospreys fishing, deer, gulls, pelicans, ducks, great water, variety of shoreline from large boulders/rocks to sandy beaches�.. and just a generally beautiful setting to be in.








Hope you enjoyed.

I really want to make a trip up to texoma to fish for blue cats and stripers! This report is just one of the reasons!

Outstanding Roger and Adrian! Heck of report and awfully generous with the information!! Water temps in my neck of the woods have been at least 10 degrees cooler and I'm quite a ways further south! Great pics, sure wish I was closer to big tex. Any smallies lately? You definitely have a great fishery and obviously know it well.

Nice report!

Great report and thanks for sharing. I have been speaking with Adrian and hope to get out to Texoma with you guys real soon.

That's awesome! I haven't been striper fishing in years.

Great report Roger. I need to get out there soon. I'm ready for dead stick.

Nice report Roger! Those were some really nice pics of the striper you have been catching.

Good stuff Roger. I'm looking for some of that action in the morning!

Man thanks for all that info Roger!

Awesome Post. Thanks for sharing.