I was reflecting back this week and was thanking about how I ended up at Oak Cove Marina to run my guide business out of. I believe it was because it reminded me of my little home town of Red Oak, it just feels right!
Just this past week I was cleaning up my camp a little just getting ready for the fast aproaching season, I placed a new flag on my flag pole that a old neighbor had left me years ago now.
I looked around and noticed another old friend has just backed his motorhome in across the way from me, while we were catching up another long time friend walked up he was putting his travel trailer in order and then there was a third getting there little fishing cabin in order.
Each person as you shook there hand for the first time in almost a year and some longer sense the big drought had kept several away last year they would ask how's the family.
It's just the way things are hear at Oak Cove.
Everyday now there is more and more old friends and fishermen along with there families doing the same thing coming into Oak Cove RV park and Marina getting everything set for some really good clean family fun while they catch tons of fish and fill there freezers with the best tasting fish imaginable, and really just reuniting our friendships because after all these years were like a small town or maybe a big family.
There's never a morning I go into Oak Cove that I'm not greeted with a big smile and lots of times a big hug.
When I have time to stick around I may order a really good breakfast, possibly a hamburger, or maybe a fish basket.
For my fishing report this week the water temperature is still hovering around 56 maybe 58 degrees and the water clearing up. Id say the lake is full and in good shape.
Right now most of my fish the Sand Bass and Hybrid Stripers are up Richland and Chambers creek spawning. With good water flowing in the creeks I predict this will be the year of the big spawn and every big lake really depends on a successful spawn and the top notch stocking program that Texas Parks and Wildlife provides.
The last few years TPW have been just amazing in there hybrid stocking efforts and this will be the year we really start seeing the numbers of keeping size Hybrid Striper.
There have been a few reports of sand bass and hybrids caught on the most perfect days but nothing you could count on, I go out a couple times each week and haven't seen anything dependable yet.
Kind of the same thing with the Blue cat, but here's the deal this south wind starts blowing day in and day out and with the nights staying a little warmer we will start finding these fish and catching them.
Cat fishing on Big Richland Chambers is just nothing short of awesomeness.
TPW works untold hours on our catfish population they are on the lake a lot running surveys of how many fish we have. With the slot limit on the Blue Cat we are releasing fish in the 30 to 45 inch range it's putting tons of these fish back in the lake for breeding and there must be a million while fun to catch you depend on the lesser or greater fish to fill your box.
We depend on the wind to point you in the right direction to fish in the spring..
The catfish follow the shad which follow the plankton and larvae along the windy shorelines and the fishing can be incredible when you find the right spot.
Cat fishing can be a little harder than catching Sand bass and Hybrids just because of the challenges of getting the right bait and dropping anchor or tying up to a tree and most folks that don't get to fish a lot have trouble actually setting the hook and thats important.
On the Crappie it kind of takes a Crappie fisherman to catch Crappie it's a light bite and we are usually fishing above a hidden brush pile.
Sand bass and hybrids are more the every mans fish or women's and most importantly kids it's so much fun. The fish almost hook themselves and they fight really hard I rig with what we call a double rig just to give the person a chance to catch two fish at once.
It's Crazy sometimes!
Thank about it,
Your spending time on the lake with someone you care about while making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime, stories will be told by your grand children of the fun they had on that day forever!
I CAN GUARANTEE IT !
I hope you can call quickly to book your trip this spring, my calendar is filling up at a fast pace and I want everyone to experience what I thank will be a Spring for the record books.
To book your trip today call Bob Holmes longest continuous working fishing guide on the lake and still the Striper Lake Record Holder!
214 728 3310
bob@texasfishingguide.net
www.texasfishingguide.net
