I bet the crappie are there. I questioned the local biologist about the crappie population in Martin Creek Lake and got the same answer (almost word for word) that ChuChu1 just quoted. It took awhile to locate them but I have caught many limits out of Martin over the last couple years. Give it a try.

I have fished Fayette since it opened. I sat in line when they would only allow so many boats on the lake. One would leave, one could go in. We caught crappie at first, then they started going down in numbers and harder to find. Around 1990, it was declared a crappie wasteland, you might catch three or four. Even the biologists said they did not spawn and the only fish in the lake are the ones they stocked. TP&W stocked crappie again in the mid 1990's but that didn't help, the crappie were just gone. At that time the biologists concluded the bass ate the crappie fry almost as soon as they were released. Maybe a few survived, but it's doubtful. Someone would have bragged about catching crappie if they had.

Catfish have followed the same route. In the early 2000's it was easy to go and catch a limit by 10:00 am. But as the years rolled on the limits were still easy, but the size of the fish got bigger. Three or four years ago, even Weldon Kirk stopped fishing Fayette unless the client insisted. Too many 5 fish days for Weldon to make a living.

Read the surveys. They tell the story.

Kickingback and CM.....please don't show your ignorance. Politics have nothing to do with fishing. And just so you know, I'm no liberal. The sign on my truck even says "Not A Liberal".

Sounds like a baby catfish lure would trick those Ol' largemouths. I thought catfish were thick as flies on every lake, figured they were a bunch of overbreeders.

Biologists seem to think the bass eat the fry. The lake is over populated with 2 to 3 pound bass.

gonna throw away all my senkos !!!!-

start fishing baby catfish !

Hah. My son caught a 5 pound catfish on a crankbait our last trip there.

My ol man actually stocked this lake with bass when it was only half filled back in the late 70's.

You do realize that ppl judge your character by what and how you say, not by your sticker? In my experience liberals tend to be very intolerant of people with opinions that differ from "correct" ones and typically launch into verbal assaults of various sorts -- and liberal education helps a lot in this kind of fight. I am ignorant in many matters and though you throw it at me as if it is some dirty word I personally see nothing wrong with it. You can't be enlightened in every possible way. And it is OK. Show some tolerance -- besides pulling your leg a little bit no one wishes you any harm. :-)

Regarding crappies -- I've yet to see a single decent-size water body in SE Texas that doesn't have at least few crappies in it. And I fished quite a few.

Now there is a sure sign of a liberal.

It's just fishing boys. Take a breath.

I am not seeing catfish like I use to. Crappie no longer are in this lake. And yes, this lake is over populated with bass. Anglers, as well as myself should start keeping the under slot bass so the slot fish can grow bigger. Over the past five years I've noticed a good number of smaller bass, it's now hard to find some good five and six pound fish. Sure there are some in there, but nothing like it use to be. The lake is over populated.

hey fishytx

thinking about heading out there over thanksgiving

good idea ?

Well if you hit it on a cloudy day, fish it shallow, otherwise fish are staging 12 to 15 feet feeding on shad.

cool thnx !

The bass we caught last weekend were from very different locations of the reservoir and represented a good sampling of sizes/ages. Everywhere they were very healthy and showing good thickness of flesh just forward of their tail fins for this time of year meaning they had been eating well.......all signs supporting there is excellent forage and no signs of an over-population of bass at Fayette.