5/5/2018: AM trip: 1st day after more rain, so I didn't know what to expect. Sure enough the fish had dislocated from most spots where they had been - like Long Ridge, Key Ranch Drop-off, Staubach Hump and Dam Ridge. I did manage to catch a 21 inch black bass at Key Ranch Drop-off. I went out at 9:20AM and had about 5 fish by noon. On my last stop, at Saint Annes East, I finally found fish and ended up with a limit of whites by 1PM. Fish were in 12 to 14 fow. At Key Ranch and Dam Ridge I conversed with 3 guys in a nice center console boat. Can't remember their names, but they said they read TFF. They had caught some crappie but also were having trouble finding white bass.

PM trip: Went back out from 3 to 5PM and just tried one spot - Swing-set Hump. I sat there and caught limits of whites to 16 inches and hybrids 18 to 21 inches. They were in 16 fow. Caught all fish for the day on silver and white #4 Mepps spinners working them along and up from the bottom.

Great info Dennis. Thanks!

As always great report Dennis. Thanks for sharing.

Great report Dennis !

Nice seeing you out there Dennis! - "3 guys in a nice center console"
We never got on the whites consistently Saturday Managed to accidentally catch a couple crappie and and a catfish on Merimac point.
Went back out Sunday afternoon to Merimac and spillway hump but only caught a couple small whites - water is still a little murky on the north end of the lake from all the rain I guess.

Thanks for the report

On Tuesday May 29 I took Jim and Carol from my SS class out fishing for some white bass to keep and clean. They are normally bank fishermen for catfish and weren't familiar with fishing for whites from a boat. I headed straight to where I've been catching them lately - Long Ridge - right in the mid part where depths are about 20 fow. They brought their own old-but-in-good-condition casting rigs, which each had about 25 yards of line total. I tried demoing a Mepps on their rigs but I literally could not crank them fast enough to make the #4 Mepps spin. To plan 'B', which I've used when reeling in the Mepps won't work. I had them cast out and let the Mepps sink to the bottom, point the rod at the line and take of the slack, then make a long sweeping arc upward with the rod causing the Mepps to spin coming up off the bottom. They started catching fish. In 2 hr 15 min we had 60 fish to clean. Most were sandies, quite a few were blue cats, one was a 12 inch yellow bass and one was an 18.5 inch hybrid. They were thrilled to catch so many fish. We cleaned them back at my dock and then had sandwiches and watermelon the wife had prepared. An all-round nice fishing experience!

Carol with nice sandbass and catfish:


Jim with his sandbass and catfish:

Great job. I keep a 600yd spool of 12# Trilene Big Game in the boat for just such occasions to fix someone's reel line issues if insisting on bringing their favorite pole. Sometimes they will say I think I put line on it 8 years ago when I went fishing.
Glad it worked out though. Mepps(other lures) aren't cheap when they sling one or two off due to brittle line.

I'm jealous, look at that calm water. I had good luck at that spot over the weekend. Caught my first legal hybrid in a couple of seasons there.

Dennis you did a great thing.

Great post Dennis ......always get to hook d up on the Mepps !!!!!!!

Mepps Forever !!!!!!

Hi Dennis love your reports
I have very small 16 foot center console. Where would be the best place to launch this time of year to get into
Some hybrids and sandies without going all over the lake? Thanks for any suggestions

You don't have many choices. The south end of the lake has been better lately, so I'd recommend the public, free ramp at the north end of the bridge that crosses the Caney Creek arm of the lake north of Malakoff on HWY 198.