This thread is for anyone who wants to share info on current fishing conditions on Grapevine lake. Please be positive, helpful, and I encourage even the smallest tip is helpful to others.

For reference. See the previous three years posts. If you dig, you will find pretty much every gps coordinate on the lake that I fish. I might try and collect these waypoints and add them somewhere easier to find.

Gob Bless us, and I hope we all have a safe year.

Prosise

2021 Thread
https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/14199544/1

2022 Thread
https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/14344351/1

2023 Thread
https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/14586992/1/grapevine-lake-2023

I fished on Tuesday 1-2-24 and if you go due north off of sandbass hump until your in the 30-35 ft range. (This is the hump out in front of the west side entrance of scotts landing) I found some big sandbass out off the drop, but they didn't want anything to do with my spoon. I accidentally snagged one, and it was in the 15 inch size.. I could see others on livescope, but they didn't want anything to do with me. If you had some shad, or maybe a inline spinner you would be in business. Didn't stay long, and I was looking for the green fish primarily. Take care all..



Prosise

Love threads like these!

Have you ever used jigs and plastics via dead sticking single or tandem ??

I have not been using soft plastics in the last year. Spoons, and inline spinners only while sandbass fishing. Been chasing the green fish primarily. Caught a real nice bass this morning about an hour before sunrise (7.03lbs).

Excellent green fish Prosise! That fish looks like it has been loading up for the winter!

Totally agree, 21'ish inch fish at 7 pounds is a healthy girl. This last year all my biggest fish were caught about an hour before sunrise. It was a brutal decision, but the reward was well worth it. Bait is plentiful in GV, and if the level is up like it is during the shad spawn it will continue to be a surplus bait lake.

Take care all. Going to fish wed with my mentor, I found a massive school of really big fish (not drum or gar) that will not hit anything I throw at them. My mentor thinks it could be catfish. So if he is right I will report. I found giant schools of big fish in 39ft of water and there are many of them. They are a couple hundred yards west of the location I referenced in the earlier post. Will know more wed. Keep warm, and many blessings.

My chores today is smoking chicken thighs, and enjoying a few double IPA's.






Prosise

I can almost guarantee that their Catfish. That has been my wintertime cat spot for 30 years,

Catfish spot you say?

Great fish Prosise! Looking forward to following along with another year of adventures on the mighty Vine and hope to run into on your water again!

Dan

On another note I drove on the dam road today and I have never seen GV that rough huge swells.

It's always a pleasure crossing paths with the TFF crowd. I had a surprise last week, ran into someone I haven't seen in a couple years. Me and Mr P. We're out on the drop at Meadomere catching sandbass, and I caught a 8.1lb bass on a jigging spoon. He took the picture for me before we released her. He was at the ramp last week, and reminded me of that day. I will be chasing the green fish until the sandbass start their party in March, but I will be tinkering with the lake spawners. Always enjoy the people, and stories we create out there. Take care all.


Here was the Fluke bass. It was named by my mentor, as it was a fluke she was out at that location. Note: up until this year the three largest bass I had caught were all landed while I was sandbass fishing. That should tell you something about the big girls. This was an exciting experience me and Mr P. experienced that day. And lastly, the top 4 largest bass I have caught on GV, either the thumper was running on the Bluetooth speaker or the music was loud as I could play it. Whew on that for a minute...

Nov-8-2021 out off the drop in Meadomere. This video hasn't been shared on the forum before.

Nice Black Bass, can't remember seeing one fight that hard and long !

I saw cats on bottom in 20-25 ft out in front of twin coves last week. There were tons of them.

Brutal day, I tried to see what the fish were that I found. I did catch 6 shad and I tried to get the fish to eat but it was a no-go. Wind was very bad, and the lake it tore up from the high winds. Silver lake barrier was butchered. I found a very large seadoo, large floating foam roll, and a large inflatable that you pull behind the boat which all were lost from silver lake. I tied up the items to the marina, and went back to casting practice. I would give the lake a break until the wind dies down. Nothing to report that is positive, but that's fishing sometimes.

Hoping to get the 'yak out Saturday morning before the wind picks up to chase some largemouth. Went out last Saturday from Meadowmere in the AM and Lakeview Sunday PM with not much luck. Wind is a real pain when trying to fish slow and keep position with a paddle, lol. Still learning the ropes of cold water fishing, and fishing with a fish finder off shore. The majority of my life has just been fair-weather, shallow water. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

i sent you an instant message.. Keep me posted, and if you have questions just reply to the IM.

I would have gone out and fished in this weather 45 years ago but not now.

He is just testing. To see if it is really cold

After getting a participation award last wed, and being b that today was the only day I could have gone out. Well, as long as I can do it comfortably, I'm gonna do it. Caught a decent fish, so I didn't have to get another participation award. Bait is all out in the middle of the lake, and didn't see any bait in the creeks. Water is 45.6 in the warmest area I found.

Nothing wants to work in this weather. After the first time I changed locations, I had to let the 360 sit in the water for a minutes before turning it on. Bait cast reels would freeze up the level wind. Eyes on the rod would freeze up with ice. Spinning reel anti reverse stopped working. Engine hydraulics really struggled with the oil being so thick.

But, the old Merc ran like it was stolen with the cold dense air. Really liked the cool air, and water.

Toe warmers in my boots, and hot hands between my gloves and my palms made it nice. Stayed on the lower end, and had a good day just going with the flow. Hardly nothing seen on the south side of the lake from the island to silver lake. Looks like everything is out in open water. Didn't go looking for sandbsss, just idled in some areas for info.

Now you are just showing off. I did something similar on Lewisville to what you did on Grapevine. But that was 40 years ago.

I fished on Sunday 1-21, launched at Meadomere just before 6am and water was 38.2 at the Meadomere ramp. Water temp at the dam was 41.9 just before 7am. Fished for the green fish all day, and scouted allot of water graphing. Fishing is slow as molasses, no bait seen in Scotts, Silver lake, Meadomere, or twin coves. It's all down on the lower end in 30-50ft. Water level looks like it is 100% at full level, and it didn't not appear that they are letting out hardly any water at the discharge tower. Nothing to report except the bait is all at the lower end, and I mean all of it. It's strange seeing whole creeks completely void of bait. Both tire barriers at silver lake, and Scott's were damaged by the high winds . Take care all, and stay warm. Only bass caught the whole day were caught at night between 6:15am to just before sunrise. Fishing in 32F was a piece of cake compared to last week in 12F. Definitely not an IQ contest being out there. But this last Sunday I saw 6 boats. Several boats drifting out in the bait, don't know if they were fishing for sandbass or Catfish.


Pictures from Meadomere ramp when I launched.

]


Near the dam. Notice bait out over deep water.



Looking out from Scott's marina.

What is you catch your LMB on?

Black/Blue 3/4oz large colorado blade spinnerbait.

I add a black/blue plastic on the back (super glued on the hook), and I run a trailer hook that is free. I put the trailer hook over the spinnerbait hook, and then apply a plastic retainer so the hook is not restricted from moving. This is my year round night time goto bait, and if your not dragging it on the bottom your spinning your wheels. See the bottom picture which shows the front of the spinnerbait (from bumping the bottom/rocks).

Neat thread.

Went out today and spend several hours looking around on the main lake. Skunked! Most of the bait is out deep and there are what seem to be billions of them out there in 50 ft suspended 30-40 ft deep. Crappie have finally done their winter vanishing act. Didn't see any white bass or at least I couldnt get them to bite. Fish will be in the creeks in a few weeks so it will get better but it is tough right now

Fished half the night, and until 4pm. Water is up since I fished last week. Bait is on the south side of the lake, and in Dove. I didn't go up from dove, but I'm curious if the bait is up in Meadomere. Big schools of bait at 30ft in the channels. Sandbass are playing hide-n-seek. If you want to catch some catfish, they are schooled up down at the mouth of silver lake between the tires and the bank. I caught 4 decent cats on a 6xd, and a glide bait. They didn't want anything to do with any type of bait I tried that looked like a shad. Ended up just letting the crankbait float up into the school and slightly swim it thru them. If you have bait, you can clean house. They are on the bottom, but the bigger ones are having a pow wow suspended about 10ft below the surface. You could prob tie up to the tires and drop bait. Anyhoo, bass fishing is tough. Sandbass are prob migrating up the lake, the lake spawners will be stacking up on main lake points but I haven't been up the lake to check. Tired, and I'm enjoying a very nice "kol beer". It was chilly this morning, water was freezing on the boat. Then this afternoon I just about melted from all my layers.


Catfish

I went out yesterday (1/31/) in my Kayak to investigate these catfish prosise mentioned. My first time fishing that area of the lake and wouldn't you know my fish finder crapped out for unknown reasons!? Would not power up at the launch ramp. I will have to look into that.

I went out undeterred. Used chicken breast with the strawberry jello application as bait. I had fun, weather was perfect and much better than being at work, however I only caught two catfish. A decent eater blue and baby channel cat. Had a few other bites but they did not hook up. If I had my fish finder I could have been more targeted. Half the time I was wondering if I was fishing around fish or wasting time. Also deployed 3 jugs at 12-15 feet also baited with chicken and those did not get touched.

The water down there was very off color with lots of debris. Wood, sticks, branches, mustard packets, Gatorade caps, condoms... you know all the normal stuff. I plucked some of the bigger stuff out and threw it away at the ramp... the plastic bottles.

Hell Yeah. Great report. Fishing Blind and you got a good one.

Thank you sir!

Went today from the bank for catfish. Had two good takes on chicken breast and caught one. Decent size. Will make a fine dinner... for one lol.

When I got home started looking into the fish finder and wouldn't you guess it worked fine in the garage lol. Hate when that happens.

Water was super duper muddy... not shocking. Waters up. Higher than I've seen since last spring.

So not the main lake, but i did go up the creek today and caught 16 fish only 7 keeper sandies. I would guess another 2 weeks and it'll be roaring. Glad the water level is good this year.

Don't think the Sandbass got the memo about the run up the creek. I caught sandbass on just about every hump I checked today. Murrell Park point was the best with big fat fish. Took a break from bass fishing, and was very happy to catch some good sandbass. They didn't like the bait moving much. Prob caught a hundred today just piddling around between bass fishing spots. Not one under fish, which was strange.

Nice report Prosise! You never know.....your biggest bass came while fishing for sandbass! I know this is the white bass section but how has the bass fishing been for you lately?

Bass fishing was brutally tough yesterday.

But fun

God willing and if the wind does not get rowdy I am going to get out and give it whirl on Friday in the Kayak! Launch out of Murrell park is the plan.

Going to fish a few jugs, see if I cannot get a catfish for dinner, and really target bass... if I graph any sandies though, well those eat pretty good too. Will give yall a full report. If anyone plans to be out, feel free to say high.

**Was very windy. Did not make it out** Seems like every Friday (my one day off) a cold front is coming through.

Note: Found a new sunken boat at the mouth of the cove at Murrell Park/point that hasn't been there long. If you side scan down the drop towards the old closed down boat ramp, in about 23ft is a sunk boat.

Lake came up 1ft from the rain in the last three days. If you want a lake level link for Grapevine use the one below.

https://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/grapevine

Sunken boat

Report for Tuesday evening of 3/12 is a big fat zero. Meadowmere off the west point, I found a big school with side imagining and as soon as I got turned around to set up on them with livescope and they were gone. I hit a few spots west and went back over to Murrell and never found anything. I scanned from 12 ft to 30 ft deep spots and never found anything. Windy and rough afternoon.
The birds were no help and were just loafing around.

Saturday 3/23 - Day started super slow, checking humps and my usual spots on the North side of the lake from Murrell all the way down north of the crusher. No trouble trouble finding fish, but getting them to eat was a different story. Stayed after them and when the wind laid we checked a couple humps NE of the island and landed on top of them. Was steady catching for 2 hours.. Lots of smalls with some good size fish mixed in.. All caught on inline spinners..

Thanks for the report!

I checked murrell point, and several areas up the lake from Teton and it was a ghost town. I should have checked the thread, I needed a fix. Caught two real nice bass this morning, but the daytime bite was rough for me on the green fish. Bait is everywhere in the creeks, and if everything holds were going to have a good shad spawn. Don't know if this is correct, still have to verify but I Heard a rumor that the lake will be dropped this summer. Scheduled work on the dam, so it will be very interesting seeing the lake down. If anyone has a way to verify, please share.

I called the "Corps of Engineers" at Grapevine lake and other than road work on the dam, the gentleman hadn't heard anything about bringing the water down for dam repairs. If anyone hears anything, let me know. Not fishing until Sunday, doing chores the next few days before work. BTW, lake from about Murrelll park, and up is stained from the 35+ gusting winds we had in the last three days. When I was up near the crusher, I could see the water color up coming from the creek (Denton Creek) was really bad. The protected coves with Rocky banks were clearest, for bass fishing. But any exposed (clay) on the north side really stained up the water in those areas. The coves that are stained are loaded with bait, as the bait balls use this as cover. When the shad spawn starts, it's going to be good. Lake still coming up, and I was down on the lower end when they increased the outflow of the discharge yesterday. They changed from 115 to297 (DSF). I thought the outflow was in CFM, but the report I use has it labeled as (DSF), which I have to look up to understand. I found someone's 14" cast net, with taped mod in the middle of the channel in Meadomere on my way in. It was hung up on a concrete weighted metal structure that weighed at least 100 pounds. I recovered the net, and will check it out to see if it can be repaired. Take care all.

One of the usual suspects Mr R. Is preparing for a fish fry, he said Joe pool is doing well. I think he said three days this week, he has limited. Today him and his sidekick both limited pretty quickly. Average fish 12", but plenty of them. Chores for me today.

Got the pontoon out Saturday for a quick test drive and to do some crappie fishing in the creeks. While I didn't do any sand bass fishing, I did see one of the guides and his customers catching fish on the hump/creek bend/drop off on the SE corner of the island. (almost due East going towards the dam) We didn't get close enough to see what size they were catching. Seemed locked on the spot despite the wind. Prosise knows the spot well, as he's reported on it over the years. Crappie fishing (at least for us) was not very good. Thought we could catch a few on minnows in the back of Silverlake Marina cove and didn't get a bite. Not even from a bass or catfish!

Crappie on Grapevine right now are tough. Most are in the marinas spawning

My fishing mentor fished today and he said big sandbass were on Murrell Park point. Also lots of gar..

Update, Mr "R" fished GV today and limited of 12"-13"on sandbass hump. The hump just outside of Scott's on the north point.

Prosie I drove out to Murrell Park yesterday after lunch noticed quite a few Terns dive bombing right off shore had to be shad in the shallows they were working pretty good. Do you think early stages of the shad spawn is starting?

Bank fishing on Grapevine has once again proven to be an exercise in futility. Fished on Easter from about 0400-1200 around Oak Grove, McPherson Slough, and all over Murrell and didn't even get a single bite. Was mostly trying to catch catfish with punchbait, shrimp, and cut bluegill but I also threw some lures, drop shots, crappie jigs, and a worm under a bobber and nada. Went out again on Saturday from about 0500-1300. Fished around the White Chapel trailhead and then went to Trophy Club when they opened. Fish were jumping at Trophy Club but be damned if they were buying what I was trying to sell. Had something nibbling at a worm on a dropshot but that was it. I have always been a glutton for punishment so I'll be back at it again Wednesday night hopefully. I went today and picked up a bag of 20% range cubes from the feed store and a couple of whole Norwegian mackerel and some chicken hearts from the Asian Market. Never tried the range cubes before. Looking forward to baiting up a few spots and seeing what happens.

Catfish30------- two things, if we get allot of rain and Denton Creek starts flowing allot, trophy Club park (where the Creek enters the lake is really good for catfish. The catfish will move up in the creek and you can have some good fishing for catfish. Secondly, for the next couple of months you can take advantage of the shad spawn. Right now on the north bank, and inside twin coves there is a light shad spawn. Look for the white birds on the bank in the mornings. The thing that you need to focus on is the birds, and you don't have to cast far. I caught two catfish yesterday on a spinnerbait in around 5ft close to the banks. The catfish will be doing this, and it will get better as the water warms up.

Sandbass fishing yesterday was interesting during the eclipse. When it got dark, the fish turned off . It took a little while for then to group back up. Sandbass on Murrelll point, and sandbass hump. The fish were smaller, with only a few big ones. But you could sit on top of sandbass hump and catch small fish non-stop with the right lure. I met a new contact "J", and he was using a 3/4 oz inline spinner and him and his old man were catching the fish way faster than me by a mile. There were massive schools of fish, but they would do much with the small spoon. Or slabs. You really had to keep it moving for them to react. I will get the name of the little he was using, and as it when he responds.


Trophy Club park. Where I launch my canoe if I am piddling around on the upper end. Or a good catfish spot if there is current from the rains. It's got to be moving, and chocolate milk water.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QEbGfphTiavakht58



Catfish caught while bass fishing shallow along the north banks. Look for white birds.

I fished with Mr "B" on Monday, wind wasn't bad but I sure wished we had some sunshine. The bass bite was off, as the lake came up last week. I marked the level at the ramp, and when we pulled out 8 hours later the level was down 2". The whole lake is stained from the rain, and the high winds we had over the weekend. WIth that said, the bait is stacked in the creeks. You can goto the mouth of any creek and fish outside of them on the main lake points and find sandbass. We caught sandbass at the main point of Twin coves, Scotts, and some down near Rock Ledge park on the windy banks. Birds are everywhere waiting for the shad spawn to happen. You can see them picking up a shad every now and then, but it hasn't officially started. Just check the channel going into the main creeks, and you will find bait. We caught the sandbass on crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. They were pounding the worm Mr. "B" was using, but they were just pecking at it. Take care all.

I should be out there around 5pm today. Save me some action!

Any news or updates on the shad spawn or how the Sandies are biting? Took my son out a few times for the first time to Grapevine last year and had a blast, and we have been looking forward to going again all year.....but just wanted to make sure it would be worth it beforehand.

I know my son has been checking this forum constantly waiting for any news or updates, lol

It is starting to pick up…slowly but I would give it at least another week. At least on the north side the shad spawn is not yet underway but should be soon.

Me and my fishing mentor were out today looking for the green fish. Caught a bunch of really big ones at the mouth of twin coves up on the rocks. Tons of bait, and fish. Just when we saw a good sandbass, Mr "B" would catch a bigger one on the 3xd.

I was out there yesterday (4/24) as well! Looks like I might have been fishing a bit too deep based on Prosise's report of getting them on a 3X.

Fished along Murrell park. Had 4 sandies trolling a Fliker Shad in about 14 feet. 3 were small one was 14 inches! Nice one. Tons of shad all over but not really on the banks doing the spawning thing just yet... Its any day now from what I saw.

Saw a lot of LARGE buffs rolling around, tried fishing vertically on some big schools of fish but no luck doing that.

I did get "interviewed" by a nice guy from TPWD Inland Fisheries'. Asked about how long I had been fishing, what I had caught, how much money I spent that day to go on that trip, how far I drove from... Think that was it. Doing an impact/creel survey I suppose.

Im sorry, he was using a Pop-R, and a 3xd.. He was working the Pop-R very aggressively to make noise. I think we saw you over by Grapevine point, we saw two kayaks in that area. Looked like you were going into that little cove with the ramp that was closed down. But I know i saw two kayaks. We were in a blue/grey 20ft champion ( rear seat is blue). BTW, the bait has moved around allot, you really need to keep an eye out for birds working the water edge. If you see a bunch of white birds on a bank, but they are all just sitting there not picking bait keep an eye on them. The shad we saw yesterday that were actively spawning were by Twin coves and they were very small (maybe 1.5" inches long). You will see one occasionally floating on the surface of the water. We saw allot of areas with birds, but they were only hoping for some action. If you see an area where you see multiple snakes, it is a good area that has allot of bait. The snakes come out when it is very active in the shad spawn. We are still a little early, and as the water warms up it will be better. We did see some carp sucking on the green vegetation along the edge of the lake, this is what the eggs stick to. Wind is going to blow pretty good until Monday, so be careful all....

Nice! Yes I saw you guys. Pop-R!? Cool. I did not really see anything on top but buff;s or I would have been all over that.

I was indeed in that cove, as was the other yakker. He and I were both in and out of there all morning. I did not catch anything in there. I think he did but I did not get a good look at what it was. He hooked into something over by that standing timber. Now submerged again, as you know the lake is high.

My yak is grayish (The Gray Ghost) his is Green and black. I have seen him there a lot. He gets out more than me.

I would have said hi but that was not your boat... I kind of recognize your boat. You are right about the wind! I will be sticking to the bank for the next several days. Too much wind for a kayak for sure.

Enjoy your reports. Should get really good soon! Will see you on the water soon enough and say hello in person again.