Well there is a daily scouting report on Rowlett Creek, I figured I'd start one on my favorite stretch of creek for the sandbass run. Feel free to post your reports on this thread and maybe we can all catch a few more this year.

I went out yesterday afternoon from about 1-4 pm, mostly just scouting and checking water levels in some of my usual haunts. I drove to Old Alton Bridge and the parking lot was full. The water level is lower than last year but much better than it was two years ago during the draught. I drove up farther north on FM 2181 and cut in through the back of a neighborhood that puts you about a 1/3 of a mile from the perfect spot last year. I killed them there last year but the water level is not high enough in places for the fish to get there yet. A good rain and that should change all of that though.

I went back to Old Alton and squeezed my car in the lot and fished for a while in different places, but I didn't even get a bite. I tried popping a jig under a cork and also threw a orange/chartreuse roadrunner around, but nada.

Anybody else been having any luck out there yet? There were a bunch of you out there yesterday so chime in.

BTW, has anyone noticed all the construction of the new 2499 bridge? It's coming across the mouth of hickory creek there at the lake. I hope all that dirt work doesn't mess up the sandbass run on Hickory Creek this year.

We got about 25 hybreds last year, on hickery creek on there way up the creek and 2 days later we could see them going back. would not bite.http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/03-22-08_1139.jpghttp://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/03-22-08_1138.jpg

lets try it [img]http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/[IMG]http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/03-22-08_1139.jpg[/img]03-22-08_1138.jpg[/IMG]again

still didnt work....

http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/th_03-22-08_1138.jpg http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/marty-mar_photo/th_03-22-08_1139.jpg

A little small but looks like some nice fish! If you look hard there are some good spots around that creek.

Just don't let Goatman steal your fish...

Old alton is great after that 1st rain...i have seen them so thick in there i picked em up with my hand...got a video somewhere

A word of advice......Lock up the cars, trucks etc(you'd do this regardless). I had a radio stolen from my car at the Old Alton Bridge parking lot. I was pretty darn sure I locked up but do be careful, I called the police and they told me they do get a few calls over there.

So is the water not high enough for fishing yet? I live fairly close and have never been. I'm excited to try it out though, thanks for the info guys.

It's all about water temperture and flow. Low 50's water temp usually gets them going. This is usually accomplished in the early spring with warm rains. Flow from those rains also adds to how agressively they swim upstream to spawn. (I'm not an expert by any means, just read about it on here.) I am guessing the water temp is in the upper 40's right now.

The water is lower than usual which I don't like because it crowds all the fisherman together.

Nothing to see there... Move along.. No fish there

If you do go, please pick up your dang trash.

Bank access pretty much sucks there too. Take a rope and a change of clothes.

Anyone paddle up from Pilot Knoll park? Looks to be about 3 miles from the park to the bridge with a lot of interesting twist and turns between the two.

Anyone know what a good gage height is for floating this stream? Holding around 2.8 right now.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=08052780&agency_cd=USGS

Unless it gets real low, you can usually go all the way up to the old alton bridge. If I were paddling, I'd put in over off of Bishop Lane. That's right about where the creek starts looking like a creek and not a lake. That'll also take about 2.5 miles off of paddling from Pilot Knoll. If I were to paddle from the lake, it would be from Sycamore Bend park, if and when it's open. It's seasonal and closed during the winter.

I'll be making that trek soon.

Amen to what JDAVIS said! I went a couple of weeks ago and slipped and fell in. I put my hand down to catch my balance and put it right on top of a broken beer bottle. Should have gotten stitches but didnt want to wait in the ER. I now have a nice scar on my right palm.