New to the site and trying to get back into fishing. Curious to know where the best bank fishing is this late in the summer for bass/crappie/cats and any other tips for fishing phantom/kirby (besides "buy a boat" lol). Thanks in advance guys

ps. First time fishing in TX. Grew up fishing in TN

and sorry if this post is in the wrong place

There is a crappie dock on the north west side that you can pay to fish off of, not to expensive. We used to catch some good crappie off the dam area. It's been awhile since I have fished over there and it may be the wrong time of year for the dam. Also, the dock is covered which is nice. Good Luck!

Dixon
I assume you are talking about Ft Phantom? I have only been out on phantom twice and kirby once so not to familiar with the lakes yet. Covered dock sounds nice though! It was 102 degrees yesterday and we were out by the dam at Phantom...woulda been nice to have some cover then haha

Anybody else bank fish these lakes? I have had zero luck at Phantom so far. Been fishing texas rigged soft plastics and nightcrawlers in the evening with little to no luck. Haven't really had enough time at Kirby yet but the time I went was not productive.

You can catch alot of channel cat with punch bait at kirby. I catch the occasional blue with fresh shad there also. I typically fish anywhere on the east side. Haven't fished phantom in a while, but anywhere by the dam is typically good. If you had a boat, trolling in that area has produced alot of hybrids lately.

Yeah I hear the dam at Phantom is a good spot but always too many people swimming on the west and get tired of burning up on the rocks on the other side. Thanks for the tips on kirby. Planning on going out there this weekend with punch bait/liver and hopefully better results!

Kirby is the way to go. If you can try and catch some shad and use it for bait. I've found the trick at kirby is to get your line out far.

Anywhere on East side will work, Also try the dam by the old silo. Thats the deepest part of the lake right now. Prob about 14ft.

Try nightcrawlers and you should be able to slay the 2-3 lb channel cats.

Awesome thanks for the tips...Didn't get to go this past weekend but planning on trying kirby Wednesday night with nightcrawlers. Did go to Nelson Park (Zoo Lake) for a couple hrs and had a little luck but nothing keeper size just baby channel cats and a big ol' carp lol

Caught a bunch of baby channel cat and little crappie at Kirby off the pier last night fishing nightcrawlers. Going back with some CJ's saturday morning. Surprised how many people were fishing the pier and banks around it. Saw people pull a few decent smb outta the brush by the pier and saw some keeper size cats come off the end of the pier. Not a bad time for Kirby!

I got skunked two days in a row at Kirby! Whole shad, cut shad, live shad, small hooks, big hooks, dead red on everything..nothing but a few baby channel cats...If anyone figures out something that works please share!!!

Kirby around the dam at night!

where were you fishing from mhisaw? bank? pier? boat?

My trucks not 4x4 so I cannot get my boat in Kirby. However Ive had good luck drifting in the past.

I have mostly been bank fishing along East shore down past the first cove past stumps. I also tried far northeast corner by dam.

I made some adjustments and had good luck but all really small. less than 1 lb.

I went to a 25lb line, (Im sure that didn't matter, but helped me cast further), 4 ot hook, small slices of shad instead of entire thing, and then I experimented with a adding a small trebble hook. Dead Red also. I was hooking them but all really small.

crazy thing about that lake Is that I have never seen so many shad. Thinking I might just switch it up and go with nightcrawlers or try shrimp. Give them something different to snack on..

How about you?

I usually start on the pier on the east side. I set up on the right side of the pier and cast as far as I possibly can toward the dam with CJ's or wads of nightcrawlers. I had a few nice ones last week but nothing to be ecited about.

I usually leave the pier after a hr or so and work my way along the shore toward the dam. By the end of the day (9pm usually) I'm throwing whole shad or wads of nightcrawlers. I have seen big blues come out of kirby so I know they are there they just seem pretty reluctant right now lol.

I have been thinking about trying shrimp too! haven't seen a single person throwing them yet...

And just so you know the minute you get a nightcrawler in any kind of shallow water in kirby there will be baby channel cats all over it lol

Thats no joke about the baby channel cat. You see the new laws aas of Sept 1st. At Kirby you can keep up to 50 small (no lenght limit) channel cats, only going to be able to keep 5 a day about 20 inches.

I threw cast net the other day and caught 20 of those baby cats! tore my net all up!

wow I hadn't heard that. I know I'm tired of seeing these little cats gnawing my bait up and jumping on hooks they can barely fit on. I hooked a little guy last night...he was maybe 6in long and he was fiesty. ended up slicing my thumb through the glove I had on! These babys have some sharp, quick barbs! I bet they did a number on that net

I have been going out to kirby as well using CJs and caught nothing but baby cats. I fished off the dock before and close to the rocks. I really want to get into some channel cats but cant find any keepers at kirby. I havent tried Ft. Phantom yet for catfish but I have tore the crappie up out there this past winter. Got here last year late august and caught well over 200 crappie this winter from the crappie house at Charlottes cove. Me and my buddy from base fish all the time. we should get together and try our luck.

Anyone fished Kirby lately. I took a break for about a week. I just got tired of catching babies. However now I can keep them I might head out there tomorrow.
Maybe not, Looks like we can only keep 5.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/action/fishregs2.php?water=0001

I believe that regulation is for lake abilene. It is within the state park and you are not required to have a fishing license.

Here is the regulation-
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/action/fishregs2.php?water=0416

I knew I had read that somewhere! Thanks for pointing that out.

My Phantom gonna catch something map... Use it if you like. Many of these same spots are good for Cats. I really like johnson park this time of year for bank fish along with the large cove on the North East side of the lake called the spill way cove. Hope this helps someone.

Lake Kirby regs. Yes that is 50, but only 5 over 20
Catfish
For blue and channel catfish, no minimum length. Daily bag and possession limit = 50 blue and channel catfish in any combination, of which no more than 5 may be 20 inches or longer.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/action/fishregs2.php?water=0416

Caught a 6 lb saugeye at Kirby today. First one I've seen that wasn't a baby. One mean looking fish!

Congrats!!! And a good Lake Kirby fish as well.

I've caught 2 from Ft. Phantom but not that size. Mine were 2 1/2 -3lbs. And I let them go back. But that was in the mid 80's when I was in college. HSU.

Here are a few cell phone photos of the Saugeye