Got to the gate at Huntsville state park around 6:15am to find a small line of trucks with boat tailers and cars. I knew that the gate did not officially open until 7:00am but usually someone knows the lock combination and opens it early. Apparently several people tried to open the lock but it did not work for some reason. The line behind me got longer and longer. Around 6:45 a lady that works at the office showed up but could not unlock the gate either. Another worker showed uo with the same results. Someone waiting in line walked down to the onsite residence and got another guy to give it a shot. Same results. After much tinkering, the lock was finally removed (somehow) and the gate was opened around 7:30am.

I personally have never understood this gate to begin with. Who or what are we trying to keep out? Freeloading campers? If someone had been on the camp side of the gate with a real emergency, they would have been S.O.L. I would cut this place some slack perhaps if they would just open the gate at a more fish friendly time. You can be easily be fishing at 6:00am this time of year.

Gate doesn't open till 7? That's stupid. This time of year you have to be fishing at sunrise.

Guvmint work

Admittedly, I am too lazy this time of year to drive up there and be ready by sunrise. Doesn't really matter since fishing is tough from the bank right now with all the weeds.

Camped and fished there this past week. Lily pads and hydrilla make it nearly impossible to fish from bank. We were in a canoe and caught some very nice redears beneath lily pads in about 6 ft of water on crickets and mealworms.

Dang I miss that lake. It is a little hidden jewel there in ETX. When I was in college we caught dang nice fish. Several LMB over 5lbs. I saw one female pro catch 2 in 2 casts that were 7 and 8 lbs.

Have caught some nice crappie and a bass or two in the past there. Weather may have played a factor the past week. Quite a few boats on the water but no reports of any good catches. We fished edges of hydrilla but no luck on bass.

fished there 4 times last week, even fished in the rain and me and my buddy caught 13 the first day including a 5 and one just over 6. the more rain that came , the harder they were to catch. they just started scattering. only caught 2 off frogs. all the rest was caught on itza bugs in the pads or 10 inch worms on the edge of hydrilla. as far as the gate. when you have a bunch of ding dongs trying every combination known to man that will happen every time. i think after 3 or 4 failed attemps it will lock out, but normally it will reset in 10 minutes or so.

I carry a pair of bolt cutters in my truck at all times - not necessarily for this reason, but they would have come in helpful at some point in your ordeal I'm sure.