Alright, I'd like to set up a trip at Tawakoni or Texoma for some stripers in mid October. I'd like to fish topwaters and artificials only with a guide and wanted get some insight as far as which lake would be the best, who would be the best to go with, and is the topwater fishing any good that time of year? Thoughts?

Man they are both great lakes. We were killing them on texoma in october last year. But you really could not go wrong with either lake

Mark Banister for Texoma and Tony Parker for Tawakoni...

I guess it would depend if you intended to keep fish or not, Texoma 10 fish limit with 1 over 20", Tawakoni 5 fish limit all must be over 18".

Both lakes are great producers and both have great guides to put you on fish.

For my kind of fishing it is Tawakoni in a landslide.

Texoma, 10 limit, 2 of the ten can be over 20"

You sir are correct.

Fastguy, would you mind expounding upon your reason for liking Tawakoni more?

As far as guides go JD Lyle on texoma and Micheal and Teri Littljohn on tawakoni. All great guides. If your looking for stripers texoma. Hybrids Tawokoni. You can't go wrong either way.

Most of the fish being caught at Texoma at this time are being caught on live bait, they are fishing water that is 80' deep and suspending the bait a little above the fish, most are being caught at 55'-60'.

When you see pictures of large fish from Texoma you have to consider that there are 100 or more guides out there and very few are posting pictures of big fish, most of the fish being caught are box fish, that is fish under 20"s long. There is no under at Texoma, if your guide wants to keep an 8" fish he will and it will count towards your limit, the 2 overs you are allowed to keep will probably be right at 20"s.

Check out the pictures from Matt Cartwright, Joe Read, Greg Clark and other guides from Tawakoni, you will notice more fish over 20"s a lot more. Tawakoni guides will also put you on some of the largest sand bass around. Texoma guides, not so much.

Most of the guides at Texoma are very conscientious about making sure you have a full half day or full day of fishing, some will run out, catch the limit for the boat and be back at the dock cleaning fish by 9 am.

If one or two dip sticks running into schooling fish gets on your nerves at Tawakoni wait til you hit Texoma, no trolling motor, balls to the wall, catch 2 fish and move on.

Texoma has cleaner rest rooms, more marinas and more places to launch.

BTW if you are thinking about a guided trip at Tawakoni go with the guys that find the fish, not people that find the folks that found the fish.

JD Lyle and Chris Carey are opposites but outstanding guides on Texoma.

Wow! Are there really that many Striper guides on Texoma!?

I have been on both lakes once with a guide. Went with Tony Parker two years ago on Tawokoni. Got into the sandies schooling early, and they were huge. Two and Three pound sandies on every cast. We got tired of catching them, so we moved and got into a school of hybrids and stripers all to our selves. Caught our limit of hybrids/stripers three times. Obviously let many go.

And then last year we go to Texoma with a guide, we find the fish boiling, and we catch three limits of fish, probably average of 10 inches long, and then he takes us in. Didn't even look for big fish. I can catch white bass bigger than that at Lake Grapevine.

So based on my experience, Tawokoni all of the way. The sandies at Tawokoni were twice as big as the stripers we were catching on Texoma.

We will be at Tawokoni on Thursday! Can't wait

Thanks for all the insight guys...it sound like Tawakoni it will be for me. I feel like I'm hearing Tony Parker's name a lot. Is he the best or is there someone else? Also, is the topwater fishing any good that time of year at Tawakoni?

I think Tony is exclusive at Cooper now, Tawakoni has many excellent guides, we will be there later today.
Last Oct was excellent at Texoma as the year before, for lure fishing call Striper Experss, the #1 by far..
My choice would be Texoma hands down.

Yes, I was thinking 150. JD is a real nice guy and lot are but there are some REAL jerks too. I guess it is no different than the general population. Like the 2 aholes that stood at their truck smacking gums while I was waiting to fill to fill up with gas.

Tony Parker is a great guide on Cooper and he ventures to Tawakoni frequently.

Matt Cartwright, Joe Read, Jimmy Smith and Greg Clark are all great guides at Tawakoni. These are guys that are out there nearly every day.