Texas Fishing Forum

Lake Palestine

Posted By: wild bill

Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 01:22 PM

I have been fishing Palestine for many many years. This year I have talked with my fishing buddies about 'schooling fish'. We have not seen any in a long time. Where did they go? I would say it has been years since seen any..

And while I see and read about Rayburn and Fork fishermen catching fish in plus 20 feet of water. I have been told for years that there is no need to fish deeper that 12 feet on Palestine; cause the fish there dont use (live) the deep water. Is there a difference in the water (grass/running creeks) between Rayburn/ fork and Palestine that causes these fish to live much shallower. I have searched the deep water on Palestine and fished many of what I consider great structure spots; with out any success. Am I looking for something that just aint there? At present I dont see the thermocline. I am using my Helix and Lake maps to find the ledges, river bends, and humps but there just aint nothing there. Can some one with 'deep water' success on Palestine tell me if I am chasing a ghost.

wild bill


wild bill
Posted By: Jeezy

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 01:27 PM

Your thoughts echo my own, wild bill. I've been fishing it for ten years and couldn't agree more with what you've found.
Posted By: Stew

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 03:14 PM

There isn’t a lot of productive 20’ plus water (soft bottom) on the lake and with today’s advanced electronics most of the productive water is highly pressured. They gang up good mid May through early June and again in the fall, but other than that it’s a pretty inconsistent bite for me. Go to Fork for deep water schools and just throw in the towel and go north on Palestine.
Posted By: bigfishtx

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 03:22 PM

Originally Posted By: wild bill
I have been fishing Palestine for many many years. This year I have talked with my fishing buddies about 'schooling fish'. We have not seen any in a long time. Where did they go? I would say it has been years since seen any..

And while I see and read about Rayburn and Fork fishermen catching fish in plus 20 feet of water. I have been told for years that there is no need to fish deeper that 12 feet on Palestine; cause the fish there dont use (live) the deep water. Is there a difference in the water (grass/running creeks) between Rayburn/ fork and Palestine that causes these fish to live much shallower. I have searched the deep water on Palestine and fished many of what I consider great structure spots; with out any success. Am I looking for something that just aint there? At present I dont see the thermocline. I am using my Helix and Lake maps to find the ledges, river bends, and humps but there just aint nothing there. Can some one with 'deep water' success on Palestine tell me if I am chasing a ghost.

wild bill


wild bill



30 years ago you could catch big fish deep on the river bends like crazy. I think it's got a lot to do with the whites and the hybrids taking over the deep water, too much competition for the green fish.
Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 03:41 PM

Here's my thoughts on your quandary Wild Bill. Bass only have three real functions in life, procreate, eat and rest. They go where the most and best forage is to eat and as they get bigger the forage changes. Bigger bass will/can eat crappie, sand bass or anything they can swallow so they may be in deeper water which is relative to the lake they're in. I think the bass stay shallow at Tawakoni to keep from competing against the stripers and sand bass. Pretty much the same at Cedar Creek I would imagine. Weird though. I've caught bass mixed in with stripers at PK. I think when they rest they just find a comfortable place and may suspend and that place I would think depends on water temp and an area where they won't be disturbed. That place will be different on different lakes. I would think resting fish would be very difficult to catch but I'm sure there are some who would disagree.
Spawning also varies on different lakes. Different depths and different times depending on locals.
All the years I've fished Palestine I've always caught them in less then 10' of water but I usually fish above the 155 bridge and unless you're fishing the river there isn't much deep water. I'd say if you're use to catching them shallow stay with it. This time of year I'm usually fishing in 15-30 FOW at Fork and I may be in 20 to 50 FOW at PK. Everything is relative to the body of water your fishing but if I was headed to Palestine Monday morning I wouldn't be in anything deeper than 10'. All of this is just my experience fishing different lakes and by no means based on fact. There's a heckuva lot smarter anglers on here than I am.
Posted By: Mark Perry

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 03:51 PM

One other thing I have noticed in my own fishing is that the fish on Palestine do not relate to the timber like they do at Fork either.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 06:38 PM

There's definitely big ones deep on Palestine but it's very isolated stuff. Majority of the fish are shallow especially northern half the lake
Posted By: wild bill

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 07:23 PM

Jaret Latta Can you define isolated stuff. Maybe I am looking at the wrong things.

Mark Perry What do these Palestine fish relate to. I have fished the river channel, creek bends, swings, ledges and more with out success I have began to think it is a timing thing.

I do wonder if it is the influence of the Florida fish which are a shallow water fish but then Fork has Florida fish.. Rayburn has Florida.


An Aggie you wrote some thing that I had an "ah-ha" moment Suspending fish The fish on Palestine may suspend over (deep water) 12 f o w and not go deep(20 plus) like FORK and Rayburn Fish

Wild BIll
.
Posted By: Mark Perry

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 07:27 PM

Originally Posted By: wild bill
Jaret Latta Can you define isolated stuff. Maybe I am looking at the wrong things.

Mark Perry What do these Palestine fish relate to. I have fished the river channel, creek bends, swings, ledges and more with out success I have began to think it is a timing thing.

I do wonder if it is the influence of the Florida fish which are a shallow water fish but then Fork has Florida fish.. Rayburn has Florida.


An Aggie you wrote some thing that I had an "ah-ha" moment Suspending fish The fish on Palestine may suspend over (deep water) 12 f o w and not go deep(20 plus) like FORK and Rayburn Fish

Wild BIll
.



If I don't go north then I just live and die with the dock bite usually. Spent too many hours trying to force them to bite on timber like they do at Fork and other lakes. Palestine just has its own personality.
Posted By: wild bill

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 09:21 PM

Palestine just has its own personality AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks
wild bill
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 10:20 PM

Particular docks and brush piles..
Posted By: wild bill

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/04/18 10:59 PM

thanks Jaret Latta

wild bill
Posted By: Jake Shannon(Skeet4Life)

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/05/18 03:29 AM

Palestine is not a pure strain Florida bass lake, most are northern or mixed.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Lake Palestine - 08/05/18 03:36 AM

Very few Texas lakes have pure Florida's. Even Rayburn gets a huge stocking but most fish are mixed. I just think it's the way Palestine lays out. The major flats and creeks are pretty shallow as is the river.
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