Patterning Black Bass on Sheldon

Anyone have suggestions for patterning post-spawn bass on Sheldon? Been several times this spring. Caught a few bass here and there, but most of the bites are from perch. So I usually end up switching to a roadrunner jig or beetle spin and taking home a mess of perch. Nothing wrong with that (They're fun to catch, and they're delicious!), but I would really like to locate the bass. Any guidance from someone who knows the lake is appreciated!

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are you asking where to find them or what they are biting?

Both really. I've been mostly targeting the vegetation around the islands with Texas rigs and spinnerbaits in various colors and presentations. Also thrown the occasional topwater or shallow crankbait. I've caught a few, but mostly small and very spread out.

Sheldon reservoir in houston?

get a map if available look for structure (bottom contour features) like long points, creek bends close to the channel, humps, creek intersections, road beds. Then look for cover (brush, timber, man made features) that are near the strucure and start there. Also look for water temp changes. Might not matter quite as much right now as it did a couple weeks ago or later in the summer. Alot of times when you find them at a certain area and depth, it will be so all over the lake.

Lol those tips don't apply to sheldon, it's same same depth +/- 1 foot the entire lake, no map, no creeks, the entire thing is cover lol.

You want to catch some bass? Throw a weightless worm in the cypress trees mid lake, Senko, trick worm, watever. Just go super slow down the middle of em and toss next to each tree, wait, and repeat. You don't have to dance it much just let it fall on a slack line, and watch your line.

Yeah that whole lake is shallow without much bottom structure to target, so that makes it hard to pattern. I've been targeting the vegetation around the islands and spillway with little success. I'll try the trees next. Thanks for the tip.

Spillway and that whole bank are a waist of time. You need to fish the trees and go towards garret. More and bigger fish there. I haven't been on Sheldon in a couple years but have had many many 25# plus sacks there. It's absolutely loaded with big fish. I can count on one hand how many decent fish I've caught on that bank with the spillway. They like craw type baits, jigs, buzz baits alot. Caught all my big fish on those.

That's certainly consistent with my results. I'll definitely have to check out the trees!

yes

Was there last Sat morning, think we had 15 or so, biggest at 5lbs on a frog early, few other big blowups, but no connections, then it was to the trees, wacky senkos and grande bass rattlesnakes. I threw cranks too as right before the vegetation reaches surface level you can get them by putting single hooks on and ripping them thru the grass/pads. IT got sunny quick that day and we were catching them on the shadow sides of the trees, work them all, you might find one clump that you can catch 3-4 on, but mostly roamers in my experience. I saw a 31lb bag out of there with my own eyes, they are in there.

Yep, I have no doubt that lake is full of hogs! Nice to get some pointers on how to find them. Thanks guys!

Now return the favor and post back what you come up with on your own if you dont mind.

Yep I definitely will.

Top water frog types (experiment cadence and speed on retrieval) in thick pads, swim baits (experiment with sizes) in the speradic pads, and jigs in the matted grass consistently produce the biggest fish on Sheldon. Sometimes you may only catch 1, 2, or 3 in a day though. But a weightless sinko will always produce the most fish (not necesacerly the biggest) year round on Sheldon. In the past 3 months I have (1) 9+lbs, (3) 8+lbs, (1)7+lbs, and a few 6s. Only one of those fish came on a sinko.

have really been thinking about fishing this lake sounds like I am going to give it a try

FINALLY got back out to Sheldon yesterday thanks to all this rain. My brother and I fished from about 4:30 til dark, and caught a total of 8 bass. Nothing huge - biggest was 3.10 lbs - but they were definitley there and very aggressive! Got em on weightless wacky worms, texas rigged crawfish and brush hogs in the cypress trees and lily pads. Really appreciate the tips!

Can you put a bass boat in on that lake?

Good job. You know the lake record was broken there last week, story should show up soon, it was weighed on a certified scale.

Yes you can (idle only), but it's all shallow with some stumps, etc. to watch out for.

Nice! Can't wait for the story. This has become my home lake since it's so close, and my little pond boat can't handle big water. Really cool to have such a productive lake so close to home!

Tough day yesterday... Fished for 12hrs and only 3 fish. If all three would have been "pigs" then I would have been happy.....but they weren't. I am always first to say "the wind is your friend", but not yesterday! The wind was crazy and it lasted all freaking day.

Nice! Yeah the wind was kicking our [censored] last weekend too.

What is the lake record currently by the way?

That lake record is just the official one. I've got 2 over that out of there and know of 3 more over 13 from sheldon. 1 of the 13s I landed for a good buddy February 2006. Punching hycanthis. Biggest i know of is a 16 a viatnamese guy caught on a minnow then took home to eat. My buddy watched it all happen and offered the guy $200 to release it.

Officially 10.08 lbs