texasfishingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
TraeMartin, Power-Pole CS, T-Rigger, JoeGoes, EcKo
119150 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
hopalong 120,585
TexDawg 119,524
Bigbob_FTW 94,903
John175☮ 85,892
Pilothawk 83,264
Bob Davis 81,523
Mark Perry 72,297
Derek 🐝 68,312
JDavis7873 67,416
Forum Statistics
Forums59
Topics1,037,857
Posts13,935,688
Members144,150
Most Online39,925
Dec 30th, 2023
Print Thread
Lake Athens Panfish #12159260 03/27/17 02:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
B
Brad R Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
B
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
I took my Native Propel 10 kayak out today. It is great for holding position around boat docks. I caught about a dozen bluegills and three were outstanding . . . these three coming off one dock. All three were just shy of 10" and hefty. One was very yellow and bright, another was very dark.

In all three cases, the other smaller fish, too, what worked was getting on the west side of the boat dock (in the AM with the sun still over in the east) and casting somewhere beyond the sun/shade line around the dock.

I let the curly tailed grub fall and they'd either take it immediately or soon after/

The lake record for bluegill is .9 lbs. and 10". I think I was pretty close on these three. Others, too, I have caught over the last month.

Other lake records are larger for: Redbreast (1.11 lbs.) and Redear (1.22 lbs.) so I need to familiarize myself with the identification specifics.

Known for its large mouth bass fishing, Lake Athens has a lot of really nice blue gills and crappie.

I'll have my camera ready next time and start shooting some pics.

Brad

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12159275 03/27/17 02:14 AM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 75,521
banker-always fishing Offline
Pumpkin Head
Offline
Pumpkin Head
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 75,521
I have never fished Lake Athens but that lake is on my radar screen. I know anglers who have and they all say that Lake Athens is one heck of a sunfish lake. Nice report Brad and thanks for sharing. thumb



Side Note: How deep were the gills you were catching? Also any signs of spawning starting to take place? hmmm


[Linked Image][Linked Image]

IGFA World Record Rio Grande Cichlid. Lake Dunlap.

John 3:16

Sinner's Prayer. God forgive me a sinner. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior !
Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12159882 03/27/17 02:31 PM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,662
A
Action_Jackson Offline
Extreme Angler
Offline
Extreme Angler
A
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,662
Lake Athens is my top favorite bluegill/redear lake! Im pretty sure I've caught gills over .9lbs 10", just never take em to get weighed officially! I ALWAYS use crickets with an occasional night crawler or jig every once in a while. Only way I know to katch em on Athens is while they're bedded up in about 3' of water. I'll normally put a cricket on a 1/64 #8 jig head an let it fall slowly. About 5 seconds after it hits the water, you'll see your line stretching out and the fight is on!!!


Katchin krappie...doin surgeries(filleting)...and givin hott grease baths until krunchy and golden brown is what it's all about!!!

"STAY ready for the THUMP"!!!!
Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12160358 03/27/17 06:22 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
B
Brad R Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
B
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
I agree with Action_Jackson's thoughts. It is quite likely that someone, perhaps many others, have caught blue gills and red ears out here that exceed the listed lake records. I've been too close to 10" on too many occasions, this, just after fishing for them over the last few months. I have to think and believe that someone has pulled out a gill bigger than the ones I have caught over such a short period of time.

Yes, it is a very solid lake for panfish. I've seen some real whoppers on YouTube pulled from lakes in other states like Alabama and several others, but if there are some 12" fish in Athens, that's an indication of it being a pretty productive lake.

And, from what I can tell, they appear to be under-fished or under-targeted here since Lake Athens is primarily noted for LMB fishing.

*** Hey! I just HAD to do it, and I knew I was sooner or later . . . so I pulled the trigger and just ordered a PFS50ULM, a St. Croix Panfish Series 5 footer, ultralight, moderate action. It is rated for 2 to 6 lbs. test line and 1/16th to 1/4 lure weights.

The rod weighs . . . 2 ounces.

As I was drifting along the boat houses, I was casting using my 6'9" St. Croix and the whole time I was thinking to myself how much more productive I'd be, in that situation, with a short rod. A 5 footer will allow me to pedal right up on the dock and fling my jigs way back underneath.

I chose the moderate action over a 4" longer rod with a fast tip (PFS54ULF) . . . thinking that the slightly shorter rod with its moderate action means it might be better designed for dock shooting since it will bend farther back toward the hands, more like an archer's bow.

So, the long rod for casting situations; the shorter rod for working around docks, a travel or backpacking rod, too.

I really look forward to getting back out again and working on my techniques targeting these fish!

Brad

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12160770 03/27/17 10:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,079
W
Wildman of the navidad Offline
Extreme Angler
Offline
Extreme Angler
W
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,079
rockon


Psalm:91

Quote on the wildman" They Said he'd eat the hair off of a man's head when he was hungry
and squeeze the water out of rocks when he was thirsty"
Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12161539 03/28/17 11:56 AM
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,541
J
J-Moe Offline
TFF Team Angler
Offline
TFF Team Angler
J
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,541
Enjoyed the post. Was looking forward to the fish porn though grin

If you enjoy fishing with artificial lures so much you should really consider a 7'6" 3wt or 4wt fly rod. Sounds like they were feeding in the upper part of the water column which is the ultimate time for a little Betts popper or Briminator. fish

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: J-Moe] #12161628 03/28/17 12:46 PM
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 19,021
L
Laker One Offline
TFF Guru
Offline
TFF Guru
L
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 19,021
Originally Posted By: J-Moe
Enjoyed the post. Was looking forward to the fish porn though grin

If you enjoy fishing with artificial lures so much you should really consider a 7'6" 3wt or 4wt fly rod. Sounds like they were feeding in the upper part of the water column which is the ultimate time for a little Betts popper or Briminator. fish




Plus #1. Love my 3 and 5 weights. I have only been fishing for sunfish a few years and simply love it. UL and flyrod is the only way to go!


Side Note: Great report. I have heard a lot of good things about Lake Athens. woot

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12162128 03/28/17 05:27 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
B
Brad R Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
B
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
Flyrods! Yes, I appear to be heading that way. And, fishwfly has me considering the Tenkara rods as a neat tool.

Back on Lake Athens, I found this archived article and it supports what several of us know or think, that it is very likely that many bigger bluegills and redears and redbreasts have actually been caught and just not submitted for lake records. In this article, the author states they caught several back in a cove that were half a pound larger than the listed lake record.

Yes, I'll get a camera, some scales and a tape and get some pics.

I feel very confident since I live on the lake and have lots of access, that I will encounter something 11" or > soon enough. I think 100 hours of dedicated target fishing might do the trick.

I'll be on artificial lures the whole way. Nothing at all wrong with worms and crickets, for sure, but I want to stick with the former.

My young fishing buddy neighbor who is on the Athens HS fishing team (they won the central division this year, I believe) has watched me catch some 9 to 10 inchers off his boat dock . . . and he is convinced he can take me out and show me some places where really big bluegills hang out. He thinks I could break the listed record.

I'm a believer!

Brad

Article attached.

Lake Athens and sunfish

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12162160 03/28/17 05:42 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
B
Brad R Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
B
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
One other. This video comprises 3 stops: Bluegill Cabins, then Lake Athens, and finally a short bit of video on Purtis Creek.

Check out some of the sunfish they caught on Lake Athens!

Brad

Sunfish Heaven: East Texas

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12163794 03/29/17 01:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 17,610
G
Gitter Done Offline
TFF Guru
Offline
TFF Guru
G
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 17,610
Lake Athens is a very good fishery! You are fishing in one of the best lakes in Texas!

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12168508 04/01/17 01:42 PM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 435
F
Fisherdad58 Offline
Angler
Offline
Angler
F
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 435
I've never fished for them on Athens but I've seen some really big ones swimming around. So big I wasn't sure what they were. 12"+ easy. I'm planning a trip for them there soon with a friend that loves ultra light fishing.


"Be as straight as you can be and as crooked as you have to be, for what's right"

Psalm 8
Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12168665 04/01/17 04:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
B
Brad R Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
B
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,120
I believe it, that there are 12 inchers in there. I have caught too many in the 9 to 10" range for there not to be.

That, and I found an article from just a few years ago where the author said they fished back in some of the Lake Athens coves and caught some that were "half a pound" larger than the listed lake record.

One they get up in that 9" range, my guess is they are pretty immune to LMBs looking for an easy lunch. The girth of a bluegill is just too large at that length for most bass to swallow them I suspect.

Brad

Re: Lake Athens Panfish [Re: Brad R] #12169363 04/02/17 04:00 AM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 908
F
Fishwfly Offline
Pro Angler
Offline
Pro Angler
F
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 908
I have a feeling Brad will have a new lake record soon! Good luck buddy.

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 1998-2022 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3