Took my kayak out to Bastrop this morning. First time fishing out there. I launched from the South Shore at around 615am, prob 70 degrees, no wind, water was glass. I paddled out to the 1o'clock from the ramp to the shoreline where I saw a lot of topwater activity. I started throwing a top water frog lure, first time using a top water frog, and missed a few strikes because I got to antsy and tried to set the hook to quick. Finally landed a smaller bass after I let him take the lure and run with it. Didn't get any more hits, so I paddled around to the cove and made my way towards the intake of the dam. Saw a whole lot of activity around some floating grass mats in the creek heading into the intake area. Landed 2 decent fish on the frog again. There was a whole lot of activity in the grass mats, but I couldn't get many takers..I threw the tackle box at them. I started to wonder if these were all bass, began to think it was maybe carp? The reason I was thinking it wasn't LMB was because I paddled and drifted up against the barrier block off the intake area, and was settled onto the far edge of a grass mat..had some of these fish actually bump into my kayak..Im pretty sure LMB wouldn't strike the surface and hit my kayak. I also have not ever fished a lake with so much grass extending out from the shore. It extended out a considerable distance..my question is, when fishing with so much grass, would I be wanting to fish the edge of the grass in deeper water, or still cast up on top of the grass closer to the shore?? I need to figure out the lake, but it is a pretty lake, and everywhere looks like great places for bass to be roaming..any advice on how to fish the grass would be greatly appreciated!!! Have a great weekend!

yes yes and yes....

In the morning and when cloudy fish those mats...they will produce. As the sun starts to rise fish the eel grass that is 1-3ft under the water. After the sun comes up fish the deeper edges.

those are carp. saw a lot of the same thing described when i was there all last week. I caught a lot of fish using moving baits early then tx rigged plastics in the grass when the sun came up. I would either focus on the edge in 5-7ft or focus on pitching into openings in the grass in 3-4ft. no topwater action early the first day i was there so i never threw another topwater for the remaining 4 days. If i took a kayak out of south shore I would hit the grass that extends far away from the shore with buoys on the left side.

What kind of grass is in this lake?

The fish holding kind.

Fished Bastrop yesterday and saw the same thing. Most of the fish I saw shallow were gar/carp. I did see a few bass in the grass. The bass blow ups look different than the gar or carp. The gar/carp are more like the fish is rolling where the bass are busting bait. The shallow grass is mostly eel grass but there s a little hydrilla deeper than the eel grass. Pretty much if you are seeing grass deeper than 6' its hydilla. I'd probably stay real shallow first light then move deeper. Looks like the water is at pool level and there's an inside grass line and open area between the eel grass and the reeds. You should be able on your yak to get between them and fish both. I caught some pretty good fish from the edge of the reeds. Best bite was at the offset in the dam. They are pumping in water from the Colorado and you can see the bubbles coming up and the water coming in is muddy. There are TONS of shad and the bass are stacked in there. Didn't seem to matter what you threw baitwise or color. Caught fish on soft plastics when it slowed down and caught fish on swim baits, cranks, traps when they were busting the surface. Not schooling yet but should soon.

I need to take trip there. I haven't fished much grass since the hydrilla disappeared from Choke Canyon. Love me some hydrilla!!!

Don't get to excited about the hydrilla on Bastrop...It's sparse to say the least. I would love to see it come back and choke out the eel grass. Much easier to fish and holds bass better.

I see we'll still need to go check out this little lake. Thanks for the info.

I live out in Brenham so I have been interested in learning more about wade fishing for bass at Lake Bastrop. I notice there was conversation about people parking near 1441 and walking in, as well as, going into the North Park and walking the shoreline.

Is it permissible to park on 1441 and walk in?

What time does the park open?

Any advice on the best place to go would be appreciated.

I don't know about walking in.. it's considered power plant private property. People might do it but I'd ask first.
The parks don't close, I launch as early as 4 am sometimes and just pay via the honor system. However the lake is not very friendly for wade fishing..vegetation is very thick around the banks except in the park areas.

Thanks, most of parks I go to don't open til 6 AM and I hate it. Sounds like a good place to wade and throw a frog. Did that at Gibbons Creek this weekend. It's not very wade friendly either.

From reading I would suspect the North Shore would be a little more wade friendly location.

Yes, the hydrilla on Bastrop is very sparse. It is great that Bastrop has some kind vegetation but eel grass can certainly be a pain in the behind. We fish crank baits a lot and you have to constantly clean the eel grass off your lure. Because it is not very long and very strong, you can't "rip" through it like KVD always talks about. Don't utter the word "hydrilla" too loud; TPWD will be out there with a tanker full of herbicide.