I've been fishing it regularly for more than 15 years and this is the first year the fishing is SLOW. No schooling action, no slab bite (to speak of) and no boat shows. What's going on?????

It's been the worst year I've ever experienced. We had a good hybrid bite that lasted about three weeks in May. Aside from that it's been pitiful for the majority of the regulars. The lake level is what I am blaming.

OK
, lake level has been worse and fishing was red hot. Where did the fish go? I don't really think the lake level has anything to do with it based on earlier years when the boat ramps were closed and the trees were above water by 5 feet. Was it over fished? Are the fish not spawning? This is frustrating....

Hopefully it's just a down cycle that all lakes go through at some point. I don't know what triggers it. If it's one thing or a combination of factors. I do remember a lot of floaters early last summer (mostly hybrids and catfish) and it seems like the fishing has not been the same since. I don't think it's the water level. I've fished LL for 30 years and the fishing has been good in the past when the lake has been much lower than it is now. Seems like we got down to about 14' low a few years ago. Just a handful of ramps were usable, but the fishing was good. I agree that it's definitely off except for a few good days here and there. I hope it turns around soon. Anybody remember those acres of schooling sand bass with hybrids underneath?

I do, and I miss that awesome fishing!

I think the prolonged colder than normal winter temperatures has somehow depleated the threadfin shad population (and messed up their spawning). Has anyone graphed large schools of shad (and are the sandbass feeding on them) ? Usually in the late spring the shad are all over the shallow points,back in the coves,and around the boat ramps. Hard pressed to find them there this last month or so. I thing most of the lakes in North Texas have been experiencing the same thing.

Not graphing much at all out there these days. Maybe somebody else is. Mostly I'm just driving and looking now. I don't like boat shows, but I'd sure be happy to see one at this point.

same here Dan. Very slow this year.. I've resorted to boating with the family and putting the poles up for a while until...I sure miss chasing the big schools in the middle of the lake and catching fish till you are worn out...Those days are few and far between. I did see some schooling fish last Saturday morning in a cove but they were 6 inches at the biggest..

Yep, I was catfishing on wed and marked a ton of sandies outside the tires near sneakys. I know they were sandies as the occasional fish would briefly surface chasing shad. We stop for a sec, and threw mepps, sassys, slab with jigs and could not get a bump. The bottom was cloudy with them all stacked in there. Same thing last week. Marked a ton off 35 rocks on the construction side. Threw the tackle box at them, nada.
crappie have been tough too. Channel cat spawn never really took off for me either in any of my normal spots. Weird year all around.

Also, I have not caught a threadfin in net this yr. Tom in the catfish section has caught 28 all yr he said. Crazy.

I found some last weekend surfacing over by the old dam but they were all small. I can't seem to find their pattern and they are not in the usual spots. I did find lots of shad over by the pits a few weeks ago but no sandies anywhere near. I hope it gets better soon.

An occasional decent day may appear and then the next time out the fish have disappeared again. I have been using the Navionics chip trying to find new spots to fish. The new spots are easy to find. The trouble is that they do not hold fish either. I believe they are just cruising around in the open water and timber. You may sometimes notice a large shad or two breaking the surface. Maybe the surface action will start soon.

I was able to get a limit last month just past the LE bridge... The next weekend took out the new boat and got two!!! Then last Sunday went out and busted a prop and limped back to LE and tried the rock ledge for a LMB the sandies started schooling right there we ended up with 17, I did noticed during duck season that a lot of shad died during the hard freezes and I don't see much bait while I'm out... the boat shows that people talk about could be part of the issue as well the lake can't keep up with the pressure, finally, all of the homes being built around the lake means more people fishing and catching.

I was bass fishing Tuesday night and came around the point between sneaky and the barge. All of a sudden a large school of sandies blew up around me for 50 yards in every direction. Needless to say I stopped bass fishing and caught around fifty in an hour or so. Reminded me of the good old days on that lake, just don't see that too often anymore.

Well guys/ gals, looks like we're all in the same boat:), good to hear from you Pete. I'm going out Saturday evening, I'll post what goes down. I believe it was the shad kill that changed it all. I still don't nudist and where the fish went, or, if the spawn was light?