Hey Fishytx....Are you going out fishing today?

With all the stringers and people yanking whites out of the water it it makes sense that there are less fish now (just like hook-line&sinker mentioned). I was thinking of possibly making a trip this upcoming Thursday but not sure now - only have access by bank. Anybody else heading out this Thursday (2-18)?

I'm going this afternoon. But reports I've read indicate a slow bite, hope I can find something. I think I will though. We will see.

In late December I was catching 15 inch females under Irwin Bridge. In early January we were catching the small males up in the WMA area. Now the small males are downstream of the horseshoe. Add to that the incredibly clear water and the difficulty of the fishing multiplies. I don't even bother taking conventional gear with me anymore. I can cast a smaller lure further and with more accuracy than my ultralight. I was fishing with Ben and his nephews last night. One of the nephews grabbed the fly rod from Ben and said "I'm sick of watching you guys catch fish", LOL!!!

I have been using the clouser pattern pictured below. It uses bead chain (like the one hanging on overhead lights or old lamps) vs. heavier lead eyes. I've also used micro lead eyes in faster current. The extra small lead eyes are even to heavy. The bead chain weights the fly in such a manner that the hook rides up. So the white is on bottom and grey is on top when fishing it. Just like most of natures creatures, the lighter colors should be on bottom.

The white and gray materials are deer hair (Buck tail). I tie some of them even more sparsely than this one. The clearer the water, the sparser the tie. I only use 4 pieces of flash. 2 on each side. The same concept, the sparser, the better. I found that the gray and white worked better than other colors like Chartreuse and white.

It was interesting. I was researching the web on some white bass flies. I read an article about how the famous Texas fly fishing guide, and inventor of the Cypert minnow fly, Charlie Cypert, actually preferred to use gray and white clousers when white bass fishing. That just reinforced my confidence in the pattern.

Awesome looking fly Jamie.......

Dang, I wonder who told you about this color pattern two weeks a go and also explained why it would work so well?

Found a good crappie bite on mainlake all weekend.
Fished Friday afternoon to 10am this morning.
Found fish biting in 17FOW suspended at 10-12ft

Left each day just short of 2-3man limits.

Lake temp is now above 60. It never fell
Under that all weekend

Thanks hoggwild, that's good information. I did a quick internet search on spawning water temperatures.

Spawn Water temperature by species
Bluegill: 67 to 80 degrees
White Bass: > 60 degrees
Crappie: > 65 degrees
Largemouth: 60 to 70 degrees

I waked in at Irwin Bridge Friday afternoon. First time fishing there. I caught 2 on a rapala lipless bait in blue chrome after walking as far back as I thought I could and still get out by dark, which ended up right near the bridge.
I broke my rod after catching those 2 in about 5 minutes, then headed back out. I saw whites hugging the bank in several spots that last half mile or so. Pretty water back in there.

I Talked to the owner of the marina on the south side of the dam this morning and he said the crappie bite has been very good over there. 10-12' deep.

If you saw whitebass hugging the banks then they are beginning the spawn.. early morning hours you should begin to see whitebass actively chasing in the shallow rapids..

Big creek is closed, correct? Is there any way to get to the beach there?

Big creek is closed still yes.

They are suppose to open back up in March.

No marina, just camp and access to lake is what I was told

They were all full of eggs. Premature eggs but full.