I have reached a stage in life where I have some issues going on with both wrist and hands. I hate to even think this but my days on the water may be slowing way down or even coming to an end. I have seen several doctors and specialist on these issues and there really isn't a lot they can do. How ever surgery is the solution, but they want to pin and fuse my wrist. I also had a scan on my neck and it's not doing so well. In other words, from head to toe I have lost my range of motion in almost every joint. I knew this time was coming I just didn't know it would all hit me at once. In the last four months I have had a lot of x-rays and cat scans because I wanted to know what was causing so many issues here and there on my body. The crazy part is that it doesn't matter how much money or good insurance you have, there are some things they just cannot repair at hundred percent. Yes they can make these aches and pain less, but my range of motion will be so depleted that fishing with artificial baits may be coming to an end. I am going to continue to push on and do what I can till I can no longer do it at all, but man has this last year been the pits.

wishing ya can fish on, and hang around the fishy community much much longer..

You can follow me around and I'll string up some white bass for you. Hope things turn around for you sir.

J-Moe thanks my friend, I know you would do that for me. I feel like I struggled while fishing the Yegua this year before all this wrist stuff started flaring up. In fact I only fished when I read fishing reports that said fishing was good, I did not scout any waters at all this past year like I normally would. And I ended the year earlier than I normally would. When it slowed down, I put everything up and away. So thank you for your reports and the inside intel on the hot spots you shared with me.

Yep, I learned it the hard way when I busted my shoulder.

C.M. I've had double surgery on both of my shoulders already, that's another area that really will stop a person from fishing. But for several years I had real bad knee issues and wasn't able to walk the creek banks very much. One time I walked a good ways downstream on the Yegua and I wasn't sure I was going to walk back out.

Huh... I hurt my other shoulder about 2 years after operation -- decided against the surgery. So far it is ok'ish -- not ideal, but I could say the same for one that had been operated on. I fished once with a guide in Trinity bay -- he had both(!) of his shoulders replaced (apparently relatively rare procedure, compared to knee replacement). Told me surgery was very good for him -- before it he couldn't do a lot of things (like operating a boat) + had to deal with pain all the time.

Knee problems suck too. At least once you get on a kayak/boat -- you good...

That is why you better get the most fishing/hunting/etc when you are still young. Delaying it until retirement may not work out the way you think it will.

The lake level was 2.75 feet below normal a month ago. It was slowly coming up until this week. It has now started to come up at a faster pace. It is only 0.6 feet below normal now and should be back to normal in the next few days as the rain is expected to continue. Great news for the winter crappie fishing and spring white bass run!!!

I believe it is FULL and rising! Could be about time to go fishing.

Yep, the lake level is 238.55. 0.55 ft above normal!!!!!

Anyone fish off the Lake Somerville Marina?

guys and gals,

Testing out a new ProDrive boat on Sunday we took a tour of the lake Somerville up to Nails Creek and over to the Yegua then back down to Jerdelle.
We fished a little but the creeks were all very turbid from recent rains.

The Yegua is flowing strong and clearing up but it will be a good while longer before it gets back to that beautiful clear green and the good fishing returns.
Nails Creek is the usual stained/muddy and flowing well. Jerdelle creek @ FM1948 looks to have the best water clarity but boy has it changed since last year.
We saw very little evidence of game fish activity in any of the creeks so I suspect if you fish the creeks now be prepared for a challenge.

The lake maintained good levels all through the summer dropping only two feet lower than the 238 pool level.

The Yegua flowed enough through the summer to maintain the fish in the lower end so the resident population of bass and crappie should be more catchable as the water clears. I didn't get that same impression going up Nails creek.

Nails creek, Cedar creek and Jerdelle creek all fish best after the lake has risen several feet above pool level especially in the late Summer/fall timeframe otherwise there simply isn't enough water in those smaller creeks.

The bass and crappie fishing this upcoming season depends greatly on how much rain we get in the next couple of months and the lake rising up a few feet by late winter to draw in the spawning fish.
There is usually enough resident bass and crappie up in the Yegua to keep things interesting so any day on the creek is time well spent IMHO.

May just have to check out the creeks this weekend.

Yall gotten any rain lately?

Too much rain in Austin. Hopefully things have settled down for a stretch.