Do perch bite this time of year and if so, can they be caught from the shore line? I am handicapped so it would have to be easily accessible. I want to put some meat in the freezer.

Or, are there any local DFW crappie guides on here?

Cevin...They do bite this time of year, but NOTHING like the spring/summer. The bigger ones are mostly out somewhere in deep water in the winter. They are way harder to find...but if you find one, you can find more in the same area. Fishing from the shore this time of year could be tough, but I am sure Banker (The King of Shore Fishermen) will respond to your question.

Cevin to the Bluegill section of the TFF! Glad to have you on board. You picked a very good bunch of anglers to be with. I personally do 90 percent of my fishing from the bank. I prefer it that way. The best times to fish a bank for sunfish are during the spring, summer, and fall. Winter bank fishing is very slow but I have caught some BIG ONES during the winter months. If you are handicapped I would look for water bodies that have public docks. During the late spring and summer months docks on lakes in 10 to 16 feet of water hold plenty of nice Bluegill and Redear. Make sure your tackle is right for sunfish. I use a Shakespeare 5" Ugly Stick Combo. Academy has them for sell at $40.00. You can find them on sale for about $30.00 during certain times of the year. I use six pound test line and either size 6 or 8 hooks. I really am loving the size 8 hooks. I use small split shots and fish right off the bottom. If I am fishing docks I flip my worm close to the dock slips as possible. Bank fishing, I am moving around a lot and some of the places I fish the bank can be an adventure all by it's self. I do have several locations where the access is easy to get to the water and you can catch plenty of nice fish. City and county parks, that have ponds and lakes, storm water holding ponds, and State Parks that have fishing will be good places to look into as for easy access to water. A lot of State parks also have public docks. Also getting a guide is a great idea. I do not know any guides that fish for Bluegill( there are plenty of crappie guides) but I do know guides that will try to find Bluegill if the customer request it. Use Google to research water bodies that will meet your needs, Keep it simple and relax and enjoy the great outdoors.


Side Note: Some very good anglers post here often. Some may want to add to what I have said. Looking forward to reading more of your post and hopefully some fishing reports from your area as well.

I would add one more important fact. A lot of State and City Parks have very easy access from the bank to the water.

Thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it. I haven’t been fishing since 2018 due to medical issues. I had to sell my boat and most of my tackle. I did keep a couple good rod and reels. I have been craving fresh caught fish for a while so that’s why I am posting this. I guess I’m gonna have to wait till spring. Thank you again for your help. I hope to find a guide to put me on some crappie or sand bass soon.

Crappie bite is very good in the winter. A descent guide should be able to put you on some. Best of luck and keep us posted.

Every thing what Chuck (Banker) said. I might also add when you are fishing for crappie and your guide/friend spots a lot of fish on a brush pile or ledge also use some Gulp Alive Leaches or live worms. Excellent chance you will pull up some nice Bluegill. Bluegill love the same spots as crappie do.


Also to the "Gill Busters"!

I will try that. I didn’t know bluegill followed crappie. Thank you all for your help. If you know of an honest crappie guide I would appreciate it!

Welcome to the forum Cevin. I am in Hurst also. Like you, I am somewhat handicapped with Parkinson's disease. And I had to sell my boat a few years back.

The sunfish bite is pretty well shut down for us for the winter without a boat. Your best bet is crappie. Fortunately, Lake Joe Pool is near and it has a great handicapped access crappie barge. If you are over 65 it is free on Wednesdays. If not, it is only $4.00. It has an easy ramp and a bait shop. If you want to try it send me a message and I will give directions.

About the time the crappie spawn and go back deep the sunfish will start biting and there are some nice spots within casting distance of the handicapped ramp attached to the crappie house. Also, some of the local ponds near Hurst have good sunfish populations.

to the "Gill Busters" ! I do not target sunfish/Bluegill but I sure love this section of the TFF! Lot's of GREAT ANGLERS post here and I love reading all of their post and seeing their catches.

You might want to look at the Lynn Creek Marina on Joe Pool lake. They have a fishing barge that is accessible for wheel chairs and such. The barge has produced a lot of carp, catfish, crappie and blue gill for me in the past. You can either fish the inside wells or outside on the walkways. They have bait on site.

Two more reasons the TFF is GREAT! This post and the one Curt0407 posted. People helping people is what life is all about!

I think I will try the Lynn Creek Marina since it’s wheelchair friendly. I really want some good ole fish to put in the freezer. Thank you all for everything. This is a very nice group. This is way different than the bass fishing section

Let us know if the marina works for you. Good luck.

Man I hope you get into them. Ain't nothin' like feelin' the thump! Only takes getting into real slabs once to get you hooked. Give me a dozen good gills over the biggest bass in the lake any day.