Prosise,
Thank you so much for all the reports . I have been following your reports since last year. You have put us on a lot of sand bass. I personally look forward to all your reports and techniques . I love to take the grand children fishing and see them catch fish. Thank you and keep the reports going.

Yup, spilling all the beans about where the fish can be found is a fools game. The good news is the Game Wardens are starting to pay more attention to the creeks. Saw one off the beaten path just yesterday.

Yesterday. I’m sure he got tired of writing tickets in this spot. The amount of weed smoking and illegal fish is a epidemic in this area.

Launched at TC ramp and went scouting on the upper end of the lake. Caught about a dozen real small whites in the areas I labeled last week (whites branch) . In the canoe I worked thru the log jam at the bridge and worked all the way to clear water. Water temp 69 & Just small fish. Went to Marshal branch, the creek that leads up to trophy club. This creek is vacant, only gar. Scanned the whole thing and some bait but nothing else. Water was 58. Walked many banks and found a bunch of lures, bobbers, and a real nice white spinning rod that is missing an eye. Only thing is the rod didn't make it home. If someone found a rod on the ramp, or road let me know. I can describe the rod, and I have video of it. Crappie were not in the spot that I found them last week. They are moving, and in deep brush. Did catch some donkeys on jigs, and I mean big crappie. Not accessible by foot, or boat very shallow. They are working towards the creek.
Never made it up the creek, filled the boat up with trash from main lake. Left about 5 pvc jug lines at the ramp. Hope someone can use them.. Did not keep any fish, traveled about 12 miles by canoe cruising around and walking the debris piles on the banks.. Talked to a man in a jet drive that went close to the hole, and he said it was no good. Think you prob need to be above the hole. Anyhoo, steak is not going to cook itself..

Dogfish head 90 minute ipa is smooth as butter...

BTW: I have about 200 bobbers of random sizes.. Will prob leave a bucket of them down at TC park area. If you need bobbers let me know. I have every shape, size, model made. Wood, plastic, glow, rattle, if you need some IM me and I can get you what you need for free..

Prosise


Also: The creek is BLM (federal) land. Do not conceal carry if you are walking in, and mind your P's and Q's. That is a big one you cannot win.

First time up there yesterday in a boat, got 8 keepers 2 miles or so from 377 upstream, 3 huge females, seemed to like the deep holes close to sand bars, few unders thrown back. great day.

First off, i want to Sincerely thank all who have stepped up and picked up trash on the creek. All the areas i viewed going up were relatively clean, and I would say best i have seen in a while. I think the feedback has emphasized the need to pick up.. It was way cleaner than I expected, and I really want to emphasize that we need to teach the young ones about giving back.. I tell mason that when we clean the creek, lake, or pond they will reward you with something unexpected..

Fishing is work, but when you find them you can pick up some fish. Strange spring for sure.. I launched the canoe at 6:15 and headed up, about 1 mile past 377 I had an overheating engine.. Not getting good water flow to the top end. The Suzuki DT2 doesn't have a water stream going out of the engine, but rather a hole that spits water/steam. Never cleaned out all the channels, so it is time. Limped up to the hole, and went right around to the right creek from the hole. Caught about 20 fish and about 7 were good keepers. I knew the rain was coming so I didn't spend too much time fishing. To be honest I planned on doing some community service and pick up trash on the spots from the hole down. But with the condition of the normal spots, I was able to fish. Started my limp back down, and every time I saw fishing line or a lure I stopped and picked it up. Did this all the way until about 1/4 mile down from the 377 bridge. Got plenty of jigs, and bobbers. This is the reason I have boxes of bobbers.
Areas to focus on are to the right above the Hole, and just below the Hole. mean the first long deep stretch below the hole. First thing in the AM I think this area will be good. Also, the small pools going right up at the Hole had fish this AM. Only fisherman I saw were three gentlemen that were fishing below the hole when I came thru. They had maybe 6 each, which was surprising. I fished all the pools down to the big log jam with nothing. Just below the big log jam I caught some Donkeys. Bumping the rocks with the tiny-trap and even caught one on a jig.. Will add a clip in the short video I am throwing together. This is the area right above the big hole from last year, also just below this hole I had a few hits but didn't hook up (using a jig). From here I hit the Rocks above and below 377 bridge (no hits). Very strange year, and is not typical. If you are able to do some hiking, I would go above the hole and hit pools.. Or launch your Kayak or canoe at the I-35 bridge and work down. Note: This is a long haul so be prepared. I have used a 12v trolling motor, and pulled out at the 377 bridge. Without the suzuki I would not be up there, left shoulder is about to need a restoration.. Rained like cats and dogs for a spell.. Caught about 50 total, prob not a limit.. Canoe had part of a table in the beginning, and ended up looking like Sanford and Son.. Most of the debris was floating down near the 377 bridge.

Do you see your Jig?

Prosise,

What were you spraying on the engine? Water to keep the engine cool?

Yes sir. At low idle it didn't get that hot. About every 400 yards I would give it a little water to maintain cooler levels. Didn't have any overheating signs, but i didn't want to hurt the engine.

Prosise you are hardier stock than I. Good post and pics. Thanks for the junk run.

I was so darn tired last night that I forgot to add some info. Safety: That rain we had last week, was more than I expected. The lake is about 1ft higher than it was before the rain. The creek did a baby flush and all the big trees that were stuck going up were moved. There is much debris in the water going up the creek, some are motor killers. The current is much more noticeable, and the steps are deeper. With the Full moon, and a little water flow it should help things out allot. Be safe, and please take care of the creek by picking up your trash.. I really didn't notice much where I was, and i picked up some debris from the flood on the way down. There is shad in the area I fished, snagged many with the lipless crankbait. They are about 3 inches long, and they are thick in the log jam area. God Bless all...



Today was not wasted.. Lauched boat at 1:20am to fish the full moon, pulled the boat out at 12:20pm. Dropped off the boat and loaded the Canoe. Launched the canoe at @ 2pm and headed up to the Log Pile. Boat ramp was jam packed, and then some. Only thing is I saw a couple boats come up while I was fishing and then the same go down. Do not know what is going on above the log jam. Water is coyote brown stained from the 377 bridge up.. Water is a skosh clearer at the 377 bridge, slight green tint partly stained. Did fair just below the log jam bumping the gravel with the tiny-trap. Caught 32 and 12 were keepers, and ended up with 37 for the day. Two guys were below the hole that is below the log jam, with a pretty nice stringer. They were not there when I came thru about 2:40pm, and when I came down @ 5pm they had caught them all in this location. I caught one at the rocks above the 377 bridge and below. The biggest fish I caught was at the 377 bridge on the south side in about 2 ft of water. If i was not bumping the rocks/gravel I did not catch a fish. Only used a lipless crankbait today. Motor working good, had to replace the head gasket.

Not going to bore you with a bunch of video at the (log jam). Made a short video of the rocks above/below and 377 bridge only. I cannot emphasize the importance of making contact with the gravel/rocks.. Much easier with a canoe, I know.. This is hard to do if your fishing on the bank..

Crossed paths with a TFF member who was fishing with his beautiful family.. Good to see people out...

Good stuff! It was a great day to be out. Some of those followed it all the way up to the canoe before they bit. Always finish the retrieve.

One of my favorite ways to trigger a bite, when they’re being picky, is a sudden burst of speed during the last 10-15 feet of a retrieve. Get them hitting it within a foot or two of the bank sometimes.

Pure dedication , good to see someone tailing care of the out of doors.

Not going to sugar coat it, It "Sucked" today.. Launched @ 9am at Trophy Club, noticed a kayak about to head up so I asked if he wanted a Tow.. He said yes, and I got him up to the Log Jam at about 5mph. Caught 40 today, but I really hit all the good eddies, and pools from the log jam up.. Strange thing today, Fish were not responding like normal. Caught about 4 at the area I fished yesterday, and then ran up to the Hole. One boat beached, then two more arrived while I was up there. I was just interested in the first spot below the hole where the boats were beached, which was a goose egg. I eased down to the first deep spot, there was some debris floating so I picked up the trash and decided to make a few casts. Don't know why I picked up the jig, really have not been doing very well with it. Caught the biggest sandbass of the year in the first deep pool below the Hole. Fish was about 4 inches longer than my sandal which measures 12.5 inches.. All I do with the jig is watch the line to tell when the jig hits the bottom, then give it a pump.. I left that and headed down to the gravel, started thinking if it was a just a fluke so went back and fished for about 10 minutes. Caught 6 more but they were small. All the spots I caught them in yesterday sucked today, gar rolling in the log jam area.. Maybe the fish fed in the full moon.. Anyhoo, was nice day out today.. Caught several fish that appear to have dropped their eggs. Very early, and I am no biologist.. Time will tell, I think it is about to get very good personally..

I did not catch a fish on the rocks above/below the 377 bridge, or at the bridge.


Here is a good example of the creek rewarding me for picking up trash.. This spot is about 50 yards from the bottom of the Hole.

Went today. Hiked from 377 west to cade branch. Not even a nibble. Moved to the parking lot and fished from the bridge west/north to Graham branch and only caught one small male. Third outing this year and thats the first sandy I've caught.
Makes me miss the old days when every outing in march april or may meant at least a dozen keepers or more likely a limit with plenty of CAR just for fun.

I feel like the freeze confused a lot of the fish this year. Then again Maybe I just suck at fishing now.