What is up with Fayette Lake? Has the weather kept them suspended all this time? Was there last weekend, wind was screaming like a banshee & most fish were suspended in & around 20' of water. We got there on Friday, set up camp but didn't go, wind never died down. Got up Saturday around 4 am & wind was still blowing. Talked to a lot of the folks & nobody was catching many fish. We didn't go out Saturday as the wind was blowing to hard for my preference. Most peeps I spoke with were catching 5-8 fish, some were bagging 10-12 which is low for Fayette. We went out Sunday for about 6 hrs & only caught 4, fish were there they just were not biting. It was really strange. I am also thinking it may be post spawn when they mostly gorge on shad. Maybe next weekend when we go again it will be better. Anyone have any thoughts or experiencing the same?

The lake is fishing tough for sure. I was out there Sunday and struggled to scratch out 10 fish in 4 hours. Only one of those fish was decent. I couldn't buy a bite shallow, everything I caught came in 15+ feet of water. The lake is definitely not what it once was. A few years ago I considered it a bad day not to have at least 20lbs for the top 5. A 5lber+ was the norm for virtually every trip. 60 fish half days were not uncommon. I still occasionally have days like that mixed in here and there, but they are now the exception as opposed to the rule.

My only theory is that the little lake has just been pounded to death. That's true for a lot of lakes in Texas. The pandemic increased fishing pressure by several fold. The bigger lakes can handle that better, but it really puts a beating on the smaller reservoirs like Fayette.

I fish during the week since I have been retired. Last year I fished at least 50 to 60 days. On pace for that this year. I agree the lake is getting pounded but it beats sitting at home. A lot of time during mid week, it has almost as many boats on it as it does on the weekend. Mondays are now the least pressured days. Multiple guides are on it daily as well. I have had good trips and bad ones. Bad ones are becoming more frequent. I actually have started to fish through the hot summer months. If you want to go when there is little pressure that's when you have to go. I do think some of what to be the shoreline bass are back in the cattails. Just a couple of years ago the shoreline had some cattails but not like now. Currently the cattails have grown out 20 or more feet from the bank in most places. Lots of cover for them to get back into and away from the lures. I could be wrong but I also hate pitching for them as well. If they are back there, I would not know haha. As for the size, I think the lake is turning into another Bastrop and will be mostly future dinks that will be caught. Im ok with that but I know most people are not.

Are we finally seeing the negative effects of the castnetters?

Wind is my biggest factor on that lake when trying to catch numbers.

I don't like the cast netters, but I'm not convinced they are the root of the problem. Adult Tilapia will raid bass beds. Yes, there is bycatch I'm sure, but I doubt removing them from the lake causes much harm on the net. Lakes cycle. It could just be in a down cycle given the constant beating it has taken during the pandemic. The thing that most upsets me about the cast netters is that they have now closed lake access after 8pm because these folks were fileting fish and making a giant mess all the time at the parks. (At least that is what one of the park attendants told me)

I remember the 50-60 fish days. Here lately it has hit or miss, mostly miss. The last time we were out there we had a good day with about 40-50 fish. I think it is a combo of all things said on here. The cast netters? I can't stand them, I know for a fact they keep bass and put them on a stringer tied to their ankle weighted down so the fish wont float up. Game Warden did a boat check on me one day & I told him about the cast netters, he told me "I'm concerned with you right now, not them" I responded "Well keeping bass, no matter what they size or how they are caught must not be illegal on this lake, good to know" He walked off.

My last time on the lake was windy and we only caught 4 but it was a horrible day altogether. Was really to put my wife and youngest onto some fish but it didn’t happen.

Yeah let's be concerned with the people buying license, buying boat tags, and following the laws. Not the ones you KNOW are breaking them. Smart game warden

Like any decent lake these days...

#look at me FB pics
#internet/social media
#covid 19-everyone owns a boat now and doesn’t work

Now can we please GROW the SPORT!!!

Like Tomrom, I fish the lake maybe 45-50 times a year, always on the weekdays as well because I am retired. For us, this year has been outstanding for bass both on windy days and calm ones. The key is getting to know the different areas of the lake, understanding the patterns in relation to water temps & spending a lot of time on the water. If you want to see some of my reports visit the Bluegill section of the Forum.

Steve aka Vogey is a "Bass Catching Machine"!

Ditto Steve. 2021 best year I’ve had on FCL - numbers and quality.

Which landing do you prefer to use?

Bad...If by landing you mean ramp...I always used the Park Prairie until the buzzards tore up my truck. Now I use the Oak Thicket ramp all the time & have had no buzzard issues...