The only area on the main dam is at the spillway - just keep boat out of the buoyed area - on the Monticello dam same thing only small area at the spillway on right end - be careful there the buoys are not in straight line so its a judgement call by lake patrol if they go by.

Stay well away from the spillway at Sandlin. A couple of years ago I was there and threw a lure close to the rocks. I got hung up and went over in my boat to pop it loose, which I did. I immediately trolled back out away from the rocks. By the time I got the lure loose a pickup truck came flying toward me from the direction of the boat ramp, and I do mean flying. A Titus County Water District cop got out and called me over to the edge of the concrete, telling me I had gone inside the buoy line as he was writing me a ticket. I pointed to the ONE buoy that was there and asked how a person is expected to draw a line using one point. He didn't care to hear my geography lesson. A day or so later I called and asked to speak to the manager of the water district, who told me he has told all the officers to write tickets, to never, ever warn boaters or not write tickets. He asked me if I knew how deadly it would be if the spillway unexpectedly opened while I was near it. I asked when the last time that happened was. To make a long story short, I paid over $300 for that little encounter, lack of a buoy line or not.

I told everyone in my bass club about it. Not long afterward one of the guys was up there fishing at night and had the same thing happen. This was at about 3 a.m. He trolled over to get his lure loose and here came Barney Fife, flying up in his truck and telling him he went inside the buoy line. My buddy was smarter than I was and never went over to him, but told him that he certainly did not go inside any line. The cop yelled that they have cameras all over the place and that if he did he was going to be sent a ticket. The "water district" cops apparently sit somewhere with binoculars and watch that spillway 24 hours a day, just waiting for a chance to write tickets and get some revenue.

I would estimate that over 90% of the "law enforcement" encounters I have had on lakes in the last 30 years have been on Bob Sandlin, Welsh, and Cypress Springs. I had one game warden check me twice in half an hour on Sandlin. The water cops up there check everything...life jackets, licenses, fire extinguishers, throw cushions, horns (yours better work or you better have a whistle, which I do thanks to a Cypress Springs cop), everything.

$4 or less lure cost you $300.


"Barney Fife" has nothing to do with you thinking it was ok to break a rule/law. It was all good until you got caught, question is if you broke that law/rule how many times have you said "well it will be ok" during a tournament and did what you wanted?

You know an awful lot for someone who wasn't there.

One's integrity usually doesn't vary from situation to situation. You admitting you broke a law and then trying to explain it away and blame it on "Barney Fife" is not a real good look, but you do you

You know an awful lot for someone who wasn't there.

Might want to try reading again and pointing out where I admitted breaking a law. One's ability to read and apply logic don't typically vary from situation, nor does his tendency to be a jerk for no reason at all, but you do you.

The point of the story was to warn the OP of an area to avoid, to point out that it takes at least two points to draw a line, to comment on the amount of the fine, and to relate that it's the policy of the water district to both watch the area around the clock and to write big tickets in 100% of cases.

Now I'm going to go over to one of the threads about speed limits and tell anyone who exceeds them that his lack of integrity about that law probably means that he cheats on his wife and burglarizes vehicles in parking lots.

Some of you keyboard warriors sure are high and mighty and righteous. And don’t mind telling everyone how wonderful a citizen you are. 🤮

Ok Mike, thanks for your contribution. You must condone breaking regulations and/or laws. Weird position for a "fishing guide" to take.

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No sir I am for more enforcement as a matter of fact. I welcome seeing game wardens or in this case water district guys doing their job. I am also for being reasonable though and a guy should be able to tell if someone was going to retrieve a lure that is all. And candidly not coming on here and telling folks “ You broke the law” in honestly a higher than mighty way.