went out tues and wed last week. Tues caught 1 slot and a 5-lb catfish I caught on a TX-rig grande bass rattlesnake (crappy cell phone pic but it was a beautiful silver/white with no blemishes). Wed I got skunked.



went out today too, caught an under rooster tail and a slot on a spinnerbait, then a dink on the rooster tail.

I guess it's still pre-spawn season, but I'm still not sure where I should be targeting them. My action so far has been off the rocky shoreline, the middle and back of coves are still nada. All the info I've been reading seems to say they will stage just off the spawning areas, then when its time they'll move in shallow. Besides the few random fish, I haven't found where they might stage. There is either just not any structure to hold them or its too far from the bank. I just hope the couple of coves I like are good spawning spots.

Edited from my original post in Rough Fish/Carp Forum...
original post

Landed 5 buffalo today. I'm thinking they are either spawning in the shallows, or the wind and waves were just right to concentrate their food in the back of this cove, or maybe they were eating the eggs of some other species' spawn?

The first was a 34 inch, 23lb 10oz monster. I was using a 1/2oz spinner, and was casting off a shallow point. I thought I had snagged on a log, then it started to move, but still felt like a log, then it pulled...and pulled...and pulled.


Caught 4 more (pics and details in original post) ranging from 9 - 13 lbs all on bass lures (1/2oz spinnerbait, 1/4oz rattletraps, 1/8oz roostertail). I also caught 3 catfish ranging from 4-5lbs on the same lures!

The funny thing is that I walked back into this cove because I saw a couple small fish chasing bait and splashing around and thought there might be a school of small sandbass or giant shad. I hooked one of them, and I think it was a sandbass, but it splashed and spit the hook. I had downsized to the 1/8 oz roostertail for the little guys, but I spent most of time hooked to the buffalo or catfish so I never figured out what those little guys were!

With the cats and buffalo devouring my bass lures, maybe I should use dough baits and chicken liver to catch monster bass!

You should go over to the rough fish section and point them over here them boys love some buffalo.

Hit the same cove today and it was much less windy. Only caught a couple cats but finally landed a couple bass. It was a bit of a let down coming from 10-20 lb buffalo yesterday to 1 - 1.5 lb unders today, but I'm always excited to see fish jump out of the water when hooked instead of trying to dislocate my shoulder by imitating a freight train.

Yes!!! Rain... Maybe Grapevine will fill up alittle

Lake level hasn't changed much, maybe a couple inches if any. Also saw hordes of people fishing in parts of the park that are usually left untouched, must be guys from Rockledge Park now that they charge a fee to get in over there.

But today was a good day 17x sandies, 16x LMB with the largest going 4lb 12oz with bug eyes.

Also caught 2 shiners (they didn't survive), 1 gold color carp about 6 lbs,

and an 11 lb small mouth buffalo.

and yes, the carp and buffalo were caught with a rooster tail snagged in its fin.

Most unusual catch of the day was this - I pulled up a rattletrap that I lost yesterday by the treble.


After losing it again and the one I snagged it with, I hope I'll catch them both back again tomorrow.

look like a fun day, how long were you out there for?

I went out there last weekend with 1fisherJZ and caught 1 LMB but it was a pretty nice one It weighed 3.14 I'll post a pic later.

caught a 3.10 the other day...Monday I think

Dang it boy. I have been working late this week. I need to go sometime this weekend. I might be going to Fork Sunday.

Good Times on the Vine, do you ever fish the boat houses?

Went out for the afternoon/evening again today and had similar results - the afternoon was sunny and windy but later on the clouds came in and the wind lost some of its strength.

Caught 36 sandbass, 22 LMB (largest was 4 lbs even), 1 carp, 1 buffalo, 1 shiner. I have sunburn and arm cramps from all the fish in the last 2 days, but I won't complain! Sure beats the last few weeks of catching just 2 - 3 a day.

The fish stay active all the way until about 6pm, when they start to slow down but the carp and buffalo move in. They hit on 1/4oz rattletraps in various colors and also a blue/silver double bladed 3/8oz spinnerbait (I even caught sandies on the spinner which surprised me).

BTW I release all my fish in case anyone was wondering.

Wow, what a day on the Vine. I can only imagine how sore you are after all that but how good it feels. That my firend is one of the best days off the bank I think I have ever heard of out there. Congrats!

caught a 4.2 yesterday

Man Sounds Like I Need To Get My Buttt Out There Never fished the vine befor what a good bank fishing spot?..

let me know

i dont realy care about the white's i want to go catch some of them big large mouths