Longtine, can you still catch some fish in the trees or only out on the brushpiles? My mudboat ain't gonna make it out in the middle if the wind picks up. Been considering heading up there one evening and fishing a little with shiners, maybe hang some green lights out in the cedars for a few hours after dark and see what happens!!!

Thanks!!!

Slew

bubba, there is a bait shop north of the dam near the doctors creek state park entrance. It is not right on the road but there are signs that tell you where to turn. It is the tin top bait shop that is ran by Bud Skinner. He sells a half pound of minnows for 5$. You cant beat that anywhere! I guide out of there and the johns creek lodge. They are all good people with fair prices and by the way, longline is not kidding...I would say fishing is a little slow right now but its still better than most lakes. We are just kinda spoiled.

Thanks, CooperLakeGuide. We're headed out in about a half hour. Hopefully, we'll bring back some pics to post.

Bruce

Id sure take you up on that offer.
I love hunting pigs! Have taken 4 with bow and 2 with rifle,nothing under 120lb nothin over 180..graeat weight calss for hawgs and eating!
With lease fees as theyare Im limited to APH hunts and draws.
I and a buddy ahve considered Cooper but usally hunt Aquilla(Muzzleloaders) and the "Sam"!

Well, we had a good conversation with Bud and a friend of his at The Tin Top Shop where we bought minnows and a few other things. They pointed me and the wife to a couple of brushpiles just out of the Doctors Creek boat ramp, but the wind and waves were whipping it so hard I was fighing to keep the boat under control and I gave up on them pretty quickly. We dropped some minnows in the stumps, but after a hour and a half of feeling like we were in a graveyard (and not one bite) we moseyed over to the where old County Road 4775 runs out from Coyote Run. Wife got a couple of bites, and I managed to pull in on black crappie that was just shy of 1.5lbs. The wind starting kicking up again, and we decided to call it a day. Wife says she had a good day, though, and she won't waste breath on a lie so it must have been so.

Bruce

Sounds like you had the same day we did, we started out yesterday morning at Tin Top getting minnows. What a super guy. We put in at Docs around 7:30, gave it up at 12:30. We were in the trees also.

Darn, I was sure you guy's were going to slay them. I just got off the phone with my friend Randy planing when to get down there. We are still going to give it a try, around the first weekend in September.

Bobby, I can only speak for myself, but any fish I catch is due to my momentary good luck and the fish's bad luck. True, I only catch the most careless of fish. I seriously do not have a clue about how to fish. I managed to get skunked today on Fork, 'cept for two little LMBs that mocked me, flipped water on me with their tails, sabotaged the tilt on my motor, and then were gone. But I had fun. At least I'll keep telling myself that and eventually I'll believe it!

Bruce

P.S. On Tuesday, I found a bunch of careless fish that had a taste for minnows on Lavon around the isolated standing timber just out from Elm Creek. They were lazing around the trunks between 12 and 16 feet down in 24 feet of water. Whatever that means. The conspiracy that day was that every single one was so close to 10 inches that I couldn't chance keeping any of them.

P.P.S. Does anyone else sway back and forth in their computer chair after spending the day on choppy water?

sorry you guys/gals had bad trips...I know it was windy. It makes for a hard day on the water. Dont give up yet...if nothing else you gotta check it out after the first cold front or two. I am going to the lake monday. I'll see if I can find some fish to put yall on as long as you post good reports when you catch'um
Steve

I might be up there Monday depending on the wind. Wave at the redneck in da camo mudboat if you see me...

Woops, forgot I gotta take the truck in Monday am, year old truck and the check engine lights on at 46k miles. Like a rock...

Are the crappie in the timber?

Are there any detailed maps of this lake that show the timber or the corps brush piles if there are any. I am thinking about taking the wife up there in the next couple of days but have never fished this lake. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, is there any cabins to rent on the lake, and good boat ramps where I could launch a deep V.

Thanks in advance

Jake

Jake the Martins maps are pretty good, tehy got em at BPS. I'd stay at Johns Creek Lodge, but you might hafta drive to Doctors creek to launch. He's got shinners and good cabins with cold a/c and a carport to pull the boat under and charge the batteries outside every room. They're like $47 a night with tax. 903-395-3223, that dude needs all the business he can get...

slewfoot, Thanks for the help. Have yall been catching fish in the timber?

Jake,

yes, there are some fish in the timber. Try the "horseshoe"(bend in the river) at the end of boat lane 1. As soon as you reach the open water it is about 20 yards to the left. Fish the big timber and bois 'd arc trees. Also try any good looking trees on the timber line.

By the way...it is safe to launch at doctors creek, tira, and the six lane ramp at south sulpher and johns creek ramp is 1 and a 1/2 feet deep...tira is the deepest of all. I launched there last year when the lake was almost 11 feet low and had no problem.