I've been on a Texoma fling for a few trips now. I read all th ethreads and was wondering if minnows would work for bait instead of shad. Of course they would be BIG minnows. Any thought are appreciated.

Tight Lines!!!

Below the dam, minnows work but you are more apt to attract smaller fish. When those smaller fish are thick, it's like flies on sh-t and it's a pain to continually release them.

Shad work best, but a few weeks ago, the only thing that I caught in my castnet were some ghost minnows. My daughter caught one striper using a ghost minnow, but that was it. I remember a few years ago, shad were really scarce so people were buying shiners. Shiners work well, but they're pricey! Large minnows would probably work fairly well, but I'm no expert.

Thanks, I'll try the next trip out and see what results I get. I'll post the news. Should be able to go the week of Christmas or the following week. Maybe both if the minnow's work!

ghost minners work well for stripers. they are in just about every lake. wont usually catch them in the net cause they normally go right thru the webbing. minnows from store will work if the stripers are feeding but almost anything will when they are feeding. shad and ghost minnows & other lures used the right way are your best bet for putting fish in the box. good luck!

What Zombie said is right on..There have been times when shiners/minnows have worked but most times not near as good as shad...My guess is right now you might have some success but not alot. As the water temps continue to cool the fish will feed less and less aggressively and then its shad or swim baits.

But if minnows/shiners is all ya got.. the way I figure it,is it beats sitting around at home doing Chores or watching Tv

Exactlly! It's better than sitting at home. I planning on outting in at Juniper Point East, first time there. Any suggestions on which way to head out and where to go from there?

I have been crappie fishing out at Texoma for the last couple of months and you can't drop a minnow down without catching a striper. If i bring 2 dozen minnows i catch 2 dozen striper with them. I have to just fish jigs and even those usually catch a few.

I had the same question about a week ago as shad became tough to come by on Granbury,so I went to the bait shop and bought the biggest minnows they had.The stripers hammered them!Also caught a few crappie that were suspended with the striper and sandbass.Lately,the way the fishing has been on Granbury,about anything works!Good Luck

Everybody knows there are no fish in lake Deadbury.






grisher knows that(I did not catch 8-5 plus lbs
stripers last weekend doing this)ha ha

Now that's reassuring! I'm pumped up now. Can't wait to hit the lake, just hope th eweather is good (not to windy) I have a small boat.

BTW- any place near Juniper point to buy bait????

Oh Yea,That's Right.There are no fish in Granbury.(Sorry,almost forgot about not letting our secret out!)

Large shiners are the best live bait that I've used on hybrids on Lake Coleman. They'll bite these quicker than anything else I've tried.

Finally found a good use for those pesky green carp (LM Bass), they make great striper bait!!!