Going to go after early run Hybrids Friaday, weather permitting. Gonna drag a hellpet around the dam area and check out the channel along the east side from dam to mid lake. Yes, I'm gonna chase Benbrook again Gonna leave the sandies on the river alone for a while-they'll be there
I heard that hybrids and sandies will kinda gang up before the spawn run, and at Arlington lake they can be found around the dam area thisd time of year. so I figured why not Benbrook? I'll let yall know.

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If your to busy to go fishing, you're just too busy ! http://texase-commerce.com

johnnymo...It was late Feb early March when we caught them last year right where you described.

I have no idea when they started grouping up, but will be interested to see what you find...

Well I went out to Benbrook today with mixed results. We started off the day trying our most reliable brush piles looking for crappie with nary a bite. Then we trolled the Hell/pet along the dam and the mouth of Richardson slew with no takers. (we marked a lot of shad that were in balls all up and down the dam and even showed fish underneath them, but we couldn't buy a bite) So now we were frustrated at not having a bite all afternoon so we decided to try for catfish. We just wanted something to stretch our line. Well I left the punch bait and cast net at home so we went to Benbrook marina to buy some night crawlers and they told us that yesterday people were wearing out the hybrids on live shad on the humps in the mouth of the Dutch Branch cut. (Northwest corner of the lake just out from where the dam meets the fishing pier) I haven't been able to locate these humps (or at least not with any confidence) as of yet, but I always see boats fishing in that area. We trolled through there a few times with out any bites so we decided to try for the kitties.

We anchored in 5 feet of water on the shallow point (Southern Point) of Richardson slew and caught 4 nice channels (the biggest was 3 lbs) in about 45 minutes. They were all caught on night crawlers on the bottom and we had to leave them biting.

We also saw something strange on the water today, a nice 14-inch crappie floating. The interesting thing was the cause of death, a 6-inch bluegill stuck in its throat. The crappie hadn't been dead long because his eyes weren't even the slightest bit cloudy yet. It was also somewhat frustrating because you would think that if the crappie are eating fish so big that it kills them that they would be aggressively feeding and yet we couldn't get a bite at all. (minnows or jigs) Oh well, at least the kitties kept us from getting skunked.

Good luck Friday; let us know how you do.

Thanks for the report Cowtown.. Might try it sometime this weekend.

Cowtown,
The reason you didn't catch crappie is your bait was apparently too small an offering.

Cowtown Hockey...you did good, thanks for the report.

I have had times where trolling was moving the bait too fast. I use trolling sometimes to find the fish and if they hit I may keep trolling or I stop and try to slab them up. I am glad to hear that people are starting to catch hybrids - I may give it a try sometime this weekend.

Sorry the crappie didn't bite, but at least you got the cats stirred up...

As always, cowtown your report was good and detailed. Thanks !!
Gonna take some worms and frozen shad with us Friday, rain or shine Will put out some jugs w/shad around the slew area, try to find those hybrids up around the dam and that hump area you mentioned (I seem to recall it from last year), and if all else fails, will drown the worms I'm not so far out there that I will ignore any lightning or thunderstorms yall
c ya's.

Good report there. I may get a wild hair and head out there this weekend. I'm drawn to hunt, so you may hear some blasting at ducks. If not...I'll be in a Ranger.

Tight lines....

Is Richardson Slough the creek arm south of Longhorn park? I have a lake map but it does not mention Richardson slough.

I believe that you are thinking of the correct place. It is the largest cove south of Longhorn Park. Sid Richardson used to have a house in the back of the cove and it was named after him. If your on the water heading south it should go in this order; pumping station at the dam in Northeast corner of lake, Longhorn Park boat ramp, small cove, school on the hill, Richardson Slough. (This is all on the East side of the lake)

[This message has been edited by Cowtown Hockey (edited 01-17-2004).]

Rained out
I was glad my partner chickened out I wouldn't have, but he did so I didn't have to We're gonna try this coming Saturday tho, should be on a warm back up also


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If your to busy to go fishing, you're just too busy ! http://texase-commerce.com

To find those humps on the dam- come in from the middle of the dam about 100 yds off the bank. Line up the two big trees on the point behind the pier. Come in until you hit 15-17 foot water (when lakes is up) if you come in too far you will notice a ledge that rises 5'. You will see the humps if you watch the depth correctly ~~~~ up and down on the bottom contour. THere are a few out there - used to be some good brush, I think it all deteriorated. THat was a nice crappie hole at one time. Good Luck! We catch our shad over by the boat ramp by the water intake.

Thanks for the info SkeeterRonnie. I'll check it out the next time that I go out. (Hopefully this weekend, the boat is at Gunter Marine getting the steering cables cleaned and lubricated)