I have a buddy going the 21 st - 23rd. any info on what to use and where would be greatly appreciated. Never been striper fishing but really looking forward to it.

Thanks
buzz

Need a little more info from you.
Are you bringing a boat? using a guide? where are you staying? can you throw a cast net to catch shad for bait with? All of these are important questions. What kind of tackle will you be bringing? Top water season will might be getting underway if the water will warm up and that's worth the trip by itself... watching several stripers bounce a 4-5-9" plug 2 or 3 feet in the air and then chase it down... like dogs on a quail!
Ron

Yea he is taking a boat. They are going to fish with a guide one day, then on their own the rest of the time. Don't have a cast net.They are staying at tinkels lodge, and tackle is limited to bass gear.

I'd say you'll probably get ahold of an over 20-lb. striper bringing bass gear...it always very nearly happens when you're slightly undergunned. Not chastising you for the tackle but complimenting you for the strategy move. Just keep a lighter than normal drag and don't horse the sucker....


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The first thing I'd do is to get a good lake map and study it. If you can find or order a TopSpot Map there are quite a few of the fishing areas marked.
Tinker Toney is guide who works out of Little Mineral about halfway way down on the west side. I'd do whatever he does and pretty much imitate his style. As far as lures to buy or bring I'd stay with 3"-4" minimums to 6-7" stuff in shad or light colors. Topwaters in ChugBugs, Zara's, PencilPoppers, SpittinImage, L&S MirroLures in any of the light saltwater colors like you will see in the Cabelas or Bass Pro catelogs, Slabs - lead spoons - in 3/4's, 1's up to 2oz's. Sassy shad jig heads same sizes and 3 or 4" sassy's in white or charteuse. There is a decent WalMart in Denison at Hwy 120 and Hwy 75, Dave's Ski & Tackle at Hwy 75 2 exits north of WalMart, and the Tackle Box on Hwy 120 north of Pottsboro just north of the BIG Mobil station.
Texoma is a very large lake, 89,000 acres, and typically the fish are never easy to pattern for more than a day or so at a time. If the gulls are feeding then chase the gulls - bring binoculars for spotting with, and use 15-20 lb line. Texoma is a very deep lake and if you plan on anchoring you'll need 150-300 feet of line, about 4-6' of chain between the anchor and the rope and a saltwater styled or danforth anchor because the the little round edged mushroom anchors won't hold. Rule of thumb is 3'-5' of rope for every foot of depth in wind speeds up to 30.
From Tinkers dock in Little Mineral to the end of the point is 5 miles, is 2+ miles to the NE corner above GranPappy's Marina and then 5 miles to the dam, from the NE corner of L'Mineral north across the lake to the RR Bridge is 5 miles, from the NE end of the peninsula is about 3+ miles to the very east end of the islands or 7-8 miles to the Willis Bridge where Hwy377 goes across. And all of this is across very open and very windy water where the avg waves are going to run 11/2's to 2+'s and maybe 3's everyday. Plan on burning 20 to maybe as high as 40 gallons of gas if you run a lot. And there are fish everywhere every day if you can find them!!! Tinker is running a highsided 28'er I/O with a 454 Chevy as I remember it and you will have a great time with him. Watch and learn.
Ron
PS Also look at another website www.SixOldGeezers.com. They are based out of Willow Springs and don't fish much in cold weather or south and west of the Ouachita Point except on the Okie side down to the dam.
RV

most likely tinkers guides wont let ya do any top water fishing. To my knowledge all they do is bait fishing. like Wiley says by the end of march it could be starting. keep you eye on this board and the geezer board . when the top water action starts... You wont want to miss it. but other than imitating what Tinkers guys show you you'll have to figure the top water stuff on your own. it aint hard, just keep reading.

NMbuzzbait,

Driving in from new mexico to catch fish, huh? I was born in Hobbs over a half century ago and ended up here in the Dallas area. Just love having more water in a 100 mile radius of us than half of N.Mex. does, or so it seems.

Hope ya'll have a good time at Texoma, and start now praying the wind doesn't blow.

The biggest non-catch's of my life was at Texoma, the suckers took off and stripped almost a quarter mile of line off my reel, three times in one afternoon....aaahhhh. What good memories.


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jerrybign
Trust in His providence, be quiet, and go a-angling.....Izaak Walton