I was going to CBSP this weekend, any info?

Thanks,
Bruce

first thing you want to do is see how high the water is. When the water is real low you will want to fish mainly in front of the office or to your left which is to the north. Most years this is not a problem and more than likely this year the water should be fine. So what yo want to do is go as far south as the park will let you. I have 10 acres on the other side of the river.(smith ranch) I think the park ends around where you enter the river from Smith Ranch. CBSB was called Lemmons camp when I started fishing this river. If water is clean and is not rising or droping or a cold front on the way I promise you will catch some fish. These are things you need if you want to have the best advantage to catch the white bass. Waders(water to cold for shorts right now) Tube: you can go with out one but you will need to be careful. nice solid stick about 5 to 6 ft stick. You will need this to navagate and to check the depth of all the holes you will come upon. The river looks like it has moon craters everywhere and when you are wading through these rocks all of sudden 20ft deep hole. I have seen lots of people fall in. You can also take a small boat or bass buggy. To many rocks to have a outboard motor once you go left of the office. If you are standing on the bank and you can look over to the smith ranch side and see the office where people drive in. There are several real deep holes right in this area and you do not have to even get wet and you will do fine. Over the years I have used several different types of lure to catch these fish. Twister 2" is best size. White, chartruse, yellow if the water is murky. Back in the late 70's we used jigs with buck hair, white, blue(lighter better) and yellow. I do not use them anymore. There are several other lures that will work. Personaly I make the only thing I use and you can't buy them at a store. This river is where I learned of this jig back in 1981. They go crazy for the jig, espically with a bopper and a slow retrive. The fish are everywhere so if you are not doing good in one spot then move around. Very beautiful place and if for some reason you don't catch them you will enjoy the scenery. You will see hundreds of deer and turkey and if your lucky A Bald Eagle. This should help you but if you need any more info let me know.

Jig_maker,

I may have been one of the many you've seen fall into the water at CBSP. It is cold, especially when your not expecting it!
Thanks for the good information.

JIG MAKER,

I'M HEADED THAT WAY TOO THE 17 TH .
THOUGHT I COULD PUT MY BOAT IN AT THE PARK TO FISH THE RIVER BUT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE SAYING THERE ARE TOO MANY ROCKS. IF THAT'S THE CASE I MAY LEAVE MT BOAT AT HOME.

A boat with a motor would only be good from the park office and noth. Which will take you away from the shallow water. you can catch plenty of fish in this direction, but when the white bass start their run they want shallow water, sand bars. If the river has been deep rather than shallow for majority of the year. Which I would say this is the case this year. The fish go at least 5 to 10 miles farther down river. Gorman falls is the next park down, but I do not know if this place is open anymore. I say you have a 95% chance that you will catch plenty of them, sometimes you have to work for them. (Personal experience) I have been fishing there since I was 5 now 36.
Before there was a limit on white bass my dad and his friend and I would go down to Lemmons camp(csbp) I seen 200 to 300 whites pulled out in one day. I remember always thinking the fish would be gone in a few years when I was younger. When I think back and think about all those fish that have been caught. You have to believe there is a God! To know that ever year these fish take off from Lake Buchanan which is around 30 to 40 mile away. This stretch of the hill country with the river through it is Beautiful. I could live there and never come back to reality! Several retired couples have cabins and they will live there all 3 month's of the run. One thing you have to be prepared for is when the speed of sound is broken(sound barrier) It will scare the [censored] out of you. The echo in the canyon it think helps intensify the sound.
The weather looks like it should be nice. If this is true you will not leave disapointed.
Just remember if the water is up then go north. Water is low fish right in front of the office. By low meaning the fish can not go any further up stream. This is rare almost ever year they can get through.
If you need to have a motor then you can use a trolling motor on a bass bugy or a 12 foot aluminum boat. This is to much trouble to me unless you are going to a specific spot you know about. If you wade you do have to be careful. There are so many deep holes. You will get to a spot and wonder how the hell you got here. This is why a stick is valuable, but my foot or fishing pole has work plenty of times. Make sure you have a second set of cloth's!
Wading is the way to go if you like to work through the river. If you are with the family then you can take a blanket and picnic. Just head down stream and find you a place that has a deep hole in front of you and you can put your blanket down. Take plenty of lures there are a lot of rocks.
One more helpful tip! When you do get hung dont just pull and hope it will come lose. most of the time it will break. However once you are hung stop hold your pole up and pull the fishing line with the other hand. once you have the tension on the line then release it this will get you out most of the time.
I live in Dallas now but might go down there in two or three weeks. Around spring break is the best time down there.

There is a good ramp in the park. You shouldn't have any problems with rocks downstream. If you go to your left, upstream, you can use your trolling motor until you get a feel for things. You can't go very far, but there are places to beach to boat and wade. Even if I intended to wade, I would seriously consider getting there by boat. The park is just hard to get to, and you have a long haul over a dirt road. There is a ramp in Tow, I want to say off Alexander Rd. The launch fee last year was $3.00. You can get to the park from there in about an hour and a half. Someone said it is 27 miles to the park. This will take you through what I personally consider to be the most agreeable scenery in Texas. There are a couple of places there that will put you in mind of the Rhine Valley. Just remember: when you see the ramp, on your left, slow down, and watch what the other boats are doing. I've seen people using jigs under floats here with good results, but I seem to catch larger fish with #7 shad raps.

I promise you that taking a boat will be a waste of time. I do not know what shortstirke is talking about. When you enter the State park to your left no more than 1/4 of a mile is where the river goes from being a deep flowing river to shallow with deep holes and rocks everywhere. There are big areas where a boat like i've descibe will work. No boats with normal size and outboards will not work unless the river is way up. If thats the cae then the fish will not be there, they will we in the Gorman falls area. You can not get there by boat from CSBP. If you listen to what I say you will catch these fish, and if someone thinks using a boat is better I agree to disagree.
Shortstrikes is talking about putting a boat in above the sate park and going all the way down in your boat. Normal size boat can not go past the stat Park if water level is normal. so why waste all this time when you can drive right to the spot. No reason if you can accomplish the same task with out a boat.
As you go as far as the park will allow you downstream. There is a house on top of a hill you can see on the other side of the river. You will see either two or three more right below that house. This is where you want to fish. Smith ranch office is about 200yards away from this house. Keep working downstream from there.
Remember I have been fishing here for over 30 yrs and there is not one spot I do not know about. I can wade up and down the river, and I am one of few people who know where you can wade and cross the river without falling in. I advise you not to try this if you are not familer with the river. If you lay a clock down in front of smith ranch office with the 12 hand on cbsp side. there is two or three nice holes at 9 or 10 oclock direction. this will put you right in front of the house that are below the one on top of the hill.
If water level is normal and the water is clear I promise you that you will not be disapointed. Guranteed!!!!!!

Goodness! Let me hasten to confess that I am totally ignorant of where the "holes" are and how they are reached. I may as well make a clean breast of something else: I've never tried to get very far above the park by boat. I have the impression, though, that I was able to get to the areas where most of the people who enter through the park fish. Anyway, it's a nice boat ride and, if you're coming from the south, probably quicker. Just my impression. I wouldn't argue about it. Jig-maker, are you quite sure you have been consistent in your "ups" and "downs" and "norths" and "souths"?

You do not need a boat. Shortstrike obviously has never been up stream from CBSP. Believe me you do not need a boat. You take the things I said then you will be fine.

Papa peck,

I hope to see you report on your fishing at CBSP when you go on the 17th. I'm planning on going on the 20th, and would appreciate info. so close to my trip !

Happy Crappie, Best of luck this weekend! Looks like the weather will cooperate. Please post your results and any additional info or tips. Will try my luck 3-11 thru 3-13 Thanks!!!!! Jig Maker I GREATELY appreciate all the detailed info! I will post my results next week. ANY other tips? Ill need all the help I can get. Ill be taking 5 boys age 8 to 17. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

Paul_Texas

will let you know how we do when we get back but won't be back til the 20th and you may already be gone by then. i appreciate all the info from all the other guys - may take the boat and fish Buchanan one of the days we're there and fish the river from the bank the rest of the time - sure sounds like pretty country and the river with all the deep holes should be a fun challenge.

thanks again for all the info,

papa peck

CBSP is a great place to fish if you can camp in the park then it is even better. You can access good fishing water by boat, but if the water is at normal levels you will not be able to get above the rapids just North of the park office. If you do go upriver in your boat be very careful because there are large rocks just under the surface and don't try to push up into the rapids looking for a cut because one does not exist unless the water is high. I just called the office at the park and they said the water had dropped to normal levels so for outboard boaters the rapids by the park are all the farther you can go. Water is clear and people are catching some fish.

Jig_maker has some very good information that he has passed along, but some of his directions are off. Gorman falls is upriver from the park above the rapids that are in front of the park. If you go South/downstream you are heading towards Buchanan.

Donovak if the kids are serious fisherman then you should just stress how impoerant it is to be cautious if they wade through the water. Have respect for other fisherman in the water and don't be horsing around in the water where someone is fishing.
If they are more interested in eploring then take you some bikes and hiking cloth's.
The whole area is nice to hike. Also if this place is still there go to the end of the park(deep) to your right from the CBSP office. There was a little pool of water just above the dirt road that the water is so beautiful and clear. Water comes through the hill. Remember I have not been on the state park side since it was called Lemmons camp and this was the late 70's.
So I am sure this side has changed a lot.
Also yu want to make sure you tell the kids to not leave any of them, need to stick together if you let them fish without parental guidence.
Once when I was around 11 or 12 my dad and his friend and me went do lemmons camp.
I starterd the day fishing around the office and by the end of the day i was about 5 miles up river with 45 fish. My dad could not find me, and so him and his friend were looking for me for a while. They finally find me sleeping on the bank of the river. I was tired from fishing and did not realize I had went this far.
You want to let the kids have fun but you don't want to ruin your trip with an accident. Important to respect the people who are in the water fishing, and if they do wantt to play in the water just tell them to find a area where there are no one fishing. Plenty of areas!!
Make sure you have them plenty of jigs if they are serious about fishing. Read above on how to save a lot of jigs that get hung up. This will help the kids!!
One more thing you might want to do is bring music if your planing on listening to music. Unless this has changed you will not be able to pick up very many radio stations.

You will not be disapointed!!!!!

Well, I don't want to mislead anybody. Last spring was the first time I took a boat up there. My memory is little hazy, but it just wasn't any problem to get a good way above the ramp. Then I got to a large bar, coming in from the left, with people fishing on it. I tilted the motor, and followed another boat, close to the right bank, past the bar. From there, I have a vague recollection of seeing a structure or two to my immediate right, facing upstream. Where I was in relation to the park office, I have no idea. I just can't recall if I tried to go any farther upstream. Now, this was last year, when the water was high, and kind of muddy. Whiskey, there was no logjam last year at that "cut" below the rapids on the Guad, but I'm like you - I don't see any point in going farther up.