Hey guys, just moved to Denton from Jersey and I want to do some Hybrid or Striper fishing. The problem is, I don't have a boat, so I was wondering if there is anywhere I could go near Denton to fish for them from shoreline or the bank? Any recomendations on bait or lures? Thanks in Advance.

proctor from the fishing pier, but not sure they are on at the lake yet, but you should be able to get shad in a cast net off the bank and fish from the pier

It's getting to be that time of year when the south shore of Texoma from the dam toward Eisenhower will "turn on" with the north wind. Stripers will get right up into 4-foot or less water chasing shad. You can take them easily from the shoreline. You can park right at the dam. Topwater and sassy shad type lures....

Don't know Proctor so I gotta go along with Jim on this one....Wait until likely the first week in May and hit the shore on Texoma near the dam....Like he says, there is parking right at the concrete gate control on the dam and you can walk the rocks. The shoreline near the boat ramp at the dam. I watched an old boy pull a limit of big line sides last year standing on the bank right below that big concrete bathroom at the boat ramp by the dam.

If you have a good Jersey shore surf rod, bring it. Something you can reach out a ways with....But, it's not always necessary....They at times get so close to the shore you can see their dorsal fins slicing the surface.

But, when you see the big gizzard shad start hopping up out of the water out about 50 - 75 yards, you will be glad you have a gun big enough to shoot that far. I'm also going to highly recommend 17# test line. I know it's expensive, but I like braided line where I can have the strength while maintaining casting distance. Eight pound diameter gets you thirty pounds of breaking strength....Hard to beat for casting distance.

You can buy Sassy Shads and Zara Spooks at Dave's Ski and Tackle (the Exxon right at the turn off to the dam.) Sassy Shads in just about any light color (white, day glow, silky chartreuse), with a 3/4oz to 1oz head should work fine. I like either Zara Spooks, or the big Chug Bugs in a Chrome and blue or black back. Or, a big Redfin in white, or chrome.

There is also some excellent big striper fishing on up in Oklahoma on the Caney Creek arm right about now....I guess those big Okie sows get mixed up and head up the Caney thinking it's the Washita and try to spawn up there (those of us who live near the border have gotten used to this kind of silliness from Okies ).

A big redfin with a short bill is the #1 ticket for this area.....Dave Wilson at Texoma Tackle just on the west side of the Roosevelt Bridge as you head toward Kingston stocks these and can give you some advice. Your Texoma license will get you legal access to this water as well.

If you haven't bought a Texas fishing license yet, don't....Just buy a Lake Texoma license for $12.50 I think it is, and get after it. However, be careful using that Lake Texoma license below the dam....There are some very specific rules. I doubt it's any good below the dam.

Did I mention.....If you plan on doing any of this fishing from the shore....Plan on getting up early....It last until about 8:00AM if you are lucky, and then it's over. I know guys who begin their topwater hunt at 3:00AM (you have to listen for the strike). Just don't lolly gag around, show up at 10:00AM and wonder why you can't catch any fish.

NJ,

Aside from Texoma, some of the area lakes will have great tailrace fishing for hybrids and stripers as soon as the Spring rains fill the lakes up over capacity and the dams begin releasing water. The biggest stripers caught in Texas mostly came from tailraces... and you don't need a boat to fish most tailraces.

Hey thanks guys. I guess I'll be waiting a couple of weeks and then try Texoma. I've heard thats a real good lake. I haven't heard of Proctor yet, but I'll look into that as well. Hey Mike, I do have a few shore rods and an 11' and 12' Salmon & Steelhead Fly rods. I could use the fly rods as spinning rods also cause I have butts to extend them. So I pretty much have the gear I need. And yeah, I know what you mean about getting there early. As soon as the sun comes up, they go back into hiding. Anyway, thanks a lot guys and good luck to you all.

NJ, you might not need to wait a few weeks, I just picked the following report up from my good friend David Wilson at Texoma Tackle just east of Kingston, Ok. Sounds like the topwater for some dang nice sized fish is cranking up. Stop by David's store (just on the right side of Hwy 70 just west of where you cross the Roosevelt Bridge on Texoma) He can help get you on these fish this weekend!! Get you a good TopSpot map of Texoma to help you find your way around.

I'll likely be working this area out of my boat...I will try not to prop wash you.
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I've had my first two reports of top water fish off of the rocks from the bank.A friend of mine went Wed. evening and caught three an 8lb and two 6lb fish on big Chug Bugs he said they were really blowing up on the lure as many as 6 times per cast but were just knocking it out of the water and was hard to hook up with. He went back Thurs. evening and they were not as aggressive and would'nt hit a chug bug,but caught two 8lb and a 7lber on a 7" Redfin reeled just under the surface.All these fish were caught the last 30 min. of daylight. We fish the rocky bluffs,points and creeks from the Cross to east of Soldier Creek where there is bank access.The best time is the 1st 2 and the last 2 hours of daylight through the month of April. We caught alot of double digit fish last year up to 19lbs so it's time for you bank fishermen to get out and show these boaters how to catch the big ones!