I'm staying in an extended stay america hotel in Houston, in the Westchase area, right next to Sam Houston Pkwy and Richmond Ave. So there's this drainage creek running behind the hotel that -- when it's not raining -- settles down into several pools. Two of these pools are LOADED with fish; althouth I don't think there are any largemouth bass. I've caught bluegill and some kind of grey "perch" out of both pools so I know they are there. I've seen schools of 20 to 30 fish at a time swimming in each pool, and I'm convinced I've seen schools of small bluegill in both pools and schools of something that looks like another kind of panfish (perch? crappie?) in the same pool.

I think (not sure) I've seen one largemouth bass swimming in one of these pools, but can't get it to bite -- been trying roadrunner, medium and small spinnerbaits (in light colors and blue-black), live worms and even chunks of shrimp. Last fall I caught a couple of some kind of grey perch (didn't really pay attention to identifying them) on roadrunners and this spring as weather has warmed up all these large schools of those fish and of bluegill (separate schools) have showed up. I can catch some of the bluegill on small spinnerbaits but oddly enough only when I pull them next to a couple of rock piles on the sides of the creek. Strange creek

This creek, during the winter, looked like it was polluted because it was dark grey but now that it's warmer weather the water is getting some green tinge in it. There are several turtles in one of the two pools and I've seen three snakes -- i figure water snakes, two small and one pretty big. I've also seen a couple of fish I just can't come close to identifying. One is a fat, black with white pattern fish, wide fins on the bottom and a sucker mouth. It's not on the TPW freshwater fish identifying website. Makes me remember when someone on TFF two or three years ago was asking about a weird-looking fish he couldn't identify.
There's also a single, very pale fish, flat, a bit longer than the "perch" I'm seeing in schools, with a broad wavy tail. It's not a goldfish and not a carp. I can't figure out what it is.
By the way, one reason I've not been able to get that largemouth bass to bite (and I'm pretty sure it's a largemouth, though have not seen it up real close) may be that it swims slowly through these other, large schools of small fish and they don't scatter. So I figure it can probably eat all it wants at will.
So these two sections of this creek are a very live ecosystem. I'd love to loose a couple or three more largemouth bass in there to even things out. It looks overpopulated with these smaller panfish.

Get some small (size 4,6,8) single hooks with long shanks (not crappie hooks), bait with small pieces of nightcrawler or the famous stand-by bread/big red mix, VERY light weight or bobber and that will catch almost anything in there except bass. I would use a 4-6" dark colored weightless worm on small hook for bass.

check out the fish at a local pet store and that may help you identify what you have seen. In the past I have seen a lot of fish in the drainage ditches that have come from a pet store. People are bad about dumping them, when they should be destroying them so they don't get in our streams and lakes.

Matt

perch trap

I've tried plastic finess worms, but you're right, if that's a bass swimming around in there, if I stick to that (and I fish it for the bass mostly at night), that should get it. New moon is coming up this week (Wed or Thur) and right at dawn (when both moon and sun are on the horizon at the same time) should be a good time.

When I would visit family in Houston I use to fish a small creek. They were loaded with Texas Cichlid. Beautiful fish and even prettier when they are caught in the wild. They have green blue and purple when they are in the wild.
here is a pic i found in the net.
this is the pic >> http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2532601802_44b1ce39ca.jpg

Yes, there are bass in there. I caught them years ago up to 4 lbs. Try a small crankbait in a crawfish pattern. A Pop-R or Yellow Magic should work too.

I would bet the grey colored fish are tilapia.
Heard stories of people catching them in ditches like that.

[img]http://www.anglerschat.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3160&stc=1&d=1273548376[/img]

[img]http://www.anglerschat.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3161&stc=1&d=1273548411[/img]

Pirana or Dorkfish.....Try throwing a PBJ bait...

ha ha. I added some links to a couple of photos I took of one set of the schools.
This is in a very shallow pool of the creek so crankbaits won't work.
the other pool is deep enough (maybe 2 1/2 ft max) that I've been able to throw a shallow running crankbait, but I'm almost convinced there are no bass in that section.
How does one catch tilapia? ha ha. guess I'll have to break out the throw net and relearn how to use it.