does anyone fish below texoma for strpers? if so, do you use a boat or bank fish?
we have hired a guide twice to fish mainlake and have done well. i live in san antonio and fish canyon lake and catch plenty of school stripers there. i want to take my dad and brother for some of those big stripers that i've heard can be found below the dam.
we would be fishing mid-march. are there any guides that fish below the dam? could an 18' express without a jackplate make it up that far? do that have to be releasing water for the fishing to be could?
forgive all the questions, but this could be last trip for all of us together.

Here is a reprint I copied fron Refin:




Texhoma Dam

Right now thru April is a good time to fish below dams. Stripers are already starting to run up the lakes into the rivers and when dams release water, it will really pull the fish up and right into the white water coming out of the dam.

It gets cold sometimes but when the bite is on big time, you won't think twice about getting cold. I speak of the only place I've ever really done any good from now thru April and that's Texoma dam off the Texas side. Get a good 10-foot minimum surf rod and 17-20 pound test loaded on your spinning reel and have at it. A great time to float an 1/8 oz. hair jig (they make and sell them at the parking lot bait shop) around in the swirl hole at the dam under a weighted casting cork (they sell them at the Exxon station at the 75 exit).

DO NOT tie your jig drop line to the weight end of the bobber. Use a big brass snap swivel (pinch it shut completely so it won't come open) and tie the 3-4 foot jig leader to the same place you tie the end of your main line to on the swivel. The weighted end of the bobber is the bullet that gets you distance on your cast. Tying a jig and line to that end defeats it and you won't be able to get out past the current water.

You need to get past the current and into the backwash eddy on the other side. It will eventually "leak" into the side current going downstream and that's when you'll usually get the hit.

Give it a try...I've witnessed some awesome stripers (30 and 40+ pounders) caught at night when they are generating full open. I've even had some on that I couldn't stop. You'll know it's a big striper when he heads upstream into the torrent of water coming out of the dam after you set the hook and spends about 3-4 minutes in there before heading downstream. When he gets ready to go downstream, you'd better have your track shoes strapped on....

Thanks, Tejasworks. You're a very perceptive fisherman.

cbass,
You can put your boat in on the Oklahoma side of the dam. It might be good to have 4WD on your vehicle, though. You will also need to purchase a non-resident OK fishing license if you launch your boat from the OK side. There is no place on the TX side to launch in the river below the dam.

If you elect to fish from your boat, I would wait until the lake is full and rain causes water to be released. Most boat fishers in the river at the dam will fire up the big motor and run up to the furthest most point allowed, cut it off and drift back while casting big Sassy Shad jigs.

If you elect to anchor up, be prepared to lose your anchor to the rocks below. Use a cheap anchor and a 3-foot length of heavy chain then a rope between the chain and the boat. You can clip a couple of empty, sealed bleach or milk jugs to the rope so if you get a good fish on and have to go down river with it, you can disconnect from the anchor and the jugs will hold your rope at the surface so you can reconnect when you come back upstream. But have a very sharp knife at the ready so you can cut the rope if there is a fast rise in the water. You won't have time to retrieve your anchor and shouldn't fret over $25 vs. sacrificing lives. This is exactly why you shouldn't use chain the full length up to the boat.

I don't know what a non-resident OK fishing license costs now days...haven't bought one in many years. The special Texoma lake license WILL NOT cover you in the river below the dam. There is a number or website to go to for daily flow info at Texoma dam. I'm sure someone who knows what those numbers/sites are will post them here for you.

[This message has been edited by redfin (edited 02-01-2003).]

For info on the Oklahoma license
www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing2.htm

cbass,
A nonresident OK Annual Fishing license is $28.50. A 14 Day license is $20.00, a 5 day is $10.00. You can get the Generating Schedule at (903)465-1491, I also know of several veteran river guides in Oklahoma and Texas. E-mail me at wilson2225@brightok.net if you would like to know the name and numbers of these guides.

------------------
DAVID

I can highly recommend four seasons guide
service.. Mike and Dave Beeson in Denison
Tx. They use air boats to fish the river.
Fishing is better if they are releasing
water.
Good luck MO

cbass
Don't use your boat unless your familiar with the river, It is hard to get in and out with a 4wd even if you know the routineand there are several obstuctions on the upper river that has eaten a many lower unit. With the new boat travel restrictions they've put on the river you can't get anywhere near the
headwater know, The number for the dam report
is 903-465-1491 that gives you water flow and schedule water release times. The river can be very good fishing from the bank year round
Be safe and tight lines
Larry

Larry's right. Unless they have both generators going AND water coming out the gate on the OK side, it's pretty tricky putting a boat with a lower unit motor on this river. These conditions also get the water level up to where you can put a boat in on the OK side fairly decent but it has to be close to the mouth of the feeder creek at the upper end of the sandy beach...just look and see where others are backing in at.

There's a nasty spot right behind the bait shop on the TX side that can eat a lower unit if the water level is right, so you really need to get up there and check out the river in this section while it's at low water to get an idea where the tricky spots are.

I use to fish this river with a 16-foot jon boat and 30-hp tiller steering motor.

cbass,

I fish below Texoma quite a bit. Generally the guides use air boats to run up through the current and drift back down the river. They almost exclusively use live shad. The other boaters I've seen in the river use small boats and small motors. Redfin is right, there are some really bad spots that can tear up a boat in a hurry.

I don't think I would consider throwing an anchor out in the river right below the dam. It is way too rocky and with the current you are asking for trouble. I know a guy who lost all of his gear and almost lost his boat last fall when his anchor caught and sucked the bow of the boat into the water. The boat went completely under the water and all of their gear was lost. The anchor rope was cut as it was pulled back and forth across the rocks and the current took it almost half a mile down stream before another fisherman caught it.

I use sassy shad, 5" floating Rapala (blue and silver), hair/bucktail jigs and my favorite, white Finesse minnows. In May and June I have done well on top waters right below the dam. If I had to chose one color, it would be white. I fish from the bank.

Clouser and white wooly buggers work if you are a fly fisherman. But fly fishing is not much fun if there are a lot of fishermen.

There was a 42.7lb striper caught at night in April and a 42lb caught in either June or July. There was a 28lber caught in early November. Those are the big ones I know of and I'm sure there are others I don't know about .

Good luck if you decide to give it a try. Make sure you call and get the generating schedule and remember it is only a tentative schedule. They sometimes start sooner and quit sooner than is on the recording. Good Luck!

Jig

I fished below the dam for years. A big spinning outfit works well from the bank. Take a sackfull of jigs because you will loose a lot of them. Big Redfins waked in the current rips will also work as well as Pencil Poppers. You have to cast 75 yards consistently. I have seen 8 people drown in boats due to being stupid enough to anchor in the current. I watched a 20'ranger with 4 people in it get snatched under in 1996. If you do fish from a boat go downriver to the Bonham area if you want trophy fish. Airboats, Johns, or jet boat terror -tory. April,May, October,November are best months.

There is another launch at "Carpenters Bluff" much further down river. You can access this area by taking 120 East from 75 for 7 to 10 miles. (GPS Coordinates 33 Deg 45' 17" North by 96Deg 24' 42" West).


While traveling East you will come to a small intersection where a 1 lane bridge crosses over into Oklahoma (There is a small resteraunt on the North East corner). It is a small privately owned location behind the little resteraunt (and down the bank). It is a very steep and narrow launch area with limited room to park. There is a pay box where you can leave $5.00 dollars. The water is frequently very shallow (but very clear) unless there is a release of water. I believe that someone told me it takes 30 to 45 minutes for the water level to reach it's maximum level when they are releasing from the Dam (12 miles up river). If you go, make sure you time the release of water or you may find yourself stuck in the middle of the river until the next day (


WHERE YOUR LIFE VEST!!!!

If you decide to launch below the dam,

Deflate your tires for the best traction on the sand and stay on the area that has already been compacted by other launching. DO NOT back into the water, because it can be very steep. I have seen several 4x4's get stuck because 1 of there 2 front wheels was not touching the ground to provide traction.

I recommend that the first time, you do it when they are not releasing ( A GPS could also help), and use your trolling motor. You will not be able to get much further than 300 to 400 yards down river (a couple hundred yards up river, West of hwy 75) but you will be able to see a lot of logs, and other hazards that could tear up your boat. I do not recommend trying to anchor in the main current. You are just inviting trouble, because this is where the bank fisherman will be casting. During the spring (or about 30 to 45 days) this place will be hot for large stripers and catfish, and you really don't need a boat.

Large Chug-Bugs, and other large top-water lures (blue and clear are good colors) will catch you stripers. Several late evenings I have caught over 100 stripers throwing a top-water chug-bug. They were all small, but it was fun. They attacked it every time the lure hit the water. If it didn't hook the first fish that hit it, another hit it after the chug-bug had again hit the water.

Fishing below the dam has been pretty pathetic, lately. The lake is more than 3 feet low which means they won't be releasing water. Pray for flooding rain. Water this time of the year and water being discharged is essential. If the Army Corp. of Engineer doesn't release water, forget fishing the dam at anytime. I should know, I'm a regular river rat and have fished the River for years. I've been there when you made 5 cast and caught 5 fish and the smallest fish was about 15 lbs. I'm the current Red River Striper record holder of 42.7lbs. The last several years has been pretty slow compared to the early-late 90's. If you bring a boat, be careful. Also, be considerate of bank fisherman. Don't run over their lines. That could spark a 2-6 ounce lead weight being cast into your boat or worse, a bullet. If you wade fish, don't get into the current or get in water above your waist. I've seen a couple of people go under and their body recovered hours later. There's no other way to fish on a boat except to drift down river using live bait such as shad or small drum. Use cork and jig anytime when wade fishing. You can use pencil poppers around late April, May, and maybe June when there's water being released during the day. Won't work at night. Use Bombers, Redfin, or just about any big shallow diving lures. The key is casting distance. The longer you can cast, the better your odds. Don't use lanterns or build a bonfire. I found best success at night when it's the darkest. Only turn on the flashlight when you need it. Good luck.

can you catch stripers and hydrids on gaspergoo? caught plenty in a castnet. i've had equal luck using gizzards or light colored perch for hybrids on conroe and summerville. i had the lake record hybrid for conroe until last may- 11.50 lbs.- now it's 14.78 lbs. i guess it's poetic justice that the guide who taught me caught it- bob murphy with murphy's guide service. he used to be at possum kingdom.

hey ep, r u ed pachua or something like that? I taped onto my wall an article from the dallas morning news with u holding a monster striper. That was a nice fish. Maybe u can give me some pointers sometime.

southern58, yup, that's me. Onlymy last name is PADUA. Close enough, though. I'm impressed you remembered the name. I tell you what, that night I had a striper that I believe would have given the current State record a run for the money. I have a 37 .5 lb and this 42.7 pounder mounted and each felt awesome at the end of the line. I have caught several other 30+ lb. stripers and the fish that hooked that night was clearly at least 10 lbs. larger or more. That's the way fishing has been at that dam for me. I find that if small fish are there- less than 10lbs., the big fish won't be there. The opposite is true, too. I tell you what, that river has given me nights and some days that were unbelievable. That's why I keep going back, even though I really think there's no more fish left. If that's the case, it may take many more years before it becomes good again.