Hello, I'm looking to explore some new waters. I'm a flathead fisherman and we've always fished down on the Rio Grande. I'm looking for some small rivers that hold big yellows and some channels. We usually fish all night (rod & reel) then lay around and channel cat fish during the day. We have aluminum jetboats and we're capable of traveling 40+ miles of river to get to a good spot to stay a few days. Anyone have any good suggestions on a river trip other than the rio grande? I don't even know wwhere to start to go, we've always gone to the rio. Time for something new. Thanks for the help..Jimmy

What area you looking to fish? North, south, central, or west. Guess I'm wondering where you live.

Pretty much every river in central and West/SW Texas has yellows, even the small one like the Frio, Medina, Blanco, and Sabinal.

On the Frio you have to contend with tubers and such but there is a fantastic place a short float downstream from Magers Crossing that I myself have been dying to try. You'll need a kayak or canoe to get there and some patience since the river is low low low. it's about a mile downstream and is a pockmarked limestone/clay bluff opposing a long gravel bar. The water is anywhere from 8-15 ft deep. Upstream and downstream from there the river gets very very skinny. The pool is about 150 yards long and even during the heaviest of flows on the river (Flash floods) it flows slow.

The Medina above Medina Lake has some superb hill country flathead water and the fish are generally bright yellow or highly mottled because of the extremely clear flows. Also in the town of Medina on the northern edge of town there is a deeper section that flows through a cypress tree tunnel on clay banks.... read lots of undercuts and root balls.

There is a small park there and several small bridges that can give access. again, small canoe or kayak are a necessity.

sorry forgot to mention I live in Midland,TX. will travel though.

Ever fished Ivie? Both the Concho and Colorado feed it and suppose to have some good catfishing. Water levels or down so not a long travel upstream though. Buchanan has the Colorado but there again 10 miles or so of navigable river. Whitney has the Brazos and a little more river to run as does Possum Kingdom but don't know much about the catfishing at either one of those. I read a lot about the cats caught on Texoma but never fished the cats there. For some of the best catfishing in Texas according to some or the two small lakes Calaveras and Braunig just south of San Antonio. Richland Chambers, Cedar Creek, and Palestine or all hot catfish lakes in east Texas. None of these or the big river lakes like Falcon and Amistad but promise a lot of good fishing plus something new. Good luck and post up how you do.

Thanks for the recommendations. Do you know of somewhere I can take my Jetboat? Is the frio and the medina too small? What about the guadalupe or the brazos, know anything about them?

The Frio feeds into Choke Canyon but don't know much else about it other than the Concan area is ankle deep during low water times. I know nothing about the Medina.

You could put in at Possum Kingdom and run up the Brazos there for quite a ways. Until it gets too shallow. There should be some really good holes to fish there. I've been wanting to do that, but don't have a decent boat for it.

Jim

+1 on the brazos

Guys, I am Jim790's fishing buddy, and I aint fishing out of no canoe! LOL. Someone mentioned ankle deep water. With our boats, that might as well be 20 foot. Anyone know anything about fishing the RED? Thanks

The Red above Texoma should be pretty good, but your boat has to really go through some skinney water to get in it, I went to the mouth in April, and it was too shallow for my boat then, most of the lakes have come up around here since then, but I don't know about Texoma, I have not been there or heard anyone say

Lga043, That is exactly the kinda water we want. We want water, that no one else can get to.. Less pressure, equals more big fish. Here is our boats. riverkingboats.com

That looks like a nice one for sure....think I just found my first boat

going down the brazos this coming weekend in kayak...I will let you know water levels if you like...although with that boat I don't see you having much problems with brazos.

If you don't mind me asking how much does a river king boat go for?

I have fished both the red and washataw river systems. There are lots of great holes to fish up stream from texoma. This time of year they would probly be accessible by a jet drive boat.......but in about 6 weeks your gonna need a boat that will run dry ground. Some of the guys up here have airboats and they are able to get over the sand bars to the next hole and do very well. I know an old man who goes out and constantly catches 250# of fish in a 3 day period. But if you fish the red remember to get the Texas/Oklahoma license. And as far as camping goes, once you get away from the lake T 99% of the river banks are private property! Good luck on your Louis and Clark adventure!