might run out to joe pool for the first time any quick tips for bank fishing as far as bait and spots...thanks

JP is a decent channel cat lake. I go to Lloyd park on the Grand Prairie side and fish punch bait in the cove by the day use area (if it isn't dried up, haven't been there in awhile). I've never caught anything of any size out of there, but I've been able to find some eatin' size fish.

thanks for the info catfish addiction...i wasnt able to make it out the the lake because of the softball tournament and the times we played but i am thinking about going up there sometime when its starts cooling off in the next weeks...any good camping/fishing areas up there you would recommend...thanks

I haven't been camping at Joe Pool in years. Every time I ever camped there some group somewhere was always loud and drunk and up all night. They are pretty lacking in patrols around there. Not sure what kind of shape Cedar Hill state park is in these days, but I used to "camp" there. (Not much in the way of camping when you have water and electricity). There are better lakes within a reasonable distance if you want to camp and such. Bardwell is a nice lake, the parks are all well-kept, and it's within reasonable driving distance of Dallas. If you're driving all the way from Abiline to fish and camp, Joe Pool would be last on my list of choices. I would go to Lewisville, Lavon or Grapevine. Bigger, nicer lakes with better fishing. Joe Pool is a relatively new lake, so the fishing is hit and miss at best.

+1000 Don't waste your time at JP .... IMHO

ss7s.. Go to Miller Creek, catch you some shad or take a bucket of Sure Shot,,,,, you will catch more than you want to clean,

I fish Jp in the boat nothin but blues on the other side of the bridge cedar hill side. But if you go to Lynn creek and there's not alot of traffic out in the marina sit on the bank and cast between the private boat slips and the ones against the oasis (in that area right there) you will catch a bunch of keeper channels

We caught 5 right there last night waiting on the boat to drain after we put in (I guess some how a boat will take on water if there's no plug in it I don't understand) lol

I have heard of people having good luck around Britton park on the west side,but right now the water level there is very low

How don't know how deep it usually is around there but we decided to turn the boat around at 5 feet in the middle of the lake one night