Hey everyone,

New to the forums and new to fishing. I just got back from a vacation to Minnesota, and while I knew people fished, now I know WHY. While I was there, we went fishing from shore and over the course of the week caught 40 panfish. Sun fish, blue gills, some perch, etc.

It was incredibly fun.

When I got back home, I went out and bought my license and gear, and this is where I'm needing a bit of help.

Where is a good place to fish from shore in and around Johnson County?

I spent three days at Lake Pat Cleburne. Two fish, two inches long. Not exactly a great haul.

I'm not looking for any fish in particular (though sunnies would be nice... No bag limit and I know how to clean them). Mostly, I'm just wanting to go fishing and catch dinner.

Up until now I've been putting worms on hooks and drowning them. Barely getting a nibble in Lake Pat.


Any help on fishing spots, maybe bait ideas or lures, would be awesome.

Lake pat is full of pan fish and I bet I could go down with my sons rod and catch over 100 in a day. Bobber ,hook,worm easy as pie. I've caught big ones on cranks there and have fished the lake for a long long time. Go in the park throw under a tree. Plenty of bream. I've even caught them with my kid by the dozen at the park with splash station in it.

Really? I've gone into Byron Stewart park and spent three hours with worms and only caught one small fish, maybe two and a half inches.

Not really sure what I'm doing wrong.

Also, I thought Hulen park was catch and release only.

I've never heard or seen that rule. I know for a fact they stock trout and catfish once a year and let everyone fish for them and keep them. I personally wouldn't eat anything from there that creeks nasty. If you don't care where you fish the pond I fish a lot is full of bream and catfish its off 20 and bryant Irvin behind salt grass.

Cleburne is a good lake but if your bamking it i would try cleburne state park small lake and you can fish alot of it from the bank just go past lake pat on 67 make a left at elks lodge and follow signs

Lake cleburne is great near the dam use Bar s hot dogs or liver i was there for 5 minutes and caught 2 good size catfish and then had to go. If you want to catch tons of sunfish go to greenbrier use little pieces of shrimp, there is also catfish there. If you want to catch and endless amount of catfish go to lake Arlington use Bar S hotdogs or (shrimp work the best here) those have worked well for me my best day there was 15 catfish its in the ghetto side tho, but no one has ever bothered me.

I'll check the state park eventually, but I think it's closed with the government shut down going on.

Is dam access available from shore? I saw a sign posted that said keep off the dam, but I'm not sure if that means the TOP of the dam, or ANY PART of it. I'd rather not break any laws...

Also, I've tried hot dogs, and they just fly off my hook. Is there a proper way to hook them so they stay on?

And where is Greenbrier?

State parks shouldn't be closed.

Its not the actual dam there is parking lot near the dam park there and walk down towards the dam not the actual dam but near it.


For the hot dogs use treble hooks use a leader with a little easy snap on and off clip that way you can snap the hook off. Bait the hot dog through the top of the hook and re snap back on you leader makes it easier to keep your hot dogs on the hook.

Look up greenbrier community center its in south fort worth off of hemphill.

Keene Pond, Keene Tx off 67. Catfish are Fat, Good eatin, clean pond. Havnt cought anything smaller than 14inches. Chicken liver or Shrimp and aim close to the Island, lost a cork line wednesday, using live pearch to what could be 10-15lbs cat and you can suddenly still see the cork rise and move all over pond, last seen was today,.

Check out the bank fishing map in my signature line. Should give you a lot of spots.

Tried looking for keene pond off 67 on google is there a diffrent name for it?

Look for Southwestern Adventist University in Keene. The pond is right across the street from it.