Part of my preparation for any trip to texoma is staring at all the recent reports and pics .. side note (please try to get some noticeable landmarks in the background )

Anyway, I have seen pics showing big gizard shads inside the stomach. The pics make it look like they are much much bigger than any shiner minnow or plastic I am throwing. Also they seem bigger than the lures I see in the pics that caught the fish.

So My Question is .. Does anyone throw really big lures ? if so why or why not ?

or do we all just do the same things because it works and don't fix it, if it isn't broke.

-rob

I like the 4.5" Storm Thundersticks. When they are feeding I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. One 28" striper we caught last week had a 10" shad in belly but he hit a 4" bait.

My fav top water is a 7 inch bone colored Red fin waked across points rock and ledges.
I also use a long curly tail with horse heads the make the bait 7 inches or so.

Cool , I have both thunderstick and a big redfin...

Those are both long and skinny .. is anyone using really Large Plastic Shads or Swimbaits ?


-rob

The 1 oz. Pencil Popper is my favorite top water!! I use a 7' medium heavy action rod and it cast great, even in the wind. I remove the center hook and replace the back hook with a stronger hook. I have had stripers straighten the original hook!! Removing the center hook also reduces tangles, and makes it easier to unhook the fish.

Good luck!!!

If they are biting, it will not matter. Yesterday I caught an ice chest full of stripers and crappie ( pictures in a post later today) and there was nothing I used they would not hit. After dark I was trying to add to the 10 big crappie I had and would pull a small 3 inch berkley flicker shad over a point that was holding crappie. If I did not get a crappie I could not get it back to the boat without another 21 inch striper hitting it. I eventually had to quit fishing because I was killing the stripers and could not keep another over. They would consistently suck that little bait down into their gills.

Another downside to those big baits is the nuisance 5 inch sand bass that hit them. I caught about six of them deep trolling citrus shad colored fat free shad. The bait was almost as big as the little sand bass. The only way I could tell if I was trolling one of these little buggers was a slight unnatural wiggle in the pole tip.

Main take away from this post: Texoma is super good right now and you need to go fish it. basically, everything green is working.

Thanks PK .. we are going to texoma and spending the night, so fishing Sat and Sun. Hopefully I can get into them too.

Where you back up by the Cross and Caney Creek ?

Yes I was. I would not go there tomorrow, as the wind is from the south. Texoma will make a quick study out of even a dense person like myself when it comes to wind.

The wind forecast has started to get stronger, earlier it looked out of south but under 10mph .. it is now building to 10-15mph after lunch, so that puts the CROSS area to open and to risky in my 14' boat.

Sounds like I will be staying down south by the islands in the afternoon.

-rob

We were looking at highpoint but I think 377 is safer. I want no part of being on the other side of that lake in big waves.

Ill be txting ya when we get on the water! Find us sumpin

377 and highport , both are very protected from south wind. I think from highport you have more water available from mill creek to north island, and lots of coves on tx side. I just can't cross mouth of big mineral if south wind over 12-15.

Either end should be producing or I will just trailer over to 377.

See ya the water

Stripers would hit on 5in Sassy shad on 1 oz jig head. That's what I usually throw.

Not to butt in I think both Juniper ramps are closed at 377. I may be wrong they were a couple weeks ago.

Heard the armada was between hi port and mill reek south side of islands. Going out tomorrow afternoon to drag a few umbrellas and maybe evening top action? I will be checking on updates. Greg