Bradford Pears

When you see those white blooms it''s time... I use that as a stupid way to judge the time is NYE...

Yall notice that too.. crappie bass, it's all on like donkey kong...

I had a Bradford Pear in my front yard Billy, about 15' tall and the wind blew it down but my neighbor has two in his yard and both have big white blooms so I hope you're right. I'm ready. Tired of these cold rainy days and muddy water.

Ronnie, it's been spot on for many years
.... I'll be land locked Dr.Orders this weekend, gonna sack up some crappie and bass fishing off 600 foot of seawall.

Strange I see Bradford Pear on the TFF. I've just been doing some research to figure out what all of these blooming white thorn trees are around Texarkana. They are always the first tree to bloom out here and the flowers stink. They also have big thorns that will puncture any tire that drives over it. I thought they were Black Locust, but now I'm thinking they are Callery Pear Trees that are some type of cultivar from Bradford Pears. The reading I did yesterday said that it is a very invasive and dangerous non native tree. They are recommending that everyone destroys the Bradford Pears because of the fast growth and spreading problem.

Anyone on here that knows if these trees are Callery Pear? I'm still not positive.

I'll check that area around your dock tommorrow to verify if your theory is valid.

We always say when the redbuds bloom, bass are on beds.

In East Texas, they say when dogwoods bloom it's time.

I came across the neches on 64 Sunday and they were blooming down there. Some of the bass on Palestine were getting it on . And the big crappie were up there also.

Hate to hear that bud never can tell though bass spawn on those seawalls too. At least your fishing. I'll be working on my boat tomorrow.

Bradford Pears don't have thorns at least mine didn't. Never heard of Callery Pears.

Yep, dogwoods, cottonwoods, and Bradford pear trees blooming means get off the sofa and on the water.

Don't waste your time Mark, it's blown out, chocolate milk. 47'degrees back in there, just pitiful. What a shame, beavers ate all my brush piles, rock pile's have silted over, been crying for days . ....

When bradfords are allowed to spread and get pollinated they revert to the callery which has thorns. very invasive but the biggest problem with the Bradford is it falls apart because of it's branch structure. May happen in five years may happen in fifteen but will happen. Pretty but a wart on mother natures fanny.

This....

Give me the coordinates where your brush piles are was and I will rebuild them while you're gone.

now Billy, are you sure it was a beaver and not a nutria? I need to come check for you! Send me GPS coordinates and I'll be there next Friday morning at your dock waiting for you to get in the boat!

dogwoods bro...

Well, it is actually the other way around: A Bradford Pear is a cultivar of a Callery Pear: they use the rootstock of the wilder version (Callery) to graft the tamer version to for vigor. Bradford Pears were once touted by Neil Sperry and others as almost the perfect tree. They are shaped liked candle flames, grow super fast, pretty blooms and have a long growing season.

But, after about a decade, it was more than obvious that they couldn't take the Texas winds and thunderstorms. The angles of their branching off their trunks? Too parallel to the ground and they often snap or break apart in winds, bad weather.

If what you see has thorns, these are likely the Callery Pears escaping into nature, not Bradfords.

Or, Dogwoods that look very similar. Both bloom about the same time.

Another tree that works really well for identifying this special time of the year? Any tree that is harvested and used to make paper that then becomes a . . . calendar. Ha!


Brad

All I can tell ya is, when I see those white blooms, I catch fish...
Dogwood smogwood, redbud , whatever, white buds = for ME... getcha some....Now.

Well whaddya know we have an arborist on the panel. I'm with you Billy, it ain't the tree it's the blooms. Looks like we got another cool spell coming next week though and DST starts this weekend. Oh well.

Great info Brad. I finally did some research on these trees to figure out if they are good for anything. From what I read, I need to cut all of them down which is what I've been working on around my 50 acres. The thorns on these trees are vicious.

Stayed midlake today. The smaller males were up cruising around shallow. Did see one 4lb or so female on a bed but she had zero interest in biting. She would not spook off the bed but she was totally uninterested in our baits.

So the water is starting to clear up a bit ?

we're going to try and get on the wall 3-4 times next week,..see ya there.

We have found plenty of clear water the last couple of weeks. Some areas are stained to muddy but some clearer water is out there. Quite a bit actually. I think the stained water is bothering the anglers more than the fish.

I would agree, dirty water is ok with me, sight fisherman don't like it but, hey....