Squaw Creek

So how long until the same people boasting about "100+" fish days start whining that the pressure has the fish locked down?

As for tournaments it seems nobody learned anything from the last time the lake was raped and it gravely affected the larger sized fish population.

Conservation is more than a cool word if you truly want that lake to keep putting out quality. The tournament pressure combined with advances in electronics as well the fact the lake is small will take it's toll again if nothing changes from the last go around.

All lakes go through cycles. Im not worried about it, with it only being open for 6 months a year.

If you conservationist want to do your part, start keeping 5 small fish every time you go. I don't tourney fish no more, so I really can't comment there, and like Chris stated the lake will only be open for 6 months a year. So that does help. The life span of any bass in a power plant lake isn't very long because their metabolism is running 100 miles per hour year around. The only other power plant lake that I knew of that could produce 10lbers on a large scale was Monticello. 25 and 30 years ago squaw wasn't producing 10 lbers on a large scale.

It’s not like it was getting absolutely hammered March - October when it was open so those 6 months of being closed really won’t make as big of a difference as y’all are thinking IMO. 20+ lbs is easy there right now but it always has been in November. Seems like it was always about the 2nd or 3rd week of December the pressure starts getting to her. It’s time to go hawg hunting on the cold water lakes by then anyway!!

I have never fished there but doesn't the lake limit the number of boats allowed and isn't it always at capacity regardless of if someone posts 100 fish days or not?

100-150 boats 4 days a week for 6 months on a 3200 acre lake seems like a little bit of pressure

Multiple tourneys every week where many 15+ pound stringers are being hauled in to weigh ins, could that have a negative impact on the fishing at the lake?

I am just asking for the sake of a conversation, I am all for everyone fishing and catching all they can

About the only weekend they have had 100+ boats is the first weekend open. Yes reservations have been full, but the numbers that actually show up are about 1/2 of what reservations were made.

The tournament pressure hasn't really been there, since schedules were already made for the year. Yes there are some opens that are coming up, but I would go on to say that it doesn't get any more pressure than Monticello or Fairfield does when they were running.

The pressure really didn't have an effect on total fish population in my opinion. If anything that lake really needs some smaller bass taken out. Did it have a negative impact on fishing? Absolutely it did. The later in the year it went the harder the fishing got. Same will happen this year. The pressure also had a very negative on the larger fish population. Specifically those larger fish that came from deeper water. Those bigger deep fish from squaw always struggled for me. I don't recall ever actually having one die, but they always struggled. I think a bunch of those bigger fish from out deep died upon release. The last winter before it closed finding a 4lb fish was a tough task.

…it’s just a lake and a bass is just a fish.

So when it opened back up the last time it took 25+ pounds to win almost every tourney


The only trip I made there was 7-8 years ago or so and we literally sat on 2 different deep spots and caught 75 fish or so and had 15-20 4-7 pounds.

Then towards the end it seemed like tourneys rarely took over 20 pounds.


Fortunately power plant lakes grow fish fast, so a 4 pounder is probably like 3 years old.

Im not doubting your results. I just know that it is open now, folks have been chomping to get on the lake. Tourneys will happen. Squaw will be Squaw. No reason to lose sleep over it.

I went a few weeks ago and had a hell of a good time. The lake wasn’t too crowded. In fact I was told there was only 60 boats there that day. It was a Sunday. I think all 60 were in the same 800 acres of water.

There will still be guys that can catch 20+ pounds….even when the lake gets pounded for months in a row. The others that claim “lake pressure” will have the stupid 2 pounders for 10 lbs. That, to me, is the challenge. To let go of the shaky head and beating the bank for 2 pounders all day, and go find five 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 pound fish. Like WAWI.

15lbs likely wouldn’t even sniff a check right now…. That may change in a few months time, but we will have to see. Lake being closed 6 months out of year can’t hurt it though… that’s for sure.

#growthesport
#5fishpicforthesocials
#5x3

Don’t forget your jersey for the social’s pic!!

It’s on fire, best lake in Texas right now!

For the record I spend most of my time netting fish for Borden. He is the squaw creek expert. I just drive him around.

The size of bags definitely slipped over the years but the lake was closed last time for 10 or 12 years. There was no way it was gonna maintain the weights it was kicking out. Booger eaters were catching 20 pounds.

When it reopened it wasn’t 25-30 lbs It was 18-20

After about 3-4 years is when we started seeing better fish caught and weights go up

Just saw a FB memory last week of out 32 lb sack out there that was from like 7 years ago

It got a lot better after the tournaments then went to chit for a while

But even then it was one of the most competitive tournament lakes you have ever seen

It can be hard when it wants to be

You even have guides keeping the biggest 5 in the livewell for end of trip pics....

The lake is perfect to take your young and not very experience anglers to give them lessons, the catching is so plentiful that you can practice what you tell them over and over again. enjoy it while it is open and if you want to take some fish home then take some smaller ones.

Squaw creek, you too can be a guide.

Went yesterday. We put 28 fish "in the boat". I lost 12 on the way to the boat, and my partner lost 5. We had 3 that probably went 4-41/2, and the rest were solid 2-3 pound fish. No dinks. We had an absolute blast. The wind was blowing pretty good, which we love because wind is your friend, no matter how hard it blows. Fished Carolina rigs and texas rigs. Did not throw any moving baits because we are OLD and would have to have some Geritol or Jack Daniels to do this very long. Did not even get a bite on drop shot, but they were biting CR and texas rig, so we didn't fret to much over not whacknem on a drop shot. Going back next Thurs for sure.