Ray Roberts Report 2-8-14

Went to Ray Roberts yesterday for the first time this year. A friend of mine was wanting some tips and way points for a tournament that was coming up. I had set out 7 brush piles last July that we were catching fish off of within one week, so we sat out to show him the running lanes, piles, and favorite places. Right now the Piles are in 7' to 28' of water near some areas that have always produced in the 25 years that I've been fishing that lake. While I wasn't expecting much due to the 80 something consecutive hours below freezing late last week, and ice everywhere on the lake, I was not disappointed that we didn't even get a bite off of these piles, as it was mainly to help a friend, but I had a backup plan that we would go to my Bass Lease on a 80 acre private lake that sits north of Ray Bob in Whitesboro. Last year we were catching 30 to 40 bass a trip up there at this time, so I just new we'd at least catch a few fish. I use this place as kind of a litmus test for when to start hittin Indian and Wolf Creek at RR as it reminds me so much of RR with standing timber and it's so close to RR. Well we threw everything we could at em and got one bite. I've had several over 100 fish days on this lake so to not even catch one fish I just couldn't believe it. I've come to the conclusion that the fish right now are in a frozen state that's similar to how those Koi Fish are in when you mail order them from Japan. RR lake is way low, the clarity of the water is good all the way up to the 922 bridge and there are huge stumps in most of the boat lanes that I thought were good boat lanes - we also found a few new brush piles, road beds and rock piles so all was not lost but until we get those 3 and 4 consecutive warming days in a row, don't wast your time, as the fish are frozen. RR is the last lake in north Texas to turn on and Puxatowny Phil is predicting 5 more weeks of winter so go south and east for now to get your fix as this is one of the coldests winters I can remeber since 1982-83.

yea definetly cold out there we were pitching jigs in between the pockets of ice yesterday on fork it was tough...
probably be best to tune up all your reels and get all your lures in line and toss out ones you don't use anymore much warmer inside anyway. warm weather is coming just be patient..

I don't start fishing RR until third week of March.

Caught bass on Roberts when ice was 4' up the trees from high winds.
Water had warmed to 46 degrees.
Won a Media tourny in 1997 Feb 15 and big bass,go figure !

I went back thru some pictures and the areas that I like, start turning on in mid April and will last thru most of May - and May by far is I think it's best month, after that I mainly pound the Crappie up there.

Whats the water temp?

Last week it was 40-42. Today it was 35-39...
I wouldn't go unless you have to. Pretty bad.