Posted By: John Peebles
Big Sam - 03/16/23 01:47 AM
Spring break time again, so this year I decided I would take my son back to my old stomping grounds, Sam Rayburn. He has never fished it and it's been 20+ years since I've been back. My dad just turned 80 so I wanted him to come along as well while he is still able. He also used to fish Rayburn back in the 70's when we lived in Henderson. We hired a guide out of Lakeview marina and set up a trip for Monday the 13th.
Well, not so great timing on our part, as we had a fairly strong front come in the day before and we awoke to temps in the high 40's and north wind 10-15 w gusts to 20. Water temps ranged from 63-66. Water was stained with maybe 2' visibility.
We hit a small spawning flat with a creek bed running through it and around first light a few fish started schooling around us. Caught several undersized blacks with one making the cut at 14.5" and a couple of 2-3 lbs whites on traps. We moved on to an adjacent larger flat and didn't have much action. I tossed my son one of my old go to baits, a plain watermelon seed 8" lizard with the tail dipped on a modified c-rig and a few minutes later he caught a 3 1/2 followed by a 4 and another in the 3 lbs class over about an hour.
Meanwhile me, my dad, and the guide who probably have about 160 years experience between us were all striking out (except for my 14.5" schoolie). By this time it was about noon, my son had one more in the 3lbs class and then they shut down completely. Got off the water about 2:30.
Our best five would have probably went about 15lbs. We stopped for lunch at Lakeview and talked to a few guys that didn't catch any. Wish my dad would have caught a few, but it was fun watching my son step up and kick some butt on a very tough day at Rayburn.
Well, not so great timing on our part, as we had a fairly strong front come in the day before and we awoke to temps in the high 40's and north wind 10-15 w gusts to 20. Water temps ranged from 63-66. Water was stained with maybe 2' visibility.
We hit a small spawning flat with a creek bed running through it and around first light a few fish started schooling around us. Caught several undersized blacks with one making the cut at 14.5" and a couple of 2-3 lbs whites on traps. We moved on to an adjacent larger flat and didn't have much action. I tossed my son one of my old go to baits, a plain watermelon seed 8" lizard with the tail dipped on a modified c-rig and a few minutes later he caught a 3 1/2 followed by a 4 and another in the 3 lbs class over about an hour.
Meanwhile me, my dad, and the guide who probably have about 160 years experience between us were all striking out (except for my 14.5" schoolie). By this time it was about noon, my son had one more in the 3lbs class and then they shut down completely. Got off the water about 2:30.
Our best five would have probably went about 15lbs. We stopped for lunch at Lakeview and talked to a few guys that didn't catch any. Wish my dad would have caught a few, but it was fun watching my son step up and kick some butt on a very tough day at Rayburn.
