Navarro Mills?

Any reports from out there? A couple of us went and never got a bite, fishing a couple of my best spots. Water is really low too, just wondering if anyone else has had bettter luck?

Only -1'2" below pool as of today!Exactly where did you go fishing where the h2o was soooo low?

The culvert, walked around to wolf creek dock, and the cove between oak park and the spill way. At the culvert the water was only about 6-8 inches deep 10ft off the bank.

You must be talking about the Tin Horn

Yeah tin horn, culvert same thing. But yeah it’s real low around there or at least it was last weekend.

Thought so. Yeah I can see that.It should`nt hurt the spawn though.They will show up especially on the rocks @ the WC fishing dock.

Oh yeah, I’ve caught my fair share of slabs off the rocks in WC. I’ll update this thread with my report from tomorrow.

Not even a bite today, maybe too windy

Hey 007 fisher When do they open of the WC park main gate entrance @ WC? Is it this month or next?

.

Fish are still out in open water chasing shad...too early for NM to turn on...

Wolf creek opens either in April or May, I can never remember...primarily because I never stay there...

WC opens in April I believe

April it is...

Last part of this month if weather permitts they should be in WC,Snake Creek & A Creek

A creek?

Aint no fish in Navarro Mills... I hear they are working on the dam, can't release water if we get a flood.....about 1.2 low now.....we shall see....

I sent you a PM

I was wondering about the low water deal...that last high water flood really messed up the weed lines and hurt the fishing...I probably haven’t caught a 2lb fish out of there since then....have to go to other lakes to catch the big ones anymore...used to be 2lbs were an every time deal for me...2.5 was a regular deal with eggs...not anymore though...maybe one of these days the weed lines and the fish health will return...

I’m sure it’ll get sorted out soon enough

Every creek at NM should be named Snake creek lmao

You’re not wrong about that! Lol

Definitely have to be snake aware when traveling the creeks...A Creek = Ash creek...when it’s hot it’s hot, when it’s not it is a long trip for nothing...

Be Very aware if you’re going around there. I had snakes all around me one time last year. Even had snakes falling out the trees right next to me. Big ole moccasins swimming right at me with no fear. Lol

He, the Viper, by all means should garner a great amount of respect if you are venturing into his area but there is no reason to be afraid of him if you know his weakness.YES he has one & chances are you already have some of this in your Garage or storage shed. IMHO it`s a must to take this along with you if you do alot of creek fishing during his breeding season.I`ve carried it along with me for years and have never had a problem with him.Use this stuff on him and FORGET ABOUT IT!!! He will respect you

.22 mag filled with rat shot is a wonderful tool for those fanged versions and the stringer robbers.

Yeah that will work also but not what i`m speaking of.

Ok what is it

I sent you a PM

Exciting times right there! Want a rush on a higher level? I know a couple places you can wade fish, where those snakes will just brush up against your waders en masse as you are fishing...Every time it happens to me, I thank god for the person that developed thick neoprene waders! The hardest thing is to remind myself not to get too excited, trip, and fall...snake IN the waders is a level of excitement I don’t think I could stand....

Anyone been to the fishing barge?

Those are mostly just regular water snakes that get a lot bigger than Water Moccasins. They still might bite you anyway.

I think those are water mocarattlercoralviperpythons.....

Hummm, ya'll have a snake problem. The snakes out here have a Jig Man problem...

Back to fishing what is our latest report?

LOL

^^^

Poison ivy and snakes, good riddance to that sh*thole.

I once witnessed the mysterious disappearance of more than 70 snakes in our night fishing hole over two successive nights in Ash Creek...fishing the third night was relatively snake free...the bad news, our night hole only comprises about 20 yards of creek bank...

Can`t hang with the BIG Dogs stay on the porch!

Yep, you wanna run with the big dogs you gotta be able ta pea in tall grass...

Slow

Anybody know if Ash Creek is full ?

Lake is 89.7% full. I don`t know if that will do it for Ash.

No it won’t, or any other Creek for that matter...

Doyle, how’s the old dog doing? Guess you haven’t had much luck over at crappie point? Sadly, That doesn’t bode well for the spring fishing this year. Do you know exactly what is going on over there?

Probably can’t get in Ash Creek at that level, by boat anyway...I could be wrong, but don’t think so...I have had to pole my way in Ash before, when the lake was 6/12 inches low...with my motor raised in a 16 foot bass style flat-bottom boat.

The mouth of Ash has been silted in forever...at normal pool, the mouth is only around 2 feet deep, maybe a bit more...however, that is not your biggest problem...the water depth for the last Quarter mile (leading up to the mouth) averages 3 foot deep with occasional stumps, at full pool...not many boats can fade that run at current lake levels, unless they are set up correctly. I won’t be going up there at current lake levels, unless I decide to wade my two man into it...which is likely not gonna happen, as I would have to drag it from Pelham, over half a mile, before I could get in my two man to ride...don’t really want to try making it in either of my other boats from the main lake, due to stumps/water levels...just saying there are easier places to catch fish this year.

I know Ash was on fire 3 years ago. Best spawn I have ever fished in my life.
Slabs after slabs. Did not matter where you dropped a jig at times in that creek.
Good times !!!

Fishing in Ash for crappie is hit or miss...mostly miss, but when it’s on, few places compare...

I was fishing there one day with a couple buddies, and some guys came by all excited heading to the marina to weigh a “big fish” that he caught...fish looked about 2.5lbs (actually a bit over 2.75 via scales)...when they got out of earshot, another boat with some guys I know trolled by and mentioned the guys with the big fish...we all chuckled and someone mentioned they must be tourists...to which we all smiled, agreed and bid each other a good day....basically, everyone in both boats had one that size in the cooler...we were all happy for them..

LOL !! Man you are sooooo right about that.

Alls I can say is when it is accessible once again someone should pull a MONSTER outa there! Hope it`s me

Hey crapicat what about Richland Creek to the left of Pelham ramp? I never hear anything about that creek.Do you have any experience`s in that area? I was thinking if not ASH I could try it with my two man (actually one) boat with a 50lb thrust troll motor. On a calm day of course.

Richland is perty much silted full and worthless

...NO...there is a 20+ foot logjam right at the mouth of Richland Creek...i have tried forever to access that creek via boat of any kind...to no avail.

That said, to access Richland Creek...on the trip to Pelham landing, instead of turning right (first turn) continue on straight (down the row of houses) until you have to stop at Richland Creek...walk the bank, but let me warn you, the banks are very high and the creek is hard to fish, I have never had much luck, but I suspect because it gets a lot of pressure from the locals...take a long pole to clear the steep sides...from the parking area I would go left...in hopes the bank is not so steep and opens up a bit...there are trails up and down the bank.

Does anyone know if there is a clear path from the dam to the Pelham ramp or to ash creek? I have just gone through the trees and it takes forever..

No grasshopper That is the dilemma you must encounter if you want to navigate to these areas from the eastern side of lake.Patience MUST be exercised ....GRASSHOPPER

thanks, kinda what i expected....

Real quick way cuz, just go in Gary's boat...

I know that road and I`ve met the lady that lives in the last house on the left.Last time I was there there was h20 no less than 200 yds from her property. She told me she would drag a lawn chair down the road as far as she could and catch a whole lot of catfish.

SUPPOSEDLY, when they built the lake, the corps built a haul road from the dam toward Richland Creek...most of the way down the lake...but I have never found it and I have tried (and failed) many times...have never seen a lake map (good luck finding one) that details the haul road, either...saw a guy five years ago in a bass boat wide open throttle down that Richland creek side an an angle to Ash Creek...He made it all the way (and back) on WOT...evidentially, he couldn’t make it through the mouth and turned around...I was still enroute to Ash, and commented to my buddy that we might be doing a recovery effort...I still don’t know how that guy made it across there, and I have looked...hard trying to figure it out...all I want is an electronic trail of a clear shot to Ash...if I ever get one, I am gonna share it with anyone who wants it...

The way I go is straight out from the marina about 100 yards off the bank...there are two huge stump fields you have to get through, which is why it takes so long to get there...trim up and low idle most of the way to Ash...slow as molasses...and I have to have the spring back brackets on my electronics (done wasted a few) along with an alum prop to keep the lower unit in place (my props look like Bosnia)...when I go to Ash, I make it a full day trip or a full night trip, depending on the time of year...and pray for fish to be there...

An all day trip for sure...

I hug the south bank when I to go to Ash. I have traveled that same path several times and I have it dialed in on my Fish Finder.

Here`s a thought.Just Maybe, & that`s a BIG maybe ,It`s possible he was running the creek channel itself! I know it not recomended to rely solely on the map charts for navigation but the creek channel leading into Ash is detailed on the Lowrance map chart but not on the Navionics map chart under the Chart options menu.I can`t speak about Humminbird because I don`t have a HB unit but He could`ve tried it once before,was successful, created his own trail,and when you saw him he was running his trail.I saw a guy do the same thing up in the NE arm of lake Aquilla in a stump field that I could`nt move five yds without bumping into something while on my troll mtr.Go Figure.

Yes sir. I use my Hummingbird to make my trails and I still never run fully wide open.
That’s how I made my trail running the south bank along with Keith Speers advice to do so.

Neither would I sir Thanks for confirming what I thought could be possible. That`s GOOD STUFF ! BTW how`s Mr Speers I have`nt heard from him?

I have a similar trail on my birds...the only problem is I seldom go without bumping a stump in certain areas, despite trying numerous alternative paths...finally figured out why...I have some bad pictures a friend took of the stump fields on the south side from the road, one day when we were out there earlier this year..if you saw them, you would probably troll through them...instead of using your motor...I couldn’t believe how extensive and thick those stumps were at a couple areas. I need to get out there and find a better way through, while I can see the stumps one day when the wind is not so nasty.

Yea, Keith has been kinda quiet lately...the lake may have him messed up...

Aquila, running fast...old dude wearing a cowboy hat? If so, probably Skipper...he grew up hauling hay in those fields before they flooded it...wish I had mapped the trails on Aquila, that he has in his head...

Hmmm, I don’t know, but I just knew he was gonna crack that boat and die that day, and boy am I glad he didn’t! He must have been running 70mph. One of the old locals, who has passed...told me the creek had huge cottonwood trees along the bank before they flooded it, which is why he never traveled the creek...personally, I have use The Navionics stuff on my birds, although I learned the path by visual observation, I mostly stay visual and just use the maps as an aid...that said, I am getting better at relying on the navionics trails, I have previously used...don’t really trust them as much as visual on the lakes I know.

Naw this was`nt no Old dude. This guy looked to be in his 30`s in an Aluminum boat just HAULIN it! Came back the same way to. HAULIN IT! Didn`t slow down till he reached the bridge.

There is a trail on aquilla. Other than one 50 yrd stretch Ill run wide open from the no wake bouy at 1947 ramp to the very back of the creek almost in Hillsboro and won't hit a single stump. Haven't found an east to west one on Navarro though. Although there is a north to south through the stump field on the west side of lake.

Hey Creeksidelc Aquilla has two creek arms. Aquilla Creek & Hackberry Creek. Which arm is on the East side that has the no wake buoy?

I think he is talking about Hackberry, since it is by the 1947 ramp....

...well that`s the arm I saw this Guy go flyin thru! I wanted to go past the stump field to see if there was a clearing and get to the creek but my fishing pal & I just gave up after all that doggone Bumpidy Bumpidy mess I was getting on my troll mtr tryin to get back there so we just sat under the bridge and fished. Then all of a sudden here comes this....this GUY man!!! My buddy and I both looked at each other and could only shake our heads in disbelief

I sure wish I knew what you know pal! I looked on my Navionics & Lowrance mapping & I didn`t even find as much as a creek channel there!

you and me both!

I would loved to have stoped that feller and see if he would help me out but he was moving too fast and too far away from my position on the water.

Fishbonz. The bouy I'm talking about is right at the ramp at 1947 and thats the creek arm going east from there. The path isn't on any maps. I just found it when the lake was way down few yrs ago.

WTG!! You sure were using your head.Good stuff Captn

Not sure what you are talking about, but I am willing to ride along and figure out what you are saying...my two primary lakes, Navarro Mills and Aquilla...been fish both for two decades...always willing to find a better path than the ones I use...

Hackberry Creek is on the East side...if he is running Hackberry...I GOT to see that...I kinda sorta know a slow way throughthere...TM slow, that is...

I could take you guys for a ride through there.

He could have just been a lunatic with luck!

Follow the leader???

A Lake Products map is very detailed and it shows it. I trust it. I have 2, 1 that's a couple of years old and another that is about 10 years old or so. I like the older one. Never seen any other map company put out one that was worth spittin on.

Man I have a lake products map myself that was copyrighted in 1990 and it details the Hackberry creek channel and how it meanders it`s way thru those bois D` arc stumps but I sure as heck would`nt trust putting my boat thru that! Besides this guy wasn`t even traveling on that side. He was closer to the East bank side lettin it rip!

I’m game...but please, let’s wait till the water warms up a bit!...just in case....

I would rather follow you through...that way I could put the trail into my unit.IYDM

So any reports from Navarro Mills lately?

Its under several feet of silt I have no doubt, its all black clay cotton fields around here, the lake is silted in BAD, its way shallower than when it first filled up. I had an old co-worker who had once fished a big tourney their in the 60's, the lake was deeper and used to hold a good population of hybrid stripers he said.

There are some hunter out there that do that, nuts especially in the coldest part of winter, SMH. Couple guys hit a stump out their and both drowned a few years ago.