Cedar Creek Lake Reports for December 2019

Yesterday afternoon was sunny with light winds - a very nice day to be out on the water. I read where folks complain about the calm weather negatively affecting fishing, but I have never experienced that. Calm days are always welcome except on really hot summer days, when a light breeze is ideal. Anyway, I headed north yesterday to see if fish were on favorite structures up there - Spillway Hump, the Rock Pile and Enchanted Isle Ridge. Spillway was loaded, with fish on the SE, SW and NE fingers. I caught all I wanted at each spot before moving on to check the Rock Pile. The fish were big - 13 to 16 inch whites. Of course I used a Mepps #4, and casting away and working bait back to boat worked best whether in 14 fow or 20 fow. I show sonar shots of SW (20 fow) and NE (14 fow) showing fish along the bottom.

I didn't find any at the Rock Pile but the west and south slopes of Enchanted Isle Ridge were loaded. Also, very big whites here. I didn't catch any under 13 fow with most 15 to 16 inches - fat females. I took a screen shot of these also. I was out from 1:20 to 3:20 and quit with 52 whites and a 17 inch hybrid. Note: My screen times are still on daylight savings.

SW finger of Spillway Hump


NE finger of Spillway Hump


West slope of Enchanted Isle Ridge

Nice report Dennis! I love the way you present your stuff. Haven't been on CC in a 3 or 4 years and have had family in that area since the early 70's. Thanks for the very detailed...details!

Mr. Dennis,

As always, a very nice detailed post. Your willingness to share is amazing - and much appreciated! Look forward to meeting you.

Ken

I applaud your willingness to share too. I struggle with knowing how much to share. I found out recently by posting a contour map of where I was finding white bass and the next week had three boats on the hundred yard sweet spot to where I couldn’t even look at it much less fish it. I don’t think I personally am willing to share my locations based on this experience. Have you not had spots overrun with ppl after sharing such location details?

RespectTheFish: This absolutely has not been a problem. Only occasionally do I approach a spot to fish and find someone there. I think it is for a couple of reasons. One, on Cedar Creek Lake there are so many good structures, I usually mention several in my reports (My goal on each trip out is not to catch the most fish but to find and catch fish in as many places as I have time to check on any outing). So, when someone is on a targeted spot and there's not enough room for me, I will either move on to the next spot I was going to try or ease up the the boat, cut the motor and ask how they are doing. If they are not having any luck and I just came from a spot with fish, I will tell them about it. If they are doing well, I will wish them continued good fishing and move on, unless they invite me to stay.

Second, I do most of my fishing during the week when the lake is not crowded. So, there is just not much contention for any one spot. Also, many of the structures are large with room for multiple boats. I always stay beyond casting distance if I fish where other boats are already present. Also, if I can see that someone is trolling a structure, I have learned to watch them for a few minutes to see their trolling path and make sure I don't spot-lock in the middle of it. It helps if trollers will put out markers to show the extent of their trolling area, but they don't always do it - so I have to wait and watch for a few minutes.

Third, I promote a fishing technique - the Mepps method. So, if I can befriend folks and they will invite me to fish along side them, I will demo how to catch fish with a Mepps. So, I see someone already at the spot I was going to fish as potentially a good thing, i.e. I can help someone learn a better way.

Finally, I see everyone on the lake as someone who loves fishing - like me. Likely, most don't get to fish as much as I do being retired. So, I try to be a good neighbor and be helpful to them any way I can. For example, a friend and I were at A-frame one day and catching a fish every cast. Slowly a boat pulls near from the deep water side and keeping a proper distance away they start fishing. Well, we were on a drop-off and the slope is where the fish were. They were out in deep, non productive water. So, we invited them to come take out spot explaining the structure pattern to them. They were extremely grateful, and we went on to the next structure we were going to try. Being able to help someone always adds to a positive fishing experience.

Yea Dennis , you are correct about sharing and helping as many people as possible , If I'm catching fish an another angler approaches , I will always invite them over and show them what baits I'm using. Being retired myself , I fish during the week . My favorite times are when I can take the grand kids and their friends , now that is fun . Helping people , sharing , making memories , there will alway be another spot and another day !!!!!!! Take Care

4000 acre FPH is A LOT different than Cedar Creek. You can see the whole lake from the ramp parking lot at Phantom

honey hole: Yes, for a lake that small I would think you have to be more discreet. Even in a larger lake with only a few good structures, you have to be a little more careful about sharing exactly where you caught fish. That's one reason I retired on a big lake - more elbow room. Still, when you are on the lake and encounter somebody already on "your" spot, it's always better to be kind and helpful rather than irritated and angry- because you will end up having a better fishing experience.

Thursday Dec 5: I ventured out today in the 15 mph of higher winds from the SW. I thought I could go to the west side and fish the A-frame or Key Ranch Drop-off, but the wind and waves were just too much. So, I opted instead for protected water at the dam . I found fish on Dam Hump West of Pole. Fished there from 1:30 to 4:30 and ended up with 35 fish: 21 whites, 5 legal hybrids to 23 inches, 4 short hybrids, 2 cats , 2 keeper yellow bass and a LMB. Even close to the dam the wind go so high that my iPilot would not stay spot locked. So, I had to anchor. Fortunately it held. I had a few more fish on but they pulled off. Technique was like dead-sticking - fish straight down to the bottom (18 -26 fow) and lift Mepps up and down while thumping the boat with my feet (I am going to buy a thumper this year).

Good morning Dennis. What size line are you generally throwing that Mepps on? At Lake Travis, and most of the hill country lakes, they are very rocky. Have you tried your method on these kind of lakes? I live on Travis and have not chased after sandies, but I know this lake has both sand bass and stripers, so when the LMB are being hard headed, I'd like to give them a shot! Thanks again!

I use 10 or 12 lb fluorocarbon line. I have fished Lake LBJ and Eagle Mountain and they are rocky, and I've had no trouble with rocks cutting the line.

Saturday Dec 7: Another beautiful fishing day with sunshine and light or no winds, so I had to get out. I left dock at 11 AM. After checking Drew's Humps and Long Ridge, I found a good concentration at Long Ridge West in 20 fow. Caught about 25 there before moving on to check out Key Ranch Drop-off, Found two schools of fish there right on the drop-off in 12 to 16 fow and caught about 25 more. Then went to check out Key Ranch North and found the largest concentration there in 12 to 15 fow. I stopped fishing at 3:20 PM after fish count was 91: 80 whites, 2 legal hybrids, 6 short hybrids, 2 keeper yellow bass and a cat. One of the hybrids was 25 1/2 inches and heavy with eggs - biggest I've caught in months. 95 % of the whites were 13 to 16 inches. All fish caught using #4 silver Mepps fished straight down in 20 fow and casting out and working back to boat along the bottom in 12 to 16 fow.

Saturday Dec 14: Like last Saturday the weather was sunny and calm, but the fishing was off. I was out from 10 AM to 3:30 PM and could only manage 35 countable fish. The fish were hard to find and when I did find them, they didn't stay put. In addition, they seemed reluctant to bite. I wonder if the full moon allowed them to feed at night and kept them from being very hungry most of the day. I caught a few at each of Key Ranch Drop-off, Key Ranch North and Spillway Hump. Had a couple of legal hybrids, a couple of 17 inch hybrids and a cat. The rest were whites. All caught on #4 silver Mepps.

Saturday Nov 14: Like last Saturday
Hey Dennis, don't want you you miss Christmas. It's December! 😁😁😁
Always appreciate your reports!!!

Thanks for the catch, Scotty. I edited both posts and put in right month.

Getting where we are really needing some rain before long..

Great post DC, looks like you need a Thumper for Christmas to hold the fish a little longer under your boat . Merry Christmas to you and your family . Thanks for all the great post through out the past years . Take Care !!!!!

Have a bad cold, can't sleep, so I thought i'd give report from yesterday. It was a sunny day with calm waters - one of those days that just beckons you to the lake. I left the dock at 11:40 AM, and the mission was to see if the bad fishing I experienced Saturday had gotten better. I started at Saint Annes Point East and found a few there in 22 fow.. But they kept moving around. After catching 4 nice whites I went to Saint Annes Point West and found more fish. These were in 21 to 25 fow. I caught 7 more there including a 17 inch hybrid, but these fish also wouldn't stay under me - even though I was thumping the boat with my feet (BTW I have a thumper on order).

So, I headed to Long Ridge and found a few there also moving around. Caught 5 there then went to Long Ridge West. The count when I left there was 20 whites, a legal and a short hybrid. I finished at Key Ranch Drop-off finding fish all along the drop-off as you scope it moving from south to north. I'm pretty sure there were hybrids included since I could see the bigger reflections mixed in with the smaller ones. I set up at the spot where I saw the most fish and caught big whites and 3 more legal hybrids, Ended up with 51: 44 whites, 4 legal hybrids, the 17 inch hybrid, a cat and a keeper size yellow bass. I wanted to go in after 3 hours and left still catching fish.

So, the fishing was good. Water temp is now down to 54.5 degrees. I caught all the fish on a Mepps #4 silver spinner. Sometimes I just reeled it up from the bottom. Sometimes I used the rod to lift it up or move it sideways along the bottom. And sometimes I found the fish wanted Uncle Charlie's technique. With the bait on the bottom, bump it sharply, wait a second or two the drag it sideways with the rod. Caught quite a a few this way.

In case I forget to do this later, Merry Christmas to all my TFF friends!!! I am looking forward to fishing with you again in 2020.

Dennis,I bought a house down there in Bluff View in May. I need to get with you sometime if you are close and do some fishing with you. I have tried your technique on some other lakes with limited success so I know I am doing something wrong. Thanks for your reports!

Send me a PM when you are going to be here and we'll try to get together.

Those are some really good points about sharing Denis . I know I always check your reports b4 I go fishing.
My goal is to see my friends catching fish especially the young ones. I fished for many years on Ray Hubbard,Lavon and Twok. There's so many people who dont know what being curtious on the water means.
Finaly it got to where I dreaded taking people fishing the on weekends. I'm retired now here on CC and I still try and avoid weekends. My experience on CC has been that finding consistent patterns on the hybrids have been hard to lock down, and at first even the samdies, but as I find the "right areas inside the right areas lol" I'm getting much better at it I know it takes many many years to really learn a lake. Although modern electronics have greatly reduced that time, I've found that the most important thing to remember is pay attention you can learn something new every day if you try.
Thank goodness I dont have to remember land Mark's any more I dont think I my memory is capable of that now Im glad to have a gps. Your reports have helped me greatly . Thank You. Your post about sharing inspired me to do better , you are so right that being more friendly makes a better day on the lake. For me it's just getting out of the house , catching fish is just a bonus to a great day outdoors. I see you catching fish on the lake many times when I'm out there I would enjoy chatting with you. When the lake is low I have to trailer to a ramp so I fish the south end of the lake much more. I have a
. My back and knees have paid the price for fishing rough waters all these years so my boat of choice now is a Big,lowes,pontoon, coverted to fishing boat. Join us anytime.. cya on the lake, thank you again.

bullcrappie: If you see me out there, come on over and fish with me. Thanks for your feedback.

I got out on Christmas day (Seems as grandparents we can't get together on Christmas Eve or day any more - it was the 22nd with extended family (sisters and nieces and nephews) and on the 28th this year with my kids and grand-kids). So, after wife and I exchanged gifts yesterday, and since it was a beautiful day on the lake, I went fishing! I got to try my new thumper I bought from Jeff Bobo for the 1st time. I started out dead-sticking in 35 fow near my house and within 5 minutes of turning on the thumper, I caught my 1st dead-sticking fish - a 17 inch hybrid. See pic below. But I only caught one other - a small white bass - trying to fish in deep water for suspended fish. I think my rig - a sassy shad on a heavy lead-head jig was sub-optimal . I could feel them bumping it when holding the rod and see them bumping it when I set the rod down, but they were not getting hooked. Finally, I started fishing structures - keeping the thumper going - and ended up with 50 fish - 45 whites and 5 hybrids. The thumper definitely did a good job of drawing the fish up under me. An interesting note, the number 5 Mepps out-fished the # 4. Most fish were caught at Dam Hump West of the Pole and Dam Ridge in 21 to 25 fow. A lot of under-sized whites were drawn up under me, so I moved around on the structures to get over bigger whites.

Oh no, Dennis went to the deep dark side

Good detailed report as always, DC

Happy you were able to give your new thumper a test run. Also glad the fish responded favorably for you. Water can be as shallow as 15 or so for fish to come under the boat. Up to 8 or 10 ft they sometimes form a perimeter around about 20 ft out to 60 ft away while thumping. Good luck and thanks for your report sir.

This was taken on Christmas Day around 2:00pm. There was a boat just southwest of long ridge. That's about all I could see from our altitude.

I fished on the 26th, 27th and today. Caught 38 on the 26th but half were in the last 30 minutes. Caught 35 on the 27th with neighbor Pat. Today I caught 45. Over these three days I fished from the humps along the dam to as far north as Spillway Hump, and found the pattern about the same at each spot. First, although I can still mark some fish in 12 to 16 fow, they are slow to bite. The fish I am catching are on main lake humps and points in depths from 19 fow to 27 fow. Some of the better spots have been Kevin's Point, Slide Hump, Dam Hump West of Pole, Dam Ridge and Long Ridge West. #5 Mepps is still doing better than #4. Today I caught 40 legal whites most of which were 10 to 11 inches. I probably caught another 80 that were 6 to 9 inches - only about half a dozen 14 to 16 inch fish. Also caught a 19 inch hybrid, two 17 inch hybrids and a 16 inch black bass.

So, finding and catching quantities of good sized white bass has gotten more difficult the last week or two. Too many small whites are being drawn up under the boat by the thumper. Like usual this time of year it is harder to catch a limit of good fish. What I haven't done is really give fishing suspended fish in deep water a good try. I'm hoping to get out with a person who knows how to do this well and see how that compares to winter-fishing structures.