San Gabriel Steps in Circleville

It has been a couple years since I have been to the "Steps" for the annual white/sand bass run. With the weather being as warm as it has been, has anyone been there and had any luck yet?

Check page 530 under the Bank Fishing> Somerville thread.

I'll be done there tomorrow, hopefully around noonish, with some live river-minnows to soak, while I'm practicing my new/used fly rod+reel

I have been the last 3 Sundays. I caught 15, 13 and12 on the 3 trips. Almost all of them were undersized. It's setting up for a good run.

No river minnows, a little later getting here than I had wanted,
Cooler and overcast, but will give it try
And can't catch anything, without a line in the water😉

No whites, but at least didn't get skunked
And no luck finding river minnows,
but least got about a dozen small gizzard shad,
For catfish bait, for the lake And water looked better than expected, just need a little more rain with some warmer temps, it should be on like donkey kong

Heck of lot more water than I expected to see. Dry as a popcorn fart up here in Killeen.

yes, more water than I had expected, for sure

The lake is currently over pool and rising. Give it a few days after this rain to clear up and there will be plenty of water and flow.

I went to the Steps this morning. It was like a war zone with trees and tree limbs broken or fallen everywhere. The Steps were actually blocked off so I had to walk down the other path. The water was up and flowing good. The BP was still up around 30.45 and the fish weren't cooperating. Nobody caught anything. Even people using minnows. I also checked on Willis creek. It was still low with little flow.

Thanks 4 the report, pics and info👍2-3 more weeks it will be on Fire, for I feel it in my blood😉
Thank you, Jesus😉👍🙏

test¿?¿

A couple of warm rains should get them started

I fished The Steps this morning. I found fish stacked up in only a couple different spots. I ended up catching a total of 40. About half were keepers. I caught 4 females about 12.5 inches. The first I've caught this year. They felt like monsters on the fly rod after all those 10.5 inch males

I kept a few this morning.

Its always good to get the tailgate fishy on occasion.

Awesome report+pic Congrats+Thx4sharing

Ran up from the main lake by boat up past the steps. Lots of limbs and trees down but that didn't that Gator-Tail from getting up the river. Found a few fish up past the steps, all small but legal males. Water clarity was good with a slight flow. All in all a good day on the water.

TFR+Info, may try Wednesday...B4 cool front moves in Will post report, if I do

FISHINGFOOL40: Caution - Most of those on your stringer look like small hybrids.

Howdy Dennis, Those are mine on the stringer. They were white bass. I easily see the subtle differences and check the tongue patch.

Granger Lake has not been stocked with Hybrids either. Thanks for checking though.

According to TPWD they have not stocked stripped bass of any kind since the early 1980's on Granger. They have however stocked a good population of Palmetto Bass, aka hybrid stripped bass on lake Georgetown upstream. So catching a hybrid down there wouldn't be all that surprising. When in doubt, check the tooth patch, if you're still unsure, release it.

Except Lake Georgetown is 14 foot low and hasn't been releasing water. Catching a 12 inch hybrid on a fly rod is far different from a 12 inch white bass as well. I would have known it was a hybrid before I even saw it

No doubt, they hit way different. I landed a 19" hybrid last spring in the Yegua on a 1/16oz underspin. 10lb braid on a MedLight rod so it could handle it, but I knew the second it hit that it wasn't no white bass.

I agree with Dennis, those are definitely Hybrids. Lines are too dark and distinct to be white bass. They are also very broken lines and three that extend to the tail.

Not trying to be rude, just trying to help save a potential fine and also allowing another person to have the pull of a lifetime once they reach maturity.

You can also tell by the amount of fight they put up. A 12” hybrid will fight a lot more aggressively than a 12” white bass.

Must be an optical illusion. But I will check every fish the next time I fish the San Gabriel.

I do catch 100s of white bass and hybrids every year so it's seems very easy for me to tell the difference between a hybrid and a white bass. Both in the way they look and the way they fight. But I'm quite sure somebody will call me out if they have been catching hybrids at the Steps this year.

The tongue patch is the most reliable way to identify whites vs hybrid.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_t3200_086.pdf

Yes, thank you for sharing that @SweetRay
And there a whole Thread at the Top of page here on TFF,
Titled : "Fish identification, Striper, Hybrid , or White Bass"👍
For all the rest, that are not aware😉

But one things for sure, I be willing to bet 10 to1 odds,
that a rookie game warden, would have a higher chance...
Of keeping an undersized Hybrid, or mistaking it for a White Bass...
Than Me or J-Moe...
No disrespect, and don't mean to sound "rude"🥺, against any game wardens or anyone else, but just saying😉

And I've been fishing San Gabriel River for almost 25 years, from Lake Granger, all the way to Pecos Park...
And have never caught or seen a Hybrid on SGR, but yes, it is always possible anywhere...

But clearly the the major problem, is people fishing any area, not even knowing,
or have the concern of "wanting to know"
the different species, size and bag limit/restrictions, etc., 😥👍

Fishing fool.
I knew J-Moe was being gracious and humble in his response to those who doubted his fish identification abilities
I figured they might need the information
I am sure he caught over 1,000 whites last year and just didn't want to rub it in

Undersized hybrids is all I can find on Lake Austin these days.

Went out Saturday and had some good luck and by looking at stringers, many did. Gonna hopefully try again in the next few days. Even got my daughters out with me and they caught several too.

We caught a good number Saturday up there