Lake Sam Rayburn, TX Fishing Report

Water lightly stained; 69–73 degrees; 2.10’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse and watermelon soft plastic worms and Rat–L–Traps. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue/black tube jigs over brush piles in 20–30 feet. Bream are fair on nightcrawlers. Catfish are very good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.

Sam Rayburn is at 162.31 ft and has been dropping slowly. The lake is 2.09 ft low

McDonalds Big Bass Splash 2013 is just weeks away here on Sam Rayburn.

Bass; The weather has been a lot different this spring with cold front after cold front moving thru keeping the bass confused on what to do. The trap bite was way down and the fish have been scattered out. Tournament pressure has been very high this year, pounding the few fish that have moved up to spawn. We caught several good fish on beds but they were males, so where are the females? The little males that are normally running in the shallow water have been hard to find and get to bite. There are always a few guys finding a fish but for the most part its been tough. The soft plastic has been catching a few fish up shallow along with the spinner baits. There are some fish in the grass. The deep bite has been tough with few bites on C/R and T/R in 12 to 25 ft. It seems that covering a lot of water is the best thing to do right now looking for active fish. We are looking for a lot of fish to move in with the weather this week.

Crappie; With the water temperature getting into the 60 s the crappie have been moving in to spawn but it has been very slow and spotty for the most part. Mostly when they get a few warm days they move in by the hundreds to spawn. Then they move back out to the brush piles. We are looking for a big surge to move in anytime now kicking things off. We had 55 crappie on half day trip this weekend still full of eggs.

Dont wait too long to get your trip booked.

White Bass: They been running up the river for the last month and we made several trips and filled the cooler up in a hurry on these fighting . These fish love to test out the Ultra light equipment and the skill of the angler as they fight to get away.

Water lightly stained; 58–62 degrees; 1.99' low. Black bass are good on green pumpkin crankbaits, soft plastics, and Super Flukes over grass in 3–10 feet. Crappie are good on live shiners, and on pink and black tube jigs around willows. Catfish are good on juglines baited with prepared bait.

Sam Rayburn is at 162.32 ft and has come up this week with the rain fall that we have had. The lake is 2.08 low which is putting the water into the buck brush for the spawn.

Bass; The last few days the sun has broke out and started to warm things back up. We started the morning in the 40 and water temperature at 57 degrees. Now thats cold on both sides of the scales for us here in Texas. So how will the bass act with these temperature here on Big Sam The morning bite has been the best the last few days not to say you cant keep picking a fish up here and there. The trap bite has been a little slow but its still been working along with a Stanley Spinner Bait along the grass edges and points as you move back into the pockets. As things warm up even more in the next few days we see some more fish move in before the next cold front hits. There been a few fish staging off the points and working their way back into the points. The Carolina and Texas rig has been picking up a few fish on Lizards and Brush Hogs. Things are looking up around here as we see more fish moving in everyday so get things ready. If you got a little cabin fever grab you rods and come out on a guided fishing and enjoy the great outdoors on Big Sam.


Crappie; The Crappie fishing has still been on hold as the water temperature has just been hovering just below the spawn temperature they want keeping them waiting in the pockets. The timing has to be just right but if are lucky you can fill the cooler up with some of them taste little critters.


White Bass: They been running up the river for the last month and we made several trips and filled the cooler up in a hurry on these fighting little brutes. These fish love to test out the Ultra light equipment and the skill of the angler as they fight to get away.

 Rayburncountry.com, Lake Sam Rayburn, Lufkin, Texas Latest Catch  

    Latest Catch

Reel um N Guide Service

Owner
 Lynn Atkinson


Water Temp.55

Normal pool 164.40

Water Clarity 2 feet

02-11-13

Lake level today 161.58

Big Sam is looking good, only 2.84 ft low.

Spring and Bass Fishing go hand in hand. With the warm weather we are starting to see fish in the shallows and things are starting to get busy.


Sam Rayburn is warming up and the fish are moving up on the warmer days getting ready for the spawn. We have seen a few males in the shallows cruising around. We had a few fish pull up in the staging spots last week. We lost one nice fish, it snaked under the boat and broke off. We had been running down a few banks throwing traps when she sucked the bait in. He set the hook and the fight was on. She made a couple runs and came out of the water to let us know she was not going to give up easy. From what we could see she was somewhere in the 8 to 9 pound range. The client did everything right. He had just put on new line but somehow there were a couple of nicks and you know the rest of the story. We picked up a lot of fish that had moved up with a couple of 4 pounds to add to the mix. The cold fronts will push these fish back and forth from the inside grass line to the outside and some will move out to the staging spots. This is what makes timing so important this time of year. Weve heard a few more big fish have been caught and stories of the ones that got away. We are getting excited about the chances of catching a trophy bass.

Some of the water in the back of the creeks is so clear you can see the bottom, sight fisherman watch out. The grass has thinned out a little but theres still a lot of grass hiding under the surface, off points and back in the creeks. Baits always seem to be the same on each report thru the year.

Some of the guys love the soft plastic baits like senkos and wacky worms. They catch a lot of fish through year and can be a bait to use when its tough out there. When the fish move up shallow this is one bait that you can catch some nice fish on. Everyone is always asking about colors; Watermelon Red, June Bug, and plum apple are just a few to start. You may go wild with a few of the bright colors like Bubble Gum, Merthiolate or Chartreuse, just have you shades on. The Rayburn Red trap is always talked about this time of year. They catch a lot of fish from small ones to a trophy. Dont overlook the chrome and gold colors as all lipless baits arent the same. Different baits have different sounds along with shapes and colors. Sometime it is very good to have something different than what everyone else is throwing. The Stanley Spinner Bait in the Vibra-Shaft will be good around the old bean brushing and off points as the fish move in. Sexy Shad and Bleeding Shad are two colors to start with but dont forget Toledo Gold. Coving a lot of water can be fun and rewarding this time of year. The Carolina and Texas rig off the points and humps close to spawning areas will start to turn up some nice fish.

Keep the T/R, C/R and Stanley Football Jigs handy. Lizards and Crawfish are good baits to be using this time of year. I think of fish as being cooler this time of year and their colors are pale so I like to throw light colors that blend in. Some like watermelon seed, root beer and watermelon red, dont think I wont throw a wild color like cherry seed in the mix. Its red; and crawfish are red; and most of the trap fish are caught on red. E2 bait Company makes great baits and one of the ones I like in the winter and spring is the DoodleBug. It works great on everything from flipping them in the buck brush and grass to putting them on my C/R. Dont forget about using them for a Jig trailer.

Trophy Bass

I cant tell you the chances of catching a Trophy Bass from now till spring. The moon has a big part in this and most folks fish the hardest on the moon.

Crappie; The Crappie bite has been light and you have got to really get the feel of them. We had some fish start moving down the river looking to spawn. That can be lots of fun and we had folks catch the weather just right and have a blast with corks and minnows. The kids have more fun watching the cork, setting the hook on a nice crappie, then Reel um N. The group that catches the most legal, keeper size, Crappie wins a free trip the next year. Dont wait too long to get your trip booked. The pontoon has plenty of room for everyone with shade and a Port-O-Potty.

White Bass: Fishing up river has started and last week we had 50 in just a few hours. It took more time getting to the fish than catching them. We had some trips last year where the kids had their limits in 4 hours and had a great time! When you get into these fish it is just awesome as they fight like a bull on Ultra light gear.

Lake level today 159.96

Big Sam is looking good, only 4.44 ft low.

Sam Rayburn is looking a lot different this year with all the water and grass. The weather has been on the warm side keeping the water temperature a bit warmer and the grass has been doing great. The pads have been disappearing slowly. There have been a lot of days that were to prefect not to want to be on the water. January has arrived and I cant wait to get out and start looking for the trophy fish that move up looking for a place to spawn. My records show that we catch some big fish in January, between fronts, in the grass. This is a time that can feast or famine. Each day is different and you can catch 50 one day then two the next. Sometimes those two fish weigh 18 lbs. You cant do that sitting at home.


The grass bite is the ticket this time of year and everyone knows it is trap time, so get your traps out and start fishing. Dont forget about a Stanley Spinner bait to cover the grass. I have seen days they eat up a Spinner Bait over the grass. These two baits catch lots of fish all through the year. There are different techniques that improve your chances of catching bigger fish. Dont get stuck with just one speed of crank and wind, change up now and then. The small crankbait pulled along the grass edges and creek channels will be picking up a few fish. Chrome, White and Chartreuse are a few colors to start with. Lots of fish will be moving in and out with each front that goes through. You have to keep checking the points and staging areas as they will load up with fish then empty again. There will be a lot of fish looking around the shallows that will be spooky so just be patient with them. The soft plastics will work on some if you get past them and then ease it back. Look for deeper fish on the ledges and deep drops close to the spawning areas. Keep the T/R, C/R and Stanley Football Jigs handy. Lizards and Crawfish are good baits to be using this time of year. I think of fish as being cooler this time of year and their colors are pale so I like to throw light colors that blend in. Some like watermelon seed, root beer and watermelon red but dont think I wont throw a wild color like cherry seed in the mix. Its red; and crawfish are red; and most of the trap fish are caught on red. E2 bait Company makes great baits and one of the ones I like in the winter and spring is the DoodleBug. It works great on everything from flipping them in the buck brush and grass to putting them on my C/R. Dont forget about using them for a Jig trailer.

Trophy Bass

I cant tell you the chances of catching a Trophy Bass from now till spring. The moon has a big part in this and most folks fish the hardest on the moon. Dont wait too long to get your trips booked as we have started to book for 2013.

Water Temp.62

 Normal pool 164.40

Water Clarity 2 feet

Lake level today 159.70

Big Sam is looking good, only 4.7 ft low going into fall.  

What are fishing report good for? What do I get out of a fishing report?

Water temperature and lake level is the first thing that I am looking for. That, and the time of year starts me thinking about a pattern and then more questions come to mind. Are the fish up chasing shad in the shallows and are there still some deep fish? Have any new fronts come though that may have changed the pattern? Is there grass in the pockets and is there any deep grass in 8 to 12 ft? What are the lily pads doing, are they looking good or are they dying? These are things that tournament anglers are looking for. If you havent been on the lake in some time the answers will help put something together to start. Let me remind you,  Bass Cant Read, and they sometimes dont follow the rules. If youre not catching fish its time to change something.

Technique

Thinking back on an earlier fishing trip, I had been catching some great fish on a white Stanley Spinner bait on a creek ledge and told my buddy about it. He went out the next day and fished the same place and couldnt catch them on the Stanley Spinner bait. Its funny because he DID catch them on a 4senko watermelon red with a little spike dry on the tail. The next day I eased back over there and wacked them on the white Stanley Spinner Bait again. I called him and he couldnt believe it. Then we got together and headed back to my favorite fishin hole. I watched him fish the spinner bait without getting a bite then he fished the senkos and started catching them. I picked up my Spinner bait and started catching them just like

I had on previous trips.
 What made the difference? It was the same Stanley Spinner bait but I was doing something different that made them chomp on it. Most folks chunk the bait and reel it in at the same speed, no variation, and thats it. There is so much more to catching fish than crank and wind. Feeling the response of the bait is at the top of the list, if you cant feel little things then youre going to miss lots of fish. This starts with your rod and American Rodsmiths has some great rods to close this gap with. The next thing is the line and everyone has their likes and dislikes on line. The main thing here is feel, and fluorocarbon has the lead, copolymer is next then mono. The difference in my Stanley Spinner Bait catching fish, and his getting skunked was all about feel. There was just a little hair grass on the bottom in about 6 ft of water before dropping off a ledge. The fish were holding in small openings in the grass. You couldnt see them but you could feel them with the blades on the bait as you slowed rolled it over the top. When I would lose the grass I would drop the blade into the hole and Wham! Thats depth control.Any bait that will sink to the bottom can be controlled by you and the weight of the bait. Spinner baits and most Lipless crank baits can be fished at any depth by counting it down then using a retrieval that keeps it at that depth. So what I am trying to say is you are in control of your bait so change it up if youre not catching fish.

Great Fall Fishing

One trip last week we got into some great fall fishing as we got into a group of fish that was stacked up on a ledge. We must have caught 40 bass in less than 2 hours on a lot of different baits. So dont miss out this time of year and get a few trips in before Xmas.  

Trophy Bass

I cant tell you the chance of catching a Trophy Bass from now till spring as they move up looking to Spawn early. The moon has a big part on this and most folks fish the hardest on the moon so dont wait too long to get your trips booked as we have started to book for 2013.

Gift Certificates

Dont forget we have Gift Certificates for Xmas so get Dad that gift for Christmas or that special day or for that love one.


The Senkos and wacky worms have been catching a lot of small fish along the grass lines with a few nice ones here and there. The Stanley Spinner bait and Lipless crankbait have been getting a lot of action this last week. We caught a lot of fish and covered a lot of water. The crankbait bite has been good on ledges and creek channels. The deep bite has been a little tough on us this week with the fish moving up to the shallows to fatten up for winter. But in all weve had some great days on the water and some of the best weather in ages.

This is where the New Lowrance 10 HDS Gen 2 and the New Structure Scan HD has come into play, picking up the structure and bait fish in the area. This is almost like having a camera to look for fish and structure. I am looking for small structure that holds one big fish not monster piles that hold a lot of small fish. We have a lot of boats buzz by the pontoon just to see where we are fishing. Lots of them get way to close and can endanger the people on the boat. Just a few years back we had a boat get to close to a small boat with 3 people in it. The boat capsized from the wake.


Crappie; The Crappie bite has still been pretty good with 40 crappie, average , per trip. The bite has been light and you have got to really get the feel of them. There have been a lot of hand size Bluegills hanging out over the brush piles. Youve got to work your bait past them to get to the Crappie. The folks that catch on and get the bait past the Bluegill have been catching lots of fish. The group that catches the most legal, keeper size, Crappie wins a free trip the next year. Dont wait too long to get your trip booked. The pontoon has plenty of room for everyone with shade and a Pot-O-Potty.

Big Sam is looking good, only 4 ft low going into fall.

The Hydrilla has made a good come back in the pockets. This makes for some great fall fishing as the bait moves in. Lots of the main points have small willow trees out in 3 to 5 ft of water. Senkos and wacky worm have been getting some nice fish along with the Yellow magic worked around the edges. The shallow bite has been producing lots of fish and will continue to improve as the water cools down even more. The Stanley Ribbits and Buzz Baits have been the best to find the active fish and cover a lot of water. The Stanley Spinner baits have also been picking up some nice fish on the points and ledges. The trap bite has been catching a few fish over the grass. The crankbaits have been getting a few fish on creeks channels and ledges in 8 to 22 ft. Colors change and shad and bluegill are two of the colors weve been using. The deep bite has been13 to 25 ft with the Carolina rig, Texas rig and Stanley Football Jig doing a good job. Theyve been the best baits out there and the bite has been super light. We still have a lot of big fish roaming out deep off humps and points and the bite has been up and down. If you time it right you catch a few fish; but its all about timing.

 This is where the New Lowrance 10 HDS Gen 2 and the New Structure Scan HD has come into play picking up the structure and bait fish in the areas. This is almost like having a camera to look for fish and structure. I am looking for small structure that holds one big fish not monster piles that hold a lot of small fish. We have a lot of boats buzz by the pontoon just to see where we are fishing. Lots of them get way to close and can endanger the people on the boat. Just a few years back we had a boat get to close to a small boat with 3 people in it. The boat capsized from the wake and the older gentleman drowned.

Sharelunker Program

Entries are accepted October 1 through April 30. The program is limited to largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more and they have to be caught here in Texas. The TPWD toll-free, 24-hour pager is 1-888-784-0600 or (903) 681-0550. Check the website for all the benefits of donating your lunker to the program. . All of this is to improve the quality of the fish thru superior genetics from the Sharelunker bass that are donated. The plan is that Texas will produce the next world record largemouth bass

Crappie; The Crappie bite has still been pretty good with 40 to 70 crappie, average , per trip. The bite has been light and you have got to really get the feel of them. There have been a lot of hand size Bluegills hanging out over the brush piles. Youve got to work your bait past them to get to the Crappie. The folks that catch on and get the bait past the Bluegill have been catching lots of fish. The group that catches the most legal, keeper size, Crappie wins a free trip the next year. Dont wait too long to get your trip booked. The pontoon has plenty of room for everyone with shade and a Pot-O-Potty.

Water lightly stained; 69–73 degrees; 4.01' low. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms, crankbaits, and topwaters off points. White bass are fair on silver slabs and pet spoons. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Bream are fair on worms. Catfish are fair on stinkbait and liver.

 Big Sam is looking good, only 4 ft low going into fall.

The Hydrilla has made a good come back in the pockets. This makes for some great fall fishing as the bait moves in. Lots of the main points have small willow trees out in 3 to 5 ft of water. Senkos and wacky worm have been getting some nice fish along with the Yellow magic worked around the edges. The shallow bite has been producing lots of fish and will continue to improve as the water cools down even more. The Stanley Ribbits and Buzz Baits have been the best to find the active fish and cover a lot of water. The Stanley Spinner baits have also been picking up some nice fish on the points and ledges. The trap bite has been catching a few fish over the grass. The crankbaits have been getting a few fish on creeks channels and ledges in 8 to 22 ft. Colors change and shad and bluegill are two of the colors weve been using. The deep bite has been13 to 25 ft with the Carolina rig, Texas rig and Stanley Football Jig doing a good job. Theyve been the best baits out there and the bite has been super light. We still have a lot of big fish roaming out deep off humps and points and the bite has been up and down. If you time it right you catch a few fish; but its all about timing.

 This is where the New Lowrance 10 HDS Gen 2 and the New Structure Scan HD has come into play picking up the structure and bait fish in the areas. This is almost like having a camera to look for fish and structure. I am looking for small structure that holds one big fish not monster piles that hold a lot of small fish. We have a lot of boats buzz by the pontoon just to see where we are fishing. Lots of them get way to close and can endanger the people on the boat. Just a few years back we had a boat get to close to a small boat with 3 people in it. The boat capsized from the wake and the older gentleman drowned.

The lake is 4.04 ft low and is in great shape for the fall fishing.


The Hydrilla has been making a comeback in the pockets and things are starting to look up for some great fall fishing. We found some Hydrilla matted in 12ft of water. There is some that is spread out so that you cant reach the bank. The last two cold fronts pushed through and we had some fish start to move up into the Hydrilla. Some of this Hydrilla is getting pretty thick. It is getting right for the Stanley Ribbit Frog so get some tough line on to pull them out. There will be a lot of fish working up shallow around the pads and grass, hiding in it all day. Covering a lot of water can be a good way to find some active fish. Dont think there isnt a big girl hanging around just waiting on the right time to explode on your bait. Use crank baits and Stanley spinner baits around creek channels and ledges. They will hold more fish as they start to bunch up in small places. With the fronts starting to blow though, each day will be different so get ready for some Awesome fall fishing on top water baits. The deeper fish will start to get better as they gang up a little and hang around longer. Carolina and Texas rig big worms and creature baits; off points and creek channels leading in to the pockets; should snag a few fish. There will be some schoolies chasing shad so be ready as they bust the surface for some quick action. We had reports of a few 6 to7 pound fish being caught this week so things are looking up for sure.

Sam Rayburn is at 161.04 ft and is still falling as they generate more electricity for the hot summer days we are having. They are also bringing the water level down in case we get any big storms or heavy rains this fall. This is not unusual for this time of year. 

Normally the lake is about 6 ft low by now. Lucky for us the lake is still in good shape with the water we have. We all need to keep an eye on the Amber and Black Forest. As the lake continues to drop, more and more stumps are showing up. Many of them are in places we have not noticed before. Lots of folks run right thru the middle of the Forests out there and manage to make it. It only takes one stump to put an end to your day on the lake and create an expensive repair bill. All that, and the chance someone might get hurt.

Shad are starting to bunch up and that says fall is just around the corner. Yes its been tough this year with the lake coming up 13 ft. Covering lots of water to find some active fish has been the best way to pick up a few. The pads have been giving up a few fish from time to time on wacky worm and senkos. The Stanley Ribbit will get some action around the pads and the Hydrilla thats been growing in a few places with them. Some of the pockets are showing some Hydrilla and fish will be moving into it as the shad move in. There are a few fish schooling here and there so have bait tied on and have some fun. There are a lot of fish that are still scattered out in deep water and just roaming around near long points feeding. Its really been tough to get a pattern figured out. We have been catching fish from 12 ft out to 28 ft on Carolina Rigs, Stanley Football Jigs and a few spoons. We have been hitting points, ledges and humps trying to get a bite. Hopefully with fall just around the corner things will start to turn around and get back on track. We did get out Saturday for a little fishing and picked up one good fish and she was sitting just where she was suppose to be. Hopefully this is a sign.

Crappie; The Crappie fishing has been fair this year and we are still catching so nice slabs. It takes a steady hand to feel the bite. The anglers that do feel the bite have been catching the most fish. The bite has been very light and that makes it hard on the newer crappie fishermen. Everyone has loved the pontoon with the shade, changing room and the port-o-potty. We even carry a fan for the real scorching days. It makes the trip a lot nicer for everyone. Its one way to get the kids out of the house and have some fun. We can handle up to 8 anglers. 

Water lightly stained; 86–90 degrees; 2.23' low. Black bass are good on chartreuse crankbaits and soft plastic worms. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles. Bream are good on nightcrawlers. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.  

August is always a great time to fish on Big Sam, the lake level is 163.20 the second day of August. This has the lake about foot low, with little to rain in sight for the next month it should keeping falling. With the water falling this will really help out the bass fishing. The best way to start off in the morning is to pick up your PG-143 or PG-144 with Yellow Magic, Strike King  “Spittin-King”, spook and Cyclone buzz bait. These fish have been showing up on the edge of the hay and pepper grass, with the water being only foot low this has hay and pepper grass in 3 to 6 ft of water. Once the sun comes up over the pines tress then it time to pick up your PG-144 or PG-104 with a TX rigged V & M Ringer worm, the best color has been green pumpkin red, plum and red-bug. These fish be coming from 6 to 12 ft of water. Then pick up your PGC-70 cranking stick and tie on Strike King 5XD or  Norman DD14 or DD22. Best color in these crankbaits has been any shad color pattern, these fish been coming from 10 to 15 ft of water on main lake points. There has been some bass schooling but from the middle of August until September  is a great time of good school bass here on Big Sam. For the school bass when the fish are on top feeding I like to stay with shad color top water, but when the bass go down that’s when it’s a good time to pick back up your cranking stick with  shad color Strike King series 4 or 5.
Always remember when your fishing Big Sam to stop by Needmore Tackle store on HWY 255 down from the dam for all your Big Sam fish baits and up to date reports from the lake!!! 

Water lightly stained; 86–91 degrees; 1.40' low. Black bass are fair on watermelon spinnerbaits and crankbaits. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse jigs over brush piles. Bream are fair on crickets and nightcrawlers. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait.

The Sam Rayburn water level; at 163.01; has been holding its own with the rainfall we have had. We are looking for it to start dropping if the rain does not continue. The water is clear for the most part and everything looks great.

Fishing has been more than just different this year. The lake has still not settled down after going from 13.5 feet low to pool in just a few short months. There is some Hydrilla, pepper grass and pads to work around for the shallow bite. A few baits for this cover, the Stanley Ribbit Frog, Pop-Rs, Strike Pro Hunchback and the spook jr. Try different retrievals with these baits as the bass may want something that is burning up the water or something kinda sitting there. The shallow top water bite has been slow with a few small fish and one nice fish now and then. They are in small bunches here and there but once you find them you can have a heck of a lot of fun. As always working down the bank Senkos and wacky worms will pick up a few fish. Weve been finding a few fish in the drains and pockets using Stanley Spinner baits and crank baits. Covering a lot of water is the key here to finding some active fish. The Hydrilla is very spotty and holding a few fish. There have been some fish out on the creek channels and long points and weve been working a Stanley football jig and Carolina rig on them. That works because we have been picking up some nice fish in the 4 to 6 pound range. On the deep bite, 25 to 35 ft range we have been marking some bigger fish with the New Lowrance Structure Scan HD unit. Getting these fish to bite has been tough but now and then you get one. Some can be 7 to 8 lbs and we lost a few that got wrapped in the structure and we couldnt get um out.

Crappie; The Crappie fishing has been fair with some nice fish coming in. The bridge has been on and off but there has been some good fish working the piles the last few weeks. The bite has been very light and hard to feel. Lots of folks work hard to feel the bite but when they do get keyed in they start to pick up some fish. We have had several large groups out with the kids having a blast catching everything from Crappie to Bream. The new pontoon has plenty of shade and when things get really hot we have a fan to cool you off. There is room for everyone so get your group booked for a crappie trip. Remember the kids are out of school so make plans to get them out for fishin n fun. If you need to get away from things this is THE place to do it. Kick back and enjoy a day on the water.

One thing about brush piles; never put an anchor down in them. All youre doing is wrecking all the hard work that went into building it. We see it all the time; a good looking bass boat with the trolling motor sitting on the deck and an anchor dumped into the brush pile. Remember the guides out there are not fishing for fun. Respect that, give them some room, let them fish the brush piles they made for their clients and make a living. There is a lot brush out there to fish without hurting their business. All youve got do is have a little respect for other anglers.

Catfish have been hanging out around creek channel bends and drops. Make a little catfish chum, find a place to tie up, a stump in about 12 to 16 ft of water then chunk in some chum. Since youre already tied up, wait on the catfish to show up. If you can bait a few days ahead of a fishing trip its even better. One thing you want is a clean lake bottom so you dont get hung-up all the time. Catfish do not need structure so dont go find a brush pile and chum it. All youre doing is looking to get hung-up all day and ruining a brush pile for crappie.

Water Temp.83

Normal pool 164.40

Water Clarity 2 feet

Big Sam is looking good, 1 ft low going into the summer months. We have been getting rain showers this week bringing the lake up just a little.

The Hydria is spotty and hard to find but has been coming back slowly and will be holding some fish. On the other hand the milfoil and pepper grass have been coming on strong with some out in 8 to 12 ft of water.

The shallow bite has been slow with a few fish moving on points around the pads early and late. Stanley Ribbits and Buzz Baits have been the best to find the active fish and cover a lot of water. The Stanley Spinner baits have also been picking up some nice fish on the points and ledges. The crankbaits have been getting a few fish on creeks channels and ledges in 6 to 13 ft. Colors change and shad and bluegill are two of the colors weve been using. The deep bite has been13 to 27 ft with the Carolina rig, Texas rig and Stanley Football Jig. Theyve been the best baits out there and the bite has been super light. Now hold on to your seat, we caught a few fish on spoons in 30 to 35 ft off deep ledges and river channels.

This is where the New Lowrance 10 HDS Gen 2 and the New Structure Scan HD has been coming into play picking up the structure and bait fish in the areas. This is almost like having a camera to look for fish and structure. I am looking for small structure that holds one big fish not monster piles that hold a lot of small fish.

Crappie; The Crappie have started to set up on some of the brush piles. The bite has been light and you have got to really get the feel of them. There have been a lot of hand size Bluegills hanging out over the brush piles. Youve got to work your bait past them to get to the Crappie. The folks that catch on and get the bait past the Bluegill have been catching lots of fish. The group that catches the most legal, keeper size, Crappie wins a free trip the next year. Dont wait too long to get your trip booked. The new pontoon has plenty of room for everyone with shade and a Pot-O-Potty.

Summer Fun

Bluegill ; Bluegill and Kids go hand in hand. You and your kids can have a lot fun catching them right now. If youre looking for something to do with the kids this summer get them out on the lake, have some fun and make memories that last a lifetime.

Water lightly stained; 78–83 degrees; 0.88' low. Black bass are good on watermelon red soft plastic worms, crankbaits, and Rat–L–Traps. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs over brush piles. Bream are fair on nightcrawlers. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait and shrimp.

Big Sam is almost back to Full Pool at 164.24. Boy, we are glad to have the water. It feels funny to be running and see the tops of bean brushes go by.

The lake is really looking good but things are a lot different from last year. The lake is fishing a lot different. Everyones still trying to fish like its been normal for years but it hasnt. There have been a lot of small bass caught but where are the Big Girls? They are still there but youve got to adjust for all the new water. The Hydrilla the bass love to hide in is missing from the lake. Big Sam is a grass lake and everyone looks for the grass. Without it how are the fish going to behave. Structure is important and it can be different things, Hydrilla, lily pads, coon tail, pepper grass, ledges, humps and stumps. What are fish feeding on Shad, Bluegills or Crawfish? Its always been said, Find the bait you find some fish. Are fish chasing bait or not? Everyone fishs different, some like to fish slowly and some like to fish fast. Frogs, Buzzbaits, Spinner baits and Crankbaits are fast mowing baits and cover lots of water. If youre catching fish thats great, if not, its time to change locations or baits. Sometimes I am hard headed and dont like to slow down. If thats what it takes to get the big fish then thats what youve got to do. Last week I got to fish with a good friend, Art, from California. Art is a good fisherman and fishs a lot in Clear Lake Ca. and has a lot of patiences when it comes to fishing. Our first spot just didnt give up any fish, on the second we got a couple of small fish up shallow. As we eased out we tried something a little different and wham! One over 5 lbs came to the boat. OK! I got lucky and just happened to drop it in her mouth. Checking the depth and what she was using for cover, on to our third spot with the same cover and depth. We began our search for another good fish. Within just a short time we had another one that topped 5.5 lbs. After a few minutes I had a small tap and missed it, Art got in there and caught her. 6.5 lb. I was ahead but he got the big fish. We didnt catch a lot of fish running this pattern but we did catch three quality fish that anyone would want at weigh in. When youre fishing for weight you need five good fish not 50 small ones. With 4 hrs gone, knowing that was a solid pattern for big fish we decided to change our pace, head out, and work on some fun fish. Those scrappy lil whites are a blast.

Big Sam has been a little slow getting the top water bite started with the weather changes and all. I cant remember having a north wind in May that hung around for days. We have been catching a few on Stanley Ribbits around the pencil grass and pads. Dont forget spinner baits on the edges and points early and late in the day. Crankbaits and Stanley spinner baits can be very productive off points and ledges when looking for active fish. These fish will start to set up in their summer pattern so the Carolina, Texas rig and the football jig will start to pickup fish on the deeper edges and drops. There are a lot of good fish out there but youve got to change you game plan if youre not catching em. We all have our good days and bad days but you cant have either if you dont get out there.

Crappie; The Crappie settled down and things are starting to look up. Our last group caught the most crappie last year and won a free trip. These guys can fish and they filled a cooler. This is something we started last year. The group that catches the most legal, keeper size, Crappie wins a free trip the next year. Dont wait too long to get your trip booked. The new pontoon has plenty of room for everyone with lots of shade and a Pot-O-Potty.