Stillhouse Fishing Report

Jun 25, 2025

GOOD. Water stained; 84 degrees; 1.49 feet below pool. Water level rose another 0.30 feet since last week. The water is warming rapidly and the fish are suspending more and more each day. The two drivers for this stratification of the water by temperature which will eventually lead to the creation of the thermocline by mid-June, and the increasing presence of young-of-the-year shad making their way into open water. When fish are suspended, utilize 2-D sonar, traditional sonar or colored sonar, as the three-dimensional cone it makes use of extends the echo signature of the fish into long arches which are larger and much more easily seen on a screen then the shorter "rice grain" signatures seen on side-imaging and down-imaging. The MAL Heavy with silver blade and chartreuse tail is my goto when the fish are aggressive, and downrigging with Pet Spoons is my backup plan when the fish are not aggressive. The MAL shows up remarkably well on forward-facing sonar and 2-D sonar. Drop it either to the bottom if fish are on bottom, or below the level of suspended fish, and crank it up at a steady cadence at least two cranks above the fish showing highest in the water column. If a chase occurs, keep cranking at that same steady cadence until the fish either catches it, or turns away. When a strike occurs, keep right on cranking without a hard hookset. On the downriggers, run balls just 1-2 feet above the shallowest fish showing on 2-D sonar. Mornings are best, from 7:20-10:15 a.m. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Bass are schooling up in the mornings in the trees behind the island and some off church hump. Throwing small or tiny swimbaits, walking style topwaters and crankbaits are catching some good numbers. Dragging Texas-rigged soft plastics are catching some in the trees in 10-30 feet of water as well. Layer in the day, dragging a Carolina rig will get some bites also. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

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