Pineywoods Region Week of June 26, 2024

B.A. Steinhagen

FAIR. Water stain; 75 degrees; 1.00 feet below pool. Bass are good on soft plastics in the cuts, or with frogs over grass. Crappie are good with jigs in flooded timber. Catfish are fair.

Bob Sandlin

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 89 degrees; 0.10 feet above pool. Channel catfish are excellent in 15-20 feet of water on standing timber and brush piles with stink bait. Blue catfish are good shallow rocky areas with fresh cut bait. Crappie are good on brush piles and standing timber in 25-30 feet of water with jigs or minnows. White bass are biting small white grubs or spinnerbaits gravitating near structure. Largemouth bass are good on chatterbaits and creature baits. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Black bass should be receptive to topwater frogs in shad or bream patterns, and clouser type baits around grass and retaining walls. Bream are slow with water clarity and high water is not good. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Bass are fair with fish in transitioning to deeper water summer patterns. Target points with deep running crankbaits and perseverance in 15-20 feet of water. Night fishing around the lights is starting to pick up. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Bois d'Arc

stained; 85 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. Bass are good on early morning topwaters like frogs and choppos on grassy points. Wacky rigs are very good in shallow water early. June bug and Mardi Gras colors best. Texas rigs are best in 3-6 feet around green bushes and the outside grass line and some small brush piles out to 8-10 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service.

Caddo

FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.25 feet above pool. The bass bite is starting to heat up now that the water level has fallen to just above normal levels for this time of year and the clarity is improving. Some morning topwater action with frogs, buzz baits or choppos and as always a chatterbait, fluke or senko around the trees are still a pattern to keep on your deck. The shaky head, dropshot or light Texas rig in the current and river spots should start really heating up when the current slows down some from what Pines is sending our way. This has been a tough year for consistency with the bite because of all the flooding but maybe we are done with all that and we can now just fish and enjoy this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Conroe

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.41 feet above pool. Largemouth bass offshore bite has been slow when there is no wind, but there are many of dock fish to be caught. Report by Roy Crush IV Fishing. Catfish are still spawning hanging tight to structures like rocks and tires on ledges. When you find them, you find a bunch. Stink bait, liver, catfish Bubblegum work well. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrids are schooling in 19-26 feet biting live bait, jigging with a spoon, or trolling with a deep diver with a pet spoon as a trailer. Crappie are in or around structure 12-21 feet using minnows or jigs. Always wear your life jacket & stay hydrated in this heat. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.

Fork

GOOD. Water Stained; 76 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Bass fishing has slowed down some as the Texas heat settles in. Morning bite is good on chatterbaits and topwaters around main lake points in 2-5 feet. It can be a plus when wind is present. Carolina rigs and Texas rigs are good in 12-20 feet near drop-offs. Deep crankbaits are very good in 18-22 feet of water over offshore underwater high spots like humps and points. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Black bass are chasing topwater patterns early in the day and later in the day when it is dark. Check out the brush piles as big bass are using them to feed on crappie. Bream are excellent in the shallows on wooly buggers and small poppers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing continues to be excellent going into the dog days of summer. Fish are in all the places they should be for this time of year. Look for crappie holding on brush piles, summer time trees, lay downs, bridges and docks. You can find fish in 14-30 feet right now but it seems like those fish will be above 14-16 feet as that is where the thermocline is showing up. One of the biggest keys to loading the boat with crappie has been finding the fish that haven’t been pressured as much. We are still having a lot of success with very small hand tied jigs in 1/16 ounce. Cut the tails down shorter to get those finicky bites to hook up. Minnows are producing bites but it seems the hook up ratio is much lower and we end up losing a lot of minnows to those finicky fish. Soft plastics will work on the more aggressive crappie too. Staying off huge groups of fish, pitching and swimming jigs will also help to keep those fish put a little longer. If you get the boat right over fish with the really bright sunny skies they will move off most times and relocate. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Houston County

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.06 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are hitting square bill crankbaits or shaky heads on docks, and swim jigs in shallow water around vegetation. Crappie are on minnows around standing timber and offshore brush in 8-14 feet. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Lake O' the Pines

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 4.37 feet above pool. Channel catfish are good in 10-15 feet of water in the bridge shade. Crappie are good in 16-25 feet in standing timber with minnows on a cork. Several catches of white bass while targeting crappie. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Shad spawn has come to an end. Bass are good in the bushes along the banks pitching Texas rigged worms and jigs, or wacky rigs. Bass are good on brush piles on points on the south end of the lake in 18-20 feet of water with deep running crankbaits, jigs, wacky worms and Texas rigs. The north end of the lake is producing catches on the grass and bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Livingston

SLOW. Stained; 75 degrees; 0.04 feet above pool. White bass are great in 8-15 feet of water. Find clear water and good structure and you will find the white bass. Ducktracker slabs are the lures of choice. Catfish are good drifting flats with cut shad in 10-20 feet. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.

Martin Creek

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 91 degrees; 0.18 feet below pool. Bass are good fishing down the dam with crankbaits and shaky head rigged worms in either redbug or watermelon red. Using Texas rigged weightless senkos over the hydrilla is working too, or punching the grass mats with 1 ounce weight Texas rigged creature baits. Crappie have grouped together in deep brush and at railroad trestle on minnows. Catfish are good using live bait on jug lines, and drifting along the dam with nightcrawlers on rod-and-reel. Place 3/4 ounce weight on the end of line and hook about 16 inches above. Report by Hambone Guide Service.

Nacogdoches

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.41 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are excellent on chartreuse deep diving crankbaits, or Carolina rigs in 15-20 feet of water. Crappie are excellent on brush piles with live minnows or chartreuse colored crappie jigs. Catfish are slow on cut bait and live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Naconiche

FAIR. Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.50 feet above full pool. We have dried out and the heat is on with water temperature rising sharply. This should set up for the fish to be in full summer mode going forward. Keep an eye on the thermocline, as this tells you the exact depth to present your offering. Even over deep water, do not go below this line. The days of Mag-worm fishing are probably here for the next several months. Carolina or Texas rig will be the norm in 6-10 feet. If you catch them schooling, chunk an underspin at them. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on dropshot and large swimbaits. Crappie are slow on live minnows. Catfish are slow on live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Pinkston

FAIR. normal stain; 92 degrees. Largemouth bass are good with large glide baits and 3 inch shad colored swimbaits. Crappie are slow on live minnows on standing timber and brush piles. Catfish are slow on live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service. Largemouth are heavily schooling. Thermocline up to 10 feet of water. Can catch fish using a jighead minnow, chatterbait, spook or a topwater frog. Report by Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.

Raven

SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees. Catfish are good on worms Carolina rigged off of the bottom. Bass are biting good on worms and topwater lures in the early morning hours. Worms and crankbaits are successful in the cooler evening hours. Crappie are good on grubs and crappie bites fished near the bottom at prairie branch pier. Bluegill are excellent off worms and hotdogs at the boathouse dock.

Sam Rayburn

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 7.68 feet above pool. Water level is slowly dropping, but fishing conditions and patterns are holding steady. Summer bite is just around the corner when we will see the bass draw to deeper water points and white bass schooling. Bass are good on topwaters, or flipping soft plastics into submerged brush and points, or deeper humps and points with Carolina rigs. Crappie are in 12-16 feet of water, 20-30 feet on timber and brush. Catfish are in 22 feet of water in the creek channels. White bass are in 26 feet of water off of points on jigging spoons. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Water temperatures are rapidly rising to the mid 90s. Thermocline is 15-25 feet of water depending on where you are in the lake. Morning until 10 a.m or after 3 p.m. Largemouth bass are good on submerged main lake points and ledges in 16-24 feet of water with crankbaits, jig head minnow or Carolina rig. Report by Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.

Toledo Bend

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 91 degrees; 0.39 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady as Texas heat raises the water temperature. Bass are good shallow to deep all over the lake however you like to fish. The best baits for shallow water are frogs, pop r’s, buzz baits and senko. The mid range fish are good on Texas rig and mid running crankbait in 8-12 feet range. The deep fish are coming on big crankbaits, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. With the full moon coming, the night fishing will be back on fire with buzz baits and spinnerbaits around the shallow water. Watch for snakes in the flooded bushes at night. Crappie are fair while there continues to be a current from the influx of freshwater coming down the lake. Fish deep docks and lighted docks at night and shallow brush piles with jigs and live bait. Thanks Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.

Tyler

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.00 feet full pool. Crappie are good with many undersized catches using minnows and jigs on brush in 16 feet of water. Catfish are good in the shallows on shrimp, nightcrawlers and liver. Bream are good on red worms off the barge and throughout the lake. Bass are good on crankbaits, plastic worms and topwater frogs.

Welsh

FAIR. Water stained. 92 degrees. Fishing patterns are consistent. Channel catfish are in 20 feet of water on the inlet side of the power plant in the cooler water with fresh cut bait and stink bait. Bass are good punching through grass with a creature bait. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service.

Wright Patman

GOOD. Water stained; 74 degrees; 10.49 feet above pool. The lake level is high and water is being released. Be sure to check ramp status before heading out.

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