Through my quarter century as an outdoors writer covering hunting and fishing in Texas, I have learned when and where to go for some fun fishing. Hopefully my list of favorite fishing destinations will help you plan your summer vacation or possibly a weekend getaway. I’ve fished on all the waters mentioned in this column and with the guides; they are all very experienced and ready to show you a good time on the water. Feel free to contact any of these folks for fishing updates or more information.
WHITE BASS, HYBRID STRIPERS AND CATFISH - Texas has many lakes that provide fast-paced action for white bass, stripers, hybrid stripers and catfish. Guide Cory Vinson with Guaranteed Guide Service at Richland Chambers offers lodging in his affordable cabins and guided trips for those that choose not to fish from their own boats. The top water bite has been strong for the fin fish and catfishing is very good off the fishing pier. Just last week a buddy and I landed 12 blue catfish from the dock in just over an hour’s fishing. The fish weighed between 2 and 8 pounds and went for fresh shad fished near bottom.
LAKE TEXOMA striper fishing is going strong at Lake Texoma. Guide Larry Sparks with Sparkys Guide Service offers striper trips on the lake and combo striper/catfish trips on the rivers above the lake.
“We run a 30-foot lake boat that can easily accommodate 10 anglers," say Sparks. "We depend mostly on live shad for bait and baits are dropped straight down, making hooking and landing stripers easy for multiple anglers. We employ our airboats on the river trips and target log jams with live shad to catch the catfish and stripers."
LAKE WHITNEY STRIPERS - Guide Randy Routh with Team Redneck Guide Service reports the top water bite for stripers has been good during early morning when stripers move into shallow water to feed on shad.
“When the top water action slows, we have continued to catch stripers from the shallow flats on live shad," remarks Routh. 'We’re rigging the shad on live bait rigs using light weights and casting them into water 2-4 feet deep."
GALVESTON SHARK FISHING - Galveston is our closest coastal destination and the place many of us go to vacation. The area provides excellent fishing for redfish and trout in the bays but shark fishing is excellent just off the beachfront. Sharks bite best during the warm weather months, usually beginning in June and running through September.
“Sharks moved into the close-in waters 1-3 miles out from the beachfront a couple weeks ago and fishing has been very good. We’ve already boated bull sharks up to 400 pounds and lots of smaller sharks are working the close in waters within 3 miles of the Galveston beachfront,” says Williams.
I’ve enjoyed many exciting trips with Williams through the years and highly recommend shark fishing for those that wish to catch big, powerful fish. The trips are easy and the boat run from the Galveston Yacht Basin takes about 30 minutes. Fishing is usually best around the shrimp boat fleet. When the shrimpers are culling their catch, sharks and kingfish often congregate in large numbers. Big pieces of cut shad or mullet make the best baits and balloons are often used to drift the big baits away from the boat. Not all sharks landed tip the scales in triple digits, good eating black tips weighing between 15-30 pounds are usually plentiful. Williams reports the motel rates at Galveston have been greatly discounted to attract vacationers to the area.
BREAM AT CADDO - For many years, I’ve enjoyed catching bream at Lake Caddo. My longtime friends Billy and Dottie Carter own several reasonably priced completely furnished lake homes and Billy manages Johnson’s Ranch Marina, the oldest inland marina in the state. Bream are ‘on the beds’ right now, in the midst of their annual spawn. This is a great trip for young anglers because the action is often fast paced. Baits and tackle are pretty basic. Red Wigglers or bits of nightcrawler rigged under a light float will keep you in the action and any easy to cast spinning rig or spin caster will suffice.
Bream at Caddo spawn in the shallow water and little openings in the huge fields of lily pads are prime areas to target. Billy offers guided trips from his barge or rental boats are available at Johnson’s Ranch. Lake houses are well suited for family groups but for small groups, but the fishing cabins at Johnson’s Ranch also provide clean,
GOOD NEWS AFTER THE WILDFIRES - Much of the rangeland that was ravaged by wildfires a couple weeks ago are already greening up thanks to the recent rainfall. Wildfires move quickly and burn only a couple inches through the topsoil. Seeds below the surface respond quickly to moisture and Mother Nature replenishes herself.
As destructive as uncontrolled fire can be to man and our structures, etc., controlled burning is really good for the land. Native Indians knew that burning the range made the grass grow and attract the buffalo that they depended so heavily upon. A fellow outdoors writer friend of mine that lives near Possum Kingdom Lake says he’s seen hen turkeys renesting after the burn and has sighted whitetail doe with new fawns. What appeared to be a scorched Moonscape just two weeks ago is now alive and growing again.