Freshwater Fishing Report

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 70 degrees; 1.46’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, spinner baits and plastic worms fishing rocks, flooded timber and banks. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on live bait, cut bait and stink bait.

AMISTAD: Water lightly stained; 77-78 degrees; 49.52’ low. Largemouth bass are good on creature baits, worm rigs and crankbaits. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait.

ARLINGTON: Water stained; 72 degrees; 1.67’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, spinner baits and plastic worms. Crappie are fair near boat docks and brush on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken livers.

ATHENS: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.72’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, frogs and brush hogs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near timber and boat docks. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken livers.

AUSTIN: Water clear; 76 degrees; 0.39’ low. Largemouth bass are good on skirted jigs, spinner baits, drop shots and crankbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait and live bait.

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 76 degrees; 0.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good fishing vegetation on poppers and rigged soft plastics. Crappie are good under lily pads on jigs. Catfish are good on cut and prepared baits.

BASTROP: Water clear; 77 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on craws, spinner baits and buzz baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on chicken livers and cut bait.

BELTON: Water stained; 75 degrees; 5.55’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits, wacky worms, flipping jigs and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid stripers are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on chicken livers, punch bait and cut bait.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 70 degrees; 11.98’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on slabs on main lake points, ridges and humps. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 74 degrees; 0.75’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, craws, frogs, and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers, cut bait and punch bait.

BRAUNIG: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, topwaters, Carolina-rigged plastic worms and weedless jigs. Red drum are good on crawfish and tilapia. Striped bass are slow. Catfish are good on live bait and cheese bait.

BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 1.33’ high. Largemouth bass are good on black or plum Texas-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits and swim jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on spoons, swimbaits and live bait. Catfish are good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 3.38’ low. Largemouth bass are excellent on chatterbaits, top-waters and brush hogs. Striped bass are good on live bait and swimbaits. White bass are excellent on slabs, crankbaits and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Channel catfish are good on punch bait. Blue cats are excellent on cut bait.

CADDO: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 2.89’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, frogs, jigs, and Texasrigged plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on chicken livers and prepared baits.

CALAVERAS: Water stained; 75-76 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged plastic worms, spinner baits and crankbaits. Red drum are good on crawfish and tilapia. Hybrid striped bass are slow. Catfish are good on chicken livers and cut shad.

LAKE: Water lightly stained; 74-77 degrees; 4.10’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, frogs and jerk baits. Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are excellent on jigging spoons, swimbaits and slabs. Catfish are excellent on chicken livers, prepared baits and cut bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 0.04’ high. Largemouth bass are good on skirted jigs, flukes and crankbaits. Hybrids and white bass are excellent on live bait, swimbaits, slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and chicken livers.

CHOKE CANYON: Water lightly stained; 76-77 degrees; 18.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water poppers, Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on dough balls, live bait and cheese bait.

CONROE: Water stained; 76 degrees; 0.19’ high. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striped bass are good on live bait. Catfish are good on stink bait, cut bait and small minnows.

COOPER: Water lightly stained; 71 degrees; 1.55’ high. Largemouth bass are good on shad crankbaits, red or purple Carolina-rigged worms and skirted jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on live bait, slabs, spoons and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.

CORPUS CHRISTI LAKE: Water lightly stained; 79 degrees; 5.56’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on jigs and worms. White bass are fair on spoons. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 0.96’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, top-waters and spinner baits. White bass are good on swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers and cut bait.

FALCON: Water lightly stained; 79 degrees; 41.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on square-billed crankbait and thick worms. Catfish are good on live and prepared baits.

FAYETTE: Water clear; 77 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on chatterbaits, crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on earthworms and cut bait.

FORK: Water lightly stained; 72-76 degrees; 0.84’ high. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms, buzz baits and skirted jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near brush piles. Catfish are fair on chicken livers and live bait.

GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 0.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms, crankbaits, swimbaits and skirted jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers, cut bait and punch bait.

GRANGER: Water stained; 77 degrees; 2.23’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms and skirted jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on swimbaits, jigging spoons and chartreuse slabs. Catfish are good on chicken livers, punch bait and cut bait.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 75 degrees; 8.99’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, chatterbaits, swimbaits and frogs. White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on chicken livers, punch bait and earthworms.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water lightly stained; 77 degrees; 0.39’ high. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms, crankbaits and spinner baits. Channel catfish are good on cut bait, hot dogs and live worms.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 71 degrees; 0.51’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms, spinner baits and jigs. White bass are good on small crankbaits and Alabama rigs. Catfish are fair on live and cut shad.

JOE POOL: Water stained; 75 degrees; 6.47’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, buzz baits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on chicken livers, punch bait and cut bait.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 7.36’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastic worms, skirted jigs, top-waters and swimbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on earthworms, chicken livers and punch bait.

LAVON: Water stained; 74 degrees; 6.45’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jerk baits, topwaters, frogs and skirted jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait, nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

LBJ: Water clear; 78 degrees; 0.89’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water plugs, frogs, skirted jigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good near main channels on swimbaits, jigging spoons and slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 5.18’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, frogs and crankbaits. White bass are good on swimbaits and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers, cut bait and nightcrawlers.

LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.62’ high. Largemouth bass are good mostly north on spinner baits. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on live bait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water slightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.04’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, spinner baits, buzz baits and skirted jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers and punch bait.

MEDINA: Water lightly stained; 77 degrees; 37.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms, jigs and crankbaits. White bass are fair on spoons. Striped bass are slow. Catfish are fair on live bait, chicken livers and blood bait.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 67 degrees; 1.29’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms, crankbaits and jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on live, blood and liver prepared baits.

NACONICHE: Water slightly stained; 75 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged worms, buzzbaits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on jigs. Catfish are good on dough balls, cut and live bait.

NASWORTHY: Water murky; 69 degrees; 1.12’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on live and prepared baits.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 73 degrees; 4.50’ high. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, swimbaits, spinner baits and shad crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs, swimbaits and jigging spoons. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken livers.

O.H. IVIE: Water clear; 70 degrees; 13.44’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, plastic worms and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are good on stink bait, live and cut bait.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 4.38’ low. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms and jigs. Crappie are good on live bait. Catfish are fair on trotlines, nightcrawlers, live bait and cut bait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 1.13’ high. Largemouth bass are good on shad crankbaits, frogs, lizards and top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons. Catfish are good on chicken livers, earthworms and cut bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water slightly stained; 69 degrees; 0.33’ low. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms, jigs and small crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are fair on Alabama rigs. Striped bass are slow. Catfish are good on cut bait, live sunfish and stink bait.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 74 degrees; 8.66’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid stripers are fair on live bait. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on chicken livers, cut bait and earthworms.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 74 degrees; 0.40’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, top-waters and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and chicken livers.

RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 3.25’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms, crankbaits and flipping jigs. White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on worms, chicken livers and cut bait.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 0.91’ high. Largemouth bass are good on double-bladed spinner baits, tubes and shad crankbaits. White bass and hybrids are excellent on live bait, slabs and spoons. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait, punch bait and nightcrawlers.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 75 degrees; 10.64’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters. Crappie are excellent on jigs. Catfish are good on live and stink bait.

VILLE: Water stained; 76 degrees; 4.25’ high. Largemouth bass are slow.White bass and hybrids are fair on swimbaits and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on chicken livers, punch bait and cut bait.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 72-75 degrees; 2.17’ high. Largemouth bass are good on chatterbaits, frogs and jerk baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Channel catfish are good on chicken livers and cut bait.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 1.66’ high. Largemouth bass are good on skirted jigs, flukes and spinner baits. White bass and hybrid stripers are excellent on swimbaits, slabs and live bait. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are excellent on fresh-cut bait and live bait. Channel catfish are excellent on chicken livers and punch bait.

TEXANA: Water stained; 76 degrees; 0.05’ low. Largemouth bass are good on tubes, jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait, cut bait and trotlines with live bait.

TEXOMA: Water lightly stained; 73-76 degrees; 3.62’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on skirted jigs, crankbaits and topwaters. Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on earthworms, chicken livers and cut bait.

TOLEDO BEND: Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.41’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and jigs. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs and small minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait.

TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 78 degrees; 18.71’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water lures, swim jigs and wacky worms. Striped bass are excellent on live bait. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers, cut bait and prepared baits.

WACO: Water stained; 74 degrees; 2.99’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, flipping jigs and fat wacky worms. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flipping jigs, stick baits and chatterbaits. Hybrid stripers are good on live bait and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and live bait.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 72 degrees; 4.57’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits, topwaters, wacky worms and swim jigs. White bass are good on jigging spoons and slabs. Stripers are good on live bait. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken livers and cut bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 71 degrees; 15.85’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are fair on swimbaits and slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

those patterns to my advantage.”

Hancock said one of the biggest hurdles he faces, since he doesn’t live on the coast, is relying on weather forecasts to decide on when he should make plans to go.

“It seems like the weather forecast is never accurate,” he said. “It never fails — I’ll get pumped up about a forecast that is predicting light winds, only to wake up my first morning of a trip to gusty winds right from the start. When that happens, your gut reaction is to immediately become discouraged.”

Hancock has learned to keep a positive attitude no matter the conditions.

The angler has learned to embrace less than ideal weather conditions.

“It seems like a lot of folks are fair-weather fishermen,” Hancock said. “I’ve had some of my best days of fishing, when the weather kept most other recreational anglers off the water. I don’t mind a little wind or even some rain. The fish still have to eat, and if I have an opportunity to get out there and run my boat, I’m not going to waste it.”

Baytown resident and Upper Coast angler, Cody Robertson, is a schoolteacher who loves to fish as much as he can. He fishes some local redfish tournament trails and tries to learn something every time he hits the water.

“One of the toughest decisions I often face, is deciding where I’m going to fish when time allows for me to get out on the water,” Robertson said. “There are several different boat launches within an hour from where I live, and they all are specific to which portion of the Galveston Bay Complex or Sabine Lake area that I choose to target. The weather and conditions play a big role on where I choose to launch my boat and fish.”

Robertson surrounds himself with good folks within the angling crowd, and asks a lot of questions to try to become a better angler.

“I don’t ask others for specific spots, because I know most people don’t want to give that information up,” he said. “Instead, I try to ask questions that will help me make decisions, like what the water conditions were like, what the tide was doing, and what type of water depth range was productive. These types of questions help me draw conclusions as to what I can do to be more successful.”

Social media is another tool Robertson uses to make the most of his time on the water.

“There’s a ton of information to be gained just from the photos and videos that people post while they are out on the water,” he said.

Above all, Robertson said his on-the-water decisions are all calculated risks.

Jesse Drewa, of Corpus Christi, said he likes to make the most of his time on the water by keeping his options open.

When conditions are unfavorable, Drewa’s not afraid to just fish for what’s biting.

jetties and the ship channel can get very clear. That’s when I’ll rig up with a live shrimp or a finger mullet that’s about 3 to 4 inches long.”

Barrera prefers spinning gear and a fluorocarbon leader when fishing the clear water.

“I’ll rig up with spinning gear and a 2/0 circle hook,” he said. “The braided line will be 20-pound test that’s connected to a 2- to 3-foot 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader. When the water is real clear, I’ll chum with small pieces of shrimp. Once the mangrove snapper move in on the chum I’ll start sight casting to them. That’s when they are a little easier to catch. Or, when they are up shallow feeding along the rocks, a top-water lure can be used to catch them. One of my favorites is a Colt Sniper.”

The Colt Sniper, made by Shimano, has an aerodynamic shape to be easily worked in a walkthe-dog motion. They are made in translucent colors that make them ideal for clear water fishing. Barrera’s favorite color is white.

Another good place to find mangrove snapper is in the deep water at the end of the jetties off of Port O’Connor. That’s where the bite is very consistent during the summer months. Guide Ron Arlitt said the jetties will be holding mangrove snapper until the first good cold front moves through.

“The water is usually clear along these jetties,” Arlitt said. “Because of that, I like to use a small piece of a fresh dead shrimp, about the size of a dime. Put that on a No. 4 treble hook and you can catch some pretty good numbers of these fish. They won’t be real big, most are in the 1-pound class, but they are very tasty.”

Your island is calling you. And so are the fish. So grab your gear and head on down for some well-deserved island time. Start fishing at sopadre.com/fishing.