Almanac I.qxd:1002 Coastal
12/8/10
11:33 AM
TIPS: Good colors for this time of the year are Red Shad in Assassins and White Ice in Zoom baits. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Lake GPS: N29 16.707, W94 59.60202 (29.278450, -94.993367) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/8-ounce; jigheads; soft plastics in Limetreuse, Plum or Red Shad CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Drift fishing working bait and color concentrations LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Offatts Bayou GPS: N29 16.61898, W94 51.507 (29.276983, -94.858450) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 52 series Mirror Lures; soft plastics on 1/4-ounce; jigheads CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: The lighter jighead stays in the strike zone longer. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Confederate Reef GPS: N29 16.19502, W94 56.97402 (29.269917, -94.949567) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky, Catch 2000, Catch 5 CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Confederate Reef, Offatts Bayou and Greens Bayou are the top fishing locations on the Galveston Bay System in January.
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PINEY WOODS
Dive Deep on Fork for Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com
zard shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, fishdudetx.com TIPS: Expect to catch larger fish at this time of the year. Hybrids will be bunched up in large schools in 18-22 feet of water. Use your electronics to find the schools on main lake humps and points. Live shad usually out-produces lures during January.
LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Big Green Break GPS: N32 43.55688, W94 2.355 (32.725948, -94.039250) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Cyclone Rattlin' Jigs, Cyclone Lightnin' Blade CONTACT: Paul Keith, caddoguide1@att.net, 318-455-3437, caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Work the cypress trees with blackblue or Texas Craw jig or black-red Lightnin’ Blade in two to four feet of water. Keep moving until you are in the trees that have plenty of hydrilla around them.
LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Mustang Creek GPS: N32 51.2841, W95 36.90624 (32.854735, -95.615104) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Deep-diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Michael Rogge, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: The pre-spawn is about to start. Look for big fish on main lake points at mouths of creeks. If there is timber, the fish will be suspended. Crank baits that dive to 12-15 feet are best along with large spinnerbaits when slow-rolled through structure.
LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: League Line Hump GPS: N30 22.84338, W95 33.792 (30.380723, -95.563200) SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: Storm Swim Shad,live giz-
LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Mouth of Caney Creek GPS: N32 49.31106, W95 33.6258 (32.821851, -95.560430) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs, minnows
LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cotton Bayou GPS: N28 30.60198, W96 12.603 (28.510033, -96.210050) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce; weedless spoons CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: The best time is after fronts blow through, dropping water levels. Concentrate on the guts.
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