SAN ANGELO, TX — Here is the fishing report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the week of Feb. 4:
FAIR. 46 degrees; 5.63 feet below pool. Crappie continue to be fair in 25-35 feet with minnows. Report by Randy Britton, The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
SLOW. Water stained 52 degrees; 64.05 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the low 50s, and fish are starting to group up along ledges in 25-40 feet of water. Productive techniques include slowly dragging Alabama rigs, football rigs, and soft plastics, as well as vertical approaches like drop shots and spoons. Some fish are holding higher in the water column and can be targeted with jerkbaits and jigging minnows. With improved weather expected after the recent severe cold, angler activity is likely to increase in the coming week as tournament season approaches. Report by Kurt Dove, Amistad Bass Guide
SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.44 feet below pool. Expect fish to push deeper and the bite slow due to the weather. Bass should be offshore biting Carolina rigs, jerkbaits or small swimbaits. Crappie will be scattered.
SLOW. Water stained; 45 degrees; 3.10 feet below pool. Black bass to 8.33 pounds are excellent on soft plastics, in Lone Star Disco color, scoping around docks and stroking them on the ledges in 15-18 feet of water. Throw shallow crankbaits and jigs on the rocks and docks around main lake pockets and suspended points. Crappie are slow to 11 inches on minnows or jigs on main lake scattered brush piles. The best jig colors have been chartreuse and white or shad. White bass are slow with catches up to 1.5 pounds. Fish are scattered around the main lake biting crankbaits. Catfish are slow on minnows and on jug lines with cut shad or perch on the main lake docks and drains.
GOOD. Water stained; 53 degrees; 2.56 feet below pool. White bass are good trolling crankbaits in the river. Striped bass are good with jigging spoons or deadsticking soft plastics 30-50 feet of water. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Crappie are fair with fish bunched up in 25 feet of water on brush and standing timber suspended 25-30 feet down with minnows. Blue catfish are good in 25-30 feet of water on midlake points with cut shad. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 16.70 feet above pool. Cooler weather and passing fronts have brought north winds and occasional light rain to Lake Cisco, making conditions a bit tougher but still producing fish. Catfish remain the most consistent bite, with anglers catching good numbers on cut shad and punch bait around creek channels. Crappie action is slowly improving on brush and timber in 12-20 feet using minnows. Bass reports are light, but a few are moving shallow on warmer afternoons and hitting spinnerbaits and squarebills around rocks. Wind can make the lake choppy, so use caution.
SLOW. Water stained; 47 degrees; 3.42 feet below pool. Catfish should be shallow biting shad. Bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
GOOD. Water stained; 48 degrees; 5.59 feet below pool. After the freeze there may be a shad kill which will bring catfish shallow to feed. Catfish should be shallow on fresh cut shad. Hybrids should be in 25-30 feet of water trolling or with live bait. Crappie are in 12-20 feet of water on structure with minnows and jigs. Report by Big Country Guide Service.
SLOW. Water Stained; 47 degrees; 14.59 feet below pool. Catfish should be shallow biting shad. Bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
GOOD. Water stained; 48 degrees; 0.76 feet below pool. The lake is now firmly set up in winter patterns. Bass are being caught on crankbaits and drop-shot rigged finesse worms fished around rocky areas and submerged vegetation in up to 15 feet of water. Fish are grouped tightly and relating closely to these areas, so slowing down and thoroughly working productive zones has been key under the colder conditions. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing, (435) 313-1838, andermeine.com. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing.
FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.28 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in 25-30 feet of water with chartreuse jigs and minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair in 25-30 feet of water on midlake points with shad. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are slow but improving on deeper rocky banks. Fishing super slowly with a worm or craw has been productive. Report by Evan Coleman, Big Bassin Fishing Tours.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 47 degrees; 0.92 feet below pool. The bass bite has been fair flipping soft plastics around reed bases and laydowns in 1-5 feet of water. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. Bass are holding close to heavy cover to stay warm and ambush prey. It is important to slow down your retrieve during the winter months because the fish are more lethargic due to the colder water temperatures. Crappie were fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs and catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
SLOW. Water stained; 48 degrees; 32.11 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
FAIR. Water stained; 46 degrees; 19.70 feet below pool. Bass are fair with catches up to 9 pounds possible, but primarily 2-4 pound fish. Best baits have been umbrella rigs, small swimbaits on quarter ounce heads, and crankbaits. Target long tapering points or 45 degree angle banks out to 24 feet. Crappie are slow, with some action reported near the Lee day area in deep pecan trees on minnows. White bass have been good in 35-45 feet of water near channel swings. Slabs and jigging spoons working best. A few catfish are still being reported in the rivers. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 48 degrees; 22.92 feet below pool. Crappie are on brush and roaming open water with jigs or minnows. Bass are slow with soft plastics in deeper water.
GOOD. Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.71 feet below pool. Stripers are slow to fair in 30-40 feet of water. Live bait is still doing good but the artificial deadstick bite is starting to pick up. Jigs with a red head and chartreuse fluke tail seem to be the best color but other colors have been working also. Sand bass are fair in 30-40 feet of water in the main river channel. Live bait has been out preforming artificials, but some can also be caught using deadstick techniques. Red head jigs with a white or chartreuse split tail fluke seems to be the best colors for deadsticking. Catfish are still fair to good. Cut and live shad are producing fish in 30-40 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Bass have been steady in deep water around structure in 40-50 feet of water on live bait but can probably be targeted with deep water baits and deadsticking methods. Slow your retrieve way down. The fish are super slow and lethargic due to the cold water. The water temperature is 44-50 degrees, but may warm slightly with the coming warmer days. Water clarity is 8-12 feet of visibility and steady. Bonus rainbow trout catches are possible below the Possum Kingdom Lake Dam at the Hwy 16 Bridge. This is a light tackle fishery so bring your extra light tackle or flys for best results. Use baits like Powerbait in orange or chartreuse colors or whole kernel corn hooked on a very small hook with a light punch wait 12-18" above the bait. They will also sometimes hit small jerky baits but dough baits seem to be the best bet. Cast them out and let them sit for best results. Some can be caught using very small jerk baits and swim baits but Powerbait and corn is a more productive method. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. .
FAIR. Water stained; 49 degrees; 2.89 feet below pool. The water temperature is in the 40s, so expect the fish to group up in deep channels in 22-24 feet of water. There may be a shad kill due to the cold water temperatures. This should bring catfish shallow to feed, and look for bird activity. Catfish may be caught on. Shad colored lures for hybrid should also be great. Follow the birds feeding on all the Shad. Report Juan Tienda, local angler.
FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 51.72 feet below pool. Channel catfish are fair on punch and fresh cut bait in deeper water. Blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait in deep water on flats and channels. On sunny days big blue catfish can be caught on shallow flats. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 1.63 feet above pool. Bass are fair. Crappie are fair at the crappie house. Bait balls are in deeper water. Catfish are fair with juglines in 5-8 feet of water on flats.
FAIR. Water stained; 47 degrees; 35.75 feet below pool. Blue catfish will be shallow in 4-15 feet of water biting fresh cut bait. Start the hunt in 15 feet of water. Channel catfish are slow on punch and fresh cut bait in deeper water. Crappie are slow on live minnows and jigs on brush. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
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