Posted: Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:22 PM - 12,579 Readers
By: Joe Alexander
Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled by the Associated Press for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for April 27. Full report available at txfishing.com.
Freshwater
AMISTAD: Water clear; 68-72 degrees; 0.29 feet high. Black bass are very good on crankbaits, topwaters, Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits, Senkos, and jigs. Striped bass are good on topwaters and Red Fins. White bass are fair on crankbaits and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cheesebait, shrimp, and nightcrawlers over baited holes in 6-25 feet. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch at night. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.
BRAUNIG: Water clear. Black bass are good on crankbaits and spinnerbaits along shorelines and structure. Striped bass are fair to good on chicken livers and silver spoons. Redfish are good on live perch and tilapia. Channel catfish are excellent on shrimp, liver, and stinkbait. Blue catfish are fair on chicken livers, shrimp, stinkbait, and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.
BUCHANAN: Water clear; 67-70 degrees; 10.98 feet low. Black bass are good on Curb’s jigs, wacky rigged watermelon Whacky Sticks, and JDC Skip-N-Pop topwaters in creeks and pockets in 3-6 feet. Striped bass are fair jigging white Curb’s bucktail jigs around Shaw Island in 10-25 feet. White bass are good vertically jigging Pirk Minnows and Bleeding Shad Tiny Traps near Paradise Point. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on juglines and trotlines near Paradise Point.
CALAVERAS: Water clear. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastic worms and white grubs. Striped bass are good on chicken livers, shad, and spoons. Redfish are good on perch and shrimp on the bottom. Catfish are excellent on nightcrawlers, shad, and liver in 10-20 feet.
CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 67-70 degrees; 2.78 feet low. Black bass are good on JDC spider Grubs, pumpkinseed Whacky Sticks on jigheads, and grape Scoundrel worms on shaky jigheads along 8-15 foot break lines. Striped bass are fair on crankbaits, and vertically jigging silver Pirk Minnows and white Curb’s striper jigs. White bass are fair vertically jigging Pirk Minnows, and trolling Daiwa Shad Masters and Shad Raps in 10-25 feet. Smallmouth bass are good on watermelon Rat-L-Traps, JDC curl tail grubs, and 6-inch watermelon Scoundrels on jigheads along main lake points in 10-20 feet. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are good on live bait.
CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 70-73 degrees; 6.86 feet low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse/white and chartreuse/blue spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and green tube jigs. Drum are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait in 10-15 feet. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.
COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 1.06 feet low. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 5-10 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows in 10-15 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch and liver. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.
FALCON: Water stained; 75-78 degrees. Black bass are excellent on spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, and soft plastic worms and lizards. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are very good on minnows, grubs, and jigs. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on frozen shrimp, stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and cut bait. Yellow catfish are slow. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.
LBJ: Water fairly clear; 66-68 degrees; 0.36 feet low. Black bass are good on Bleeding Shad Rat-L-Traps, chartreuse creature baits, and pumpkin JDC Skip-N-Pop topwaters in 8-18 feet. White bass are fair vertically jigging Tiny Traps and Pirk Minnows under birds. Crappie are good on minnows and blue Curb’s crappie jigs in 10-20 feet. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on live bait.
TRAVIS: Water stained; 68-71 degrees; 22.40 feet low. Black bass are good on smoke grubs, watermelon soft plastics, and Brush Hogs in 10-20 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on spinnerbaits, minnows, and white grubs. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs in 10-20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and cut bait in 20-40 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.
Saltwater (north to south)
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for waders working topwaters. Stiff winds have muddied the mid-bay reefs. Redfish best on shell in Lake Austin on live shrimp.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair to good in the afternoon for waders working glass minnows. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on crabs.
PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics over sand and grass. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp.
ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in Morris-Cummings Cut on free-lined shrimp. Black drum are good in the Lydia Ann Channel on crabs. Redfish are fair to good on the Estes Flats on mullet and crabs.
PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good at East Flats on gold spoons and small topwaters. Black drum are good in the Shrimpboat Channel on crabs and finger mullet. Redfish, trout and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp. Winds have pinned anglers to leeward shorelines.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good for waders working the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Black drum and redfish are fair to good in the Packery Channel on crabs.
BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good at the Tide Gauge on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Stiff winds have limited access to deeper rocks. Trout are fair to good in the Land Cut on live shrimp.
PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on topwaters around sand and grass on She Pups, Super Spook Jrs. and SkitterWalks. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes.
SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on DOA Shrimp and live shrimp. Black drum, redfish and jack crevalle are good at the jetty on mullet and shrimp. Stiff winds have limited areas to fish.
PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good at Gas Well Flats on live shrimp. Redfish are fair in South Bay on DOA Shrimp and live shrimp. Trout are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp and plastics under popping corks.
