Texas fishing...

[Bob G.]

Hooked up with Adam near Dallas on Saturday morning after driving up from Austin. We cruised over to "Lake X" to fish. Adam has an upcoming tourney there, so I won't disclose the name of the lake since I'm posting his fish pic. I caught a few small bass including 2 spotted bass, but nothing worth getting the camera out for. Adam caught a largemouth that was worthy of a pic (see below). We caught 7 bass total and had a good day on the water. It was nice to get out bass fishing as it's only been 6 months since I fished last with Rob, Buzz and Marke on Champlain!



Fished Lake Fork today and did not do very well. We struggled all day trying to get a pattern going, but it never happened. Temps did get near 80 degrees! I have never seen so many bass boats in one place when there wasn't a tourney!! You name it, it was there including some brands I have never heard of.



Adam, thanks for taking me fishing and letting me put the pedal down on that 901. That is one sweet boat!



Bob G.

 

[Bob G.]

I have seen some strange things in my travels, but check out this marker sitting in the middle of the lake. I think it's one of Adam's ex-girlfriends!!



Bob G.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Bob,



I just feel like I need to ask a question, after I describe some things I've seen on other boards.



I have seen many people posting reports, and/or pictures of fish caught, on their famous Lake X. They usually do not give many details about where they were at, or what they caught the fish on. While it is certainly their right to post details, or lack thereof, as they see fit - I just don't understand it. This also goes for a recent message I found on another board. In short it said, 'caught them on a new brown with yellow belly cb, in 9-10 feet of water - but I can't mention what brand or style cb it is here'.



What difference does it make on which Lake you (or someone else) were on? I maintain, that I could post GPS coordinates along with the precise weather conditions, time of day, lure used, presentation technique, etc. - and it will not make that great a difference to most others.



I participate in a subscription board (anglerschannel.com - based in the SE United States), where some folks provide useful information, but most just want information. Whenever I ask for information, I generally always ask for a general run down, and not specifics. In short, give me an idea of what you found, and what is and is not working when you were there. Whenever I'm asked for information, or try to post up after a trip, I try and give as much information as I can.



I know that I'm going on here - sorry.



What I'm finding, is that the more credible information that I can share, brings me back more credible information. Having said that, if you are pre-fishing the day before a tourney, I'm not going to ask, and I don't expect that you should 'share' what you have worked for.



Now, having said all that, if your friend asked you not to say where the fish came from (lake), I respect that you are respecting his wishes.



If we, as anglers, dont' share credible information with others, especially those that are attempting to improve/learn, then how are we to learn?



After all, if you are fishing on a 5,000 acre lake (just using a number here), and tell someone that you caught a 3 lb LM on it, what's the big secret?



Bob - I'm not picking on you per se, just interested in viewpoints. I wouldn't even post this message in other places, as the 'civil tone' that we generally exhibit here, is sooooo much better.



Tex

 

[Kraig Clement]

Transplant, FYI

That marker is at Lake Fork just as you enter Little Caney.... It has been there for the past few months.



Kraig

 

[Bob G.]

Texas Transplant,



I don't fish tourneys, so I usually tell all with the exception of specific spots. Adam took me to two lakes this past weekend. One was Lake Fork as I mentioned in my first post. Adam has an upcoming tourney on the other lake, so I didn't mention it. He didn't say one way or the other and he will probably post where we went cause it is probably not a big deal to him. I was just glad to go fishing as there is still snow on the ground and ice on the lake at home in VT.



I caught 5 fish this weekend. Three were on Saturday - two spots and one LM caught in a five minute span on a Rapala Shallow Shad Rap. The other two were caught on Sunday (1 spot and 1 LM) were caught on Sunday on a Texas rigged lizard.



Check my reports for Champlain (VT), as I don't have any secrets when I fish by myself or with my kids. I have fished with Rob a few times and he has taken me to some of his tourney spots on Champlain and I won't post fishing reports for those trips and I don't go back there cause I have a lot of water to fish on my side of the lake. Most of the spots that I fish are on the Fishing Hotspots map.



The reason for the post was that we had a good time fishing and here is a pic of the best fish of the weekend. Next time I fish with a tourney person, I just won't post.



Bob G.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Thanks for the insight - Bob.



Tex

 

[Adam Murray]

Kraig's right...the marker is at Lake Fork (no, she's not my last girlfriend, too skinny!) The first picture is at Lake Bob Sandlin, though, just east of Lake Fork. I have a T there on the 28th. Thanks, Bob G, for keeping my best interests in mind. I've got no problem, though, with people knowing the broad basics of where/what we were fishing.



Bob, thanks for driving all the way up here to fish. Hope you had a good time. I had a blast on Saturday and despite our lack of fish yesterday, I still had a good time.



It was fun finding 76 degree water in March and watching BIG fish cruising flats and making beds. Just wish we could've got bit. Watched one dude flip a bed for close to an hour...finally hung a solid 8# hawg. I just don't have that kind of patience!



Thanks again for your company. Hope we can get out there again before you leave for the Great White North!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Adam,



Best of luck in your upcoming tourney. Would love to be able to fish some of those great East Texas lakes again. I just gotta find me a good job back in Texas.



Tex

 

[Adam Murray]

Thanks, TT! It's gonna be rough, though. This is not my favorite time of year to fish. Very difficult to nail down a pattern as so many variables are changing daily (even hourly). With a 5 day off-limit period, finding fish in practice is almost irrelevant.



While we were fortunate to catch fish on Saturday, that was not my main intent. Spent a lot of time just cruising the lake, trying to find areas that could withstand all weather conditions...mainly breaklines and dropoffs next to flats and grass. Figured these spots could hold fish in all stages of spawning.



The best pattern of the weekend, though, was Bob's Shallow Shad Rap! I had to giggle when he tied that thing on..."Silly yankee!" He got into a school of spots, though, and landed three fish in a matter of minutes. Made me look like an idiot!



Maybe Bob would sell me one of those silly things....

 

[Bob G.]

Adam,



It's still tied on one of your rods!!



Bob G.

 

[Kraig Clement]

Adam... while seeing several large bass come off of beds on Sunday, I started talking to a guy from OK and he was catching bass after bass on a small inline spinner on 6lb test ultra gear.... he was hitting 4-6ft water while everyone else was pounding the shoreline..... just a thought...

good luck!