Fayette County Fishing Report

August/September/October 2002

 

Well, summer is here in full swing and it is almost time to send the kids back to school. I hope you are ready for both. May was a very strange month: cooler than normal air and water temps until Memorial Day. That produced some VERY good fishing. June and July, well, they have been true to form: HOT!

It is safe to say that Fayette has rebounded from bad press and supposedly poor fishing. Well, the fish never went anywhere and the fishermen are back. It is still true that the better fishing is during the week and that the weekends with the accompanying boat traffic tend to make the fishing much tougher.

Summer on Fayette is characterized by HOT air and HOT water! Many people take to night fishing. There are many things you can do to prepare for this experience if you are so inclined.

·        Personal floatation devices (properly fitted) for each person on board are at the top of the list and should be worn by everyone when fishing at night. Finding someone that has fallen overboard in the daytime is generally easy, but in the dark can be quite difficult. Be very careful and cautious. Know the water you're on and slow down on the throttle. If possible, always take someone with you

·        Bow and stern lights are required and essential equipment on your boat, and they must be lit when visibility is reduced. Striking unseen objects at night is the most often reported nighttime accident and unlit boats lead as those unseen objects.

·        File a fishing plan with someone so that in event something occurs you can be found. Of course sticking to that plan is absolutely a must if it is to have any value.

·        Bring you cell phone!

·        There are some people out there that turn their boat lights off—watch for them, have a spotlight in your hand, GO SLOWLY, assume you are not the only one on the lake.

Make sure you are on the lake at least an hour before sunset and fish the same locations you fished in daylight. Change your baits to block topwaters or big plastic. Fishing on Fayette can be an exciting adventure at night so give it a try.

August almost always produces a good topwater bite. This year I have had great success with a  Rebel Pop-R fishing off the secondary points. When the sun comes up and the bite slows, I have been switching to a Gold Yozuri Rattlin’Vibe in the same areas. But, usually the bite will die quickly and the fish will move deeper.

As with the past few years, with the loss of grass, I have been moving to the deep humps and trees. I am still having a good deal of success with the Norman DD-22 Splatter Bass on 10-pound XPS fluorocarbon line. I have also been experimenting with the Dave Fritz Crankbait Rods from American Rodsmith rigged with a Shimano 3.8 Curado. Those of you still trying to crank with higher ratio reels will find you cannot get the bait down there and that you are quite worn out from the effort. The fish should be holding on the humps in about 15 feet. The above set-up will get there and allow you to dredge the bottom. The Rodsmith cranking rods are very sensitive; you will know when you have a fish on and when they are just playing with your bait. If the bass move deeper, I have been adding Sticky Weight to the bottom of the crankbait lip. There is no depth you cannot reach by adding some Sticky Weight. But be aware, the bait will not “back up” from a limp when it is weighted.

I am also trying a new way to reach out a touch the bass that have taken up residence in the deep trees. You can find these trees at the mouth of each cove and near the dike. They are in anywhere from 35-50 feet and typically rise to 25. Traditionally we have reached these fish with a Texas rigged grubs or worms, which works well until the wind gets up. This year I have had wonderful success throwing a Carolina Rig into the trees and working it over the limbs. I use a Zoom Finesse worm (watermelon/red), an Assassin (shad colored) or a Bass Pro Shops Stick-O. You need stout line for this so I spool up 40-pound Spiderwire with a 14-pound fluorocarbon leader. Give this technique a try. I think you will be amazed at the results. The American Rodsmith Tradition Heavy Carolina Rig rod is a great choice for working your bait over and through the limbs.

I plan of using this above patterns through the month of September unless we get some good schooling action. This, once again, is better during the workweek rather than the weekend. Spoons, grubs, and rattling baits will be the most effective though some people do throw topwater baits at the breaking fish. Remember, the bigger fish are below the small, young guns working the surface.

When the first strong front of September hits, many bass will begin their annual migration to the shallow water and most of us will follow them. Spinnerbaits in shad colors, Texas rigged worms will produce well. I prefer to throw the Norman Deep Baby N crankbait in either the splatter bass or sunshine color. If you can find some grass, fish it. Make contact with the grass then rip your bait through. Work your way down the shoreline fishing parallel to the break lines. This is also a good time to work your Carolina Rig on the points and secondary points.

October will bring a cool down and fishing will really bust out. The top water bite will last much longer than the summer and spinnerbaits or crankbaits will produce good quantities of fish with numerous larger bass mixed in.

One more point. If you see someone on the lake illegally taking fish in the slot, please do not confront them. Simply make note of their TX number and report them to the attendant booth. We must crack down on those folks that think the rules and regulations are for everyone except them.

Well, that is about it for now. Don’t forget, I also teach bass classes at Bass Pro Shops in Katy on alternate Sunday mornings. If you are interested in attending call the store to get a schedule (281) 644-2200. The classes range from basic bass fishing or women in fishing to advanced classes refining your skills. You can get a complete monthly schedule at our store website: basspro.com

If you would like to book a trip to Fayette give me a call (281) 499-3799, email: FishCoach@compassnet.com or check out my website: www.compassnet.com/fishcoach.  See you on the water!