Fayette
County Fishing Report
August/September
2004
Summertime on a power plant lake, what fun!
Actually, last year, we caught more and better fish than we ever had
before in the summer. Imagine
that. The average water
temperature during August on Fayette County will be about 90 degrees and the
good news is that the fish are still biting and biting well. Okay, here is
your plan for August and September.
Get up early. How early? You
need to be on the water at least one half hour before the sun is up and
throwing your favorite buzzbait or chugger.
I have been throwing the Leverage and the Booyah buzzbaits. The Leverage really does lose fewer fish with its flexible
hook shank. The Booyah 18 inch
buzzbait has been a real surprise to me.
I thought it was just a gimmick bait designed to catch fisherman but it
catches fish. I was concerned
that it would not throw in the wind but it does!
Our best fish on other topwaters have been on the Chug Bug. Color has not seemed to matter much with either type of bait.
Once the sun is up and the topwater bite dies you need to stay
in that area and throw a Senko rigged Wacky Style.
Best colors have been Chartreuse/Pepper, Green Pumpkin,
Watermelon/Black. When the sun
actually hits the water in your area, it is time to leave. Where are you
going? To the deep humps.
These humps are
marked on all the maps. You cannot miss them.
Use your electronics before you begin fishing.
You are looking for the balls of shad.
Determine a what depth they are holding and then fish the humps at that
depth. But, be aware that
sometimes you can get bit on the bottom when you cannot mark anything on the
graph. Get out three baits.
Start with the deep diving crank baits. I prefer the Rapala DT 16
because it dives straight down to 16 feet (on 10 pound line) and it stays
there. Most of the humps I fish
are about 15 feet below the surface so the DT16 is a perfect bait.
I use two colors, Shard and Blue Gill.
If I cannot pick up any actively feeding fish with the crankbait I go
to the Carolina Rigged finesse worm or centipede.
Colors? Same as the Senkos
above! Finally if I am not
getting bit I will go to the drop shot. I
use 8-pound Yo-Zuri Hybrid line and a Mustad #1 mosquito hook on an American
Rodsmiths drop shot rod. I have
been using the Yamamato Kut Tail worm and have done real well at Fayette with
it. For those of you who are still resisting the drop shot
technique, I caught a 9-pound bass on that set up at Fayette. Give it a try.
Have a lipless bait or spoon ready by your side because this
time of year the bass will begin to school.
Past years they have not schooled like the “good old days” so be
ready, put your other rig down and let it fly when you see them.
You have a much better chance to catching them schooling if you fish
during the week.
Finally, we need someone to catch a new lake record.
It is only 12.25# and was set in 1982!
We all know there are bigger fish than that out there.
My best big fish bait ahs been the Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad.
I have been throwing the 6-inch Shad colored bait.
I use a 7.6 American Rodsmiths flipping stick spooled with 17-pound
line and a 3.8 Curado. I also use
a leader of 25-pound fluorocarbon. Why? Because the fish I am catching at
taking this bait deep in their mouths and line rub is an issue.
Once a week I fish with some of the guys from Bass Pro Shops and as of
this writing, the smallest fish we have caught on these baits is a five
pounder. So someone get out there
and let’s get a new lake record!
Remember to wear your lifejacket, use your kill switch, bring a
rain suit, put on sun block and drink plenty of water while on the lake.
Don’t forget, I 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 and even a specific class on
Fayette County. You can get a complete monthly schedule at our store website:
basspro.com