Fishing Changing Water Conditions

BRADW

As I sat in my boat all night Friday, not catching much fish and drinking a few cabs, I started planning my trips for the Fall. We have hit the peak on summer heat and should start seeing temps going down and water levels coming up as evaporation fades and collin county slows their watering.

Last winter was my first experience with deep water catfishing and it was very productive for me. I did not start it until Feb. though. I still like shallow fishing and according to Polebender, it is still as productive, if not more so for big blues through winter. I am wondering what depths are good for shallow as the water cools down. I think I would like to mix it up and work both shallow an deep to get more catfishing experience with all of it.

As we hit September and October what is the thinking on changing tactics for catching cats? Maybe a little drifting, sitting on some levees, a little shallow.
_________________
Clean fish and feed someone for the day....teach someone to clean fish and enjoy a CAB while someone else cleans the fish!

Big Brad · Posted: Mon, Aug 18 2008 04:49 pm Post subject:

Won't be too long and it'll be night time bird fishing

_________________
BigBrad
North Texas Trophy Cats

Extreme Hooksetter!
I don't need no stinkin circle hooks.

stumpbumping · Posted: Mon, Aug 18 2008 05:19 pm Post subject:

Big Brad wrote:

Won't be too long and it'll be night time bird fishing

how do you keep the hooks in the air and what do you use for bait

Big Brad · Posted: Mon, Aug 18 2008 05:22 pm Post subject:

good one

_________________
BigBrad
North Texas Trophy Cats

Extreme Hooksetter!
I don't need no stinkin circle hooks.

JohnnyD · Posted: Tue, Aug 19 2008 09:24 pm Post subject:

We just flat out like fishin shallow better than deep so we usually start there unless I KNOW the shallow bite has been off for a couple of days and I don't like the current conditions for turning em back on. On days like that, when the shallow bite is off, you just try and adjust to what the fish are doing. You can catch plenty of big fish shallow in fall and winter, and you can catch plenty of big fish deep too. That being said there are some days when the shallow bite is off and you'll get on em deep and vice versa. Long way of saying just try and get a read on the fish. You should know within 15 minutes (usually) or so if a spot is on. If we start shallow in a certain depth we'll hit maybe 3 different spots starting in 2-2.5 ft and might get out to 3.5 ft. If "classic looking" spots, meaning spots that look like they should hold fish if the bite is on for that particular day and weather pattern, don't produce we'll often run out to deeper water and drop the drift chute over marked fish or big schools of bait with fish under them. Spring time may be the one time we won't give up shallow for deeper water as that's the one time you know they're there.
Year after year you get a better feel for what depths typically produce for you for that time of year and LAKE LEVELS. There are spots I won't touch with the lake at pool, but when it's down 10 ft (or more as we were not too long ago) make killer spots to fish. Just read the weather, lake level, and the fish. They'll tell you what they want and where they are.
_________________
John Davis
Team Pigsticker
NTTC
www.northtexastrophycats.com
www.proanglertackle.com
www.4footcat.com

Get the net!!!

Liverpool_Fan · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 12:34 am Post subject:

brad the transition is usually difficult for me. I never know where to go.
I have drifted 28 ft and I have tied off in 3 ft with the same results........ not good results..... then tried a bunch of places between.

Except for dealing with summer heat this is the hardest few months for me......... I haven't found a pattern that works during this time...

so hopefully someone will be charitable enough to help us out

_________________
Life isn't like a box of chocolates..... more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn you tomorrow !!

BRADW · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 10:36 am Post subject:

Thank you John and Simon.

I think my original thought is what I will do, just try them all out and find what works from trip to trip. My goal is to get more consistent. I do enjoy the shallow bite more than deep. They make you work for it, splashing all of the way. In the deep those big ones are like pulling a log up from 40 foot of water, but not much fight until they see the boat. This year I think I will work both shallow and deep and maybe some in between.

Those 2-3 months (Sep - Nov) seem to be the toughest to assess with the temp changes fluctuating.

Simon, maybe Tex or some other expert has some pointers to get us going.
_________________
Clean fish and feed someone for the day....teach someone to clean fish and enjoy a CAB while someone else cleans the fish!

cheapersleeper · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 10:56 am Post subject:

In my small utility boat, I am pretty sure that I won't have room to keep a drift chute and with the high gunwhales I bet I will be blown around like crazy. Anyone just toss out an anchor and throw out some lines in the deeper water?
_________________
"I was getting too many snakes in the house, otherwise I would have stayed,"

JohnnyD · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

Yes...anchor over deep water humps and structure when you can mark big fish down there
_________________
John Davis
Team Pigsticker
NTTC
www.northtexastrophycats.com
www.proanglertackle.com
www.4footcat.com

Get the net!!!

dodgeman · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

Does anyone know if there were run off water today after this morning rain?
_________________
Wish I was fishing....

polebender · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:20 am Post subject:

dodgeman wrote:

Does anyone know if there were run off water today after this morning rain?

I can't remember where the trinity reports are, but 3 inches of rain after what already fell shoul dhave the creeks going for the first time in a while.
_________________
Joe Simpson
www.4footcat.com
www.northtexastrophycats.com

BRADW · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:28 am Post subject:

The Corps site does not show any water level increase yet. It has to come up with 3 inches of rain though.

If we could just get a foot increase, we could get to the North end of Highland in a week or two.
_________________
Clean fish and feed someone for the day....teach someone to clean fish and enjoy a CAB while someone else cleans the fish!

dodgeman · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:31 am Post subject:

I'm hoping for a 1-2 ft rise this week.
_________________
Wish I was fishing....

MikeB · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:38 am Post subject:

polebender wrote:

dodgeman wrote:

Does anyone know if there were run off water today after this morning rain?

I can't remember where the trinity reports are, but 3 inches of rain after what already fell shoul dhave the creeks going for the first time in a while.

Try this site....

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/gage/lakes.htm

Click on "Trinity" in the map on the top left.
Then click on the green square labeled MCKT2 in the right map. You will get the flow of the East Fork of the Trinity. Below is the last few hours...

DATE CST (FEET) (CFS) (INCHES)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20AUG2008 1100 13.43 1146. 0.01
20AUG2008 1000 14.22 1264. 0.03
20AUG2008 0900 13.93 1226. 0.44
20AUG2008 0800 12.50 1010. 0.33
20AUG2008 0700 8.14 453. 0.98
20AUG2008 0600 4.37 99. 1.88
20AUG2008 0500 3.45 44. 0.02
20AUG2008 0400 3.46 45. 0.11
20AUG2008 0300 3.45 44. 0.11
20AUG2008 0200 3.46 45. 0.05
20AUG2008 0100 3.49 46. 0.00

Also the map has the current lake levels as well. Click on the Trinity Basin link (green circle lable LVNT2).

Hope this gives ya'll something else to look at instead of working....

fishin1 · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 11:45 am Post subject:

theres gotta be .......
_________________
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true? friend will be sitting next to you saying, "dang...that was fun!"

dodgeman · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 02:11 pm Post subject:

I got my answer about run off water. I just saw pictures of flood in Lucas and Parker. Time to go fish............................
_________________
Wish I was fishing....

MikeB · Posted: Wed, Aug 20 2008 03:02 pm Post subject:

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080820_lj_flooding.16c44f06.html

If you live in Allen, Parker, Wylie area, I would try to wrap things up and get back to the house. This article says to expect up to 4 more inches. Ya'll be careful driving home from work!!!