Lake Texoma Fishing Report :: Big Fish on Structure!
Posted on January 3, 2024It's that time of the year when my favorite pattern to fish starts to develop and get hot. The big fish have started moving onto structure which means I can reliably target them day after day. I love this pattern because I can depend on it to catch these big fish on every trip. If you are looking to catch big fish, this is the best time of the year to come.
As the water gets colder the metabolism of the fish drops and they need to feed less, as such, the fish will spend more time in places where they feel comfortable and less time actively searching for food. If you can identify these places where the fish feel comfortable you can recognize a pattern and search for the same patterned locations all over the lake. The depth, type of structure, and wind direction are the 3 key elements in figuring out where they are going to be. Places that have structure on structure will be best and will often hold these fish reliably day after day. So this time of year, if you find a pile of fish on a stump bed that's also on a ledge, you can likely go back tomorrow or next week or maybe even next month and they will still be there. Even if they are gone, they may have just moved depth or maybe the wind is a different direction and they are on a different side of the structure so be sure to look around. After you find them, the next trick is getting them to bite. Sometimes you can be on a whole pile of fish and can't buy a bite, but keep after it and eventually you will figure it out. I have the most success on this pattern using glow in the dark swim baits on a 1 ½ oz. head and reel just fast enough to prevent it from dragging the bottom, horse head jigs and A-rigs will also work on this pattern. Be sure to experiment with your crank speed until you get them to bite, reel a little faster, a little slower, pause for a second. Figure out what it takes to get them to bite and keep doing it. The best way to learn is to come out with me or another guide that loves to structure fish so you can gain experience and confidence knowing where to look and how to get them to bite. I'll be happy to teach you all I can while we are out on the water chasing after big fish.
At times when the fish are feeding this time of year, they are usually roaming out in the deep water amongst the large schools of bait but they are still not very active since it is cold. This is what people are looking for when they talk about deadsticking. It is essential in the deadstick pattern to have a splasher, a thumper, or a designated person that will take an old fishing rod and unceasingly beat the water the whole time you are fishing. Before I put a splasher on the boat several years ago, I used to use an old fishing rod to beat the water which works well in the summer but I didn't seem to have enough endurance for the winter for the deadstick pattern the splasher has definately made this bite easier. Once you find an area that is holding fish, it may take 20-30 minutes of letting the splasher work before you even get the first bite. After 20 minutes passes, if a big school of fish has not yet collected under you boat, it is time to move and try it again in a new spot. Flukes on a heavy head, 1 ½ – 2oz seem to work best for deadsticking. Look at what depth the fish are concentrated at on the graph and measure line out to that depth and maybe a little more to account for the lure rising a bit in the drift. Then just hold it and set the hook anytime you feel even the slightest bump, you will miss a lot of fish, that is part of it. For this bite, weather conditions are more important, the wind needs to push the boat around .5-.7mph for the best results, if it is too fast you can put out drift socks to slow the boat. This time of year I'm prepared to fish either pattern, structure or deadsticking, whatever it takes to make it happen though the structure bite is my favorite and where we usually catch our biggest fish. I do enjoy the deadsticking while it is good but if it is a slow day, I'm not going to grind out a deadstick bite, you will find me on the structure making it happen.
If your are looking to book a trip, what are your goals? Are you looking for big fish, are you looking to learn how to fish the winter pattern, do you want to fly fish, do you just want to just catch fish, or maybe all of the above? Be sure to communicate what your goals are for the trip and I'll be happy to accommodate to the best of my abilities to make those goals a reality. Now through March is the time to hunt for the big fish, give me a call and let's go make some memories together. You can book your trip online at www.stripersinc.com or call (903)815-1609 and I'll get you setup over the phone. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be looking forward to fishing with you!
On a separate note, Stripers Inc. was featured in an article. Just before Christmas I had the pleasure of taking out outdoor writer Tom Claycomb on a fishing trip. Check out his article about our trip here, he did a great job on the writeup!
Your Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Guide,
Brian Prichard
Stripers Inc.
(903)815-1609