Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Blog

 What makes the fish bite? That is a question to which all fishermen over the ages have pondered. There are certainly various adages which proclaim fish to feed during various conditions though anyone who has been fishing long enough will tell you that those sayings only prove 1 half the time if you're lucky. The answer is too complex, the variables too many to conclude any definitive understanding regarding how the fish are responding to them. As many times as I've tried to answer this question, the fish have eventually proven my hypothesis 0 and kindly reminded me of my humility. That first big cold front of the fall is one of those variables I follow more reliably. Typically this signals the shallow topwater bite for big stripers to begin as the fish seem to move up shallow to bask in the cooler water. Last year when that first cold front came, though I didn't have a trip, I went out with my family eager to enjoy some of the best fishing of the year, but alas, I was sadly mistaken. The fish proved elusive and the topwater bite that day was nonexistent.

This year however has proved otherwise, the shallow topwater bite has really turned on now that that first cold front has past. This is no real suprise though as the fish population on Lake Texoma has really exploded in the last few years after various flood conditions have provided for some excellent spawning years. I can't remember seeing a topwater bite like we have been experiencing this year. After the shad rebounded from the dearth we observed in the spring the fish have been feeding on the surface reliably nearly every day since sometime in July. Even now, still they are roaming the middle of the lake feeding on the surface which is later in the year than I remember ever seeing this pattern. So of course it was no suprise that when that first cold front hit we were able to find plenty of action in the shallows. With the shallow bite, the fish we are catching on top are bigger than the fish surfacing in the middle of the lake. These shallow fish are not actively surfacing either, we have to find them the old fashioned way of casting out a lure where you think they might be and hoping for the best. This pattern generally lasts the first hour or two of daylight and then the fish typically move deeper where we switch over to slabs or live bait to finish out our limit. The last couple of weeks seems that slabs and live bait have been working equally well for the most part. I prefer slab fishing as it tends to be more fun involving more active participation, jigging the lure off of the bottom rather than watching and waiting for a bite, though I am not above using live bait to make it happen if need be.

 
I'm expecting to see this shallow surface action to continue until around the first of November. The gulls are already starting to arrive, November is usually one of the best fishing months of the year as far as consistency in numbers goes where our winter months are best for catching many of the biggest fish of the year. We should really be in for some great fishing ahead with the population of fish where it is at, daily limits of fish have become a common occurrence. Our weekends are full for the rest of October and most of November but I have several weekday slots open for anyone who wants to experience this shallow surface action first hand. The holiday season is just around the corner keep in mind we do offer gift certificates and if you are looking to take the family out fishing while they are in town, it is a good time to start planning your trip. You can book your trip online at www.stripersinc.com or give us a call at (903)815-1609. Like us and follow us on Facebook and Instagram and we appreciate your reviews on Google, Trip Advisor, and Yelp.

Your Lake Texoma Fishing Guide,
Brian Prichard
Stripers Inc. 
www.stripersinc.com

(903)815-1609