Lake Texoma Fishing Report :: Happy New Year
Posted on January 7, 2021 What better way to start out 2021 than reeling in big stripers on Lake Texoma. Saturday Jan 2 we had ideal weather conditions with an overcast, light winds, and feeding fish. We found the fish schooled up in big schools under the birds in deep water and they were hungry. Fish were caught dead sticking pink flukes and casting glow sassy shad swim baits. I was glad to find the fish feeding Saturday but even when they are not actively feeding we will find them in winter structure pattern and work sassy shad swim baits along the points and ledges in 15-30 ft. of water. Being adaptable is the key, and having the ability to shift your approach to what the fish are wanting that day.
Striped bass, what we call a striper, is native to the east coast. They are an anadromous fish, meaning they spend their adult lives and salt water and travel up the freshwater tributaries to spawn. But unlike salmon, stripers will spawn every year after they reach sexual maturity whereas a salmon will only spawn once in their lifetime. Lake Texoma has the perfect conditions to allow for stripers to spawn naturally, making it one of four lakes in the US to harbor a self-sustaining population of striped bass. This means that we have been blessed with an incredible abundance of stripers here on Lake Texoma and it has enabled a liberal limit of 10 fish per person to be set compared to the 5 fish limit on other Lakes.
Stripers are excellent table fare. One of my most often asked questions is how do I like to cook them. Blackening is probably my favorite, sprinkled with a good blackening seasoning and then seared in a iron skillet with extra virgin coconut oil, its good eats! We also like to make striper patties, just substitute striper in your favorite salmon patty recipe. Sometimes we use the heads and backbones to make fish stock, we've made striper sushi, and striper poke bowls which are excellent, and we've even made a striper bisque which I really enjoyed. They are very versatile and can be cooked anyway other fish is cooked but however you choose to cook them it is best to soak them in a salt and sugar brine. The brine really improves the quality as well as the texture of the meat and makes a world of difference in the end result.
Winter is an excellent time to catch big fish, Saturday we caught several in the 6-8 pound range and had to release most of them as they were almost all over 20”, which is a good problem to have. The best days to catch them are on the nastiest days when it is cloudy and misty or even snowing with light winds. A big striper pulling drag is a quick cure for that winter cabin fever after all. Though we do still catch fish on those beautiful bluebird days too and if that is what you prefer we will certainly make it happen. Sometimes we just have to work a little harder to make them bite but we always bring home a mess of fish. I'm flexible this time of the year if you want to plan your trip last minute according to the weather that's no problem. Feel free to reserve your trip online at www.stripersinc.com or give me a call at (903)815-1609 and I'll get you setup.
Your Lake Texoma Fishing Guide,
Brian Prichard
Stripers Inc.
www.stripersinc.com
(903)815-1609