Lake Texoma Fishing Report :: The Right Place at the Right Time
Posted on August 9, 2023
With the hottest part of the summer setting in and children getting ready to head back to school, the lake traffic is finally slowing down. Often during this hottest part of the year, how many boats are on the water will be the deciding factor of whether the fish are going to bite or not. At this time the fish want to group up in large schools and work their way across the lake in a feeding frenzy while we chase after them with topwaters and slabs or with the fly rod while being careful not to break up the school as we are chasing them. Unless they are particularly aggressive that day, if there are too many boats running through the school, the fish will breakup and scatter. In the last couple of weeks I've been seeing a lot fewer boats and we have been experiencing some incredible fishing practically all to ourselves. The weekends though have still been crowded which is apparent in how well the fish feed and can sometimes be a real struggle to catch fish if the they aren't too aggressive that day. Each day on the water is certainly an adventure, you never know what to expect. The fish will get into a pattern where they show up in the same area each morning and work their way in the same path across the lake, then after a few days, word spreads that this pattern has developed so one morning a lot of boats will show up there expecting the fish to continue this pattern, however after waiting around we discover the fish have disappeared and moved to a different area of the lake. Every morning we roll the dice and decide where we think the fish are going to show up, usually we go where the fish were yesterday and hope for the best but if I know it is going to be crowded in that area I might try something different. Then we wait for the sun to rise and the fish to begin to feed, if they are there usually they are feeding by the time the sun rises but sometimes it is a bit later so you are always questioning your decisions as to whether to hold your cards and wait out the fish to start biting where you are at or to fold them and go search out where the fish have gone. Being successful is all about putting yourself in the right place at the right time and sometimes it is a scramble to get there.
Once we find the fish they may be blowing up on the surface or they are grouped up in thick schools below the surface or they may be doing both. One day slabs will be the only way I catch fish and the next topwaters are the best way to catch them, I'm always prepared to use either or and we are often switching back and forth throughout the trip. Often I'll have a couple of people casting topwaters and a couple of others dropping slabs off the side of the boat and everyone is catching fish, or there may be someone fly fishing in the front of the boat while everyone else is in the back casting topwaters and dropping down slabs. It is nice when the fish are biting well enough that you can catch them with whatever method you enjoy the most.
We have had a great topwater bite happening all summer which has made for some excellent fly fishing. Though the pattern will begin to shift, the topwater action should last througfh the end of October. As we get our first good cold fronts of the year, the fish will start moving into the shallows to enjoy the cooler temperatures. Some days they are blowing up on the surface and will tell you where they are and others you just have to guess where they are at and blind cast for them. I really prefer the blind casting as it doesn't attract every boat in the area to come over to where you are at which enables the bite to last much longer. This time from around the end of August through the first part of November is when we catch some of our biggest fish on topwater and on the fly. Book early and come during the week to make sure you have the best opportunity to enjoy a good bite.
Now that the boats are beginning to clear out, we are just getting into the best part of the year to come fishing when the lake is less crowded, the weather is nice, and the fishing is good. You can book your trip online at www.stripersinc.com or give me a call at (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,
Your lake Texoma Striper Fishing Guide,
Brian Prichard
Stripers Inc.
(903)815-1609
