Fishing Articles

How to Catch and Keep Shad Alive

Catching shad is just like catching any other fish, by that I mean they follow patterns just like other fish do so learning to pattern them will greatly improve your chances of catching them, but like other fish they are sometimes hard to locate. I will break this article down into seasonal patterns that will give you the basics on how to locate gizzard and threadfin shad and I will also give some great information on how to keep them alive. Hopefully you already know how to throw a cast net but if not there is already a lot of info on the internet about that subject. Spring Early spring is up and down with the weather but shad can be caught every day of the year. I like to catch bait in the late afternoon this time of year and keep them over night. Shad are easier to catch ...

Spring Time Stripers on Top at Lake Texoma

  Catching striper on topwater lures on Lake Texoma is my favorite. I like to catch stripers on jigs, slabs, and even live bait, but nothing compares to watching your favorite topwater lure get creamed by a hungry striper. I love that feeling when you are working a topwater lure and you know that at any moment a fish will blow up on it. If you have ever caught stripers on top you know what I am talking about and if not it is something you should try. Here is a very simple pattern for catching Texoma stripers on top. Equipment: I use a 6'6 0r 7' med action rod and you don't want anything that is to heavy because working a topwater bait can require a lot of rod action and a heavy rod will wear you out. A graphite rod is usually lighter than a fiberglass rod but ...

Big River Blue Catfish-Texas Style

I have always had a fascination with catching big trophy catfish. There are probably more myths and legends about giant catfish than there are about "Bigfoot". Every fisherman has heard tales about giant catfish, but I will leave the myths, legends and other assorted fairy tales to the more talented writers and focus on what works for me when it comes to the real world of consistently catching large Blue Catfish on rod and reel. Fish the Right Waters and Use Strong Fishing Equipment First, I concentrate only on rivers for big cats because it is much easier to locate big fish. Second, equipment is crucial -- cheap, wimpy fishing rigs can't land big catfish. Rods should be 7 to 8 foot in length, medium to heavy action and rated for 25 to 30 lb line. Reels should be sturdy and hold plenty of heavy test line. I personally prefer ...

Lake Texoma striper fishing changes with the seasons

Spring In the early spring striper move into shallow water on flats, points, and windblown banks and can be caught with live bait, cut bait, jigs, and swim baits fished slow. Around the first of April mature fish swim up the Red River and Washita river to spawn and usually don’t return to the main lake till about the second week of May. Lake Texoma striper fishing really heats up about the last week of April when the water temp approaches 70 degrees, live bait is best but some years the top water bite is really good from late April to late May. By mid May most fish are stacked up on ledges and humps and live bait is king but by the end of June young of the year shad are about a inch long and the fish school up every morning and make a run gorging on the ...