bighed

Great! Thanks

Anyone know what winter pool level is on Pickwick?

Just back from TB. Was there for a club tourney 3/2-3/4 then stayed for the BASS Central Regional 3/5-3/9 and wanted to return something to this thread after gleaning so much from it. For the club tourney found them biting well shallow with water temps at 63 mornings to 67 in the afternoon. Punching hay grass and flipping the brush with beavers would get you bit pretty regularly using sapphire in the muddy water and black light in clearer water. Picking up a spinnerbait or chatterbait in white would get you bit out in front of the brush. I stunk it up with poor results but my son Chad won with 19# on Saturday and 13# on Sunday in Hurricane. The Regional started Wednesday with cooling water temps around 59. My day 1 boater took us to Patroon (through very large waves) to flip brush which netted him 15# on 5 fish and 10# on my 3 fish. Day 2 boater took us to Housin flats which he struggled with a little but got me 11# for my best 3 caught on a Mattlures gill and a chatterbait. My day 3 boater took us out on the deep water next to Bass_Fanatic We got some good ones before the wind kicked up and we had to leave. Without that Ultrex fighting the waves became impossible. Get one! Finished out in Nagreet with 14# for my boater and only 7# for me on cranks deep and flipping shallow. All in all a very fun but exhausting trip on one of the greatest bass lakes in the world. Met some new friends and learned a lot. My three day weight allowed me to take the top Texas non boater spot and move on to the National which I hear is a pretty cool deal. If anybody is going in the coming days feel free to pm me and I’ll answer any questions I can. Bert

I’ll be there those same days!

Shane, PM sent

Shane, where are you now? I’ve been away from the forum for some time and just saw this. I’d be happy to take you to one of our North East Texas Lakes.

What color shad seemed to work best?

I'd like to encourage you to come on down and give it a try. Many, many fine bass lakes in the state although we lack much of the natural beauty you enjoy at home. Here's a couple my son and I got a couple weeks ago. Feel free to PM questions if you have any. Bert

Don't know if this is too late but.....mucho community and park ponds around that have great fishing. Pretty much bass in every pond around. Have him get on Google Earth and look around the area he will be visiting to see what he can find. Then drive to a few of the ponds and give them a look. If there are no signs saying for property owners only then give it a try. They will be on beds in ponds in the next couple of weeks. If you can give a more exact area he will be in I can help more.

Hate to hear that Mike. Hope all goes well and your back on your feet in a hurry!

What's the situation on grass in the lake this time around?

Booked into room 12 for 16th-19th. I hope to have my son along on this trip. See y'all soon!

That's great Felix!

Felix, I agree with those suggesting backing down the fishing a notch or two till it's fun again. I love the competition but after a dozen years of it I may sit next year out or at least throttle it back a bit. I think for me, picking and choosing when and where I go would be refreshing after so many years of going where the club goes. Imagine not having to get up at 3 am to drive 100 miles to fish a lake that's not all that on a cold rainy day with guys you are fishing against rather than with. How bout picking a nice refreshing morning on a lake you actually like that is fishing well? A good fishing buddy, as hard as they are to find, really adds to the experience for me. What if every fishing trip was like the Roadtrip? Fun, challenge, time in nature, fellowship, etc.. Pretty easy to get excited about!

Love this lake and the state park we stayed at a few years ago. I'll do my best to attend.