Clear water fishing

[Dponchay]

This week I went fishing at Garner State Park in Hill Country. I just wanted to post a couple of things I learned as well as ask a couple of questions. Sorry in advance if this is in the wrong topic.

 

Observations and lessons learned:

1. In crystal clear water you can see some bass, but they are still pretty camouflaged.

2. Where there is one bass, there are more! When I hooked up with one decent sized fish, two or three bigger ones swarmed in and joined the commotion every time.

3. Just because the bass aren't biting doesn't mean they aren't there. More often than not, I had several fish eyeing my lure. They would follow it but just not commit.

Questions:

1. When I was fishing, I was using a light spinning reel with 4 lb test. I was successful with a strike king itsybitsy crankbait. I had several follow my rebel mini-craw but only a couple of bluegill took the bait (haha get it?). I tried to dropshot and texas rig, but the rocky bottom caused more frustration than success. I focused mostly casting weightless plastics my most successful was the Grandebass Mini Rattlesnakes. I let them stay at the bottom for a bit while bass eyed them and swam away. I twitched them, dragged them, and even swam them with the same results numerous times. Sometimes the bass would ever seem spooked from these movements. What is it that I am doing or need to do differently to avoid spooking the bass and get them to actually bite instead of following and just turning around? This seemed to always be the case for the bigger guys you could see form a distance.

 

Just to note, I did catch about a dozen or so bass and did enjoy my time. I am just curious as to how to get the more finicky bigger ones that I could see floating around.

 

   

 

 

 Not the biggest fish I caught, but definitely the best looking. I didn't take my phone out again as I was wading pretty deep in some parts or the river and didn't want to mess my phone up even more.

 

 

 

 

[Scott F]

A good rule of thumb is that if you can see the bass, they can see you. Especially in clear water. For more success, stay back as far as you can from your target. In open water, make as long a cast as you can. Staying low, and being stealthy while bank fishing is also important to keep from spooking the fish.

[Further North]

1 hour ago, Dponchay said:

In crystal clear water you can see some bass, but they are still pretty camouflaged.

Two thoughts for spotting them:

1. Look for shadows.  Particularly on bright days, they will be high contrast and often easier to spot than the fish.
2. Look for Horizontal.  Not much in nature is truly horizontal and it can help you cut down the number of things you have to look at to figure out if what you're looking at is a fish.

 

Staying camouflaged if they can see you:

1. Keep your shadow off the water if you can.  Nothing good happens to fish from above.
2. Wear clothing that matches the background.  If you're on a boat against a blue sky...wear a blue shirt...if it's cloudy, wear grey...if you're bank fishing, green/brown.

[Airman4754]

3 minutes ago, Further North said:

Two thoughts for spotting them:

1. Look for shadows.  Particularly on bright days, they will be high contrast and often easier to spot than the fish.
2. Look for Horizontal.  Not much in nature is truly horizontal and it can help you cut down the number of things you have to look at to figure out if what you're looking at is a fish.
    

 

Also don't look for them, if that makes sense. Just lock your eyes onto an area and don't move them. The slightest movements or color changes will jump out to you. It's like those optical illusion things. You don't see the hidden picture if you are looking for it.

[Further North]

Just now, Mosster47 said:

 

Also don't look for them, if that makes sense. Just lock your eyes onto an area and don't move them. The slightest movements or color changes will jump out to you. It's like those optical illusion things. You don't see the hidden picture if you are looking for it.

Yup.  The sides of our eyes are better suited for detecting motion than the centers.

[WRB]

Fishing a clear water stream is different then a clear water lake, no deep water for the bass to hide in. Shad and the deepest slowest moving water is where the bigger bass should be. 

Looking at the sandy tan colored bottom the crawdads will be a coloration. I would use a 1/6 to 3/32 oz mojo weight slip shot rigged 10" above the soft plastic with small 3" reapers or 4 1/2" curl tail Roboworms. Hook Owner 5133 size 1 using your tackle.

Colors for the soft plastics would be cinnamon with blue neon (BISP) and oxblood with red flake.

Beetle spin would be a good choice for moving lure.

The bass in this stream survive by not being seen by predator birds or animals....or you.

Tom

[Looking for the big one]

44 minutes ago, WRB said:

Fishing a clear water stream is different then a clear water lake, no deep water for the bass to hide in. Shad and the deepest slowest moving water is where the bigger bass should be. 

Looking at the sandy tan colored bottom the crawdads will be a coloration. I would use a 1/6 to 3/32 oz mojo weight slip shot rigged 10" above the soft plastic with small 3" reapers or 4 1/2" curl tail Roboworms. Hook Owner 5133 size 1 using your tackle.

Colors for the soft plastics would be cinnamon with blue neon (BISP) and oxblood with red flake.

Beetle spin would be a good choice for moving lure.

The bass in this stream survive by not being seen by predator birds or animals....or you.

Tom

 

Good suggestions here. I’d also add a very small spider jig like the Cabin Creek Salty spider in some sort of a cinnamon or light brown color. I’ve had success in streams like this one with a 3” Senko wacky rigged. 

[Dponchay]

Thanks for the suggestions! Luckily I only happen to own one "fishing" shirt that happens to be gray. Glad it was overcast! WRB you are actually spot on with the big ones being in the deep. Close to the dam I happened to see a LUNKER shoot under my kayak at about 12 or 15 feet deep. This guy must have been 8 or 10lbs! This section of the river seems pretty popular for fishermen and swimmers alike. What would be the best tactic to try and pull this guy out of the water?

[Scott F]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

Fishing a clear water stream is different then a clear water lake, no deep water for the bass to hide in. Shad and the deepest slowest moving water is where the bigger bass should be. 

The biggest bass may be in the deepest, slowest moving water but if they are, chances are they are inactive and not feeding. If you are trying to catch the biggest bass in a stream, fish NEAR deep water, next to fast current. That's where you'll find active feeding bass.

[WRB]

If the bass in this hill country Texas stream are Gaudalupe bass or Spotted bass then current could be where they are active feeding, Largrmouth prefers slower moving water.

We are talking about 1' verse 5' depths.

Tom

[Catt]

Frio River?

 

I don't get to excited about bass seeing me as long as I'm not making sudden movements. As for clothing, light colored browns, greys, greens, & even blues.

 

What ya may wanna throw, topwater lures; I've had success with clear Pop R's, Tiny Torpedoes, & translucent green frogs. Clear water can be difficult to fish so the topwater aspect provides an advantage.

[Dponchay]

Yes, it was the Frio. Unfortunately I only brought a little rebel popr. I did see quite a few topwater hits while wading though. Next time I will try to bring a couple more to see if that helps. For you guys familiar with this area, are there any more places similar to the Frio without as many tubers present? I had a blast there and would like to go back on a weekend without having to worry about a million people going down the river and without having to worry about the park being closed due to capacity issues. Thanks in advance for the recommendations! Also, changing the topic slightly, where do San Antonions go for bass fishing? I have been to Brauning several times with no luck on my kayak. I typically go to Medina Lake with the best results. Where else do you guys recommend?

[WRB]

14 hours ago, Dponchay said:

Thanks for the suggestions! Luckily I only happen to own one "fishing" shirt that happens to be gray. Glad it was overcast! WRB you are actually spot on with the big ones being in the deep. Close to the dam I happened to see a LUNKER shoot under my kayak at about 12 or 15 feet deep. This guy must have been 8 or 10lbs! This section of the river seems pretty popular for fishermen and swimmers alike. What would be the best tactic to try and pull this guy out of the water?

Kayak on the lake feed by the stream, then fish it like any other lake with clear water. Finesse presentations and light line.

Dams offer a wide verity of prey types nearly everything will be located there and the deep water offers sanctuary for the adult size bass.

Lures depend on your tackle, what do you use?

Tom

[Dponchay]

I have a few options. I have an ultralight spinning set up with 2lb test, a light with 4 lb, and a medium with braid and a mono leader. I also have a few different baitcasting setups in medium to medium heavy with everything from 10lb test to 40lb braid.

[Catt]

Millers Pond, San Antonio. Bank fishing access; no boats or swimming.

 Espada Park Lake, San Antonio. 

South Side Lions Park Pond, San Antonio.

Braunig Lake, San Antonio. Calaveras Lake, San Antonio. Brackenridge Park, San Antonio River

Live Oak City Lake Live Oak

Lake Dunlap

New Braunfels

[Armtx77]

That is a good looking spot! That bottom would have me looking at brown/cinnamon colored lures. I would start off with some type on inline spinner(I roll Rooster Tails) with a copper or bronze blade.

 

Look for those deep holes and sharp bank turns. Fish dont need much of an obstruction in the current either. I have caught dozens of fish, with their nose hiding behind a broomstick sized stick and nothing else in sight.

 

The nice thing about wade fishing, is that I pay more attention. Im not looking for just the Bass Hotels. A lot of effort is exerted, staying stealthily quiet while wading. Im casting at everynook and cranny I can get to.

[Dponchay]

Armtx77, that was the first time I have ever fished like that. It was quite fun trying to stay as quiet and sometimes as still as possible. It definitely added a different element to fishing for me. The downside is I am a clumsy individual. I would be lying if I said I didn't trip and roll over rocks making a commotion on more than one ocassion.