Fishing after Rain Event

[Brad in Texas]

We had a front punch through east Texas yesterday afternoon. It left behind about an inch of rain here on Lake Athens. So, with temperatures depressed to really comfortable levels from the earlier part of the day's mind-melting high 90s, I jumped in my Meyers Sportspal canoe and took off with a single rod/reel, some Keitech shad-like plastics and fished for a few hours.

 

Late afternoon fishing in the summer, in Texas (elsewhere, too!) is so very nice. I particularly like conditions when the sun has dropped down very low or the ambient light that remains for a while after sunset. Texas is windy but there is almost always a significant drop in wind right about the time. 

 

I ended up with 6 LMBs and 1 nice bluegill, not certain how that gill managed to grab the 4/0 hook I was using, but it did. One bass was in the 4 pound range, another in the 3 lbs. area, the others were the 1.5 to 2 pounders.

 

I used both the Shad Impact (soft jerk bait) and the Shad Easy Shiner (with the paddle tail) and both worked about the same. I just grabbed whatever fell into my hand when I plunged my hand down into my soft tackle bag.

 

Yes, I still GREATLY prefer a traditional worm hook with a straight shaft to either an offset or an EWG hook. I like the way the hook comes flying out of the plastic on a hook-set, the angle.

 

For me? I get most of my strikes on the fall, the others after I jerk the plastic a bit with a lifting motion so that it essentially re-falls over and over. My retrieval and depth is much closer to a T-Rigged worm than it is to the way most people fish swimbaits where they are fished faster and I guess a bit higher in the water column.

 

This has been a very good presentation all the way back to the pre-spawn months. I rarely have gone out and not caught a 5 bag limit with it.

 

Some pics!

 

Cheers!  Brad

 

 

[Brad in Texas]

Not quite as good tonight. I boated 3 LMBs in an hour or so of fishing going out in the late afternoon to avoid the heat again.

 

Again, I just really love the straight shanked worm hooks for solid hook-ups!
 

Brad

 

[TnRiver46]

Good looking healthy largemouths. On a side note, don’t let weathermen try to sucker you into using the phrase “rain event.” Our local weather folks have started doing that, drives me crazy hahaha. Rain event....... who are they kidding. In the morning I will hopefully have a waking up event and then a Fishing event 

[lonnie g]

nice fish , I love to come to texas and fish lake fork, you are correct in saying something peaceful and beautiful about fishing there, 

[Brad in Texas]

Lake Fork is legendary, of course. From where I am on Lake Athens, I can drive to 20 or so lakes, several within 20 minutes, others within an hour like Fork. Lake Palestine, Mill Creek Reservoir, Cedar Creek, Richland Chambers, Tawakoni, Tyler lakes (3), Neches River, Trinity River, Naconiche, Fairfield, Purtis Creek. Just a few.

 

Gary Yamamoto's (of Senko fame) private lakes are about 20 minutes away though I have never been there.

 

There aren't many places with as many great bass fisheries as east Texas, that is for sure.

 

Yep!  "Rain event" sounds, well, formal?  As I speak, it is getting ready to rain again.

 

I went out this morning, caught 3 but it seemed slower than usual.

 

One thing that has been happening over the last few days is some monsters down in the pads are grabbing my Keitech and taking off with great power. In 3 cases, these fish have lodged themselves in the stems of the lily pads and then tore off my hook. Different locations for each occurrence and I don't think these are bass. Could be good sized catfish and we have quite a few bowfin, some gar too. I think I'll carry out a rig with heavy braid and see what is up.

 

Brad

 

I have yet to see any of these fish, not a glimpse.