What would you do?

[Brian_Reeves]

Under the following conditions knowing only the following, what baits would you throw?

Tackle:  4 rod/reel combos

Weather:  70-80degrees, calm wind, early morning

Water: Ultra clear, 75degrees

Lake: Texas Reservoir, Rocky points, submerged timber on flats and humps, bluffs, river tributary (muddy water), shallow and deep hydrilla beds

Under all of the conditions I've fished, this seems to be the most challenging.  I prefer stained water that is no deeper than 15-20ft on natural lakes.  

Facing the exact same scenario listed above, how would you approach the lake, attempt to pattern it, and what kinds of baits would you throw?

My "insight"

Patternizing-work points and bluffs with crankbaits, rat-l-traps, jerkbaits, and carolina or texas rigs.  Move from the points and bluffs into the timber and/or hydrilla beds and work weedlines, pockets, and intersections.

Baits of choice-Shallow/med/deep crankbaits or jerkbaits in either bluegill or shad colors.  Rat-L-Trap in Crawfish or shad colors.  Green or brown jigs with grub trailers.  Soft plastic jerkbaits in green or brown.  Worms or creature baits in junebug, dark green, or blue.

What would you do?

[tbird]

Sounds like Stillhouse Hollow. Try the hydrilla bed edges in 12'-15' with a CR and a 5" w/melon Yum Dinger.. Some of the better weeds  are close to the river.

[cart7t]

Where there's Hydrilla there's bass.  That would be the first place I'd look and probably spend a lot of time there.

[Brian_Reeves]

It is stillhouse  Finding the hydrilla bass is my main concern because I can't get them to hook up.  Any reccomendations for search baits when the bass are in that garbage?  I know that jigs are a good choice, but I can't seem to get color/trailer/size put together right.  Hydrilla is my ultimate weakness because I've never fished it until last year.  As far as the C-Rig Dinger/Senko/Tiki Stick, how long of a leader and how heavy is the weight?  Is the focus to hop along the top of the hydrilla or bust through it?  Thanks guys

[lubina]

The hydrilla will also be my first target. In addition to your plan, I will do 2 things.

1) small profile spinnerbait, 1/4 short arm, tandem willow, in white or shad color.

2) 4" Senko in smoke with purple laminate ( 927), weightless or if you need, split-shot with 1/32-1/16. This works for me very well in clear waters, it has a clear belly on a bluish darker back, make him look like bait fish when he is falling down.

My .02

[tbird]

On Stillhouse I will use a 1/4 oz sinker with my Yum Dinger or sometimes 3/8oz  , leader length is usually 2'. A CR is a good search bait try it you may be suprised . I usually move around quite a bit on the outside edges of the hydryllia as the fish sometimes are hard to locate but sooner or later you will hit the jackpot .Stillhouse has a lot of irregular weed lines that meander in and out and you have to follow them with your depthfinder Also try Ratl Taps and a DT-6.A heavy jig is better in the summer when the hydrilla is up off the bottom and you need to punch through.

[Brian_Reeves]

Tbird, why so light of a weight on that C-Rig?  Are you trying to stay on top of the grass or work the actual breaks and weedlines in the hydrilla?  We generally use a 3/4 or 1/2 brass sinker, but I've never tried anything else.  It seems to produce, but I'm all for trying to break my hydrilla curse.  

Also on the crankbait, I've never tried the DT series (yet) but I've noticed that most of the deep water hydrilla stops growing about 8-12 ft from the surface.  I was thinking about a DT-10 to skim right over that 12 ft stuff.  Ever try that or is it better to use one of the shallower crankbaits?  I usually use a oddball colored Bomber that dives 10-12 and have had pretty good luck with that, but once again, I really haven't deviated from the few things I found that kinda work.  

I really appreciate all this advice too!  By the way, did you fish that Buffalo Bill's Bar and Grill tournament on the 23rd (sunday)?  If so, what was the winning stringer?  My buddy and I weren't in the tournament but we put about 11-12lbs in the boat that day.  Just wanted to see how we would have held up.  Thanks!

[Matt Fly]

Since alot of Tx is post spawn, I keep the ditches and travel routes in mind when locating fish.

bass don't just move back to summer haunts, they will stay in that area for 2-4 weeks to recover.

The shallows are were the shad, minnows, perch, and fresh hatch is found. Target the prestaging areas you did before spawn.

Flukes and other baits that mimic the types of bait in the shallows will work all day. Cranks and spinners are also prime baits with the standard topwater bite exploding across Tx.

Brim had the first chance to raid the basses roe, now its role reversal time, and the bass will feed on the brim beds that are fixing to erupt across Tx.

This would be an excellent time to throw something like Mattlures baby bluegill or something similar in blue gill patterns.

Watermelon candy is a good color for this time of year.

[Bassbum80]

We just fished a similar resevoir and the main lake points was were the big ones were at. anytime we went more than 1/4 the way into a cove, the bite stopped. Silver & blue Ratl Traps & White spinnerbaits w/ tandem willow blades were the way to go there. 8-12 feet deep on these points was where they were.

[Guest avid]

I would probably do the following to start off.

Fish a finesse worm

fish a jig

fish a ratltrap

fish a popper.

I use 4 rods whenever I go fishing and sooner or later one of the above 4 will start catching them. At some point it's pretty certain a horny toad, a chatterbait, and a minnow type bait (rogue, pointer, etc.)  will find their way on one of the rods.  If it's a really tough day, count on a senko, fat ika and super fluke being added to the mix.  If the wind kicks up and some clouds roll in add a spinnerbait.

And now, I'm starting to get some skill with a shaky head worm.  So that will probably go on as well.

By the way, I use this pattern anywhere and everywhere and seem to catch fish.

[tbird]

Brian to answer your question on the 1/4 oz weight sometimes the fish will move off the edge of the hydrilla and move shallower ,a 3/8 or 1/2 oz bait thrown into the interior will just ball up with hydrilla but the 1/4 oz will not punch through. The DT-10 shad color is also an excellent bait for Stillhouse . Not all the grass is 10' to 12' down and that is when I throw a DT-6. Sorry I didn't fish the Buffalo Bills tourney but would be interested on seeing if anyone else did. Good Fishing !

[Guest bigtex]

The baits that I would throw would be...

1.)  Torpedo

2.)  Skitter pop

3.)  Jigs with trailers

Make long throws and bring back slowly.  They may be suspending so you will have to give them time to react to the bait, or calling them up to the bait.

[Brian_Reeves]

I've had limited success on topwaters on Stillhouse which is a shame.  To me, there is no better way to fish.  That is the MOST fun.  Granted, they sometimes work, but definitely not as often as required to be competitive in any tournaments out there.  I already lost one tournament by putting too much faith in a topwater.  Never again...but if the strike is there it's there.  

Jigs seem to be kinda weird out there.  Short of dropping it off the side of the boat into the hydrilla and trolling around like you're looking for Blue Marlin, there isn't that much to pitch and flip at, plus the water is so derned clear you can't get into pitching range without losing stealth.  Long sidearm casts seem to be the trick of the day, and those aren't really stealthy either.  I completely agree with a jig though.  I keep one tied on, though I've had NO success on them in stillhouse.  I know that's user error though.

Ratltraps are a good choice.  We've started having success since we slowed them down instead of trying to set new speed records for shad.  I haven't given them the honest chance they deserve ever since I caught a leather glove on one.  I really need to dial the colors/size on those things down and give them another chance.  There can't be all that many gloves in the water.

I'm definitely going to have to try carolina rigging with smaller weights and these finesse worms.  I hate finesse fishing, but if it works, it works.  And if it's working, I probably can stop hating it for awhile  

[Bankbeater]

I would start by making long casts around the hydrilla with a chrome/blue 1/2 ounce rat-l-trap.

[alhuff]

that was my bestest place to fish when i was stationed at Hood.  I loved that lake.

if i was fishing the grass beds i would have to start with a topwater and then move onto jerkbaits, shallow running cranks...

i do miss stillhouse

Alfred

[Brian_Reeves]

Stillhouse is a good lake.  At first, it broke me down but it's constantly building me back up now.  It's a tough lake to fish until you figure out it's quirks and moods.  But when you do, it can be awesome.  It's my favorite around here.