what would you do...

[Red]

so your a new this summer to bass fishing dude, you have been fishing stock tanks all summer long....now, this saturday you are going here....

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/limestone/

and again will be fishing from shore...what would you have tied on to start the day?  i know nothing about this lake other than what is on that link...but i guy i work with frequents it for cats, and tells me the bass fishing is great...any tips from all you guys to help make the hour drive worth it would be much appreciated!!!

i will be there by 7am hopefully and fish all day long

thanks!

Cliff

[ring fry]

I think I would start out on the north side at the bridge.  Looks like some public access there.  Can't really tell about vegitation, but start with either a black spook, buzzbait, or toad.  Then later, if you can, throw spinnerbaits, some kind of chrome and _______ trap, and shallow running cranks.  Finally go to senkos, baby brush hogs, ring fries in some kind of blue and/or watermelon red colors.  Never fished Limestone, but just going by what usually works down there this time of the year.  Hopefully someone that fishes it a lot can help you more.

Good Luck,

Ring Fry

[Guest avid]

Put on a pair of snake boots and find the knarliest shore cover around.

Put on a plastic worm and fish it till the cows come home.  

[basspro05]

I am not really familiar with Texas lakes, but it looks like a pretty shallow lake.  I would hit the creeks with a spinnerbait and a jig.  Look for grass and wood.  You may try some topwater early or if it is cloudy, fish a spook or a buzzbait.  Good luck!

[Red]

thanks for the tips guys, i will report back after my trip.....i went to walmart tonight to renew my fishing license and get a few things...i got plenty of shallow cranks, but no "minnow" baits so i bought an x-rap (XR-10 i think it is) and a minnow rap, some more gammy hooks, a pack of black horny toads, and zoom u-tale in watermelon red....with that and the stuff i already i had i feel i will be pretty well prepared....the weather is showing for nice day, up to 80 or so but very windy...15-25 and gusting a bit more.....i kinda had the same plan in mind that ring fry said...topwaters, then cranks/traps, then plastics...anyway i will let you know how it goes, thanks again

Cliff

[Red]

well, i have been avoiding this post all day, cuz today SUCKED!!!  i drove and hour out to this place...the public acess areas were crap...no real spots to fish from shore, no cover, sticks, grass nothing...the marina was even worse...i wont be going back there until i have a boat....ended up going back to the golf course where i normally go...caught 4 dinks in the first 10 casts or so...not even a nibble from there out...i tried everything, jigs, t-rig with several colors and sizes of baits...cranks deep and shallow, topwater, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, slashbaits, minnowbaits...everything in my dang box!!  so after a bunch of hours, a half a tank of gas, and four dinks from the place i didnt even plan to fish, i went home and took a nap...it was the highlight of my day

i keep hearing and reading how the fall is supposed to be great for fishing...i kinda want 98 degrees and bright sun back cuz i cant catch crap it seems now...anyway...it wasnt a total flop...i WAS fishing!!!

Cliff

[Bass XL]

couple lures to try:  chart./white spinnerbait, square billed crankbait, and a jerkbait (x-rap would be nice)

[Bass XL]

wow, i just read your last post, and it looks like i'm a litle late..sorry

[.dsaavedra.]

well, i have been avoiding this post all day, cuz today SUCKED!!! i drove and hour out to this place...the public acess areas were crap...no real spots to fish from shore, no cover, sticks, grass nothing...the marina was even worse...i wont be going back there until i have a boat....ended up going back to the golf course where i normally go...caught 4 dinks in the first 10 casts or so...not even a nibble from there out...i tried everything, jigs, t-rig with several colors and sizes of baits...cranks deep and shallow, topwater, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, slashbaits, minnowbaits...everything in my dang box!! so after a bunch of hours, a half a tank of gas, and four dinks from the place i didnt even plan to fish, i went home and took a nap...it was the highlight of my day

i keep hearing and reading how the fall is supposed to be great for fishing...i kinda want 98 degrees and bright sun back cuz i cant catch crap it seems now...anyway...it wasnt a total flop...i WAS fishing!!!

Cliff

dont worry, your not alone. i had the same kinda day today and i was fishing a stocked farm pond!!! i really hate big lakes. thers one big lake round here and i realy despise it. at least until i get some kind of sonar and a nicer boat where i can map the lake out.

[Red]

yeah i had a repeat of yesterday today...except i didnt waste a half a tank of gas...went to some private stock tanks...4 dinks...one on  a spinnerbait, three on a trap...blah!

Cliff

[jb_adams]

Hang with it Red!  The old saying goes...."A day spent fishing is better than a day at work".

I took a whole day off (paid vacation) last week and fished my local lake from sun-up to almost sun-down.  I even ate lunch on the water.  My lake has experienced an algae bloom and I believe it's caused the bass to go into a fall bite early and shut down early too.  For about two weeks, me and my partner were finding fish and catching some good fish too.  Now, it's hard to find fish and when you do, they won't bite anything.

I've finally found fish on off-shore humps, structure in the middle of the lake in 60-80ft of water (suspended at 30ft) and it's just impossible to fish a c-rig in something like that.  When they are suspended, you have to countdown and know how much like to feed a jig, dropshot, or something of that nature.  When you have to fish like that, it's for tournament money and not for fun in my opinion.

By the way, be carefull throwing crankbaits and other expensive baits from the shoreline.  Those Rapalas X-Raps are $7 a pop and you don't want to snag one on a stump if you can't retrieve it.  From a boat, you can get it back, from the shore, you've lost another bait.  Stick with plastics.  Your catch rate will be higher and you tackle box will stay full longer.  I bank fished for a long time and I hated loosing a spinnerbait, crankbait, etc.  Now I fish from a boat and I still loose baits but most of the time, I can get a bait back when fishing from a boat.

If you're having a lot of trouble catching any fish, try a finesse worm on a shakey head.  Motor oil is a great color for stained or clear water.  Sometimes muddy water too.  I've been getting a lot of nibbles on this lately.

[Davis]

I hear ya Red. Snow has come through the area as of late. Not really sticking to the ground too much. Small lakes and resevours are not freezing over either. BUT I'm done. Can't catch a darn thing and so I'm unspooling my reels tonight and cleaning everything up. Not as much fun when those temps go down. Maybe if I could get to the smallies it would be different. But the LMB bite is basically dead around here. Not going to fish for 6 hours again with only a bite to show for it. Right before the turnover the bite was ON around mid and end of October.........ever since.......not a darn thing.

[Red]

its not the $7 x-rap's i am worried about, it is my favorite, and only(at least until christmas) $15 lucky craft that i am worried about!!

[jb_adams]

its not the $7 x-rap's i am worried about, it is my favorite, and only(at least until christmas) $15 lucky craft that i am worried about!!

OUCH!

I'm nervous enough throwing one from a boat!  I'd keep that one in the box unless you know there is not a chance of snagging it on a tree or something underwater as a fish takes off with it.

Davis, I fish all year long.  This year, I may actually try to experiment with drop shot more and try some new techniques for catching fish in deeper water.  Why?  Determination!  I want to learn more about bass fishing and knowing how to catch them in the winter can help catch them in the spring, summer, and fall during cold fronts.

[Red]

i throw that crank more than any other i own...it has been my top producer this year...for size and numbers...i am hoping santa drops me off a few more this year, but in different colors, and with a side of sammy!

[jb_adams]

When I was a kid, I used to watch Hank Parker on TV.  I bought a Hank Parker Classic spinnerbait with my allowance.  One day in a big creek and the second cast, a good bass hit it and I set the hook.  The bass hung up on something and I lost my bait and the bass.  It really made me mad that I lost that bait since my allowance paid for that bait.  Ever sense then, I've lost many baits from the bank and every time, I get the same feeling.

Now, when I fish from a boat.  It's even worse!  NOTHING sucks worse than throwing a new War Eagle spinnerbait in your favorite color & on the 5th cast, the line snaps and the bait goes flying 50 yards away and sinks in about 60ft of water.  I guess I should have re-spooled with 15lb line because that 10lb YoZuri has made me loose about 3 War Eagles in the last two months.

By the way, I'm going to invest in a good magnet to retrieve dropped baits and gear.  Sounds logical anyay! ;D

So....my sympathy to you sir for fishing cranks from the bank.  They are not cheap and you can hang them up pretty often.

[Red]

now that i think about it, i havent lost any cranks this year, from hang ups anyway...i did lose a LC pointer...i was yakiin at my bud while tying it on...first cast....that sucker flew all the way across the tank and "never" laned...no water splash, no tree noises..it just...flew away...should have paid attention to the knot tying and not the BSing...oh well, one crank all summer aint bad i guess, especially since i threw them ALOT!