Lake Travis Marinas Another little tip for you to go along with this if they bite is tough when you are out on the water, try downsizing baits. As the Crown Jewel of the Central Texas Highland Lakes, Lake Travis is THE most visited freshwater recreational vacation destination in the state. I have seen water clarity as good at 12 feet on the lower end. Water clarity is still very good, Lake Travis is known for being very clear, but at the present time can be a bit more cloudy in some areas depending on the wind. A Strike King 6XD or 10XD, depending on the depth, is a great bait to cover water and get down to these schools of fish. I like to fish this bait with the same cadence I do a jerkbait, when the bait gets out further from shore where it is deeper I like to give it a long pause to let it get closer to the bottom. The bass fishing on Lake Travis has been great, and will only continue to get better throughout April! Currently water clarity throughout the lake is a bit stained, the lower end by Mansfield Dam is still quite clear, but not by our usual standards. March and April are historically some of the best months to fish Lake Travis. 1. In other news, theres been some big changes at Torwicks Guiding Service! If you follow me on social media you probably have noticed a lot of posts from Lake Travis. I would place a premium on water quality. Its the season of the spawn, the best time of year for the average fisherman to catch a not-so-average bass on Lake Travis. bass start Water clarity is very good right now, 4-8 feet depending on where on the lake youre at. Go with as light of a weight as you can and still feel the bottom. A football jig or a Texas rigged craw will also work extremely well. Pets are allowed on the patio. I offer what I call a coaching trip. This massive body of water is the largest of the Highland Lakes and stretches out for over 60 miles. Torwicks Guiding Service is a full time licensed and insured fishing charter and specializing in guiding on Lake Travis. . For those of you with a boat headed out to the lake, consider checking out my Honey Hole Reports. They also prefer low light conditions to feed. Water clarity is the typical Travis gin clear water; 8-12 foot visibility on the lower end of the lake is pretty normal. Water clarity is the typical gin clear Lake Travis. A low-density striped bass fishery is available The fish have moved a little since the flooding several weeks ago but we are still coming across some really nice ones. Mansfield Dam Park is at the bottom of the lake at Hudson Bend. The deepest lake near Lubbock is Buffalo Springs Lake, with a maximum depth of 52 feet. The second, to fish for bass that are using staging locations. Related Links: Its quiet, theres less boat traffic, and oftentimes I find myself in sort of a meditative state. I like this bait since I can cover a lot of water quickly and the strikes tend to be very aggressive. And dont forget about the night time striper fishing this time of year. As it gets colder later in the year, you may consider pausing it longer. For this set up I typically throw a 3/8th ounce tungsten bullet weight and a Rage Craw or Zoom speed craw. Many large creeks enter the lake and hold Its mainly about how high in the water column the fish are positioned and their level of activity. It was 71 degrees across most of the lake this past week, but expect that to keep slowly going down as we get further into fall. Areas with a lot of rock attract the fish as it provides habitat as well as hold forage they feed on. Patrick Ireland, Biologist, State Map can be deadly for both numbers and quality-sized largemouth bass. As a general rule, Strategy 1 should produce more frequent bites While Strategy 2 should draw a larger bite. This current can be regulated by the dam and or resultant from the prevailing wind moving through. Texas rigged craw style plastics work well too, but a personal preference of mine is a jig. Be focused on creek channels, or the river beds at the bottom of the lake. Ill take 100 degree temps over snow any day. Now, it has countless kinds of recreation these types of as boating, fishing, lakeside parks, zip strains, waterparks, swimming, and far more! While the fish arent out on the deepest structure in the lake, they have made a significant move to the 1st major break. I promise you a slower presentation for the next month will get you more bites. Stay cool, and tight lines. During the fall there are several baits I always keep tied on, but to keep this short I will focus on three main baits. A small spoon or swimbait works well to target these fish. Bites will be subtle but typically theyll feel like one light thump. Instead, we have been targeting grass edges and shallow sloping rocky banks close to spawning areas. I want to keep my bait in that 20-35 foot depth range. While not the species I normally guide for, I love catching them as theyre hard fighters and are great for clients who want to keep their catch. Do not expect to get bit on your first cast by any means. A tip with the Carolina Rig, normally I run them with a heavy sliding sinker to get them to the bottom quickly. If you are not seeing any baitfish activity, keep moving. Long accurate casts are the key to catching these fish. Stay cool and tight lines! The bites can be very very subtle. While the bite this time of year can be a little more hit or miss, if you put in the work you can still have some very rewarding days on the water! One of the challenges of fishing Lake Travis is learning the lake at various lake levels. (i.e. Most people visit to boat, swim, dive, and fish. Now that you know where to start your search lets talk about what bait to throw. Boat traffic is at an all time high, especially on weekends which can also be detrimental to the bite. There are a variety of baits I throw but especially jigs, dropshots, ned rigs, and neko rigs. Hippie Hollow Park. These baits stay deep where the fish are, but will make bottom contact while moving to try and draw a reaction strike. From scuba diving to jet skiing, there are lots of water sports to enjoy on this lake. You can catch some up shallow in spurts and a few decent ones out deep with really slow presentations using jigs, t-rig worms and shaky heads. Do you fish Lake Travis often but unsure where to fish? The fishing on Lake Travis has been exceptional the past month! Once you have located an area with fish, I recommend either fishing very very slow, or rather quickly. Lately the weather has been all over the place with cold fronts and stretches of warm weather. Occasionally you will come across small schools of suspended bass. of Sandy Creek. Travis - Weekly Fishing Reports - TPWD - Texas Parks & Wildlife Department The big difference between a productive bank, and one that will only produce a few bites is structure. Houses are less than one hundred yards away from the beach and lakehouse. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I recommend starting off with a small profile shad colored crankbait, a 4 paddle tail swimbait rigged weedless, or a Alabama Rig with small 3-4 paddle tail swimbaits. This is favorable to them and directly relates to the places they live during these colder months. If you have a boat and fish Lake Travis on your own, consider checking out my Honey Hole Reports. Its February and you know what that means! Anglers can catch We just happened to pull up on the right school of fish at the right time feeding. Most weekdays we have the lake to myself aside from a few dock builders boats. When fishing this make sure to give it the occasional long pause in order to make sure you are staying in contact with the bottom. I hope these tips help you catch more fish! Jun 14, 2023 GOOD. A 1/16 oz weighted hook and a watermelon/red fluke has been producing great numbers and an occasional big bass on the lake. A bass eggs will not hatch until the water temps are in the low 60s. Currently there are three patterns that I am focusing on to catch the majority of our fish. With boating season upon us, I often get questions about the Lake Levels that we show during the weathercast. On cold bluebird sky days you really need to force yourself to slow down and give your bait long pauses. Just because you can see exposed . I recommend a ounce football jig in light brown with some orange accents, a Zoom Speed craw, 6th Sense Stroker Craw, or a Strike King Rage Craw are all excellent trailer options. A deep crankbait and a Carolina rig with a fluke are two things I like to throw through the schools to fire them up. This is exactly how the lake was designed to operategoing up during rainy times to hold water for use during drier times., 681 feet msl Until then, get out there on the water and keep fishing! Fall is finally here and the water temps are down into the mid 70s and will continue to get colder with these shorter days and chillier nights. You want to look for structure where they can move to to position themselves to ambush prey. Coves with creek channel bends, or banks with rocky veins and drop offs will be a good place to start your search for bass. Over 1,000 species of fish inhabit the lake's ecosystem. If I may offer one suggestion once you catch a fish off a bed, take a quick photo if you desire, but get them back into the water ASAP. If they're not in the store you can often find them out and about on Lake Travis, on an island exploring the underwater world or learning more about the ocean! 3. To prevent snagging those I like this way of rigging my swimbaits. Good luck and I hope to see you out there on the water! Little tip on schooling fish: When you find a school of bass with your livescope they are almost always on the move. Get on your trolling motor and quietly move around docks up inside the coves looking for white spots on the bottom. The slow enticing fall of a senko can be deadly even though it is not shaped like a bass. For live-bait Concrete, large rocks, tires, and black dock floats all hold heat the best. As far as baits go, I recommend a dropshot with a small straight tail worm such as a Roboworm, a Texas rig with a curl tail power worm, or a Carolina rig with a creature bait such as a lizard or baby brush hog. They dont hold baitfish, they dont provide habitat, and they are not good ambush points for the fish. While the shad pattern is very popular to fish this time of year, imitating crawfish can also produce some nice fish! Here in Austin we are fortunate to not have to winterize our boats, and can use them pretty much year around. When a thermocline is present fish will go as deep as the can without going below it. I guarantee youll notice there are small ledges made up or rock with usually 10-20 feet of gravel and small chunk rock above or below those veins of rock. For those of you new to Lake Travis, the lake is around 65 miles long. Bass want to build their nests in places they feel safe and protected. Repeated casts to high percentage targets, fishing quick, and rotating baits often will also help get you more bites. Its the same underwater this is what I am referring to, so look for this type of bank! With that said, there have been a few particular colors lately that are working best. Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is one of the largest lakes in South America, bordering Bolivia . 505 Staples Road work well If I am targeting a little better grade of fish, I like to throw a Texas rigged senko. 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. Currently with the water still just below that temperature needed for the shad to spawn, the bass in Lake Travis are post-spawn. These fishing reports are different from the free reports you get here! Target the same areas discussed above, just a little further off the bank. A Heddon Zara Spook- A bone colored spook is one of my favorite topwater baits. Not all marinas are created equal, but certain ones are holding large schools of baitfish, which attracts predator fish such as largemouth bass and white bass. On days when we have some wind and cloud cover you can catch fish on moving baits like spinner baits and topwaters. I fish it kind of as a combination of how I fish the morning and mid day bite. Generally the very first dock, closest to the mouth of the cove will be the best. Upstream, the lake becomes shallower.To figure out how deep Travis is near the dam, you only need to know two numbersthe level of Lake Travis and the level of Lake Austin. Fish this rig slowly through the grass, the key is to not overwork your bait and fish it too aggressively. I stick with a 3.8 fat swing impact of a 4 inch Easy Shiner in shad colors. With that winter storm bringing abnormally low air temps and lots of ice and snow, that has delayed this. For my coaching trips I like to approach the trip as if we were practicing for a fishing tournament. Another bait I throw is a or ounce football jig in brown/ black. If interested in booking a guided fishing trip, please visit my website www.torwicksguidingservice.com. Topwater Baits: a chrome pop-r or bone colored spook are great topwater options that will allow you to cover a lot of water. This year they have been in the mid 50s with exception of right after that last winter storm we had. When they move offshore they usually are not super active even though they are schooled up. Impounded: 1942, Current Lake Level I will typically start with a search bait such as a crankbait, then gauge their interest in it. Choose a bait that will get down to the depth the fish are at, oftentimes bottom contact is key to getting these fish to bite. Too often I see clients fishing the jig very fast, lifting it off the bottom quickly and practically swimming it back to the boat. Once you see water temps get above 58 degrees give or take, you will see what is referred to as pre-spawn behavior. bass runs occur in the My primary approach for bass fishing Lake Travis in January is to employ 1 of 2 strategies. During this time of year I rely a lot on my fish finders to help me locate these offshore schools of bass. Some of the best fishing of the year is almost upon us! We have been fishing ledges and drops in the 20-35ft depth and having to fish very SLOW Without going in to great detail the heavy soft plastics, jigs, a-rigs, and slab spoons have been the go to baits this winter for most of us. this time of the year will catch some of the bigger female bass that are waiting Water clarity in the winter is usually very good, so on the lower end of Lake Travis dont be surprised if you see visibility in excess of 10 feet. I also break down each spot with info on what baits to throw, colors to pick, conditions to look for, how to position your boat, what time of day to fish it, etc. If a violation is currently in progress, please call Operation Game Thief at (800) 792-4263 immediately. * msl: mean sea level; height is feet above msl, * 681 feet msl: Lake Travis is considered full for water supply purposes at 681 feet msl, Repairing Lake Travis homes damaged by flooding, Mansfield Dam floodgates to close starting Thursday, Lago Vista residents prepare to evacuate due to flooding of Lake Travis, Lake Travis expected to open 4 more floodgates. Lago Vista residents prepare to evacuate due to flooding of Lake Travis. Volente is a special place on Lake Travis that many families lovingly frequent. You want a bait that gets close to the bottom and even digs into the bottom. Manage My Subscriptions, archive I know I sound like a broken record, but I throw a drop shot with success year around on Lake Travis. Sandy Creek Yacht Club and Marina, 8714 Lime Creek Road in Volente, (512) 219-8535. On the upper end of Lake Travis where the water is more stained and there is a little more brush in the water, a white swimjig or chatterbait is another lure I like throwing. If the bass you are targeting are not getting fired up with the fast moving bait, slow down. Early in the morning I like to start out looking for schooling fish or throwing a topwater bait. This park gives you access to the eastern side of the lake and an excellent view of Sometimes Island. Largemouth Bass are going to start moving up into coves to continue feeding on baitfish. When we report today's lake level from the LCRA, it's reported in feet above mean sea level . Let this info be of help when selecting what colors of crankbaits to throw. Creature baits rigged on a Texas rig are a great way to trick them into biting! I prefer the crankbait and Alabama rig when there is a little bit of wind or cloud cover, I find those conditions help. If you need a refresher, here is a video I filmed last year with a lot of details about how to fish this bait. For docks sitting in water deeper than 15-20 feet I will often add a small tungsten nail weight into the senko to make is sink slightly faster. A slow moving bait paused on the bottom makes for an easy meal. During winter I often fish deep, which on Travis can be 30-45 feet of water. Swimbait: A 3 or 4 inch paddle tail swimbait in a silver or white color is another excellent option. If you do not feel it was worth your hard earned money I will gladly refund your money. When this phenomenon is present the cooler water below the thermocline will hold very little dissolved oxygen. When fishing steep banks, I will sometimes pause and take the reel out of gear halfway back during the retrieve. There are three types of offshore/ deep structure I look for, ledges, secondary points, and bluff walls with docks. Pre-spawn Fish You are trying to trigger a fish into naturally feeding, or illicit a reaction strike from a fast moving lure. the spring and fall months. Right now you can get bit fishing around docks on bluff walls in 15-30 feet of water. Finesse jigs, shakey heads and drop shots are also baits I will have tied on this time of year, especially on those days the fish are being a bit finicky and want something small and slow moving presented to them. During guided trips a lot of clients ask me how I find structure, how I know where the good ledges are, and where the productive rock piles are at. A walking style plug such as a Zara spook in a natural shad color has been consistently putting fish in the boat! For the Carolina Rig I recommend a ounce tungsten bullet weight, I find this weight works a lot better than an egg sinker when you are fishing it around grass. I tend to find them suspended 10-20 feet under the docks in the shade. I recommend getting on the water at gray light, Im talking about being launched and ready by 6AM. Duh of course! I like an underspin over a normal lead head since I believe the flash from the blade helps trigger more bites. Big fish have greater metabolic needs and leave nursery type areas to follow oxygen saturation and open water forage. During these periods of the day you can find bass patrolling marinas that sit over deep water. Each report contains 5+ EXACT spots with all the information needed to fish them. Because of this, you need to be quick to set the hook. I also am a big believer in not fishing spots and fishing a pattern instead. All of these baits can be fished deep effectively yet slowed down to maintain bottom contact. Bass fishing in September on Lake Travis can be a very fun time to hit the water! This is when the bass make a migration out of deep water where they have been living during the winter. Expect more crowds on Lake Austin, LBJ after Lake Travis ramp closes Getting them back into the lake as soon as possible ensures the safety of those eggs, and the future bass population of Lake Travis! Oct 17, 2018. Many kayakers prefer this area because the cove is so calm and easy to access. Make long casts with the swimbait around cover and work it over any drop offs you find underwater. Bluff walls near the mouths of spawning coves can also hold a lot of fish early in the pre-spawn phase. If you know anything at all about Lake Travis then you know the lake is quite low right now. It is not uncommon to see two or three of these birds sitting statuesque at the waters edge waiting for a shad to swim close by where they can catch it. As the water warms up the bass become more active and begin to feed more and more. In this video I cover my top 5 baits to have tied on. I recommend targeting areas 15-25 feet deep right now, especially places adjacent to deeper water, but not far from shallow structure where the bass can pull up to if they want to feed shallow. Look for ledges and secondary points in anywhere from 15 to 35 feet of water. The evening bite has been very good. How Deep is Lake Powell Right Now? - AZ Animals Quick, accurate casts into the schools of bass hitting the surface are key to getting bit.
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