As a fishing guide, it is my job to observe nature. To be aware of the patterns, how they change, how they repeat and yet are never the same. Right now it is fall and we have had plentiful rainfall for the season so the elevation of the lake is a bit higher than normal which changes the landscape of the lake. Grasses and shrubs are submerged in water creating new ecosystems for all types of life as well as new terrain to explore. We have been seeing a lot of egrets, waterfowl and eagles. I’ve been watching an osprey that stays around one of our fishing spots, I often see her dive and catch fish and occasionally we will venture near her tree and she will cry out as if to say hello. The flooded vegetation also provides cover for small fish which attracts the larger fish and they attract fishermen. In the fall, some of the larger stripers will congregate in the shallows to enjoy the cooler temperatures and they are also attracted to the vegetation. This makes for an excellent opportunity for topwater fishing, some of the most exciting fishing of the year. Typically we are blind casting up into the shallows where I think the fish may be and often times, if the fish are there, they will explode on the lure on the first cast. This may last all day if it is cloudy and rainy but if the sun is out, the fish will move out into deeper water after the first hour or so of daylight. The fish on topwater are mostly over 20” so we are not able to keep many of them but they are certainly fun. We mainly use pencil poppers but swim baits like sassy shad work good as well. To catch our smaller fish we have been using bait, though some are doing well using slabs too. Fishing on anchor with live bait in 25-40 ft of water has been working well for us and we have been consistently bringing home our limit on most days.

So far, we’ve had a good season fishing topwaters and there are still a couple of weeks left depending on how the fish respond to the weather. Usually it will last through the first week in November then we begin following the birds and casting sassy shad. We have some cooler weather approaching and I’m anticipating that the seagulls and loons will begin to arrive soon. It is a neat experience to join in a feeding frenzy with bird, fish, and man together as one. We usually follow the birds like this consistently from November through the end of December and will provide some of the best fishing of the year. Then around January as the water temperatures fall, the pattern shifts again and they change from roaming the lake in search of prey to holding stationary to structure where they feel comfortable. Catching fish in this pattern is a little more like bass fishing as we are targeting this structure all over the lake, moving from spot to spot and fishing with sassy shad swim baits. This is a reliable pattern which will typically yield some of our largest fish of the year.

Though the summer is fun and exciting, I really enjoy being on the water during the fall and winter months the most. Everything seems to settle down and the lake becomes more peaceful. It is not uncommon to have a trip during the week where you are one of the only boats on the lake. We will catch fish all winter long and right now, we have an abundance of fish in the lake right now so I’m anticipating a lot of fun to be had in the coming months for the foreseeable future. The holiday seasons are just around the corner and it is time to plan a trip to get out on the water with your family and friends while they are in town. Making memories with the people you love out on the water is what it is about, it is just a bonus that we get to bring home a cooler full of fish at the end of the day.

To find our more information, check availability and book your trip, visit our website www.stripersinc.com or give us a call at (903)815-1609.

Your Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Guide,
Brian Prichard
Stripers Inc.
www.stripersinc.com
(903)815-1609