Winter finally showed up and cooled things off big time. But luckily its Texas and theirs always fish biting just have to pick your spots and your days. Bass bite all year even with snow on the ground but expect to grind and fish low and slow especially on days that never warm up. One of my favorite targets this time of year is east Texas Chain Pickerel. they dont mind the cooler weather and will smoke a topwater when everything else is low and slow. Not the hardest fighters but heck of a predator and the eats are awesome! Plus the bass and crappie will typically fire up some time around the heat of the day.
The biggest thing we have coming up is the White bass, Yellow bass and Crappie spawn. Itll kick off soon in the greater Houston, College station, Livingston areas as the water typically heats up there first. Look for it to get hot and heavy around early to mid Feb to Early March. For the DFW, Waco and north Texas folks expect things to start around end of Feb to early March and go into the end of March to ealy April. Its a little cooler North of Waco longer typically as much as a two week difference. All of this just depends on winter and how fast we warm up. Watch the weather and water temperatures once we get over 55 degrees things start moving around. If were hitting around 62 degrees it fully on. Typically the run goes in waves with the weather and rain until we get water temps over 70 degrees, by then the fish are usually done spawning.
While all of thats going on typically around March the Largemouth bass start getting shallow and that means big rods, big flies and big fish. If you want to catch a monster bass look to book something March through May. February can be great on the warm days but pick em right. That 10.7lber was caught in April cough cough. This is also when bass start to look up and crush frog flies and other topwaters. Of course bass bite all year and we catch them consistently Feb through November. Along with all of this Bowfin start spawning in similar areas as the Largemouth bass and its the only time of year to catch greened up spawning males and easier to find big females moving around as they dont bed up at all and just bed hop laying eggs in multiple males nests. Feb through Early April for spawning action but we can sight fish them Feb through November.
We catch carp all year as well but this time of year they arent on the flats as much and we focus on clear creeks and rivers mostly west of DFW. Mostly a wade and sight fish with a nymph deal but theyll sip dries occasionally too, especially once the tree seeds start falling again. Look for sight fishing flats stuff to start around April.
Gar stuff usually starts around the beginning of April with spawners showing up shallow. Look for Spotted Gar around shallow vegetated flats on the lakes. Longnose and Alligator gar can be present too but mostly during flood events on lakes. Look for spawning Longnose and Alligator gar in the rivers during flood events but be safe. Once that ends its all sight fishing and dredging bait fish flies for Big Longnose and Alligator gar on the Brazos and Trinity rivers. No Rope Flies Ever.
Looking forward to having yall out this year! Holler and lets go catch any species on your list.
