Lake Tawakoni Fishing Tips

Wow, good question. Ive got a theory that might apply. Ive been fishing a couple of local (MA) lakes for the past couple of years and I know that fish are catchable at all hours. You picked morning and evening which are good for a couple of reasons, low light and normal feeding/activity period for fish. When it comes to mid day catching I look to figure out the general depth and cover that fish are occupying. The fish finder is a must in my book. It's my eyes for finding structure. I use a hummingbird portable ($160) in my canoe.

If I dont have a fish finder I move to using search baits that let me cover a lot of water. some favorites are the standard floating rapala (try trolling to locate fish) and a gizzit/jig combo (cast, let it fall to the bottom, twitch twice, wait 5 seconds, reel in and repeat).

Bass usually go for 8 to 10 ft depths out here and both of these lures are effective at that depth.
(editors note: you'll have to go deeper than that on a Texas lake in the middle of summer!)

Also try to fish on overcast days. The light is lower and the fish can be more active.

The trick in any lake is figuring out what sections of water to eliminate and then working the remainder to locate the fish.

Tip from Jim Pankey
Hot Day Fishing Tactics

I don't think you'll find a definitive answer to your question, Carmela. Hot weather can mean many things to many people--and probably to the quarry in question. I personally don't like to get out there and beat the waters to death during hot weather; however, I do prefer to fish in the evening time, when the sun is setting. Then, depending upon conditions, I love to use surface lures

To generalize even further, I would say that I don't fish too long after dark (unless I want to night-fish, yet another option). Sometimes I use a buzzbait, sometimes I use a slower-retrieve lure like a Devil's Horse or Jumper; my favorite used to be a nip-i-dee-dee (I think) in black.

Fish may go to a deeper sanctuary during hot weather, but almost always return to the shallows to feed. If you can find timber around a 'hump' that a creek curves by, fish that. If there are weed beds or lilypads, fish the outside. Plastic worms are also good, the bigger the better (I fish 10" Culprit, and Tequila Shad and Red Shad are my favorites). Fish slow. If that doesn't work, fish faster

PS--I didn't do any good this morning at all. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed, it seems. But yesterday I picked up a 3-pounder on a crankbait (Bomber Model A) and a smaller one on a buzzbait. It's usually the opposite.

Camped in the open again using the army cot, Wenzel camp mattress and mosquito net. Nice view of the stars, breezes waft through and I fall asleep with dreams of "The Big One" that'll hit tomorrow.

Good luck.
Jim Pankey
USN (Ret.)
"Barbless Bassin'"

Flippin Boat Docks

I like to flip three lures around boat docks. I flip a 1/2oz jig and plastic craw on my Seven foot Medium Heavy Action rod with 17 pound test line. I live on clear watered Beaver Lake so 17 pound test can usually get the fish out and is a little less visible than say 25 pound test line. I also will skip tube baits or spider jigs on 1/4oz jig heads under boat docks on a 6 foot spinning rod with 8 pound test. This combination lets me really skip the lure way up under the boat docks where the Big Spots have not been reached by other anglers. The other lure that is surprisingly very effective is a soft plastic trick worm or jerkbait. I will skip them up under the docks and dance them out from under the dock. I sometimes will skip it up under there and let it sink for 5 to 10 seconds. Just be a line watcher. If the line jumps or stops abruptly reel down fast and snap the hookset. Better to break off a few on dock posts than miss a 7 pound bass.

Flippin the Laydowns and Wood Piles

Beaver has lots of lay downs and wood that has collected in the pockets in the backs of creeks. If you can get a jig or worm down through the branches into the heart of the pile and you have a strong enough rod and line combination you can yank some monsters up out of the mess.

Jigging Spooning the Depths

Occasionally I can catch a quick limit on a jigging spoon by finding standing timber or under water brush on or near a channel ledge break line. I have had days where I only caught 3 bass and I have had days when I caught 50 bass in an hour so it really depends on the conditions.

I hope that gave you some ideas. Good Fishing.

Tip from MoBassfisherman
HOT WEATHER TACTICS

Fish don't just stop biting, they move and adjust to the current conditions. Try starting from the exact place where you were catching fish, Fix yourself up a Heavy Carolina rig, 1 oz or 1 1/4 oz sinker, start dragging it back away from the bank until you find the channel and fish here. Also if the lake has any bluffs on it, bluffs and bluff ends are my favorite structure, you can catch fish on them year around, in all temperatures. Try throwing hula grubs, single tailed grubs and tube lures. As the Sun rises fish do not "roam" as they do in low light time, (Although there are tons of exceptions), bass will move to the channel breaks, up under docks, instead of at the edge, and move tighter to cover. Casting accuracy becomes move important as getting to the fish becomes the major obstacle.

Bass do have major feeding times, but just because it isn't dinner time don't mean they won't bite. You might have to drop your lure size to compensate for the hotter periods of the day.

Keep a tight line,
Missouri Bass Fisherman
http://members.cland.net/~cburks