November, 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Once you get done at the dinner table get out on Lake Amistad this weekend because the fishing has been awesome over the last few weeks. I suspect that the best fall fishing is now underway and will continue until the water temps drop into the mid 50’s. Water temps are currently into the mid-low 60’s and this cold front that is due to hit on Friday should not hurt the fishing at all for the weekend. This past week we have caught fish up to 7 ½ pounds and had 25+ fish days on a few occasions. The bigger fish are starting to show up more consistently and the transition from a shallow water bite to deep water has begun.
Current Patterns -
Shallow: The frog bite is still available around the remaining pondweed but it continues to die off daily and will soon come to a complete halt. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and rattletraps are productive on windy days when the fish are roaming and looking for an easy meal. When you find no wind and flat water conditions on the lake the 8-12 foot range has been very productive while fishing around the edges of the remaining hydrilla and pondweed grass. I have been targeting these areas with light texas rigged lures and shaky head presentations with the El Grande Lures Hatch-Match stick.
Mid-Depth: They hydrilla grass is really beginning to thin out as the grass dies off for the winter. Much of the grass is still holds fish, but they are concentrated on the outside edges and not in the grass. The crankbait bite should begin to heat up in this depth zone as the fish continue to migrate from the shallow water and into or through this mid-depth range in preparation for the winter season.
Deep: This depth zone is where the bite has really picked up and some quality and numbers of fish are being caught. An Omega Football jig tipped with a Zoom Speed Craw has been my go to bait in this depth zone. I have been using the 1/2oz size most effectively and when the wind gets up I have been switching to the 5/8oz size. A large plastic worm has also been accounting for some nice bass being taken in this depth zone. Continue to concentrate your efforts around the 25-40 foot range and keep your offerings around wood cover and rock. I have been finding these fish in areas around the main lake on the Rio Grande arm and around the mouth of the Devils River to the Hwy 90 Bridge.
See you on the Lake,
Kurt
