Spring is here and will be over before we know it. Springtime is my favorite time to guide as the fishing is excellent. Currently Lake Travis is 7.6 feet low, which is pretty normal for our lake. Water levels on Travis fluctuate greatly from year to year. While normal it can make for a new kind of challenge when fishing. Spots that were good in years past may not produce since the depth they are in could be completely different.
This issue is something I have noticed this year. Places I have consistently found fish in the past are not producing as well this year. If you have ever fished with me, you know I am a big proponent of fishing patterns and not "spots". Learning how to pattern bass is a key part of being consistently successful on the water. Being able to understand where fish are likely to go based off conditions, lake levels, water temps, wind, bait fish movement, etc is what helps me stay on the fish.
Fish is very good right now, I have been catching good numbers all over the lake. I have fish as far down river as the dam, and as far up river as Pace Bend. Lately it has been critical to pay attention to wind direction. With the shad spawning wind is key and will have an effect on where they spawn. Early morning hours right at first light you can get bit on a topwater. A Lucky Craft gunfish or a Zara Spook in clear are two of my go to baits right now.
Once the sun comes out an Alabama rig has been an excellent producer for me. Days when the wind is howling, try getting on wind blown banks that are getting beat by the waves. Bass love these kinds of areas as they are often rich in bait fish.
During the early morning hours or late evening hours you can usually get on a good schooling bite around deep water marinas. Two weeks ago it was very consistent, but this past week the schooling bite has been a little more hit or miss. When fishing this pattern run and gun... if the fish are not there keep moving until you find them. You will see them hitting the surface chasing shad, this is how you know if the fish are in the area or not.
Lastly, the ned rig has been getting bit like crazy! My PM trip last Saturday caught over 25 fish, and that was with a 7 and 9 year old fishing! The mouths of small coves where the wind was blowing into them was the best. It was actually a perfect example of fishing a pattern. We fished three coves down river in particular... when we fished the back of the coves, or the non windy size we hardly caught any fish. When we moved to the mouth of the cove where the wind was hitting, we hammered them. All three of the coves we fished were exactly like this and made finding the fish easy and predictable.
Next time you are out on the water keep this in mind! Let the fish tell you what they want.
If you are headed out there this week, I will have a new Lake Pro Guides report up tomorrow at 4pm on lakeproguides.com that will include the exact locations I have been catching them on. I promise you will catch them off these spots!!!
If you are looking for a fishing guide for Lake Travis, or other Central Texas lakes, consider giving me a call! I will work hard to put you on the fish!