If you follow me on social media, especially Instagram (@laketravisfishingguide) you know the bite has been good on Lake Travis! I post daily on there and update it more often than my website. If you watch my stories, then you've probably seen the photos of my fish counter after each trip. For the past two weeks we have been averaging 20-30 fish per trip, with full day trips catching more than that.
These fish have been a mix of post spawn bass as well as some deeper summertime fish. Most of the fish we have been catching have been in the 10-25 foot range. If you are fishing early in the morning or late in the evening you will catch plenty of fish up shallow too.
I recommend looking for "shallow" coves with creek channels and docks. When I say shallow, I mean coves with shorelines that are not super steep. (Think of Devil's Cove... if you fish Travis you should be familiar with this popular party cove... this is NOT an ideal cove. It is very steep and gets deep quick. I reference this to give you a visual of what it is I am not looking for.) With that said, there are still some bluff walls that are producing fish, however it's not just any bluff wall. If you purchased my Lake Pro Guide report last week, Pin #2 is a great example of the kind of bluff wall I have been targeting. That particular area has been producing a lot of fish for me.
As of yesterday 5/17 I have noticed a change in the bass' behavior. I fished a Texas Fishing League tournament and fished solo all day. Yesterday's conditions were hot, low winds, and sunny with little cloud cover. Weather like this typically pushes the fish deeper and pulls them into shady areas. Fishing a Texas rigged 7" Power Worm around docks was very productive. Even in the middle of the day I was getting bit on at least 1 out of 3 docks that I would fish.
Look for docks in 20 feet of water or less but adjacent to deep water. Mouths of coves were the best. Get your bait as close to the dock as you can. Especially up behind the docks if you can cast it under the cables in the back of them.
There is another bait that has been killing it for me! It has literally caught HUNDREDS of fish for me over the last two weeks. That one I have to keep a secret... however if you purchase my fishing report on www.lakeproguides.com I mention the bait numerous times and explain exactly how to fish it.
If you are unfamiliar with Lake Pro Guides, I sell a fishing report on there for $12. I update it every Thursday at 4PM with 5 or more pins with exact locations on the map with accompanying videos telling you what bait to throw, what color to use, how to present it, where to position your boat, etc. Trust me, it will save you $12 in fuel alone preventing you from running all over the lake. In my opinion the most valuable thing is just knowing what pattern is working. Even if you can't fish all 5 of my pins, it will show you what kind of structure to look for and what baits to throw... this will help you make decisions of your own on where to fish.
While the dock pattern has been very good, if you are out on a day with some cloud cover or a nice south wind, some bluff walls are producing well. Look for the ones with wind blowing into them. If you are there early in the AM look for birds or shad on the surface along the shoreline. Fish these areas and target that 10-25 foot depth range. Small finesse baits have been working well and will produce a lot of bites!
I am all booked up this week, but I have a couple of openings next week! If you are getting back to work and fishing in the morning does not fit your schedule, I have PM trips open! Honestly some of my best trips lately have been my 1/2 day PM trips where we fish from 4-8PM.
If you are looking for an Austin fishing guide for Lake Travis, give me a call! I would love to get you out there and put you on some fish.
Tight Lines!