The bass fishing continues to be consistently good on Lake Travis right now! Clients ask me all the time my favorite time to fish, and my answer is always the same... spring and fall. Both of these seasons trigger bass into feeding for a variety of reasons. Water temperature is a huge factor in bass behavior, and these cooler temps in the mid to high 60's is optimal for them to feed. Essentially what they are doing is preparing for winter when their metabolisms will slow down and they will become less active.
While the fish are behaving this way is a great time to get out on the water. If you are a new angler or are introducing someone to the sport of fishing now is the perfect time to fish! We have been averaging 20-30 fish each trip consistently. You can't catch fish just anywhere right now, but let me give you a few tips to help you find them. Once you understand seasonal patterns and the feeding behavior of largemouth bass, they can become more predictable and easier to find.
With these cool water temps as I mentioned earlier, a lot of the bass in Lake Travis have made a push up to the shoreline. You can catch fish at a variety of depths, anywhere from a foot of water to 35 feet of water. To start with, let's discuss two predictable places I recommend you target these fish right now.
1. Bluff Walls
Bluff walls on Lake Travis are good almost year around. There are times when they won't be here in large concentrations, but in general they just move up and down the water column to a depth they like. As of this past week we have had quite a few days with very little wind and not a ton of cloud cover. When you get bluebird days like this it creates high barometric pressure. This affect the fish's swim bladder. When fishing these conditions I find that the fish tend to move deeper.
Target bluff walls near the entrance to large coves. If the weather is like I described earlier, focus your casts anywhere from 15-30 feet away from the shoreline. You will be working the 20-35 foot range by doing this. I recommend keeping your bow graph on and familiarize yourself with how far away from the shoreline 35 feet is. Some bluff walls are near vertical, others are more sloped into the lake. Keep this in mind when working your bait away from the bank. On cloudy overcast days I tend to make long casts and start up shallow. This is not to say all your bites will come shallow, but it is a good idea to start there since this time of year the bass will move shallow to feed if the conditions allow.
A drop shot is an excellent bait to use when fishing bluff walls. A 1/4 or 3/8th ounce cylinder weight with a 1/0 drop shot hook is all you need. I favor the lighter weight when there is little wind, and on more gusty days I go with the heavier weight to help me feel the bottom better. A Zoom trick worm in green pumpkin or watermelon red has been a consistent producer.
2. Points Inside Coves
Points in general are always good places to fish. A point is a natural ambush spot for a bass to sit and wait for prey to come to them. Largemouth bass are very opportunistic, so they prefer places where they can sit and wait for dinner to be served to them, not where they have to go out and chase it down.
When you enter a large cove, try fishing the first or second point inside of it. Below I have annotated a screen shot of a cove on Lake Travis as an example. This is the cove just up river from Crosswater Yacht Club. Here you can see how there are several points as you go further back into the cove.
As fall progresses and the water cools, you will start to find more and more fish further back into the coves. My last fishing report discusses this in detail and explains why the do that, so if you missed that report go read that one before continuing.
Since my last report we have had some very nice warm weather. This has warmed the water temps back up since that last cold front. Due to this I have not been finding fish all the way in the backs of coves, but there are plenty of fish closer to the main lake. These points as illustrated by the red arrows are close to creek channel bends, when fish move back in these creek channels, these points are the first places they will pull up on. Think of them as staging areas for the bass to hang out before deciding where they want to go next and feed. Points closer to the mouth of the cove will be better early in the fall. The points in the back of the cove will be better later in the fall.
There are a variety of baits you can throw around these areas but a drop shot, a ned rig, or a football jig have been my baits of choice lately.
As the weather cools the locations bass hangout will change, but you can expect this pattern to last several more weeks until the weather gets a lot colder.
Do you ever struggle finding spots like these on your own? Do you own your own boat but don't get to fish Lake Travis 225 days a year like I do? haha
Maybe I can help you! Each week I create a "honey hole" report for a company called Lake Pro Guides. Each Thursday at 4pm I upload a new fishing report with fresh info. These reports are very different from the one you are reading now. You will get 5-6 exact locations on Google maps with a pin showing you exactly where to fish. You will also get a 3-4 minute video I record for each spot explaining in great detail how to position your boat, what baits to throw, how to work your bait, what colors to use, what conditions to look for, and much more. For $12 you get all this, but best of all you get the pattern that I have been catching fish on without having to fish all day to figure it out on your own.
If you visit my Instagram look at my saved stories, there are numerous testimonials and reviews from local anglers have used my Honey Hole reports with success. Recently someone texted me that they used my report to win 2nd place in a local tournament! I promise it will be well worth your hard earned money.
If you are looking for an Austin fishing guide to take you fishing, please consider me when making your choice. There are several terrific fishing guides in the area, but I promise I will not be out worked! I pride myself on knowing Lake Travis better than any other guide and will put you on fish as well as teach you a ton before the trip is over!
If you would like to book a trip, you can conveniently do so via my website.
One more thing for you guys who follow me! I am now working with a company out of Houston called Mealey Marine! If you are in the market for a fish finder, trolling motor, or anything for your boat let me know! If you use the code "Tyler5" you will get 5% off your total order! They have great prices, excellent customer service and are from right here in Texas, so they ship quick.
Check them out via the link below!
Thank you for reading my Lake Travis fishing report! If it has helped you, the biggest thank you you could give me is to share this on social media.
Tight Lines!
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