August 28, 2007
LAKE RAY ROBERTS FISHING REPORT
Lake Ray Roberts is still 3.5 feet over normal level and the gates are closed and no water is being released. Jordan, Sanger and Isle du Bois State Park are the only boat ramps open. Some of the camp grounds are open at both state parks and some of the day use areas still remain closed. Some mornings lately it has seemed more like October than August , with a cool breeze blowing, and the fish are starting to respond. Bass fishing is good on main lake points around the vegetation, that was flooded when the lake came up, early and late. Mid morning to afternoon fishing 10 to 20 feet deep on main lake points is also producing and the fish are usually better quality than the shallow fish. The early topwater bite has been so iffy that we have been starting most days with soft plastics. Best baits have been splitshoting small straight tail worms or rigging them on a 1/8th oz. jig head. Yum 4.75 inch houdini worms in Sour grape and Junebug have worked well as well as a bluegill 4" ringworm. There is still a lot of real small bass on most points but there is some better fish with them. On the deeper fish we are using carolina rigs and a blue pumpkin french frie.
Sand bass has changed dramatically since my last report. On the Sunday the 19th I had Bill and his twin sons Ben and Blake with me on a sand bass trip. They started catching fish the first place we stopped at 8:00 am. and had their 75 fish limit by 9:45 am. The fish were schooling under birds all morning from the marina to Culp Island. Since that day the schooling has been sporadic at best and the fish are on the move heading up the lake. I have found them in 9 feet of water in the back of creeks and in 30 feet of water on the main lake. We have had the best success finding them in 25 to 30 feet on main lake structure and catching them on Cotton Cordell CC Spoons 3/4 oz. chrome color with a Flies-By-Night jig tied 14 inches above the spoon. I have been fishing both arms of the lake and covering a lot of water to find active fish. As the water temperature cools down this fall the sand bass will get a lot more predictable and will relate to the main lake structure where they will be until the spawn next spring. I need to mention that the fish cleaning station at the state park is open so I can fillet fish again and send you home with fillets bagged on ice.
Have fun fishing,
Tim