SAM RAYBURN Rayburn's water level has not been impacted to the same degree as Toledo's. At mid-week Rayburn's level was 163.7 and one unit is running at the dam for five hours per day with minimal discharge of 4220 cfs. Water temperatures range from 64 to 70 degrees and most of the lake has fishable water conditions with about two-thirds of the lake having stained conditions and the remainder having clear conditions. Bass are hitting a variety of lures but most anglers are having the best success on slow moving soft plastics. Last weekends Dawson Marines Big Bass Open was won by Keith Caka of Brookeland, TX who caught a 9.32 pound largemouth and took home a new Skeeter ZX 200 powered by a Yamaha 200 HPDI outboard. Caka's big bass hit a Senko in scattered grass in 5 feet of water. Light weighted Carolina rigs and TX rigs also accounted for several tournament bass. Some anglers are flipping and pitching shoreline brush, especially on the northern part of the lake. Top water patterns are also catching Big Sam bass as plastic frogs (Stanley Ribbit) and buzzbaits are starting to get fired up. Frenzy Walkers and Poppers, Pop Rs, Yellow Magic and Chug Bug are beginning to catch bass, especially early morning/late afternoon and during cloudy/overcast conditions. Weightless and weedless-rigged Berkley Sinking Minnows, Senkos, Jerk Shad and Flukes are all catching bass in 1 to 6 feet with grass and pads present. I prefer Berkley's 100% Flouorocarbon when fishing these as it is very transparent, tough and abraision resistent as well as sensitive and transmits even the lightest bite back to the rod and angler. Please send us your fishing reports . Call 337-463-3848 or e-mail me at joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com. web is www.joejoslinoutdoors.com. Be Safe, God Bless and Good fishing!