SAM RAYBURN
For the first time in several months Sam Rayburn's water level is over 160 feet as rain over a wide area push the lake level to 160.28 feet with full pool measured at 164.4 feet. For several months in a row the lake level was down by over 7 feet which is very unusual for winter/early spring season. Water temperatures are running from 58 to 62 degrees which is about 5 degrees less than 10 days ago. Strong winds plus run-off from the rain has much of the lake stained and even muddy. However, we were able to find a large area of decent water conditions (slightly stained-to stained) in the mid lake area.
Skeeter Boats Bass Champs Team Tournament was held Saturday on Rayburn with anglers fighting over 30 mph winds all day long. Rayburn veteran, Bill Rogers and partner Bill Branum of Brookeland, TX won the windy contest with a 5 fish limit of 22.70 pounds including a 7.14 heavyweight. Leesville's Dallas Cole and partner Chris Clemens of Lufkin, TX took second place with a great catch of 22.16 including a 9.80 pounder which was big bass of the event which featured 225 two-angler teams. They took home $5000 for second plus another $1000 for big bass. The Lake Charles team of Johnny Watkins and Bart Blakelock finished a strong 6th with 18.18. and netted $1080.
According to the winners, they caught their bass fishing a Carolina rigged craw worm in about 4 feet of water just off the outside grass on windy points. The second place team fished Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps in ditches and drains in 6-7 feet depths while the third place duo used Rat-L-Traps and Texas rigs. Other patterns that caught fish were slow-rolling spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits fished slowly.
