Stocker Trout Fishing News

 Been some time since we fished the Feeder Creek. Checked it out yesterday, and overall the creek is looking good. Saw some nice looking Bass lurking in the area. Bluegill and Sunfish were also roaming about. Went with the Foam Grasshopper and caught a number of Bluegill and Sunfish. Did get several Bass to look at our fishing fly, but all opted to move on instead of strike. Lots of brush made it tough on casting, good thing we practiced roll casting last year. Came in handy this round!  

Did more “testing” of the Micro Fly Rod made from the broken 8-weight fly rod yesterday at Bethany Lakes. Worked well in combination with the Foam Grasshopper! Water was clear but still a lot of green stuff to clobber your line/fishing fly. Saw lots of Bass cruising the shallows; good thing we stood several feet away from the bank when casting. Made a difference in hooking up with the Bass! Went out today to a feeder creek that we have not been to in awhile. Working on the video; mainly Bluegill and Sunfish but did see several Bruisers cruising the area. PS: The Catfish are lurking in the area; saw several Bruisers go for floating pieces of bread that the ducks missed.

Timely update from Lavon! Texasian: Re: Lavon dam They had the water on earlier this week for a day and a half...now it's back down to a trickle. Went out this morning for 3 hours and caught a nice 3.5 lb. blue cat on cut shad and a nice thick crappie on a sabiki tipped with minnows (also caught a dozen or so undersized sand bass and a few bluegills on the sabiki). Saw a bunch of gar and carp/buffalo in the water. Shad was hard to come by without the current...but did see a huge school of shad being chased around the fishing pier right before I left. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Very nice! T3 Surf Rods: Re: Denison Dam after three trips, finally got one, 21 pounds..they are swimming in slowly. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Another round at the local pond, caught more Bluegill and Sunfish. Not as big as yesterday but did get a nice Bruiser Bass that went 19″ in size. Posted pictures on the Fishing Bulletin Board and got some action shots posted in the YouTube video posted below. Bluegill went for a Grasshopper, Bass went for the Bluegill like yesterday but this time, we were able to bring the Bass in! Fun stuff on a 4 weight!      

Fished a local pond that we had not fished in a ling time. Good to see the Bass and Bluegill are still there! Caught some nice Bruiser Bluegill and lost a couple of nice Bass. One went for the Grasshopper we used, another took the Bluegill on the line and stayed until it decided to let the Bluegill go. Did have a couple of others go for Bluegill on the line but they chased the fish instead of eating it. Did get some video of one of the Bass “looking” at a Bluegill on the line. Did not have a polarized filter but in the video you can get a glimpse of the Bass… nice one; moreover, it was one of the smaller ones! PS: Posted the picture on the Fishing Bulletin Board.

Made it to Bethany again. Lots of green stuff making it tough to fish but the grasshopper seems to keep working! Caught several Bass and Bluegill, and one Sunfish. All went for a Grasshopper. This time stuck with the Size 10 Hook to minimize the number of smaller fish. Had lots of short strikes from the little Bluegill and Sunfish and more hook ups with the Bass as a result. Crossing our fingers the City puts the “blue stuff” in the water to slow the green stuff from growing!

Grasshopper pattern keeps working; lots of green stuff to foul lines and lures. Grasshopper was able to stay “green” free and fooled a few Bass and Bluegill! One Bluegill looked really nice; submitted it to the Fishing Bulletin Board ! Bass were scrappy but no Bruisers to bend the rod. No worries… still lots of fun on the four weight rod. Did lose the Grasshopper to a snag; able to continue catching them using a smaller sized Grasshopper but really liked the one that was lost. Will tie more for future trips!

With all the green stuff clobbering the ponds at Bethany Lakes, decided to tie some Foam Grasshoppers for this evening’s round of fishing. Good thing, caught a number of Bass and Bluegill. Posted a video of some of the action this evening; of note, was one Bluegill on the hook was almost taken by a nice Bruiser Bass that got away. Got some video of the “attack”!

Tested out a new fly pattern – no name for it yet. Caught a Bass and lost a Bass, then switched to damsel flies and caught Bass, Bluegill, and Sunfish.  Will tweak the new fly pattern more, and “test” it out again. Was good to see lots of fish near shore in their beds. Looked like the bigger Bluegill were further out from shore this year. Regardless, makes for some good fly casting practice for distance… Fun stuff!

Bummer…. cmc: Re: PK dam This was the bridge there yesterday.   This email sent to you because your profile and/or board configuration allows it. You may change your preferences at any time. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

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Another great guide report! TarponFly: Re: ** Annual White Bass/ Sand Bass Run Fishing Guide Report, Tips, Videos, & Tricks ** Report: Well, most all creeps in DFW are at their peak spawn now. The big schools of females have made their push up most creeks last week and the week before, and with this rain a lot of hybrids will show up as well. The next week to two weeks if you know what you're doing you should be able to get well over 200 fish days. PlanoKeith and I hooked up at the creek before the rains. Before I got there Keith was already at 103 Magnum Sandies. Took me less than 45 minutes to put 25 fat female mags on the stringer. The tent caterpillars are out now. Every 30 seconds one would drop on us. When we walk around and stop we would look at our shirts and we do have 10 or so crawling on us. I got home and took a shower and I could still feel them crawling on me. Creepy. The creek looked like it was sprinkling. But it was the Catapill

More updates on Rowlett Creek… MrNovice: Re: Rowlett Creek 2016 Originally Posted By: Lane H. I know there's a few bank spots at that little island halfway across the bridge on I30. Worth pursuing? That little island was known as Robertson Park and is owned by the City of Rowlett now, and completely gated off-limits. They are supposed to build some sort of "resort" there, hotels and all. Bank fishing anywhere north on Hubbard should be good right now because the spawns, just have to get deep enough to get the fish with the high water levels. If you have waders and soccer cleats, you should be okay for anything Saturday. Just watch your steps cause it will still be very muddy. The problem is not really just the mud, it's the 10-12 ft vertical mud bank before the water. Hopefully the water has cleared by then. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Good to hear kayak fishing is producing on Lavon! Fisherman13: Re: Community Lakes Went to prefish Ray Roberts last Thursday for a kayak bass tournament that is coming up on the 23rd only managed one bass that went 15". Hoping to have better luck on tournament day, but Inwas limited on time that day as well. Then Friday I took a quick trip to Lavon with the kayak as well. Was looking for bass but tried for other species as well. I caught a baby sand bass trolling a crank. Then caught a decent bass jigging for crappie that went 16" Later I paddled up a small creek and had a blue cat take my crappie jig catfish went about 25" Slow day but also limited to 2 hours to fish. FYI lipping a blue cat not the smartest idea but it wasn't terribly painful. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Checked out Bethany Lakes this morning. Brought Bait Casting Gear and Senkos. Was able to get six Bass with the largest going 15″ in size, next largest went 14″, remainder were smaller! Fun stuff… posted pictures of the 15″ and 14″ Bass on the Fishing Bulletin Board . Gotta love them Senkos!

Looks like Crappie are biting on Lavon! Haven't fished my home lake in months due to weather, drought, floods, drawdowns and tournaments...    :cool: She welcomed me home this morning with a 2.6lb crappie. Fun stuff.   :cheers: Thanks to Carter and his excellent guiding skills! Retrieved from forum.lakelavonfishing.com

Tested the Two Piece Micro Fly Rod at Bethany Lakes yesterday. Rod worked well; was able to cast to the backing several times and had no issues reaching the fish that were in the pond. Used two fishing flies – a Damsel Fly Variant and a Grizzly Hackle Dry Fly. Both caught fish but will need to try a size 14 instead of the size 12 next round. The Bluegill were not as big as the ones we were catching at Kroger Pond the other day. So far, we are liking what we see with the Two Piece Micro Fly Rod. Will have to “test” it out more in the near future! 2-Pc Micro Fly Rod (L), Wine Cork Micro Fly Rod (C), Telescoping Micro Fly Rod (R)

Rain today, no fishing…. decided to take a broken rod – the old 8-Weight that broke when closing the car door, and convert it to a two-piece Micro Fly Rod. In short order, it worked. Now, just gotta go “test” it out somewhere. Broken 8wt, converted it to a 2pc #microflyrod . Top is telescoping, mid is wine cork handle 1pc, bottom is the 2pc! pic.twitter.com/ljRtqaFwcj — StockerTroutFishing (@iFishRadio) April 13, 2016

Latest issue of iFishNews is available. Do check it out – April 13, 2016 ! Current trends in our area, don’t forget about Crappie, do prepare for kayak fishing soon, and check out how we tied the Damsel Fly Variant we call the “Look Ma No Hands”! April 13, 2016

FYI: Good to hear! Mckinneycrappiecatcher: Re: ** Annual White Bass/ Sand Bass Run Fishing Guide Report, Tips, Videos, & Tricks ** Fishing is about to get really good, call or txt to book a trip, $100/person Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Been having fun catching fish these past few outings. One pattern in particular seems to be doing well on top water action for Bluegill and Bass. We started using the Simple Foam Damsel Fly pattern we have used for many years. It has done well for us, but always on the lookout for other patterns to “test”, we began a search for other damsel fly patterns. We settled on one that called for mono eyes, a tail made of flexible material, hackle, and closed instead of open wings. Not sure what material was used for the tail, we settled on Sparkle Braid and apply Hard As Nails fingernail polish to shape it We liked the hackle concept and the little bit of foam used for the body but had a hard time with the closed wing made out of a clear material. So, dropping the wing, we created our variant of a Damsel Fly… this one for want of a better name is called “Look Ma No Wings”. Do give it a try when you get a chance – “Fly Tying – Damsel Fly Variant” article link.  

Rain hit us in Allen pretty hard. Hail and lots of wind but it looks like one Reader was able to hook up with ten before the storm hit. Three best are posted on the Fishing Bulletin Board !

Had a little time today to break away from the “salt mines”. Had the Wine Cork Micro Fly Rod handy in the car and hit a nearby pond – been some time since we fished the pond by Cinemark in Allen. Last time we tried to fish it, it was dry from the drought. Before that, we fished it and caught little Sunfish. Pleasant surprise this time; caught two Bass – one went about 13″ in size and the other was a fingerling. Fun stuff! https://www.instagram.com/p/BECKCanRCqy/

Fished Plano East Senior High School this morning. Brought the 5-Weight and used a Bent Back Clouser Minnow. Caught two little Bass and a nice Catfish that put up a good fight! Going to post a picture of the Catfish on the Fishing Bulletin Board ! Fun stuff!

Lake Tawakoni report… RYBO: Re: lake tawakani spillway It's been slow. Not enough water coming over the spillway if any at this point. We need more rain. I was there last Sunday from 6:30am to 9:30am and only got 2 stripers at around 8:30. But good luck! Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Great info on Lake Lake Lavon from a local guide! TarponFly: Re: Guided Crappie Spawn Trips- Tips Tricks and Pics (Wade or Boat) Lavon Report: Hit some spawning grounds before the wind got bad. Before I arrived at my destination, I was dipping some of the obvious structure in 7-18 ft. Found three in those depths. I got to my spot where they spawned in 2007. Rammed my boat in the wicked mess of old vegetation and that was my anchor. First drop of the Jig I landed what was in the picture, and as I figured, they were there and thick. After 20 minutes of goofing around I decided to hop in the water and Wade. That was definitely the ticket for getting these fish out of that thick stuff. And it's a heck of a lot more fun. 1-3 ft. Most were 1.5 to 2 foot deep on willows and timber. I fished less than 2 hours in super secure secret location, and managed 33 crappie. 13-16 inch average. Males were 13-14 and females were 14-16 inches. Black and chartreuse definitely

Latest on the finding at Possum Kingdom… spacemonkey: Re: Stripers below PK Well it's not an algae bloom. Tpwd biologist said it was probably lack of oxygenated water from the slow release and the river turning over. I guess it's good and bad. Good it's not algae, but bad the big stripers are dying   Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Quick trip this evening to Glendover Park. Had not fished it in a while. Used to catch Catfish here but not certain if they are still there… did get a Bluegill and three Bass. No Bruisers but they all put up a great fight on the 2-Weight Fiberglass Rod!

More development on PK, hope it's good news! spacemonkey: Re: Stripers below PK Tpwd was called yesterday by a friend of mine. They told him it was unlikely algae because the water temps are still cool enough, but they were supposed to send out a biologist yesterday to see. They said it could be due to fertilizer runoff as well. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums

Not good on PK… spacemonkey: Stripers below PK Bad news there must've been an algae bloom or something because there were lots of big dead stripers below PK dam this morning all the way down to Flint bend. I must've seen more than 50 ! Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums ​

Latest on the creek… fishytx: Re: Granger San Gabriel/Willis Creek I got a little bored yesterday so I made trip to the steps. Arrived at 4:30 and fished to 6pm. Not to bad I guess, I caught 12. But here's the deal, they were 98% small fish. Maybe if I had stuck around till the sun went down I would have gotten onto a good bite, but I was frustrated in the fact that I couldn't catch something big enough to pull drag in the moving current, so I left. I had one that was about 12 inches, two that were barely keepers, but skinny, so I let them go as well as the bigger guy. Saw several fly rod anglers who were also on a bite, but they were hooking up with dinks as well. Water looks awesome, but we are on the tail end of the 2016 spawn, so there will be days where all you catch are smaller fish. There will also be days where a wave of the bigger fish will pass through on their way back to the lake. If you are there on that day, you will be in for a good day, but

Had an old Eagle Claw Fly Rod in a 5 weight; could not find it for sale anymore. Saw the Eagle Claw Fish Skins Fly Rod in a 5 weight, 9′ length, and two pieces. New rod arrived today, tested it out at Kroger Park… feels like the old Eagle Claw. Even can cast for distance quickly when needed! Had a fun time catching Bluegill and little Bass. Did get one Bruiser Bluegill; posted it on the Fishing Bulletin Board !

Looks like things are heating up in the ponds; recent updates to the Fishing Bulletin Board has two nice Bass and two Bluegill submitted by one of Readers today! PS: We have updated the board and migrated it to a new URL. The new URL is Fishing Bulletin Board.  

Made some repairs to the 5 Weight after “stressing” one of the ferrules. After a little bit of “this and that”, got it fixed. Tested it out at the pond by Top Golf; rod still casts great! Caught a Bass and then some Bluegill. Not bad, not bad… just in case, did order a new Eagle Claw 5 Weight Rod from FishUsa. More to come! Made repairs to the 5wt; tested it out by the pond by #topgolf . Caught a #Bass and #Bluegill . Repair worked! pic.twitter.com/fxOhKUsghs — StockerTroutFishing (@iFishRadio) April 2, 2016

Still working on the format and content and will continue to maintain a robust “newspaper” to change things up when needed. Here is the latest issue of iFishNews – April 1, 2016 :

By this report, an Olive Wooley Bugger in the fly box would be a good thing! robert hunter: Re: The officially unofficial 2016 sandbass run thread.... Originally Posted By: Jesse10 My calculations suggested a wooly bugger. Thank you for that simple formula. It really works! oddly that bugger has been killer here of late! It was on fire today for sure. Mateo hit them good this morning. My two days working all day killing me. Hope Sunday is good. Retrieved from http://texasfishingforum.com/forums ​