Stocker Trout Fishing News

Made the run to Pottsboro Sunday for another round of fly fishing for trout. Started late in the day due to the rain in the morning. Colder and windier than it was on Friday. Luckily, the trout were active and we were able to limit out. Since we knew the trout were there… decided to mix it up and fish different colored near deere – Olive, Pink, White… plus fished a Mop Fly, too. After changing fishing flies and trying different retrieves, this trip we noted: For fishing flies and color: The trout preferred Olive Near Deere over the other fishing flies. Mop Fly did get strikes but slowed when the trout wanted a “moving” fishing fly White Near Deere had a couple of strikes but not solid takes Pink Near Deere had a solid strikes but tended to get “bit” less frequently than the olive. For retrieves, When the wind was blowing strong consistently causing the bigger wind waves, drifting the fishing fly under a strike indicator did well. No need to add action to th...

Fished a new place yesterday – December 27, 2019… Pottsboro Lake located just north of Dallas in the town of the same name… Pottsboro. Stocked with trout earlier in the month, was not sure if the trout would still be there. It’s a small pond and may have had heavy fishing pressure. As it turns out, the trout were there. They were readily feeding on something near the surface if not on the surface. In short order, caught two limits. One of us was using a Chartreuse PowerWorm fished wacky rigged. The other used an Olive Near Deere with no indicator and fished with varying retrieves. Also, started with the TFO 6 wt Fly Rod with Echo Ion Reel. Then, switched to the Cabelas 2 wt CGR Fiberglass Fly Rod with an old 3wt fly reel. Lots of fun… PS: Ordered a new 1-3 Wt Orvis Hyrdos Fly Reel to use with the CGR going forward. More to come once it arrives! Do Like and Subscribe for the latest updates – COAF FIELD TEAM on YouTube! Click on pictures to see more about Cabela’s...

Wishing all a Happy New Year and more fun fishing and posting fishing videos in the upcoming year. Do like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel at COAF Field Team to stay up to date on the latest! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnNeD832-IKXMeGGkSeQQHA/

Out and about fishing with the Cabelas CGR Fiberglass. Thought it was a three weight but it is a two weight. Put a 3wt Cabelas Prestige Plus 1 reel from another rod on it. Cast nicely… even caught a little Bass at the local pond! Fun stuff! Click on pictures to see more about Cabela’s CGR Rod/Reel Combo and deals they are offering!

2019 was a fun time… here is a snippet of a past trip to trout fishing at Turner Falls Park in Davis, OK put into a Christmas Music Video format. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, looking forward to 2020!

Been fighting a cold but did breakaway for a quick trip to the local lake – Bethany Lakes, on a warm December afternoon. Brought the TFO 6 Wt and 6/7 Wt Echo Ion Reel for a go at the fish. Back pond was clobbered with growth, did see a few bass moving about. Found a clear area and caught a little Bass on an Olive Near Deere. Moved on to the Main pond and after changing flies a few times, caught Bluegill using a Griffith’s Gnat and PMC Emerger. Decided to check out the canal and the waterfall; caught little Bluegill on the PMC Emerger… was more Micro Fishing then Fishing. Still fun, may have to come back with the Kiyotaki 18 Tenkara Rod!

Question from a Viewer on our YouTube Channel – COAF Field Team concerning how far up or downstream should you fish to give others their space. Initial answer was to defer to others for more input but did suggest talking to the other person to confirm where they are fishing. Made sense… but, found the answer lacking. COAF YouTube Channel Q&A So, decided to research further, and after a review of the top 3 Google Search results for “Stream Side Fishing Etiquette” learned the following. Maintain a distance as not to disturb the water that a fisherman is fishing. Ask if it is okay to fish the area, pointing out where you desire to fish, And setup at a distance where your cast will not hinder the other’s cast. For ease of reference, posted an Infographic – Stream Side Fishing Etiquette on our blog that provides more details on the tips and suggestions provided by the Top 3 Google Search Results. Those sites were: Orvis News – Pro Tips: What Makes Goo...

Answering the mail concerning questions about fishing at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, TX. We fished it a couple of weeks ago and limited out on Rainbow Trout. Since then, had requests to provide more details on the specific places fished while we were there. This video intends to provide details as well as a bonus at the end… do stay till the end and do like and subscribe if you like what we are doing! YouTube Video Places to Fish – TFCC Infographic

Another winner randomly selected using our TubeBuddy tool to chose from comments posted on our video – “Trout Fishing at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center” ! Simple rules… comment on the video, have a valid email address to validate the winner and coordinate shipping, and a US mailing address. Do checkout the video and some quick updates from recent trips to the field!

Made it to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens, TX for a go at the trout stocked recently! Was an interesting round; the trout wanted “green” fishing flies and lures fished fast. Tried various fishing flies and different retrieves before settling on a short pull, steady retrieve. Did miss a number of strikes as well as lost a few when they threw the barbless hook. That said, did limit out plus has a great time exploring the Center. Do check out the video, and do stay till the end for the bonus. PS: Was not certain if a fishing license was required. Later, confirmed with the TFFC that fishing is included in the price of admission… no fishing license needed!

Had a great time fishing Turner Falls last week for Rainbow Trout. Go to pattern was a Mop Fly that had a Chartreuse body and an Orange Egg Sac. Simple pattern to tie but tended to spend more time trimming and shaping the Egg Sac as well as ending with lots of wasted egg yarn material. Decided to try a dubbing loop to this time… so far, liking it. Quick tie, less time shaping, and less wasted material. Do give it a try! Peak Rotary Vise: http://amzn.to/2rERlZF Dubbing Tool: https://amzn.to/33N4Gyc Orange Egg Yarn: https://amzn.to/2ORj7gr Dust Mop Micro Fiber: https://amzn.to/36drAR3 1/80 oz Jig Fly Hook: https://amzn.to/2Lr51QM

Although it rained Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, Saturday was dry and much warmer for the Team. Given the break in the weather, we headed to Turner Falls Park near Davis, Oklahoma for a round of trout fishing. The Team limited out with several nice sized ones that went for a Gold Super Duper. Other trout were mostly caught on the fly using Mop Flies. Of the trout caught fly fishing, one trout went for a PMC Emerger, another trout took a John Deere, else the remainder taken on fishing flies went for a Mop Fly in Chartreuse with an Orange Egg Sac or Chartreuse with a Pearl Chenille collar. Water was clear, temps climbed to the 60s, and the sun was shining. The wind did kick up as the day progressed. That said, it was a perfect day to be on a river fishing for trout!

HubPages article that summarizes key information when planning a trout fishing trip to Turner Falls Park – a popular summer park in Oklahoma that becomes a trout fishery in winter! Check it out when you get a chance.

Happy Thanksgiving… Running out of Near Deere and Mop Flies… time to tie more. Ended up tying Olive, Pink, and White Near Deere, two variants of the Mop Fly, and some John Deere. All done… now just need to go fishing. Hoping sooner than later! PS: Lots of rain has our fishing plans on hold but see an opening in the weather this weekend.

Video of the action from Saturday morning, November 23, 2019 when we fished the Blue River in Oklahoma. Temps were in the 30s and the action was slow but steady. Able to limit out fishing the channel and undercut by the “Island” using Tandem Rigged Fishing Flies and Mop Flies. Tandem Rigged used was the Too Deere… Leading Near Deere with trailing John Deere to catch five trout.Then, fished a Mop Fly… no tandem rig, to catch and release several. Bite slowed, tried other fishing flies and got a strike or two. Finally, caught and kept number six to make a limit using a Tandem Rig… Lead Mop Fly and trailing John Deere.Most trout went for the John Deere or the Mop Fly. Also, had a stretch of missed strikes… bummer. As well as no strikes… bite turned off for some reason. Water was not as clear as last week but the fish were readily taking fishing flies.Also, after cleaning the fish noted a number of them had full bellies of Chartreuse PowerBait ! Thanks for stopping by and do lik...

Quick update as of Friday evening, November 22: Wood Net… just finished the new netting for the wood net. Just in time to make a run to the Blue River Saturday morning. More to come on our trip Saturday. Net did well, lost no trout, and limited out! Trout Stock Schedule… more fun with spreadsheets and modifying the TPWD Winter Trout Stocking Schedule. It’s posted on out site; do check it out for an easier to reference schedule with respect to stocking dates in chronological order. http://stockertroutfishing.com/fun-with-spreadsheets-tpwd-2019-2020-trout-stocking-schedule-troutfishing/ Tandem Rig Article… Hubpages article that provides more details on how we setup tandem rigged fishing flies. Includes suggestions and tips on how we like to fish them! https://hubpages.com/sports/TandemRiggedFishingFlies

Answering the mail with a follow-up article to our video – “How We Tie Tandem Rigged Fishing Flies”. Published an article “Increase Your Catch with Tandem Rigged Fishing Flies!” Do check it out; it expands on the video providing details on knots used, suggested tips, why we like them, and how to fish them!

Fun with Spreadsheets 2019… Texas Parks and Wildlife Trout Stocking Schedule is posted on their website – TPWD . For ease of reference, modified the data to sort by date and to breakout stockings and counts to show estimated counts for a given stocking. Example: Place A is stocked two times this season. It is scheduled to receive a total of 100 trout for the season.  Estimate 50 trout to be stocked each time. Also, do note the following… 1. For the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, the date is not exact. Per the schedule posted, Athens is to receive various trout stockings in December, January, and February. 2. For Pottsboro Lake’s trout stocking scheduled for 12/11/2020. Suggest contacting TPWD to confirm the date. Date looks suspect as it carries over to 2020-2021’s schedule. 3. For Pena Colorado’s trout stocking scheduled for 12/18/2020. Suggest contacting TPWD to confirm the date. Date looks suspect as it carries over to 2020-2021...

Made it to the Blue River in Oklahoma Saturday. Had a great time. Water was clear and fish were active and once we figured out the pattern… able to get them on our stringer! Started with a Tandem Rigged Near Deere and John Deere; same setup that did well last Sunday. Unfortunately, was not the pattern this trip. Switched to a Streamer and Midge Tandem Rig with the John Deere and a trailing Rainbow Warrior. That was the ticket! Trout were taking the Rainbow Warrior. Did lose the rig, retied a Near Deere and Rainbow Warrior. Managed to catch one trout on the Neare Deere, else it was the Rainbow Warrior, again. Limited out with one nice trout (not on video) that we lost while landing it. Overall, nice day on the Blue… Tandem Rigged fishing flies were the key again!

Here is the fishing fly that we used in a Tandem Rig when fishing the Blue River in Oklahoma Sunday. Had struck out Saturday but came back Sunday and managed to out five trout on the stringer. Had a couple that went for a Tandem Rigged Near Deere with trailing Rainbow Warrior, else it was a slow go. Then, after mixing up the fishing flies and trying different ones found a Tandem Rigged Near Deere with trailing John Deere was the ticket. LOL… Near Deere originated from the John Deere. Do check out the video on how we tie the John Deere pattern. And, do check back,… will get a follow-on video of the Tandem Rig technique we used!

Was a fun weekend trout fishing on the Blue River in Oklahoma! Recent rains made it tough Saturday with trout caught mainly using bait. Of note were Salmon Eggs and PowerBait. The Team tried their luck with fishing flies, Power Worms, Mouse Tails, and Salmon Eggs. Unfortunately, it was a strike out. Still had a great time on a sunny and warm Saturday. Trout Derby was in progress with some promising fish caught! But none for the Team. No trout for dinner but the back up plan worked out well. All you can eat at the KFC in Paul’s Valley serving the Colonel’s Buffet! Following day, went back to the Blue and fished upriver from Hughes Crossing in the morning till about noon. Water was a little clearer compared to Saturday, able to catch, land, and then lose one Rainbow Trout using a Tandem Rigged Near Deere with trailing Rainbow Warrior. After some strikes and misses, finally hooked and landed one for the stringer; it went for the Rainbow Warrior. Afternoon, headed to the Island ...

Cold front rolled in and temps drop and rain rolled in. Gave it a week and things warmed and rains quit. Made a run to the lake for jug lining fun. Three of us this round, took the Jon Boat and the Kayak. No Shad to catch with the cast net. Bought some at a bait shop, pricey but they do work well for Catfish! Managed three Catfish and a Gar. Did get a few strikes and misses, then things slowed more. Decided to call it a trip… fun times!

Thanks for those who commented on our Blue River Fishing Infographics video we posted last week. Appreciate the support, and oh by the way, bonus time… time to pick a winner of the Near Deere Give Away! Congrats to the Winner!

A Year Round Trout Fishery! The Lower Illinois River is one of two year round trout fisheries in Oklahoma. It is stocked with Rainbow and Brown Trout by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) as water conditions allow. To help fishermen interested in fishing the Lower Illinois River, we created an infographic and posted a YouTube Video that steps through the information. Also, we published a HubPages Article – Lower Illinois River River Trout Fishing , that adds lessons learned from past trips to the river. So check the infographic, video, and article out in preparation for a trip to the Lower Illinois River!

Follow-up on yesterday’s video post on Blue River Fishing and places to fish. This one is an infographic and video about Fishing Licenses and other info for fishing the Blue River, OK! Key Links for reference: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Home Page: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/ Online Purchase: https://license.gooutdoorsoklahoma.com/ Contact Us: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/contact Oklahoma Fishing Guide 2019/2020: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/law/guides?qt-guides=1#qt-guides PDF of the Fishing Guide: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/Fishing%20Regulations%2019-20.pdf Video with details on fishing the Blue River Infographic for Reference

Trout season is just around the corner with our neighbors to the North in Oklahoma getting a stocking of the Blue River in November. As we get lots of questions asking about fishing the Blue River, decided to post this video and provide details on an Infographic we published on our blog – Hope it helps for those interested in fishing the Blue this year! Catch and Release Playlist Blue River Playlist HubPages Article: Hughes Crossing

We are in the process of migrating posts to an easier to access format. This post as been migrated to our partners at Fishing Hacks . Do check it out!

Fished Celebration Park East Pond. Water was low and the bite was not on. Tried freelining a bread ball on the EmmRod Kayak King Rod. No luck. Went to Bethany Lakes and fished the Wapsi Bream Getter on the 4wt Redington Fly Rod. Caught Bass and a Bluegill. Since no keepers this round, fried a Tilapia that we picked up at the store. Cooked golden brown and topped with an Egg and Salsa mix… tasty, tasty, tasty! Charlie had to put his two cents in… bunnies were invading the backyard. Good thing he keeps a vigilant watch, protecting our domicile from those vicious creatures! It’s all good, especially with a sip or two of Samuel Adam’s Oktoberfest beer!

Cooking Yellow Bass #cooking #kayakfishing Here is a brief video on how we cooked the Yellow Bass we caught kayak fishing the other day. Easy method when dealing with small fish… Step 1. Scale the fish Step 2. Butterfly the fish by splitting from the backbone Step 3. Clean and rinse the fish, removing guts and gills Step 4. Soak in a Vinegar, Water, Garlic, Pepper, and Salt brine overnight Step 5. Deep fry for about 5 minutes on high heat That’s all! PS: Worried about the bones, no worries… other than the large spine, little bones can be eaten as is!

As Trout Stocking Season nears in our area, we decide to fish a pond for Bluegill to work on setting the hook when those scrappy stocker trout are striking lightly on our fishing fly. In this video, we demo the “Twitch”! When we are fishing without a strike indicator, we like to watch our line as it reacts to a fish lightly taking a fishing fly. Method works well on trout, and can be easily practiced fishing for little Bluegill! Do give the “Twitch” a try this Season!

More fun fly fishing ponds on the commute. This round it’s Crowley Park, Duck Creek, and Kroger Park! Crowley Park in Richardson yielded two Bass on an Indicator Fly. Lost the Wapsi Bream Getter to a Tree Fish! Duck Creek was a morning round that caught a few Sunfish, but did spy some nice Bass lurking by the bridge. Also, lost the Wapsi Bream Getter on the first cast. This was a new one we tied that morning. Finally, Kroger Park did well; able to fish the side of the pond that had been clobbered with greenery for weeks. Wind blew it to the other side! Took advantage and fished the clear bank and caught some decent Bass… using the Foam Damsel Fly. Tied another Wapsi Bream Getter but left at home…. no worries! Was still a great time!

Been enjoying a quick trip on the commute to/from the day job! This round it a stop earlier in the week fishing the 4wt and the size 10 Wapsi Bream Getter variant! Caught a fish or two including a Bass! Cooler temps are coming, so best to get as much fishing in during the week while it’s warm. This trip we fished Duck Creek… a park that has a creek that runs through it. Lots of fun!

Lost our Betts Bream Getter to a snag. Luckily had a Wapsi Foam Spider Fly Tying Kit. Able to tie another one in short order. Did well but lost it to another snag… bummer. No worries though… able tie another one and fished local ponds for a couple of weeks. Then, lost it today to a break off! Good thing we have the fly tying kit handy… another Foam Spider in the fly box ready to go!

Lots of fun catching bass and bluegill using the Wapsi Foam Spider aka Betts Bream Getter. Lost count of the fish caught and released. Was steady action with the fish striking the fishing fly on a stop and go retrieve, later a long pull and pause, and then later a fast retrieve. Largest Bass went ~14″ but did lose a bigger one that threw the hook, and another that broke the line. Bummer… gotta tie more Wapsi Foam Spider. Good thing the kits makes more than one fishing fly!

Lotta fun fishing the 4wt on the commute of the day job! Back to Richardson at Crowley Park for pond fishing. This round it’s a Bass and two Bluegill using the Wapsi Foam Spider that is similar to the Betts Bream Getter!

Juglining today at Lake Lavon. Learned Bratonia Park is open. Low water but able launch the jon boat. Put out jug lines. Only one Catfish. Released it, made it back home no problem… chilled with some ukulele time… The Weight.

On the commute, did a little pond hopping the past few days. Was a tough go but did manage to catch a fish or two! First pond was Crowley Park Pond in Richardson. Fished the Redington Pursuit 4wt 8ft Fly Rod and the Ross Flystart2 Reel. Lost the Betts Bream Getter but did make one using Waspi’s Foam Spider Tying Kit! Landed a Bluegill and caught but lost a Bass while bringing it to shore. 4lbs tippet broke but luckily did not lose the fishing fly! Second pond was Plano Downtown Center Pond… not sure about the formal name for it, but this one works for ease of reference. Started fishing the Waspi Betts Bream Getter but without luck. Then, noticed a ball of little fish, actually several of them, moving about in the pond. Thought they were minnows. Turned out to be fingerling catfish. Switched to a PMC Emerger…. smallest fishing fly in the fly box. Had a few follow it but none struck. Next, went with a Corq strike indicator and a Near Deere. Able to catch a Bullhead on the fly! Next ...

Had a great time kayak fishing Saturday. Brought the Lowrance Hook 3x DSI depth finder to locate bait fish, structure, and changes in depth! Was the key to hooking up with White Bass, Yellow Bass, Crappie, and Catfish. Back Paddling to bounce the slab and jig rig worked as well as casting to passing schools. Sure hope to do more in the upcoming weeks

TBT time Friday evening fishing an old favorite of ours… the Betts Bream Getter. It’s the fishing fly we derived the Foam Spider pattern we tie. This one we picked up at Cabelas but unfourtunately lost it to a snag. Will have to either buy another or tie one using the kit we bought last year from Waspi! No worries though had a great time fishing it for Bass and Bluegill. Key tips this round when fishing the Betts Bream Getter: First, stand-off from the bank about 5 to 10 yards and work the area near the bank. Anticipate a strike. If none, then proceed closer and work the pond casting out as well as along the bank. Second, wait to start the retrieve 5 to 10 counts, letting the fishing fly sit motionless. Oftentimes, a strike will happen. Next, start the retrieve with short pulls on the fly line to create a stop and go motion. Do pause between pulls, and do watch for a fish trailing behind it. If a fish is trailing but does not want to commit to striking, even when the fishing fly i...

Fished Stoney Hollow Pond and managed two fish only. Was a tough go. Next day fished two ponds – Sonic Pond and Bethany Creek Pond. Struck out at Sonic Pond. Did catch several fish at Bethany Creek Pond!

Made it to Kroger Park on the commute home. Always good to have a fishing rod handy in the little pickup for times when traffic is slow and yours truly prefers to fish rather than drive in stop and go traffic. This round used the Foam Grasshopper with the TFO 6wt Flyrod coupled with the Echo Ion 6/7wt flyreel. Reel has the OPST Commando Head and the coated monofilament running line. Made for ease of casting and distance when needed. Pond was clobbered with lots of green stuff but did catch a few bluegill and bass. Fun stuff!

Lucked out catching a few fish with the PMC Emerger! While out on the local pond, decided to demo the Redington Pursuit 4wt – an 8 foot rod we picked up several years ago. Noticed on the Texas Fishing Forum a question about casting 50 feet or so with a 5wt 8 foot fly rod. Did not have an 8 foot in a 5 weight. But, did have this one in a 4 weight. Able to get 50 feet plus with a double haul cast,… even caught a fish while doing the demo! Fun stuff!

Fun time fishing the 4wt Redington Pursuit Fly Rod. Not used it for some time. Dusted it off along with the Ross Flystart 2 Reel that we picked up from Amazon several years ago. Reel came with backing and a Weight Forward 4wt line.

Normally we troll Slab and Jig Rigs when kayak fishing. Works well for fish holding in the upper water column. But, when fish are holding deep, near bottom… what to do, what to do. We try the Back Paddling Technique! This round in keeping with our motto, “Learn to Fish by our Trial and Errors”…. Watch how we use a technique that we discovered by accident. And, do stay till end for the Bonus! Back Paddling allows the bounce and twitch of the slab and jig rig we are using It’s fished near bottom where the fish are holding… will cast and try jigging once it hits bottom. Then… back paddle, keeping sight of the rod. When done right… rod twitches. When snagged or bit… rod bends hard. If snagged, paddle toward it and will come loose. If bit, reel the fish in! Do see the full length video of Sunday’s Trip! Lot’s of “learn to fish by our trials and errors” action to watch. Plus, watch how we change our fishing tactics as conditions change!

In this video, we randomly select the Fishing Fly Give Away Winner… winner gets two Guadalupana Fishing Flies tied on Size 8 Streamer Hooks. Also, went fishing yesterday on the local lake – Lake Lavon. Took the kayak out and caught and released a number of undersized White Bass. Did get four keepers – three White Bass and one Crappie. Do check back… will get a video out that shows the Back Paddling Technique we used to catch them this round! Fishing Fly Give Away – Guadalupana… plus Kayak Fishing Preview

Fished Bethany Lakes Saturday morning. Able to get a round in before it rained. Planned to fish with the Tube Popper Fly; gave it about an hour with only three missed strikes to show for it. Then, put the Guadalupana on and caught fish – Bluegill, Sunfish, and Bass. Fished the Back Pond and left them biting. Went to the Lower Pond by the Waterfall and caught a Sunfish, then on to the Canal and fished Bluegill and Sunfish using a short cast – 10′ of line. Fish went for the Guadalupana consistently. But, Murphy’s Law struck; lost the fishing fly to a snag. Tied on the Marilyn Monroe Tenkara Fly; missed a few and hooked a few before losing it. Good thing… one more cast lasted another 30 casts and probably would have kept going if it weren’t for losing the fly. Bummer but did miss the rain storm! PS: Do check back on Monday for the Randomly Selected Winner of our Guadalupana Fishing Fly Give Away!

For this round, we are switching it up and giving away two Guadalupana Fishing Flies – a variant of the original pattern. This one is tied smaller than the original and use two peacock herls instead of three. It has been effective on stocked trout when we fished local ponds during the TPWD Trout Stocking Season as well as the year round fishery on the Guadalupe River where the pattern originated. Do join us in this Fishing Fly Give Away! Simple Rules: Post a comment to this video US Mailing Address Valid Email to verify the winner Start: August 26, 2019 @8PM Central End: September 2, 2019 @8PM Central Winner to be announced September 2, randomly selected by the TubeBuddy random selection tool! Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Tied Guadalupana Fishing Flies for the upcoming Fishing Fly Give Away. Giving two away and tied an extra one to “test” at the local pond. Caught one Sunfish, then lost it… user error, should have made sure the knot was secure. Fished a Foam Damsel Fly and caught more little Bluegill, then broke off on a fish… line was frayed. While looking for another fishing fly in the fly box, found another Guadalupana. Tied it on in short order and caught more Bluegill and a little Bass.

Here is an interesting infographic that may add more debate to the effectiveness of circle hooks versus j-hooks. As quoted by Lenny Rudow, “Using Circle Hooks versus J-Hooks isn’t an either-or proposition—both types belong in your tacklebox. Choose which to use wisely, and you’ll end up with more fish in the cooler.“ Retrieved from https://www.boats.com/on-the-water/fishing-friday-circle-hook-vs-j-hook/

Had some time to burn, so off for a quick get away “mini-vacation” to Broken Bow, Oklahoma for some wine tasting, fishing… and overall chillin and grillin! Stayed at a really nice cabin in the Hochatown area, able to try a few wines and pick up a bottle or two at three wineries, grilled some tasty sausage and steaks, and even wet a line and caught a Bluegill. No trout this round but no worries… learned a few things this round. Of note, the Cold Hole Bridge is repaired and there is a parking lot now! Key items this trip…

Impromptu live session to answer a Viewer’s question on a starter kit for fly tying. Unedited video with key items noted below. Also, includes details of recent trip fishing Denison Dam for Stripers! Key Items: Starter kits in the $30.00 range are available 1a. Cabelas and Bass Pro 1b. Can go more expensive but may also gather dust if become frustrated 1c. If you move on to more expensive, than can use it still – travel vice, tube fly vice conversion Amazon Starter Kit: https://amzn.to/2TiAGqa Best to learn to tie one fishing fly that you use often 2a. Save money and will fish aggressively, less worry about losing it 2b. Get proficient at tying it sooner than later Simple but effective patterns… 3a. Olive Wooley Buggers 3b. Near Deere 3c. Clousers Must haves… 4a. Bobbin 4b. Hackle Pliers 4c. Sharp scissors Really nice to have… 5a. Bobbin Threader 5b. Whip Finish Tool

Fished Denison Dam early AM Sunday. Was non-Stop action. Lost count of how many were caught and released. Estimated over fifty striped bass after we quit counting! All were caught and released between 6AM to 10AM till alarm sounded warning us power plant would be generating soon. Do join us this round for Denison Dam Fishing – Five Tips for Fly Fishing and learn to fish by our trials and errors! Tip #1. Before you go… determine the Water Flow Pattern Tip #2. Get a OK License and wade the river Tip #3. Wading boots and wading stick! Tip #4. Adjust retrieve… Movement, lots of movement this time! Tip #5. Match the hatch! Size Mattered! Bring 2″-3″ as well as larger 4″+ fishing flies!

Simple pattern made with two white Marabou Plumes, Red Dumbbell Eyes, Pearl Chenille, Red Dacron Tying Thread, and a 1/0 Hook. Tied this one from memory of a fishing fly that was doing well on Striped Bass at Denison Dam. Calling it the Denison Dam Dawber or Triple D. Going to try it out next trip to the tailrace to Texoma – Denison Dam! Stay tuned!

A detailed video on how we decided when and how to fish a dam by finding the pattern… of the water flow based on real time release data and generation schedules. Do check it out and do stay till the end to see who won the Paracord Fly Rod Tube Rack Give Away! Steps detailed n the video… Team decided to fish Denison Dam Saturday July 27, 2019 using fly fishing gear and spinning gear. Able to arrive at first light and catch a few small Striped Bass before they started generating power. Once they started generating, headed downstream and we managed to catch a Bass and a Gar, else no more Stripers. Overall a fun time on the Red River fishing Denison Dam! Striped Bass were caught with a crankbait Rattle Trap or a Clouser Minnow. Gar went for Shad; the Bass went for a Clouser Minnow!

Was a windy Saturday at Lake Lavon but did manage to catch three Catfish for dinner using jug lines – commercially bought as well as DIY ones. Also, caught and released a Gar. All went for fresh caught Shad caught with a cast net prior to launching. Below are key items this trip. Hope the info proves useful per our Channel’s intent – “Learn to fish by our trials and errors!” Also, added links to a couple of articles on jug lining: Jug Line Fishing: https://hubpages.com/sports/Jug-Line-Fishing Kayak Jug Fishing: https://hubpages.com/sports/KayakJugFishing

How we organized our fishing rods using three fishing rod racks to store them. One rod rack used paracord and two screws to mount fly rod tubes to the wall of our home office / fishing room. Another rod rack we used was made of wood and mounted to the wall. It costs about $30 to mount 40 fishing rods. Much cheaper than the commercially made ones! Lastly, we used a PVC Floor Rod Rack to store six fishing rods that we would be using in the near term – surf casting rods, kayak fishing rods, and a couple of EmmRods. Do check out the video and our DIY Fishing Rod Racks playlist for more details on how we made each type of rod rack! How We Made Fly Rod Tube Racks using Paracord for less than $10: https://youtu.be/35XL1_gzkoE How We Made Wood Fishing Rod Racks for over 40 Fishing Rods for around $30: https://youtu.be/pt6xQU6f8Qs How We Made a PVC Floor Rod Rack That Can Be Expanded: https://youtu.be/7c53YYlEbO4

Fished Lavon last Friday and struck out, then Denison Dam last Saturday and struck out, too! Went to Texoma last Sunday, and struck out again! No chance to fish until this Saturday… finally broke the streak by fishing Stoney Hollow Park Pond using the TFO 6wt Fly Rod and Echo Iion 6/7wt reel. OPST Commando Head did well casting into the wind! Managed a Bass, a fingerling Bass, and little Bluegill as well as a nice sized Bluegill. Used a Tube Fly Popper to take the Bass, a Foam Damsel Variant for the fingering Bass, and then a Red Marabou Damsel Fly and a Guadalupana for the Bluegill! Lots of fun! Feel much better having broken the streak!

Answering the mail from a Reader’s question concerning Denison Dam Tailrace and Lake Texoma. Do check it out and do stay till the end for a bonus tip! Also, here is an outline of the info provided in the video for reference. Question 1: Daily limits for Texoma vs. Denison Dam (tailrace) Answer: TPWD 2019 Regulations and ODWC 2019 Regulations Texoma Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass – No Minimum Length – 10 per day per person – Of which two can be 20″ or greater – Culling is not permitted White Bass – No Minimum Length – 25 per day per person Yellow Bass – No Minimum Length – No daily limit Denison Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass – No Minimum Length – 5 per day per person – Culling is not permitted White Bass – 10″ Minimum Length – 25 per day per person Yellow Bass – No Minimum Length – No daily limit Question 2: Suggested Fishing Gear Answer: Varies based on water fl...

Setup the surf casting rod and made the run to Brockdale Park (Lavon). Thought the park was closed, planned to walk down from the gate. Arrived and found out it was open. Drove down to the parking area. Lake level is up. Able to get some great surf casting practice in. No fish but did have a few boats come close to the point where we were casting. Was casting well past the wakes they left. Next round… hopefully Denison Dam!

Recapping past activities and upcoming plans in a quick update video. Do check back with us Monday’s 8PM Central for our next video on our YouTube Channel – COAF Field Team! Also, do check out our Galveston Fishing Playlist of past and recent tips to the coast! Galveston Fishing Playlist: https://youtu.be/8pYMqeweqrI

A follow-up video we mentioned on lessons learned fishing Galveston – specifically, Galveston Fishing Pier 61st Fishing Pier And, a sidetrip to Surfside Jetty Thanks for checking the video out and do subscribe. Plus, do stay for the bonus info on fishing a pier! Longer than our normal video posting but has a lot of info that may be of interest to some planning a trip to the area. Also, do comment and/or send questions our way concerning fishing and what we did this trip! See our article too – Fishing Galveston

A quick update from our trip to the coast… Texas Coast! We fished the Surfside Jetties, the Galveston Fishing Pier, and the 61st Street Fishing Pier this round. We are back in Allen, and have some video to edit – specifically, a lessons learned video of what we learned this trip to the coast! Do stay tuned, and do subscribe and select the bell to get notified when we post a video. Thanks for joining and checking out our videos!

Weekly video post from the COAF Field Team. This one has us on the road fishing the Galveston Fishing Pier. Plan is to fish several spots and provide an overview video of the trip.This video is an onsite update of the Team’s fishing fun while fishing the Galveston Fishing Pier!

Another fishing fly give away of the Near Deere – a favorite pattern of the COAF Field Team! Do check out the video for details and see the links below for more about the Team! PS: Do check out the bonus info, too!

Here is a video that provides an overview of our Fishing YouTube Channel as we re-start our Channel! I am an avid fisherman who supports the City of Allen Fishing Field Team. Or, C-O-A-F Field Team. Formerly a team of five, currently a team of one as others have moved elsewhere. That said, the Team lives on through YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and a Blog – “Stocker Trout Fishing”. YouTube: YouTube.com/CoafFieldTeam Facebook: @CoafFieldTeam Instagram: coaf.field.team Blog: StockerTroutFishing.com When you subscribe, learn more about fishing. In particular, watch how we adjust to current season and conditions. Of note are: Local lakes kayak fishing for White Bass or jug lining for Catfish Running up the road to Texoma for Stripers. Local ponds for panfish, largemouth, and rainbow trout when in season. As well as a run across the border from TX to OK to fish for rainbow trout… LIR, LMF BB, and Blue River Also, bring to you suggestions, tips, and the occassional run to the Tex...

Fished with the EmmRod Fly Rod the other day using the OPST Commando Head that we have on out Echo Ion 4/5 Wt Reel. Was able to cast well and catch a few fish once we made adjustments to our cast. Adjustments made were to the hand hold of the shooting head and the amount of shooting head to let out before starting the cast. Also, had to contend with line management as the mono running line tended to snag on rocks and brush at our feet. Afterwards, decided to try using a traditional fly line – specifically, a WF 5wt. Thoughts were… No need to setup each cast based on a specific hand hold on the shooting head Less snags and tangles with the mono running line would make for more fishing and less untangling of line Since a Switch Cast or Roll Cast would be limited by the short length of the EmmRod Fly Rod, benefit of a shooting head was less. And, since the plan was to fish areas where a backcast could be used, overhead and sidecast would be used most often when fishing. To check whic...

Liked the EmmRod Kayak King for fishing the local pond for Catfish. Very convenient to carry around or keep in the little pickup truck. Ordered the Fly Rod, arrived yesterday but was not able to fish it till today. Had to make a run to Fort Worth, so brought the EmmRod Fly Rod and several Near Deere fishing flies just in case we had a chance at fishing today. Was able to fish with it on the Trinity River in Fort Worth. Water was high with lots of flow from recent rains. Did manage to catch a few Longear Perch and Sunfish! Looks like the fly rod will be made readily available for more side trips while on the commute home from the day job!