Published: January 19, 2009 06:32 am      

Piney Woods fishing report

BOB SANDLIN — Water fairly clear; 47-54 degrees; 0.37' low. Black bass are fair on chrome jigging spoons, wacky rigs and Texas rigged blue fleck worms. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers. White bass are fair on live minnows and slabs.

CADDO — Water off color; 48-54 degrees; 0.55' high. Black bass are good on jigs, chrome Rat-L-Traps and flukes fished around vegetation and trees. Crappie are fair on red/white or red/green jigs in Big Cypress channel near Johnson's Ranch. No reports on white bass or catfish.

CONROE — Water murky; 1.07' low. Black bass are fair on tequila sunrise and pumpkinseed soft plastics, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits in 15 - 25 feet. Striped bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and frozen shrimp.

FORK — Water lightly stained; 48-54 degrees; 0.81' low. Black bass are fair on black/blue jigs around wood in the mouths of coves and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits along main lake grass lines. Crappie are fair on minnows and small jigs under main lake bridges and around brush piles. Catfish are good on prepared bait along creeks.

HOUSTON COUNTY — Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.64' high. Black bass to 6 pounds are good on watermelon red lizards on the east end of the lake in 15 feet. Crappie are good on minnows near the dam in 15 - 20 feet. Bream are fair on live worms near grass beds. Channel and blue catfish are slow.

LAKE O' THE PINES — Water stained; 47-53 degrees; 0.51' high. Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs, weightless flukes or 5" Yum Dingers and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut shad. Bream are fair on red wigglers.

LIVINGSTON — Water fairly clear; 58 degrees; 0.18' high. Black bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and Charlie slabs. White bass are slow. Crappie are very good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with shad. Yellow catfish are slow.

MARTIN CREEK — 3.05' low. No report available.

MONTICELLO — Water fairly clear; 75-88 degrees; 0.3' low. Black bass are fair to good on topwaters early, later switching to weightless flukes, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and chrome Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair to good on prepared bait.

SAM RAYBURN — Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 6.63' low. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. White bass are fair on live minnows and white tube jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Bream are fair on worms. Catfish are good on frozen shrimp and nightcrawlers.

STEINHAGEN — 0.39' high. No report available.

TOLEDO BEND — Water clear; 61 degrees; 3.38' low. Black bass are fair on watermelon red soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. Bream are fair on worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, frozen shrimp, and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

WRIGHT PATMAN — Water lightly stained; 48-54 degrees; 3.96' high. Black bass are fair flukes, Texas rigs and slow rolled spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on prepared bait and cut shad.