There are many areas on Lake Travis that you can see 25 ft down (to the bottom) and this really affects how fish are caught now and in the coming months. Tight lines! Conversely, my stained water strategy is to target bass in 7 ft or less. Texas rigged craw style plastics work well too, but a personal preference of mine is a jig. Winter fishing, if you read last months report this will be quite similar. I recommend going with natural colors; any variation of green pumpkin is a good place to start. Consider booking a trip with me! Fish Deep! As far as bait selection goes, I also break it down into two categories, baits fished on the bottom and moving baits. Coves will be an important place to look for the next few weeks until winter really sets in. If you have ever considered booking a fishing trip with me, March is the month to do it! There is also a type of grass called chara that grows up shallow, its an annoying stringy grass that doesnt help attract fish but rather fouls up your hooks more than anything. A speedboat remains vertical and almost on dry land at Lake Mead. For the shallow bite, Im pretty keen on the lightweight texas-rigged brush hog. A Rapala DT-10 or a Storm Wiggle wart are two good options. Football Jig I spend more time fishing Lake Travis than any other local guide as this is my home lake. Once you start seeing these temps the bass start to get more active and move up out of their deep summertime homes. A little tip for you guys docks can be very good places to find bass, but especially when they are isolated docks. 1. Spawning Fish The water will feel warm (balmy). Fall fishing is a blast, not only can you catch them on a variety of patterns but I typically see high numbers and a larger average size fish. Whatever bait you are throwing, slow way down with it and keep it in contact with the bottom. For trips with children I recommend a half-day trip. Look for ledges that sit in 10-20 feet of water on top and drop off deeper. Aug. 14, 2022 (KLAS) June 2022. Related Links: This is one of the absolute best places to have Garmin Panoptix in your boat. We have been catching the majority of my fish on drop shot flukes, on spinning tackle, in 10-20 ft of water. If you dont have any of that try using red, they carry it at Academy around here. When the moving bait bite is good I like to tie on a red/ orange squarebill, a white spinnerbait, a 4 Keitech on an underspin head, or a fluke rigged on a belly weighted hook. The exception though is if the bank has things like stumps, concrete anchor blocks (for docks/ marinas), grass, or brush. AUSTIN, Texas The mean water level on Lake Travis is 657 feet above sea level, or 64.5% full, down from the same time a year ago. Finding where there are ledges and drop offs along these bluff walls has been one of the best ways to target these fish. One key to the topwater bite is finding the right kinds of banks. Early in the morning I like to start out looking for schooling fish or throwing a topwater bait. Flukes: A Zoom fluke in a shad color rigged weightless or on a Owner twist lock hook with a small belly weight can be deadly fished up shallow. If you are new to Lake Travis and want to learn to fish the lake more effectively, consider booking a trip with me! Stay cool, and tight lines. Does Travis County rent boats, sailboats or jet skis? Warmer water instinctively tells the fish that it is time to build nests and lay eggs. When I find fish out deep I pay attention to how they are positioned on the fish finder to help me decide what bait to throw. . The fishing on Lake Travis has actually been really good lately. Dont let the heat stop you from booking a trip and getting out on the lake with me this month! I mention all this because I hear about a lot of people fishing elsewhere due to Travis being low. Even from day to day what the bass want to bite can change. The temperatures given are the sea surface temperature (SST) which is most relevant to recreational users. Small movements, long pauses, and constant bottom contact are key. Small minnows fished on a 1/16th ounce lead head have also been very productive. Lake Travis water temperatures climbing near 70 degrees mean the fish have made their move out of the depths to the clear flats and shallows of Lake Travis. Now is a great time to book a trip! Finally, its not only about focusing on a specific target. When you take a good look at the size of Lake Travis, this large water mass is quite impressive. The tail end of the shad spawn is still going on, so pay attention to the shorelines early in the morning for signs of this. While I personally hate the cold, I love wintertime fishing! Lake Travis weather forecast updated daily. To cover water more quickly a paddle tail swimbait such as a 4.2 Keitech Fat Swing Impact rigged with a belly weighted hook can be deadly. Pre-spawn Fish If this fishing report helps you, please consider sharing it on your social media! Currently the thermocline on Lake Travis is around 40 feet deep. Warm water temps drive fish deep in search of more comfortable conditions. I even pour my own jigs! Ill take 100 degree temps over snow any day. Slow down and dont over work it. Our weather has a tendency to stay hot for a while longer, so the true fall fishing bite is a few weeks out. 11,847 Readers. Bass fishing in September on Lake Travis can be a very fun time to hit the water! Currently water clarity throughout the lake is a bit stained, the lower end by Mansfield Dam is still quite clear, but not by our usual standards. If you are looking to learn the lake better and would like to get out with a professional fishing guide, please visit my website for more information on booking a trip. These small silver bait fish are plentiful in Lake Travis and are like candy to hungry bass. Fall is finally here and the water temps are down into the mid 70s and will continue to get colder with these shorter days and chillier nights. When I get solo clients or groups with only two anglers weve been catching a lot of fish off beds. Happy New Year everyone! Stick to colors that resemble a threadfin shad, these tend to get bit the best. In an effort to find this, some bass will seek out deeper areas of the lake to live. Bass will move from the creek/ river channel to feed up shallow. Often in Southern climes, the biggest fish of the year can come during this month And I dont mean your 5 pounders. As for the Texas rig, this bait is often times interchangeable with a jig. Lake Travis Parks. They are not interested in eating it, just hurting or killing it. This year they have been in the mid 50s with exception of right after that last winter storm we had. I fish it kind of as a combination of how I fish the morning and mid day bite. Austin pumps highest amount of water, so far this year. The average rainfall is about 32 inches of rain a year, which means the sun shines more than 300 days a year. Fishing improves as lake level, water temperature rises - Lake Travis There are a couple key patterns that I recommend you try. I put a lot of work into these free reports and love sharing info, however I dont share ALL my secrets! Bites will be subtle but typically theyll feel like one light thump. During high sun, we am focusing on docks and walkways that provide shade. Most of the bigger fish are hitting jigs, shaky heads and Carolina rigged plastics. Using my sonar I am able to see how far from the surface the Hydrilla is growing, and select baits that will get down to it, without going so deep as to get snagged. I know weve already passed up the first official day of fall, but keep in mind this is Central Texas. Lake Austin is a popular spot for boating and fishing, as it has a massive population of bass, many of which weigh over 10 lbs. These fish will move on you when you find them, so if you dont get bit after 10 minutes of fishing, graph them again. Aquatic Vegetation. Im generally going to start looking for fish in the 20 ft range during this time of year. I have been catching fish out deep on deep diving crankbaits, and as the water gets even hotter, more fish will begin that migration. As the water cools you will find these shad moving from deep water, which in the case of Lake Travis will be the river channels and major creek arms. Water clarity is the typical Travis gin clear water; 8-12 foot visibility on the lower end of the lake is pretty normal. There are a couple baits that I like to throw in particular when the bass are spawning. A wacky rigged senko, a rage craw, or a jig are all good options for this type of fishing. Related Links: Largemouth love living down in the grass and will position themselves on holes or edges in the grass in order to come up from below and ambush their prey. February is broken up into two main patterns, winter fishing and pre-spawn fishing. As water temperatures increase, you will find a change in the fishs behavior. Fish the bait slow and really try to get a feel for the bottom. Time of day and wind direction may have a temporary local effect as can water flows from neraby rivers. Early in the morning bass will move up shallow to feed. That is a high percentage spot for those fish to pull up on. During March there are two patterns I focus on pre-spawn and spawn fishing. Cut them off by targeting the areas they can easily move to. For this type of fishing there are four baits that are my go-tos, but there are plenty of others that will work. This isnt to say they wont feed, but they do become more selective and less aggressive. Next time you are targeting pre-spawn fish look for these and target your casts along them. It is not uncommon to see two or three of these birds sitting statuesque at the waters edge waiting for a shad to swim close by where they can catch it. Our morning started on a deep chunk rock near Starnes Island on the lower end of the lake. A small swimbait is another bait that works year around on Lake Travis, but especially excels in the fall. Use braid that is white or yellow as it is easier to see. Skipping docks will always get you bit as well. Once you see water temperatures down in the high fifties you can expect the bite to slow. Recently Ive had several half day trips with 20+ fish. Flukes can be deadly as they represent the migratory baitfish and can be color matched to be even more effective. While the shad pattern is very popular to fish this time of year, imitating crawfish can also produce some nice fish! You want to look for places where its convenient for the fish to move out of deep water and still be close to areas they would eventually build a nest in. As soon as a couple cold fronts roll through and you see the water temps drop several more degrees the fish will get moving! Make long casts with your spook across main lake points or ledges adjacent to deep water. Alternate between these baits and target points and drains outside of areas bass spawn. I promise you a slower presentation for the next month will get you more bites. If you are not seeing any baitfish activity, keep moving. My biggest tip for you right now is to find rock! Its not uncommon for me to let my bait sit there for 5 to 10 seconds before moving it. Spots like this are higher probability to hold bass as these fish living out deep dont have to travel far to find shallow water to feed in. For those of you new to Lake Travis, the lake is around 65 miles long. . Now with that being said the bite has begun to slow up a bit with the warming water. I have caught fish from 10 feet all the way down to 35 feet. During spring, one of my favorite ways to chase bass is when they are schooling. With all these baits, slow down and give the bait long pauses. Largemouth bass are cold blooded and as the fish get colder their metabolisms slow causing them to be more lethargic. As a general rule, Strategy 1 should produce more frequent bites While Strategy 2 should draw a larger bite. The majority of Lake Travis bass have now transitioned to post spawn. A thermocline is essentially a divide down deep in the lake between the cooler dense water and the lighter warm water. A jig with a light brown skirt with some orange or red it in works very well think natural! While its still early in the fall, spend most of your time at the mouth of the coves all the way to about half way back. When guiding I want everyone to have fun and be fishing. Until it gets a lot cooler I will not bother fishing any further back than half way into the coves. Look for points and drains close to spawning coves with deep water nearby. Lee Benton Fishing Guides Austin, The fishing on Lake Travis is holding strong as summer is officially here. A good starting depth range for an average water clarity could be a break from 15 to 25 ft. Lake Travis is a gorgeous manufactured reservoir on the Colorado River, northwest of lively Austin, Texas. Schooling Fish Avoid the steep bluff walls or banks with large rock. Lake Travis Marinas This time last year the lake was almost 7 degrees warmer and as you may know this plays a huge role in the fishing. Watch your line to make sure you are maintaining bottom contact, especially when you get down deep with the bait. I personally like starting with moving baits in order to cover more water, plus I find it more fun than fishing slow and easier for clients to tell when they are bit. I like to use a crawfish scent on my plastics to make it a little more enticing. Time to buckle down and focus, because the easy fish have been picked off. Personally I like to use bright colored baits such as white, bubblegum, or chartreuse. Make long casts with the swimbait around cover and work it over any drop offs you find underwater. I find year after year my largest fish come off this bait. What I find to be most important in the winter is timing when you fish based on the weather forecast. July fishing is notorious for being challenging. As of this report though, we finally have our first real cold front. Its no secret the tournament was won on surface baits (see video). One, this helps maintain bottom contact, and two it makes the bait easier for the fish to catch up too. I prefer the weightless presentation, but in the wind I will sometimes switch to an Owner twist lock hook with a small belly weight. Guided tours are October through April, Saturdays at 10:00 am (weather permitting) and are limited to the first 30 . I divulge everything I have been doing that week with my paid clients during my guide trips. 6,771 Readers. I also sell a weekly Honey Hole Report on my website! Often times the choppier and windier the better. These three rigs will cover a wide array of spots on Lake Travis. Jul 1, 2009. Everyday Im on the water I am refining the patterns that are working to put fish in the boat. What is the Ideal Swimming Temperature? Once you catch one, get back in there quick with a follow up cast as you can often trigger a feeding frenzy. Because of this, you need to be quick to set the hook. Increased boat traffic on the weekends can also muddy up the water so be mindful of that. They do this during the early hours of the mornings, so getting on the water early is your best bet for success. Until the water gets really hot and summer gets here you can expect to have good fishing up shallow. The ability to walk the dog with it, then pause and kill it every once and a while is very enticing to spring time bass. During guided trips a lot of clients ask me how I find structure, how I know where the good ledges are, and where the productive rock piles are at. However, for coves that do have a defined creek channel, look on the map and look for the places closest to the mouth of the cove that have a bend or ledge. These bass are there guarding their eggs, and fish like sunfish and bluegill love to eat their eggs! Also, deep timber off of these points can also be good. May in particular is one of my favorite months! If you have a chance go wet at line on Lake Travis! I like this style bait since I can fish it fast making it walk the dog back and forth, but not fish it back towards me out of the strike zone too quickly. Although, things have changed slightly. As long as the water remains hot, a portion of the bass population will remain out deep in search of cooler more comfortable water. During the fall bass eat a lot of shad, however they still continue to feed on bluegill and crawfish. Winds are out of the SSE at 8mph, with wind gusts of 17mph. Now with that said, these fish are not easy to catch. Sounds dumb right? https://www.torwicksguidingservice.com/shop-2, The Bassmaster Elite guys (2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest) showed up to Lake Travis, Bassmaster Recap Video Lake Travis 2018, Top Bassmaster Tournament Lures on Lake Travis (slide show). For this though, I will throw colors like Smoke or Natural Shad. Lake Austin's current water temperature is 62F Todays forecast is, Clear With a high around 92F and the low around 51F. If you are looking to up your game I would love to be your fishing coach! Start by tying your drop shot with an exposed hook and a very short tag end between the hook and sinker. We will go over how to set up your graphs, what each sonar frequency does and when to use them, and how to interpret what you are seeing on the screen. Bass like stability; so going deeper provides them with water that is not prone to change a whole lot. Finesse jigs, shakey heads and drop shots are also baits I will have tied on this time of year, especially on those days the fish are being a bit finicky and want something small and slow moving presented to them. I offer what I call a coaching trip. I do not have any weekends open in March, however I do have a very limited number of weekday spots open. Deep docks with numerous cross members and a low platform are probably the best. I am accepting reservations now. I love these since I can cast them far, feel the bottom easily and they dont get snagged too easily. Thats one of the greatest gifts my dad has passed on to me and his father to him and I am to my kids. Keitech is my brand of choice, but there are lots of other good options. With the end of summer approaching the patterns us anglers are focusing on will start to change. If they are higher up off the bottom, the deep crank can work well to get the school fired up. Texas Hawgs! They fight hard and are great table fare if youre looking to take some home. These offshore fish tend to be lethargic and it can sometimes take a lot of work to get them fired up and chewing. I think its a common misconception that the fishing is bad in the winter just because its colder. January in Central Texas can actually bring some very good fishing! . In addition to my normal guided trips I also offer what I call Coaching Trip geared solely towards teaching you how to become a better angler. Water clarity is great as always; expect to find visibility 5-10 feet on the lower end of the lake, and slightly less as you get further up river, especially past the split. Zoom trick worms in natural colors like green pumpkin or watermelon black seed have been good options for the dropshot. It is more narrow, has smaller coves and creek arms, and the water is more stained. Texas rigged creature baits, football jigs, shakey heads and drop shots are all effective baits. Bluff walls near the mouths of spawning coves can also hold a lot of fish early in the pre-spawn phase. If you read fishing blogs, my reports or watch Youtubers, youve probably heard that the bass move up into the backs of creeks and coves. Get on your trolling motor and quietly move around docks up inside the coves looking for white spots on the bottom. Areas with a lot of rock attract the fish as it provides habitat as well as hold forage they feed on. Lake Travis average April sea temperature Max: 23.6C / 72.1F Avg: 20.6C / 69.1F Min: 17.7C / 66.2F These figures are calculated from several years of recorded data and are the maximum, minimum and average temperatures of all the recorded years Average April sea temperatures C F Feb Mar Apr May Jun 0C 10C 20C 30C Once the sun comes up and the morning bite slows, I like to back off the bank. Without going super in depth (if you want that level of info consider purchasing one of my Honey Hole Reports) I recommend having a variety of crankbaits in different diving depths as well as a swimbait tied on.

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