MAY signals the start of topwater lure action on Lake Texoma.
Stripers have finished spawning and are now roaming the lake near the surface. Large schools of post-spawn fish are hungry and will strike viciously on artificial lures.
Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chugbugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings.
After the topwater bite fades, switch to 1oz white glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad if you must. Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges.
Full limits of fish are now common. May is an exciting month on Texoma!
In March the white bass have already spawned and the stripers are staging up the main tributaries. Structure like main lake points, ditches and creeks will hold stripers.
1oz. RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs in white or chartreuse will work best. Fish the creeks in 12’ to 20’ of water with a slow retrieve for fish up to 20lbs.
Pay attention to the seagulls, they can be your best fish finder. When you are fishing under the birds keep your lure in the top 15’ of water.
Most activity will be west of the Willis bridge and north of the railroad bridge on the Washita arm of the lake.
This is the type of striper fishing on lake texoma we strive to provide for every one of our charters. Just a couple of family members having a blast fishing, AND catching a couple of striper “hogs”. Below is an excerpt from the complete article by Conor Harrison in the fishing news section of the Lone Star Outdoor News. Click to read the whole article An Afternoon On The Water With Mom
” Sunday afternoon I got to spend some time on Lake Texoma with one of my favorite fishing buddies — my mom.
An afternoon on the water with mom
Monday, 13 February 2012 10:48 Conor Harrison
GOOD PAIR: My mom and I hold two nice stripers caught late Sunday afternoon on Lake Texoma. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.
Despite temperatures hovering around 40 degrees and a pretty good wind, we decided to head up from Dallas and meet guide Chris Carey from Striper Express Guide Service at the Mill Creek Marina.
By 2:30 p.m. we had lines in the water looking for big stripers as they schooled for an afternoon bite.
I got the action started with a small striper, followed by mom catching a pair of the biggest white bass I’ve ever seen — both around 18 inches and more than 2 pounds.
We were fishing with large jig heads and plastics, and Chris isn’t the kind of guide to sit patiently and wait for the fish to come to him. If the fish finder wasn’t marking fish and we weren’t getting bites, he was on the move — my kind of guide.
It wasn’t long before we noticed birds beginning to congregate along a rocky shoreline. Chris motored to a spot upwind from where the birds were dive-bombing into the water after baitfish pushed to the surface by hungry stripers below.
Working in depths between 45 and 15 feet, we had a nice run of big fish during the few hours before dark.
BIG WHITEY: Mom holds a monster white bass caught while striper fishing. The white was more than 18-inches long and over 2 pounds. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.
The fish didn’t stay schooled for very long, so we had to hunt them. We picked up one or two at almost every spot where Chris stopped.
Mom out-fished both boys in the boat, and it was fun to see her reaction when she first saw her first big striper surface on the end of her line. She hadn’t come prepared to catch a fish that big! We caught more than a dozen stripers between 25 and 28 inches. Those are the types of fish that Texoma is famous for.
There certainly are bigger fish in the lake, but for a day with tough conditions, the fishing was steady and fun.
By dark, we had caught several fish that reached 28 inches; they will be great to eat later this week.
Mom and I had a blast, and it was good to spend some time on the water with her. We don’t get to do it often enough these days.
Thanks again to Chris Carey for finding fish on a day with less than ideal conditions. If hunting for fish instead of dead-sticking with live bait is your kind of fishing, check him out at striperexpress.com for a fun day.
STRIPER ACTION: Conor Harrison holds a pair of big stripers that guide Chris Carey found in 45-feet of water. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.Connect with Bill Carey on Google+
4 Star Fishing • 4 Star Lodging
Lake Texoma is 4-star striper fishing, and Tanglewood Resort is 4-star lodging at Lake Texoma. The BIGFISH SPECIAL brings them together for the best fishing experience you can find.
Two days of rod-bending Texoma striper fishing action and two nights in the best lodging on Lake Texoma – does that sound good?
That Sounds Great!
Experience our “Thrill Of The Hunt” style of top-water lure fishing then relax in the finest accommodations available at Lake Texoma. BIGFISH provides two days of guided fishing for a group of four anglers. Our professional guides, the boat, rods, reels, lures are all included. Andwe clean your catch!
Your party of four will be comfortably housed in two (2) hotel rooms at Tanglewood Resort, each room with two Queen-sized beds (above).
Catching a big Texoma striper is a dream for lots of fishermen…
…with a Texoma striper guide your dreams can be fulfilled!
TJ with 22lb January catch – by D. L. Landreneau
My name is DL and I’m an avid fisherman. I heard the striper bite was “on” at Lake Texoma. The winter striper fishing is known to be one of the best times to land a trophy striper. Some great fishing reports had been coming from Texoma striper guides StriperExpress, so I went to their website.
I found something different. Is this something new? They specialize in stalking stripers with artificial lures. I have been to Texoma a half-dozen times and caught a lot of fish. All the previous charters were “cookie cutter” live bait fishing trips. My curiosity was piqued. I contacted StriperExpress and booked a charter.
Professional Texoma striper guide Chris Carey was a pleasure to talk to. I heard passion and enthusiasm in his voice. He didn’t tell me how good he was, he gave all the credit to Lake Texoma. “Bringing your own rods, reels and a solid hook set are two things that let me know you are our kind of fisherman“, Carey stated.
I rounded up my fishing buddies, Matthew and his nine year old son TJ. Our charter started at 10:30 that morning. Now that’s cool, we didn’t have to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to make a sunrise start. The cold of the morning had warmed up to a clear fifty-seven degrees – perfect. The water temperature is cool in the winter and the stripers will bite all day.
We boarded and departed the dock and Chris took us to the back of the marina. After catching several stripers and a few magnum white bass for TJ’s benefit, Chris said “Lets go hawg hunting.” That was good orientation on how to work the five-inch Sassy Shad jigs.
Migrating onto the main lake, we picked up some good fish working points and other structure. The entire charter Chris engaged TJ, answering questions and giving the nine-year-old a lot of attention. Chris didn’t motor far from one hole to another, teaching us along the way. Little did we know, the glory hole was our next stop.
Chris positioned the boat where we would drift across a creek that was fourteen feet deep and twenty-four feet wide at the bottom. On my first cast I felt the striper strike and set the hook. My seven-foot medium rod bent and bent some more. The Penn Conquer reel was screaming as Chris tightened my drag. My rod bent so far it started making a cracking sound. I love to use light tackle, but I had to back off the drag with ten-pound braided line.
Immediately Chris knew this was a serious striper and it wasn’t going to be landed unless we went after the huge fish. We backed up and gained some line back, but it seemed like nothing was going to stop the fish. When I saw the spool on my reel was almost empty, we had to chase the fish again.
It was a great fight. When the fish was near the boat we still hadn’t seen it. Then she showed herself, rolled, and everyone gasped. Chris netted the fish and the seven minute fight was finally over. What a fish! Or should I say, what a beast! We weighed the striper and it was twenty-two plus pounds.
My adrenaline was rushing and the moment after the fight, I felt like I had been hit by a car! The lesson I learned that day was, the price you pay to fish with a guide is priceless when you have a big striper tugging on your line. It would have been hard to land a fish like this without Chris walking us through the steps and maneuvering the boat.
Fishing with my friend Matt and nine year old TJ is always a treat. When you add the winter beauty of Lake Texoma, numerous bald eagles and a professional Texoma striper guide, the only way to describe it would be to steal a line from TJ and call it “The best day ever.” Chris Carey began the charter as our striper fishing guide, and finished it as our striper fishing partner.
Winter fishing at Lake Texoma is great, but fishing with StriperExpress puts it way over the top!
Striper Fishing Tips: January is a big fish month at Lake Texoma. The cool water winter fishing is legendary…
Large stripers up to 20+ pounds will hold on structure. The cooler the weather the better the fishing holds true for these fighting fish.
A 7-foot medium heavy Castaway Rod with 20-pound test is recommended. The 1-ounce Road Runner jigs with a white 7-inch worm will produce fish located on main lake points, the mouths of creeks and humps with deep water nearby. Bait fishing with live shad is also an excellent way to catch stripers.
Pay attention to the weather forecast and dress warm. Our charters depart at 11:00 a.m. in the winter. The fish will bite all day and the solar heat can help keep you warm. Keep your eyes on the seagulls; they can be your best fish locator.
Bank Access: The Oil Wells and Texas Flats (Using the same baits mentioned, shad will work best on the banks, tie on jigs if the seagulls are working near you.) Connect with Bill Carey on Google+.
Many fishermen have tackle boxes containing hundreds of striper fishing lures. Seems excessive doesn’t it? I have to confess though, I’m one of those fishermen. I’ve got so many striper fishing lures I could even be accused of being a “lure-a-holic”.
As I’ve learned more about the feeding patterns of stripers and how they behave, the more I’ve understood which lures are best during the different seasons of the year – and why it is essential to have so many types of lures.
Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Lures
The seasonal habits of the striper and how they relate to underwater structure whether shallow, deep or suspended in the water column are important reasons to carry an arsenal of lures. Many fishermen have joked with their buddy when a particular lure is producing and you hear “I have one more but it will cost you a hundred dollars!”
Essential Lure Types
For striper fishing on Lake Texoma there are four main types of striper fishing lures that are productive: fishing jigs, slabs, spinners, and topwater lures.
Fishing Jigs Fishing jigshave lead heads weighing ½ to 1-ounce. Various shapes are used to allow a refined presentation. Some days stripers are feeding and other days you must trigger a strike.
The best technique is in the retrieve of the jig. When reeling with a steady retrieve isn’t working, use a erratic retrieve. Try an aggressive rip, rip and pause. Watch your professional fishermen and you can learn a valuable lesson.
Fishing jigs with a soft plastic 4-inch sassy shad, fluke tail or curly tail grub can be used year-round. During the cold season, 1-ounce Road Runner buck tail jigs work best for catching big fish. The best colors for Lake Texoma striper fishing are white and chartreuse.
Slabs Slabs are a painted lead spoon weighing from ¾ to 2 ½ ounces. You can cast slabs but your best technique is to fish them vertically. The stripers will suspend in the water and a slab allows you aggressively work the entire water column.
Striper are schooling fish and large groups of fish will react to other fish behavior.
The two best ways to fish a slab is to bump the bottom on flats and ledges, or, letting it fall and rip them up in deep water. When you are fishing a slab keep a tight line a stay in contact with the lure.
Slabs are a good simulation of a crippled bait fish and will produce strikes both on the fall and when reeling them up. The best colors for Texoma striper fishing are chrome, white, and chartreuse.
Spinners Spinners have blades that revolve around a wire shaft and a treble hook at the base. Most spinners have skirts made from buck tail or rubber materials. Though not as popular as they once were, spinners are a long time proven lure for all species of fish.They are fantastic for striped bass because the blade creates vibration and will produce a flash in the water enticing a strike.
Topwater Lures Nothing is more exciting than a hungry striper exploding on a top-water fishing lure. Top-water lures cause a striper to think bait is swimming across the surface, a motion that enrages the fish to vicious bites and extreme fights.
One day an excited fisherman asked me, “Why would you fish with any lure than a top-water?” Topwater lures are made of plastic or wood that floats and they are flicked or “popped” across the water’s surface.
Another technique is an erratic retrieve called “walking the dog”, a proven and exciting type of fishing in the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons.
In the Spring the stripers follow the food forage into shallow and warmer water. Large schools of stripers during the Summer will surround bait and push them to the surface and produce fantastic sight fishing. On a calm morning you can see surfacing fish up to a mile away.
Top-water lures are my favorite artificial lure type for Texoma striper fishing – Pencil Poppers and Magnum Zara Spooks in blue, chrome, and shad colors work best.
Four Essential Lures
Slabs, Jigs, Spinners and Top-water – all four of these lure types are essential for your tackle box.
You should carry a variety of colors and sizes that allow you to fish all parts of the water column. These lures are necessary to effectively fish in a myriad of conditions and different times of year.
Nearly 200 million lures will be sold this year… and they all have to be stored somewhere, thankfully, there’s Plano Molding Fishing Products. Plano’s advanced tackle systems are Striper Express’ “go-to” tackle boxes. We all need a tackle box or 2 or 3 that will help protect, store and utilize our lure investment.
Striper Fishing Tips:Few anglers know how good fishing is in December, cool water temperatures make the fish go into a feeding frenzy.
Tips: Large fish up to 20 pounds will be on the prowl. 4 to 6 inch Sassy Shad on a 1-ounce jighead will work the best.
Texoma’s stripers prefer white glow and chartreuse colors. Road Runner 1 ounce jigs with a 7-inch worm are deadly on the big fish holding on structure. Fish the main lake points, mouths of creeks and humps near deep water.
Always keep your eyes on the seagulls. Large schools of stripers can be under the birds.
In one amazing day you can experience Texoma’s legendary striper fishing AND hunt Texas’ premier waterfowl flyway!Striper Express and premier outfitter Kent Outdoors have teamed up to offer CAST AND BLAST – two great outdoor experiences rolled into one unbelievable day. Only an hour and a half drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, this trip is the avid sportsman’s dream come true. Perfect for families with children, Cast and Blast is also for groups of adult sportsmen.
IMPRESSIVE MEMORIES
Father – Son Bonding
Peak Experience For All-Adult Group
Few of life’s milestones are more memorable than that first hunting or fishing trip with your father – who can ever forget the feel of reeling in your first fish or bagging your first duck. Even more mature sportsmen return from Texoma with reports of phenomenal hunting and fishing action. THE CALL of the WILD lives in their minds and their souls. CAST AND BLAST is truly an outdoor dream come true.
The Striper Fishing
Our winter fishing is superb with line-stripping and rod-bending action the norm. Striper Express specializes in the thrill of the hunt and stalks the largest stripers of the year during the winter months. Top-water lure fishing guarantees excitement – Vicious Bites and Extreme Fights!
Your group will board and depart from Mill Creek Marina for an afternoon of great Texoma striper fishing. Every guided fishing charter includes all tackle, lures, and cleaning/filleting of your catch. Your experienced Texoma striper guide will take your group only to the most productive areas.
The Duck Hunting
The duck and goose hunting at Lake Texoma is outstanding this season. We have a variety of quality waterfowl habitats with plenty of water and wetlands that are producing large numbers of waterfowl.
Duck hunting is a way of life for JJ Kent, owner of Kent Outdoors. Being located in the central flyway, JJ and his crew of experienced duck hunt guides are dedicated to making your hunt both personal and memorable. Your CAST AND BLAST Duck hunting begins early in the morning and includes professional calling, decoys and transportation to and from the blind. When your group is finished duck hunting around 11:00 AM, you’ll grab a bite to eat and then head to the marina.
The Lodging
Let Striper Express custom build your group’s Lake Texoma CAST AND BLAST. Whether a “daycation” or an overnight stay, we have a wide variety of cabin lodging, four star resort accommodation, and executive housing to suit you. Our job is to make yours easier. All you have to do is show up.
Pricing
2 people – $375 per = $750
3 people – $300 per = $900
4 people – $289 per = $1,150*
Cool and windy weather in late October is a turn-off for many anglers but not for Texoma striper guide Chris Carey. When many anglers are struggling under windy conditions to use live bait in rough open waters, Carey heads for the banks with his arsenal of artificial lures.
Jim Hough, Mead OK – 16.5lb Striper on Chug Bug Top-water lure.
“This wind is going to be rough on those live bait guys, but I have some places we will be able to fish where the top-water action really has been hot lately.” Within minutes, Carey stopped his boat near a small island. He already had several rods rigged with two of his favorite top-water lures – Pencil Poppers and Chug Bugs.
We began casting the lures as close as possible to the banks of the island and retrieving them with sharp jerks from our rods to create as much commotion with them as possible atop the rolling waves. Within minutes a striped bass weighing about seven pounds struck one of our Chug Bugs in the shallow water. That fish set the stage for the great action that followed.
When the action slowed, we moved to a similar island that also provided protection from the high winds. We caught several striped bass on the Pencil Poppers, it was the more noisy Chug Bugs that seemed to attract most of the strikes. The two largest bass weighed about nine pounds, and just as Carey mentioned he has recently caught much larger fish at this spot, it happened. Ten feet from the boat a fifteen-pound striper exploded on the lure. With line stripping and rod bending, Texoma striper guide Carey grinned and said, “Vicious bites and extreme fights!”
“This is my favorite type of fishing,” Texoma striper guide Carey said. “You just can’t beat the excitement you get when a striped bass blows up on a top-water lure.”
Bob Golly, Mead OK – 8lb striper caught on Chug Bug top-water lure.
The best action during the past few weeks has been the early morning hours. As the sun rose higher and the action slowed, Carey moves out to deeper water. Then casts soft plastic Sassy Shad rigged on lead head hooks and bumps them along the bottom. Every time we move Carey was scanning the whole lake. In the fall, thousands of seagulls arrive at Lake Texoma and they are the best fish locater.
We rounded a bend moving to the next spot. “There they are,” Carey said. He positioned the boat so the schooling fish were coming towards us. There were lots of splashes on the surface but Carey said, “Cast your jigs, count to five and hold on!” The boat drifted along with the feeding fish and “Fish On!” echoed with four fish on at the first cast.
We landed thirty striped bass that Carey called “box fish”. All were three to four pounds. Lake Texoma boasts twice the state’s normal daily limit of striped bass at ten fish per person. The fish are fat and tough to land.
Amazingly enough, despite a hot summer, the stripers are still there. The legendary Lake Texoma fall fishing is happening. The current fishing is nearly epic and Texoma’s famous striped bass population is in robust shape.
GOOD PAIR: My mom and I hold two nice stripers caught late Sunday afternoon on Lake Texoma. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.
BIG WHITEY: Mom holds a monster white bass caught while striper fishing. The white was more than 18-inches long and over 2 pounds. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.
