Stripes of Summer

Ask anyone who has spent much time tangling with striped bass, and they are sure to agree: The brawny sport fish are rough customers and truly a blast to catch, especially on bait casting gear.

Known for its nasty attitude, voracious appetite, a striped bass might be described as a silvery stick of dynamite with fins and a really short fuse. The powerhouse fish ranks as the fourth most popular fish among Texas’ freshwater fishing crowds behind largemouth bass, catfish and crappie.

Fisheries biologists say most freshwater reservoirs lack the long stretches of stream flow necessary for stripers to spawn successfully and maintain self-sustaining populations. Likewise, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department takes an aggressive approach towards making sure lakes with favorable open water habitat and bountiful forage are well stocked with fish for anglers to catch.

While the number of striped bass produced by TPWD hatcheries varies from one year to the next, district fisheries biologists typically request around 1.8 million fingerlings annually for stocking in select impoundments.

The lone exception is Lake Texoma. The 75,000acre lake built on the Red and Washita rivers in North Texas is one of a handful of freshwater reservoirs in the United States where stripers enjoy prolific spawning runs far upstream each spring when the conditions are right.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation jump-started the fishery by stocking in the late 1960s and early 70s. It has been going strong ever since without much additional help.

Known for its big numbers of “box fish” and an occasional 20 pounder, Texoma is Texas’ heaviest hitting striper lake. Surveys show that about 50 percent of the anglers who visit the lake go there for the stripers, and they dump millions of dollars annually into local economies.

Good as it is, Texoma isn’t the only reservoir in these parts where anglers can get their line stretched by the saltwater transplants. Here’s a rundown on some best lakes to get into a scrape with the piscatorial titans and how to go about it while it’s hot outside.:

No. 1: Texoma Size: 75,000 acres Location: North Texas along the Texas/ Oklahoma Border

Summer Plan: TPWD fisheries biologist Greg Cummings says fishing live bait (shad) vertically in the water column is the preferred method of many guides, who frequently rely on chumming, splasher props and thumpers to attract and keep fish under the boat.

If you really want to have some fun, dump the live bait and grab a topwater like a Whopper Plopper, Zara Spook, Chug Bug and Pencil Popper. Strikes can be vicious when a striper wages war on a surface plug. The topwater bite is generally best during early morning, when the sun is low and the fish are actively herding shad to the surface.

Open water areas around the dam, the state park and the mouth of Little Mineral dam produce some of the best action, Cummings said. Keep a watchful eye for birds or splashes, and have a good pair of binoculars on hand.

Another popular method is trolling. “Some choose to use downriggers to keep baits down, but as Texoma usually stratifies in the summer, extremely deep trolling is not necessary because there is little oxygen available below the thermocline,” Cummings said. “Stripers can be found in water 1-30 feet deep depending on where the thermocline is in summer. Popular baits to troll include umbrella rigs, swimbaits, bucktail jigs, deep diving crankbaits, Storm Thundersticks or Rapala Shad Raps.”

Soft plastic shad swim baits matched with a jig head also work well when cast, jigged or trolled where stripers are present.

Choose colors according to water clarity. White, glow, and natural colors excel in clearer water; chartreuse or other brightly colored baits may do better in stained or muddy water.

No. 2: Whitney Size: 23,500-acres Location: Northwest of Waco

Summer Plan: Texas’ No. 2 striper fishery has been salted with more than 2.5 million fingerlings/fry since 2017. Recent angler creels indicate the robust fishery is loaded with fish in the 19-24 inch range, according to TPWD fisheries biologist John Tibbs of Waco. Fish in the 15-pound range are not uncommon at Whitney.

While March through May are the best times to go after them, Tibbs says the summertime bite is isn’t half bad, either.

Tibbs said most guides use live shad to fill limits, but swim baits and umbrella rigs work well at times. Tibbs says anglers should pay close attention to the summer thermocline in 20-25 feet of water. For best results, always try to fish above the thermocline rather than below it. Live shad, swim baits, spoons or other sub-surface artificials rule.

The biologist also recommends watching closely for active birds diving or hovering over the surface. This is often an indicator that a blood bath is in progress and could lead to some explosive topwater action.

No. 3: Tawakoni Size: 38,000 acres Location: Northeast Texas east of Dallas

Summer Plan: TPWD fisheries biologist Jake Norman says Lake Tawakoni is a fixture on his hit list for striper stockings each year. The lake has received more than 1.8 million fingerlings/ fry from state hatcheries since 2018.

Norman says the summer action isn’t near as reliable as it is during cooler seasons, but added that a few guides have found ways to catch them with consistency.

Michael Littlejohn is among them. Littlejohn says good electronics play a key role in his summertime game plan.

He relies heavily on side imaging to locate schools of stripers suspended in big, open water or old timber stands in water 35-50 feet deep.

“It’s mostly a live bait game,” Littlejohn said. “Spend some time looking with your electronics. The stripers bunch up in open water, away from structure, often in schools as large as 500-800 fish.

Once we find the fish, we set up on them and drop live shad on them — big gizzard shad, sometimes 6-8 inches long.”

Littlejohn’s preferred live bait rig is a Carolina rig matched with a 1-1 1/2 ounce weight and a 3/0 or 4/0 Kahle live bait hook. He said you can also score on on big, 8-inch flutter spoons.

No.4: Possum Kingdom Size: 15,600 acres Location: West of Fort Worth

Summer Plan: Deep and clear, PK has been stocked with more than 1.3 million stripers since 2017. The lake is a summertime hotspot for pleasure boaters. Likewise, fisheries biologist Robert Mauk recommends being on water at first light or at night to get in on the best bite. That’s when recreational traffic is the lightest.

Mauk says live bait is the order of the day for most anglers during the summer months, but says trolling with deep diving cranks also can be effective in areas where electronics have pinpointed fish. Big spoons and swim baits also can be effective.

Another good tactic is casting topwaters in areas where birds are actively working the shad. “Find the birds and you’ll find the fish,” Mauk said.

Something else to keep in mind during the summer months on PK, or any other lake, is the thermocline. This is the where warmer more oxygenated water near the surface meets with cooler, less oxygenated water in deeper depths. The best summer action is usually right around or above the thermocline, which will be about 25 feet deep on PK, Mauk said.

No.5: Buchanan Size: 22,200 acres Location: Colorado River west of Burnet

Summer Plan: Stripers are king on the scenic Hill Country impoundment. Fisheries biologist Patrick Ireland called it a “very productive system with a great population of threadfin and gizzard shad that keeps them well fed and growing fast.” TPWD stocking reports indicate the lake has been stocked with more than 1 million fingerlings/ fry since 2017.

Ireland says area fishing guides have the best luck using live shad or trolling artificials around schools of stripers they mark with their electronics. The fish are generally suspended in water 30-50 feet deep around the thermocline, often on long points or humps near bends in the Colorado River channel.

Ireland says some of the best action occurs during the early morning hours and at night, especially during full moon periods.

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Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.