Looks like lake at 55% or so. We will be staying at SPark Thursday through Sunday and looking to take the boat. Any advice on where to fish and where to stay away from? Definitely don't need any stump action. My boat runs pretty shallow, but want to stay out of trouble. Any tips or tricks? Not picky on what we fish for. Will prob throw some Marv's Cheese bait out and see what bites. Thanks in advance.

Lake just came up a ton. I'm sure the fish are scattered to kingdom come, some of them in brush that hasn't seen water in over 10 years.

Good luck. I've spent a lot of time bassing there, don't know a thing about cats.

Don't even really care on the fish, just don't want a hole in the hull from a stump.

I miss choke. Wish it would fill back up.

Are you staying at Calliham or South Shore?

There are stumps everywhere. Unless you have a depth finder with a map of the river channel on it you need to be careful.

What are you fishing for and how? I will mark up some maps attach them when I walk across the street for breakfast........crappy cell service in here

I can tell you that with the lake up the catfish have scattered but dad was there on Friday and still caught a limit......just took him a lot longer than normal.

fish the red area for bass



Fish the blue area with rod and reel for cats and the green if you are putting out some jugs.
Bait - live perch or cut carp for jugs and we use punch bait and homemade stink bait with a sponge on R&Rs

Safest ramp to stay out of stump trouble would be the south shore ramp. I think the fishing is going to be tough there for a while as it was down for so long. Hopefully it will keep some water and in a few years start fishing like it has in the past. I've never catfished out there as that is not my thing. Caught lots of big bass out there including the lake record. Good luck to you!

South Shore boat ramp has been closed for over a year........hopefully they have it opened back up.

Have not driven down to check it out since the lake came up.

Of all the lakes in Texas, more threads are started about Choke Canyon. That place either has a ton of fish or a ton of Aggies living on it!

I dont remember the exact stats but I was talking to a biologist back in the day and he broke down choke like this

5% - Other Species
15% - Crappie
30% - Bass
The bottom 4' of the lake is solid catfish

ought1ag said:

---

South Shore boat ramp has been closed for over a year........hopefully they have it opened back up.

Have not driven down to check it out since the lake came up.

---

I saw on texasfishingforum that it had been reopened. Even showed a pic of him launching his boat.

Thats great news!! Nieces have a fishing tourney there in April so I got time to do some scouting for them!!

OneNightW said:

---

Of all the lakes in Texas, more threads are started about Choke Canyon. That place either has a ton of fish or a ton of Aggies living on it!

---

We staying in our RV at Calliham. It's an easy park to get to from a Bandera, fishing supposed to be good and the park is actually nice for a state park. It's rarely crowded and there are some monster bucks wandering around in there to watch while chilling in the afternoon. We go a couple times a year but this is the first time we will have the boat.

Yes I have GPS with depth and side scan. I imagine It has a decent map of the lake as it does a decent job on Medina our home lake. Thank you for that info! I mean I can run in inches but we hit a stump growing up in our boat at lake Mathis and scarred me for life . I'd rather beach on oyster shells than hit a stump! Will prob drift for bass along structure and then drop for catfish when we get bored. No real agenda. If can find minnows would like to drop for crappie.

Be very careful running out of calliham. Stay inside calliham cove and you are ok. But anywhere from the jetty towards the mouth, and beyond, is going to be some of the most dangerous area of the lake.

If you leave towards the dam, make damn sure you know where the channel is, and stay in it.

And you're right about the deer. I saw the biggest whitetail I've ever seen on the hoof (pen raised deer aside) eating in the grassy area between the parking lot and old gymnasium one Jan evening. And I've seen a couple of handfuls of deer over 160 while hunting. Just an absolute monster 10.

bookmyer said:

---

Safest ramp to stay out of stump trouble would be the south shore ramp. I think the fishing is going to be tough there for a while as it was down for so long. Hopefully it will keep some water and in a few years start fishing like it has in the past. I've never catfished out there as that is not my thing. Caught lots of big bass out there including the lake record. Good luck to you!

---

Saw your posts about that fish recently in the Choke thread in the TFF. Are you an Aggie?

'92

For minnows try

Buds Bait & Tackle - Should have a # online you can call.

Tilden also has one.....not sure of the name but as you're getting into town take a left by the bank and go along the old tire shop......a few blocks down it dead ends into the school and there is a bait shop on your left.

If you have time for a burger hit up Wheeler's gas station in Tilden and get a burger on Jalapeno bread


Good Luck and post some pics if yall do any good

bookmyer said:

---

'92

---

Cool. Gig Em.