Fishing report provided by Austin, TX professional fishing guide: Tyler Torwick
My apologies as of late I have been slacking a little on putting up these fishing reports. Spring is my busiest season, so lately I have been on the water almost everyday of the week. In addition to that as y'all probably know I publish a Honey Hole Report each week. These are a paid report in which I tell you everything about how I am catching them. Exact spots, the baits, the colors I’m throwing etc. are all included in these reports. Because of that I spend a lot of time creating them and it takes away from my free fishing reports.
With that said, let’s get into this week’s report! Right now water temperatures on Lake Travis are in the upper 60’s. I haven’t seen them get up into the 70’s yet, but it won’t be long. Water clarity is very good, over 8 feet in most areas on the lower end of the lake. Late spring and warmer water means it's time for the shad spawn! In certain parts of the lake the threadfin shad are up shallow in the mornings laying eggs. During my morning trip yesterday it was really exciting to watch the shad coming up on the surface and flickering along the shoreline. In addition to the ones you could see the Livescope screen was loaded with bait as well as some bass chasing them around.
If you are out there early in the morning I recommend looking for signs of the shad spawning. I would recommend starting out by looking for shallow sloping gravel banks, areas close to creek channels are especially good as the schools of bait will move in and out via these creek channels. Places with large rock or steep banks are not the type of spawning areas they like, so pass those up. Wind is another thing to consider, a light breeze blowing into the shoreline often attracts the bait, however a strong wind that makes the water choppy is not good. The spot should be somewhat protected from wind and waves. The last tip I have is to look for fish eating birds. Blue Herons, Egrets, and Cormorants are all birds to be on the lookout for, they will key you in on places with bait fish.
When you find a place that fits this criteria I recommend selecting several baits and rotating between them frequently as you fish until you find one the fish prefer. Stick to realistic shad imitation baits on Lake Travis due to the clear water. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, flukes, jerkbaits, topwater lures, and chatterbaits can all be good options. There are a ton of baits that mimic a baitfish, so like I said, tie on a bunch of things and keep switching between them. Another tip is to fish fast, keep covering water but as soon as you catch one slow down and work that area over thoroughly. In addition to getting bites I also keep my eye on my graphs, seeing large amounts of bait in an area is also important. If you are fishing an area that looks good, but you’re not even seeing bait out deeper keep moving.
A 6th Sense Provoke jerkbait in Ghost Sexified Shad has been a good bait for me. I like jerkbaits even in the spring because I can fish them fast and erratic while still giving them frequent pauses allowing the fish a chance to react and commit to the bait. In areas with more grass where the jerkbait gets snagged I like a swimbait on a single hook jig head that I can keep over the grass and rip free when it does snag, or a fluke rigged weedless with a belly weighted EWG hook. Try colors like Albino, Pearl, or Disco Violet. Truthfully when it comes to colors I’m not a big believer that there is one secret color that will work, as long as it resembles a shad you’ll be good. With that said, there are occasions where one color does seem to shine, so kind of like how I recommended changing baits frequently as you fish, keep changing colors throughout the day to see if it makes a difference.
By the way, if you use the code TORWICK at checkout on the 6th Sense website you'll save 10% and it helps me out!
Here is a video I made the other day with some tips on rigging a fluke during the shad spawn! If you're not already check out my Instagram @laketravisfishingguide as I post daily with tips, lake info, and other content about fishing Lake Travis.
The shad spawn bite tends to be best early in the day, once the sun comes out those shad stop spawning and move out a little deeper. When this happens I change how I approach the fish. I will move back out deeper too and stop fishing so shallow. Points in 10-20 feet of water, especially ones where there is grass up shallow or have rock down deep have been very good. The best points are one with structure on them, so not all points are created equal. Medium to deep diving crankbaits can be productive and are a bait I like to start out with first trying to trigger any bites from active aggressive fish, oftentimes this is a good way to get a bigger bite. A 6th Sense Cloud 9 C10 or C15 in Wild Shad has been good, pick the model based on the depth of the point you are fishing.
Start out with a moving bait, but switch over to something on the bottom and really work over the point. I will usually put the boat on spot lock with my clients and have them start casting at the point making casts every 5-10 feet so that we really cover things. We have caught several big fish lately on a Carolina Rig and a Drop Shot. I actually love Carolina Rigs, but don’t throw them a ton, but that’s only because I find they snag easily in Lake Travis. However, when fishing some of those shallower points that are mostly gravel and sand a C Rig works excellent. I recommend a ¾ ounce tungsten bullet weight on it to really keep it on the bottom and be able to feel everything down there. As for the drop shot 6” Roboworms have been good. Margarita Mutilator and Oxblood are staple colors of mine, but on overcast days Morning Dawn and Red Crawler have been surprisingly good. We caught a 5 pounder and lost another the same size at the boat yesterday on those colors. Once the sun comes out though more natural colors tend to work best. Tip on the Carolina Rig and the Drop Shot, fish slow! While yes it is spring and the fish will chase bait and move quickly, fishing slowly makes certain you maintain bottom contact. The slower presentation is more about keeping the bait where it needs to be and less about the fish being lethargic.
Another pattern I recommend you try is drop shotting steep banks closer to the mouths of spawning coves. I have been catching a lot of bass that are post spawn that are moving out of the coves. They stage on these areas and can be a great place to look for fish. Drop Shotting and Lake Travis go hand in hand, we catch a ton of fish on this rig. I catch huge fish throwing a drop shot, but it also does produce numbers. If you are getting out there with friends or are new to fishing and just want to catch a bunch, this rig is ideal I recommend a ¼ or 3/8th ounce cylinder weight, a 1/0 drop shot hook, and a straight tail worm such as a Zoom Trick worm or a Roboworm like mentioned above. Don’t overwork the bait, less it more, oftentimes I see clients fish it very fast with a super erratic action, these tend to get less bites, so keep that in mind.
Right now the fishing on Lake Travis is great! Lake Decker is fishing well and is another option. Whether you are brand new to fishing and want to learn, want to take your family out and catch a bunch of fish, or are a more advanced angler and want to book one of my Coaching Trips where we really break down the lake, I customize each trip to my clients wants and expectations. I will not be out worked when it comes to putting you on fish, and I guarantee you’ll learn more during a trip with me than any of the other local guides in the area. Reach out via my website or hit that Book Online button to reserve your trip today!
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