Lake Travis Fishing Guide- October 14, 2020 Fishing Report
The bite on Lake Travis is crazy fun right now. We have been catching 20-30 fish for most half day trips lately. Angler skill level plays a big part in numbers, so if you are a skilled angler you can expect to catch more than this! If you have kids or family members you want to get into fishing this is an ideal time to book. It goes without saying, but if you can take a kid catching and not fishing, they're going to have more fun and want to go again with you.
I get a lot of concerned messages from people after they book worrying about their casting ability, or lack thereof. I promise you, you don't need to worry! Think of me like a golf coach fixing your swing. I have an arsenal of easy to cast spinning rods as well, not just bait casting reels. I pride myself on being able to get anyone to cast a spinning rod. Accuracy and distance come with time and practice, but I assure you, I can get you up and casting on your own very quickly. Often times with kids I make them fish up front, next to me, as I run the trolling motor. We will trade off where I make a cast for them to get them up where they need to be to catch fish, then on the next cast they cast it all by themselves. I like this balance since it lets them practice their casts and feel self sufficient, but they also get some well placed casts. (For some spots right now making an accurate cast is important. If you purchase my Lake Pro Report this week you will know what I mean.)
Currently the fishing is so good you can catch fish pretty much anywhere. With that said where you fish is going to make the difference between a couple fish morning and 20-30 fish morning.
Shameless plug here, but if you would like my EXACT fishing spots visit www.lakeproguides.com for my weekly honey hole report. Each Thursday at 4PM I update the site with a brand new report with a minimum of 5 exact locations on the map, a written description of how to fish them, and a 2-3 minute video for each spot telling you exactly how to fish it. I will discuss boat positioning, an explanation of why the fish are there based on seasonal patterns, what bait to throw, colors to use, etc. You get all this for $12! Personally I think the best benefit is just knowing what pattern to follow and based off your own knowledge of the lake you can determine which of your own spots to fish.
Currently bluff walls and the mouths of large coves have been the most productive. With it being the beginning of fall, water temperatures are around 74-77 degrees with water clarity being good, anywhere from 4-10 foot visibility depending on where you are in the lake. As the water cools these bass are making a transition from their deeper offshore spots, to shoreline structure. I am still catching fish as deep as 30 feet, but I am also catching them in less than a foot of water at times. Don't get fixated on depth so much right now as location.
Target bluff walls close to the mouth of large coves or arms of Lake Travis. These are consistently the best spots. With that said, my biggest piece of advice right now is to run and gun. I get asked a lot by clients how I decide how long to fish a spot. I realize that at times it can be difficult to be confident you have thoroughly fished a spot and that it is time to make a move. This is something we cover during my guided trips, however for me it's mostly gut feeling. I want to be able to feel like I have made a good rotation through the baits that I am throwing, have tried multiple colors and I'm confident that no change I make will cause the fish to bite better. Right now the bite is very good on Lake Travis, so if I am in an area and do not get bit consistently within 15 to 20 minutes of fishing that spot, I will move. While there are exceptions to this of course, generally I like to switch between at least three different baits or colors before I make a move. If you have been consistently catching them during the day on one bait, it may not be the bait, rather the color. If you have not figured out the pattern yet, then I would put more emphasis on bait selection and type over that of color. This is something you will get better at the more you fish, but try keeping this in mind the next time you are out.
As far as baits go, a drop shot has consistently put fish in the boat. If you follow me on social media or read my reports regularly you know that I throw a drop shot a ton. It drives some of my fishing buddies nuts how much I like to throw it, but it flat out catches fish. There are other baits working well now, but I have to leave something for my Lake Pro Guides report! haha Tie one of these rigs on and I promise you will catch fish.
I recommend fishing your drop shot on 12 pound test fluorocarbon due to the Zebra Mussels that plague Lake Travis. A 1/4 to 3/8th ounce cylinder drop shot weight, depending on depth and wind, is idea. Zoom trick worms in green pumpkin and watermelon red are good choices as far as worms go. Fish slow and make certain to maintain bottom contact, this seems obvious, but I can not tell you how many times I see even experience anglers fishing too fast and not staying on the bottom. If you aren't down in the rocks, you won't catch fish, it's as simple as that. If you book a guided trip with me, this is something I can teach you! I promise the tips and info I can show you about how to fish a drop shot will alone be worth your money.
I love teaching people to fish and how to get better at it. I myself am always learning and studying my craft, so please don't think you can ever know too much about bass fishing. After all, they are wild animals and can be very unpredictable at times. You may have the bite figured out one day, and the next you can't even buy a bite doing what you did the day before. Knowing how to adapt and figure them out is what sets a decent angler and a professional angler apart. Consider booking a trip with me and let's cut your learning curve in half. If you are interested in just catching a mess of fish, we can certainly do that too!
If you are looking for an Austin fishing guide who specializes in Lake Travis, I would love to be the guide to put you on fish! If you have any questions feel free to message me through the contact form on my homepage, or give me a call anytime.
Follow the link below to see my calendar of available dates!
Comments