Tips For Fishing Lake Travis, Austin TX - December 3, 2022 Fishing Report
While December is finally here the fishing on Lake Travis is still "fall fishing". What I mean by that is that patterns indicative of the fall are still producing. The water temps are still in the mid to low 60's. Keep in mind large deep lakes like Lake Travis take longer for the water temperatures to fluctuate. Interestingly enough the water temp on Lake Travis today is 64 degrees while yesterday on Lake Decker it was 55 degrees. Two lakes not far from one another, but very different topography and kinds of lakes. The reason I mention this is because water temperature is the number one thing I look for when deciding where to look for bass.
Currently there are two main patterns that I have been having success with. The first is fishing moving baits over shallow grass, the second is slowing down and fishing deeper near creek channel edges and points. These two different patterns are mainly dependent on the weather. On post front days when you are met with north winds, bluebird skies, and high barometric pressure, the fish tend to go deep and get lethargic. However when you're lucky enough to get on pre-frontal conditions when its overcasts out the grass bite has been very good.
Shallow Fishing
As I mentioned I've been catching a lot of bass by running baits over the top of grass. Often times I will watch my bait on Livescope and see the fish come up out of the grass to eat it. I caught the fish pictured below last weekend during a tournament and watched it come all the way up and out of the grass to annihilate my bait! There are a few baits I have been throwing, but crankbaits have been the main one. Something y'all should know about me is I have a bit of an addiction... an addiction to buying crankbaits! Maybe I'm part raccoon and love shiny colorful things, but I love collecting new crankbaits and have boxes full of them. I'm always looking for that perfect bait that checks all the boxes of what I'm after. Recently I ordered some new crankbaits that just came out and love them... I've caught so many fish on them! Lately a very small body crankbait that will dive down to the perfect depth to tick the top of the grass, but not so deep it gets hung up in it has been key. In my recent Honey Hole reports I've included the exact colors, size and brand of this crankbait. (the big fish above was also caught on this bait) While I won't give away that info in this report, feel free to try my Honey Hole report with all the juicy details! I will say though you should be throwing something in a realistic shad color with a small body.
Now that you have your bait selected get out there and find some grass! The lower end of the lake has a lot of hydrilla in it this year. Using my side imaging I will graph shallow shorelines looking for places with rock, creek channels, or ledges nearby. This grass is a place those fish will pull up to and live when the conditions are right. If you have Livescope this will make things really easy. I recommend setting it to 75 feet out, 20 feet deep and gain around 66-69. You will easily be able to see hydrilla with these settings. Select a crankbait that will dive to the depth the top of the grass is growing up to. You want your bait to get hung up in the grass occasionally allowing you to rip it free and trigger reaction bites. However, you don't want a bait that dives so deep it gets caught up in the grass constantly.... find that happy medium. When fishing over grass I tend to get a lot of followers, so make sure to fish your bait with an erratic retrieve and lots of pauses.
Fishing Deep
As I mentioned earlier, on some days, especially after a cold front has rolled through, the fish will move out of the grass or simply not want to chase after a fast moving lure. When they are behaving this way I have done well having clients throw slower moving finesse baits like a drop shot or ned rig. Green Pumpkin and purple colored worms have been good lately. On overcast days I prefer the purple, on sunny days I like the more natural colors. Fish these baits slow and make sure to let them sink on slack line when you pull them into deeper water. I get a lot of bites on the pause, so don't forget to fish slow and maintain bottom contact.
Some bluff walls on the lake have been very productive, but fishing points and creek channel edges that form a ledge, especially in areas with grass not too far away, has been especially productive. When fishing drop offs like creek channel edges, do you want to find somewhere with a hard bottom. Drop offs made up of rock are going to hold more fish than spots made of dirt or sand. During this time of year most fish will tend to hangout at the base of these ledges, but it is still worth casting to the top of of the ledge and working the bait down deeper.
Alternate between the ned rig and drop shot frequently as you fish. Somedays they work about the same, but I have had trips where it's obvious the fish want one over the other. That is when I will switch clients baits and exclusively fish what I think the fish are preferring.
Lake Travis Fishing Spots
If you are headed out on Lake Travis soon but don't want to hire a fishing guide, consider checking out my Honey Hole Report. I offer a premium fishing report that is updated weekly on Thursday's at 6:00PM. Each report contains 5+ pins on Google Earth showing you EXACTLY where to go, what bait to throw, what colors to use, how to fish the bait, how to position your boat, conditions to look for etc. I hold nothing back in these paid reports... I will tell you everything I am telling my paid clients. I put a ton of work and information into these reports and am very proud of them. If you purchase a report and don't think it was worth your hard earned money I will refund you money no questions asked, I am that confident in them! (P.S. I also offer these reports for Lake Decker!)
Try a Lake Travis Honey Hole Report
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