Sam Rayburn Rising water

Reel um N Guide Service
Owner
Lynn Atkinson

Water Temp.69
Normal pool 164.40
Water Clarity 2 feet
11-02-09

Sam Rayburn has come up this week and is at 163.64 that’s around 3.5 feet rise in a week. That’s from all the rain we’ve had here and to our north. The water is off color in the mid lake area then clears as you move south.

We have had over 9 inches of rain in the last two weeks. How does this affect things? Well let’s take a look. First, the rain came from some cold fronts. That means it was cold rain and it cooled the surface of the water. The big deal is that cold water sinks to the bottom. Anyplace that had runoff; like some of the clay banks; would carry the off colored, cold water to the bottom. We pulled up to a place the other day, off a point, where a small drain came in and the creek came close to the point to fish for Crappie. The water depth was 16 ft and clear but as we circled around the water turned from clear to muddy. This is something you have to look for if you are fishing with rising water. We moved further into the pocket; where the creek moves back into the middle; and fished two places that the colored water had not gotten to yet. There are a lot of places that have lily pads and grass that will start to clear up quickly. We did get out this weekend with some nice weather and found a lot of places that the shad have started to move in some. The fishing was still a little slow but we caught about 25 fish, nothing real big, but I think they are moving in to a few places. These fish start moving up to fatten up for winter. They are chasing shad so look at some bait that will cover lots of water like the Stanley Spinner bait, Crankbaits and Traps. On the deeper edge a few fish are holding on the outside edge of the grass line, just hanging there. We picked up a few of them on Stanley Grass Jigs. The Carolina Rig pulled of the grass edge then working it down to the bottom has been picking up a few fish.

Stanley Jig has come out with some new products that you will want to take a close look at, like the Swimmax Jig. This Jig is built to come thru the grass and pads and it does just that. Then for you guys throwing the Ribbits, you’ve got the Ribbit Double-Take Hook. Then you’ve got the New Sidewinder. This is a “soft ringed” body bait that has got my attention along with some fish action. Check out these bait’s at Stanley’s website. http://fishstanley.com/

E2 Baits Company has a New Bait called DoodleBug out. This is a “Crawfish” bait that can be used in a lot of ways, from Texas rig with a light sinker to Carolina rigs off deep structure. It makes a great trailer on my jigs. This bait is loaded with salt and scent. My wife told me to take it outside. Man it smells so good I just can’t stand fishing without it. I think it makes a great bait to flip the brush with this fall and spring. Checkout all there baits on the website http://www.e2baits.com/

Remember the Sharelunker Program entries started on October 1 and run thru April 30th. If you haven’t heard, it encourages anglers who caught a 13 - pound- plus largemouth bass to lend or donate it to the TPWD for spawning purposes. There are some great benefits doing this and one of them is that the angler receives a fiberglass replica of the bass. There is a 24- hour pager at 1-888-784-0600 Check out the Program rules at their site along with the Benefits. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/sharelunker/

I have been drawing names but no one has won the free fishing trip for this fall. Make sure to sign up, and keep checking for your name. I have had a few find their name on the site but it was past the deadline for calling in. You’ve got to stay on your toes. If you can’t keep an eye on it have someone else check for you.

Crappie; The Crappie fishing has been fair this week. This time of year you to play with the wind as the fronts move in. Between the fronts there are usually a few days that the wind will lay down. Then we have some beautiful days to get out on the water and catch a few fish. We do our best to get a people out to enjoy the cool fall days and the trees that have begun to change colors.
Everyone has loved the new pontoon with the shade and the changing room with the port-o-potty. It makes the trip a lot nicer for everyone. We can handle up to 8 anglers.

Giant Salvinia.

Doesn’t mean much too some folks, but it can mean a lot of cold hard cash out of your pocket. If you get caught with some hanging off your trailer when you leave the boat ramp it could cost up to $500. 00 per Plant, plus any court costs. This nasty junk needs to be pulled off the boat or trailer and put in the trash can before you leave the ramp. Also remember to drain all the water out of your live wells and boat at the ramp. If you’re changing lakes it is a good idea to wash your boat and trailer at a car wash to ensure Salvinia isn’t hitch-hiking on your equipment. If you see some on the lake somewhere you need to report it to 1-800- STOP-ANS. We need everyone to help stop the spread of this fern. Keep an eye on your boat and other boats and trailers around you. Some people don’t even know about this stuff. Tell people how invasive giant Salvinia is. If they get nasty just say, “Thank you for your time” and walk away. Remember they are messing up your lakes so do yourself a favor. Call in their TX numbers and let TPWD take it from there. Giant Salvinia is a highly invasive species of floating fern that is spreading thru the lakes. Fisherman and hunters who aren’t careful are the best friends giant Salvinia could have. The lack of concern expressed by some individuals is heartbreaking. The biggest problem is us. If we don’t start taking care of what we have now what will we have to look forward to? Everyone pays for the cleanup and it has cost us a bundle this year. Licenses and fees go up every year to help pay for this and many other things that we don’t even pay attention to.

God Bless
Lynn Atkinson
srayburn@rayburncountry.com
www.rayburncountry.com
Home 936-897-3400
Cell 979-220-0251