Author: Guide

Black bass: Bass have been biting a jig pretty well all year long. Here lately the jig bite has been on due to the cold fronts and cooler weater. The fish are still scattered throughout the creeks with the majority of them being near the creek mouths and closer to deep water. Trolling the shorelines flipping a 1/4 oz Stanley jig with a no.11 Uncle Josh pork frog has been the best bait for me for the last two months. The bait falls slow and this is what the fish are looking for this time of year. On warmer days the water has a chance to warm a little and you may need to go to a 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz jig for a little faster fall. Caney, White Rock, Kickapoo, Carolina, and Bethy are all good creeks to flip a jig this month.

White bass: Mostly scattered throughout the north end of the lake in creeks. They are slowly pushing their way north and feeding in the creeks on shad. Sometimes they will school around Caney and White Rock and also in Carolina Cove. The schooling is sporadic because the fish are always on the move. 1/4 oz chrome rattle traps are probably the number one bait for locating and catching white bass right now.

Crappie: Crappie fishermen have been catching good numbers of crappie in 10-18 feet of water around standing timber and brushpiles. Minnows and jigs have been the best baits. Creeks with clear green water have been producing the most crappie. The standing timber in Kickapoo usually holds good numbers of keeper crappie this time of year.

Catfish: Fishing creek channels and the main river channel has been productive this fall for whisker fish. Chicken liver rolled in strawberry jello, prepared dough baits, nightcrawlers, and shad have worked well for producing catfish.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Black Bass: This month bass will be shallow as usual on Lake Livingston. This report probably seems a little redundant at times but the patterns are usually about the same only the fish locations change. Fish will move towards the bigger portions of creeks towards main lake. Main lake bass will pull to the points. A 1/4 to 3/8 oz black jig with a blue no.11 pork chunk will be a good choice this month. A slow rolled spinnerbait near shallow cover is another top choice.

Crappie: The brush piles and standing timber in 15-20’ of water will hold crappie this month. Minnows and jigs are top baits. Also the floating boat docks around some of the marinas with depth will also hold crappie.

White Bass: Sporadic action on the upper end will be common as the fish push uplake to the bigger creeks and river. Rat-L-Traps and model A Bombers in chrome and firetiger are top choices for white bass.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

My January column titled “Little Things” was about all the little steps you take as a fisherperson and how they all work together to make you a better angler. I am going to be writing about some of the little things that you can do that will make you a better angler, regardless of your experience level. Some of the “little things” I will be discussing may be tips that you already know, in that case it will be very valuable for you to read them and let your mind be reminded of these crucial tips that make you a better angler. Whether you know these tips already or not is irrelevant because touching areas of your mental arsenal with these tips will open your mind to new ideas and allow you to discover new tricks and tactics.

No one fisherperson dreams up all of the best ways to catch fish. You can be just as productive at discovering new tricks within your techniques as a professional fisherman. Great fishermen were not born great, they developed into great fishermen by years of on the water experience. Some excelled faster than others because they picked up on patterns quicker than others. And patterns being within techniques as well as within catching fish.

The guys you want to pay close attention to are the older, salty veteran pros that have been fishing professional tournaments for years and years. I shouldn’t even have to mention any of them because you already know who the “DADDY’S” are. The reason I use them as examples is because they are going to go about their work the easiest and most efficient way possible. They flow through situations and travel the path of least resistance even if the situations they are in are unpleasant. They subconsciously flow with their surroundings because that is their home, they have been there for thousands of hours. They don’t have to react to weather and pattern changes they act with them.

There are allot of “little things” within this article but I am going to pinpoint one of them in particular. Watch two television shows. One hosted by Larry Nixon and the other by Shaw Grigsby. Both of these guys are tournament champions of the past and present and every single move they make and attempt to teach you is one they learned through years of tournament fishing. If you don’t trust baits they are throwing is what they really throw in the tournaments that’s fine, sometimes I am skeptical of that, IGNORE the lures they are throwing. Watch their mechanics, every single move they make. You will learn from their mechanics, pick out one thing that they do and practice it next time you are on the water. You must master your fishing mechanics.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Dewey Kendrick, the B.A.S.S Tournament Director, walked into the Jasper High School gym and slammed the door telling one of his staff members to fine anyone else who walked through the door. It was 7pm and in B.A.S.S. you are fined for being late to the meetings. This was a pre-tournament meeting for the Texas Invitational at Sam Rayburn, February 12-17, 1996. There were over 300 hundred of us sitting with our eyes on Dewey waiting for him to start the show so that we could hear all of the rules of the tournament again and get our partner pairings for the next day(the first day of competition).

There is plenty of anxiety for the B.A.S.S. rookies in the house(like me at the time) and some of the other fisherman who are relatively new to fishing national tournaments. You are sitting in the same room with veteran aces like Rick Clunn, Gary Klein, Denny Brauer, Tommy Martin, Zell Rowland, Dion Hibdon, and Larry Nixon to name a few. Some of the anxiety stems from the fact that you could very easily draw one of these “big namers” for a day of fishing(only you cannot draw someone from your home state).

Dewey started reading off the pairings and in the third flight I heard my name called, I stood up and said “Yo” extremely loud, because if Dewey doesn’t here you say “Yo” he gets mad and makes a fool out of you, as I learned the hard way previously at the Arkansas Invitational. He looked up and found me, then looked back to his pairings and said “Larry Nixon”(no doubt, one of the biggest names in fishing). Larry and I left the gym and went outside where there were dozens of pairs of guys who had drawn each other for the following day. We were all huddled in pairs exchanging secret locations and baits quietly so that no other pair would hear.

Larry said he had fish in about the same area that I did and we agreed to go to the area and spend equal time on each other’s fish. We discussed tactics and baits so that I would know exactly what to bring. I could quickly tell by talking with Larry that he was a genuinely nice guy and sincere in everything that he said about his fish and the area.

We met the next morning and launched the boat with all of the other competitors and spectators and made our 3c flight out and headed up the lake. We pulled up to Larry’s area, a big flat with a creek running on one side of it and lots of timber. Larry had three keepers in the boat before I even had a bite, fifteen minutes later he had a limit. The fish
in this area were “easy” Larry said. They were all two pound fish just as Larry had told me the night before. I finally scrambled up three of the two pounders by around 9am. We had been working the same area all morning, Larry was waiting for me to limit before we proceeded to an area that had bigger fish. “We’re not leaving this area until you limit”, Larry kept saying. Not many guys would have been as patient as Larry was, most would have gotten their limit and went on to bigger and better things. He knew that if he waited I would definitely limit which was extremely critical on the first day of a three day tournament. Larry continued catching two pound fish left and right, I could not get bit. We were standing shoulder to shoulder on the front of the boat. I was at no disadvantage except that maybe his twenty five years of B.A.S.S. tournament experience had kicked in. Larry was on another planet catching fish one after another and telling me everything he was doing. My confidence never lowered for an instant because I was so impressed just watching someone “smoke fish” the way he was.

At times I thought Larry wanted me to catch the rest of my limit worse than I did, he was doing everything in his power so that I would. He even stopped fishing at one point. Finally I told him that we could just head to the bigger fish and I would just act like I had a limit. He reluctantly agreed and we moved on through the timber flat to a spot we had both caught big fish in practice.

We pulled into an area and Larry said, “This is it, this is the spot. Flip over by that big stump.” I flipped in there three consecutive casts, nothing. I picked out the next stump and flipped over to it, Larry flipped into the stump I had just fished and set the hook. He wrestled about a five pounder to the boat. He culls a fish and joins me back on the front and we continued. He caught two more solid fish that culled and said, “We need to go back and fish that big stump.” We eased back over to the stump and he tells me to flip in there. I flip in there about eight times; on the sides of the stump, around back, and a couple of times to the front of the stump. Larry flips in behind me and sets the hook on a “horse”. He fights the fish around for a while and finally lips a giant. On his computerized culling system he weighs the fish, 9.15 pounds.

Words could not describe the show he was putting on, it was truly a work of art.

It was almost time for us to head out of the creek and timber and head down the lake to weigh in. I still had three fish. I quickly fished my way out of the timber as Larry sat behind the steering wheel eating a Mars Bar and drinking a Diet Coke. He looked up just at the edge of the timber and said, “Make sure you flip into that stump right up there.” I saw the one he was referring to and flipped into it, automatic hookup. The fish was small but a keeper anyway, and Larry had called it sitting down not even hardly paying attention.

We ran back to weigh in and we had about five minutes to spare. Larry suggested I make a few casts but he was going to remain seated behind the wheel. Without lowering the trolling motor I jumped on the front deck and hurled a rattle trap with the wind about fifty yards. I reeled it in radically trying to catch my fifth fish for a limit. I cast out again with no success. A small mudline was within reach near the bank, I had seen it but not thrown at it intentionally. Just as I was about to make my third and probably final cast Larry said to bring my bait through the mud line. All in one motion I adjusted my cast and sent my rattle trap into muddy water. As I got the line tight I could feel a fish on the other end. I was so amazed I could hardly turn the handle to reel the fish in. I got the fish to the boat which gave me my limit at the very last minute and we quickly entered weigh in. We bagged our fish and walked through the crowd. I weighed first, my five babies weighed 9.15, exactly what Larry’s big fish weighed. Larry weighed in, the scales registered over 24 pounds and the crowd went wild.

I walked over to part of tournament headquarters where the partner pairings for the next day were posted. I found my name, looked out beside it-Ken Cook…..that’s another story.

I still analyze that day and learn something new each time that I carefully think the whole day through. What I probably learned most from that day fishing with such a great fisherman was that there is absolutely nothing that can replace experience, especially the many years that Larry has put in.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Anxiously awaiting the first tournament of the 96-97 B.A.S.S. Central Division season on the Arkansas River reminds me of my first B.A.S.S. event. My first event was this same tournament last year on the Arkansas River and what a rough one it was.

My traveling partner and I had located an area full of bass in practice. Quality fish where I felt that I could get an easy limit each day. In a three day tournament a limit a day has got to be your number one goal. Well one draw back to these fish was that they were 65 miles from the tournament headquarters and there were two locks on the river that I would have to lock through to get there. Each lock takes approximately 30 minutes. So I was looking at two hours of travel time one way. As rumor had it many of the fishermen made the run and made success with the limited fishing time on the unpressured fishing areas that were so far away.

I intended to make the run if my partner did not win the toss. Once you meet your partner you have to flip a coin to see who’s boat you take and also to see who’s fish that you go to first. My first day partner was from New Jersey and he was willing to make the run. We left out in our flight and started our long run. Two locks and two hours later we pulled into my area. I quickly got the trolling motor down and started fishing. I made a few cast and eased up to a big laydown. I made a cast down each side of the tree and let the spinnerbait fall as it reached the end of the log. No fish, so I picked another target and cast. My partner is flipping a jig and flips into the same laydown I had just fished and sets the hook. A three and a half pounder comes to the boat and into his livewell it went. First of all I was amazed that the fish had not hit my spinnerbait because I know that fish had just seen it and secondly this guy was catching my fish. We fished our way around and this guy catches two more quality fish on the jig fishing behind me, used water. I come off of my game plan and put the spinnerbait down and tied on the exact jig he is throwing.

I pull up to a big tree top in the water on the edge of the bank. I have good position on it so I make about ten casts into every little nook and cranny. No fish, so I pick another target and cast. This “guy” flips in there and sets the hook. A solid fish is in the tree tangled up and dangling under a branch. I get on the trolling motor and crash into the tree trying to knock the fish off, just kidding, trying to get into the tree far enough so that I could reach it. I did and he has four solid fish in his livewell. I back off of the tree that I had just crashed into, banged into all of the branches, and even ran the trolling motor all over and figure I had better make a couple of casts into anyway. I make several flips and feel there are no more fish in it or that if there is they are so spooked that they won’t bite and then I flipped to another tree. My partner flips in there and sets the hook. It’s another three pounder and my mind is now totally gone. I was a FISHING FRUITCAKE from that point on. I somehow managed to catch a keeper fish to keep from blanking that day before we had to head back, but that was totally by mistake because I was in la la land kicking rocks with a fat lip.

Day two and three went about the same and I ended up way…. way back in the standings. It took me a while before I could analyze the tournament and see what all I had learned. One thing I had learned was don’t get waxed by your partner on your own fish. But looking back now it is kind of a humorous memory. Maybe I could have been a little more tuned in and a little more aware and the outcome would have been better for me.

Well I will be there the third week of this month and with the knowledge of what not to do and with a little luck maybe I will come out on top.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Last spring I was guiding everyday on Lake Conroe during my two week off limits for the Texas Invitational at Lake Sam Rayburn. I had been counting down the days before the event and running bass fishing trip after bass fishing trip, either two half days or a full day everyday before the tournament.

I had scheduled guide trips all the way through the Sunday before the tournament week which would begin on Monday. Well during the weekend I became so caught up in preparing for the tournament and taking care of business that I forgot about a trip that I had booked on Sunday afternoon.

I knew I was guiding Sunday morning and did not need to look at my schedule for that trip because I knew where to be and at what time to be there.

I had booked the trip for Sunday afternoon a week or so before and had good intentions of running it. When I was discussing times and meeting places with this regular customer of mine he said that he was going to be staying at April Plaza Marina over the weekend at their motel on the water. It was a thirty minute drive for him from April Plaza Marina to marina where I run out of up the lake. Even though that marina is ten miles by water out of my way I offered to go and get him and then drop him back off when we were done.

Running this afternoon trip was going to put me at Shane’s (Shane Allman, a friends where I was staying at Rayburn that week) late that night. But I figured that I could tough it out, a fishing guide/tournament pro always needs the extra money.

O.K., now you are informed on the situation so I am going to change tenses in this story and tell it as it was happening step by step.

I just got finished with my morning trip and put my boat on the trailer. My bags are packed in the truck and I get on I-45 to head up to Huntsville to take 190 to Jasper. About thirty minutes go by and it hits me, I have a guide trip booked for this afternoon. I pull over and look at my schedule, I was supposed to be at April Plaza Marina at 12:30 and it was about 1. I call April
Plaza and ask if there is anyone there looking for me, she says that there had been a couple of guys there and that they weren’t real happy with me and that they had already left.

I call the number that I have down on my schedule to at least leave a message. It’s a fax line, I know I have called them before at this number what is the deal I thought? Oh well, there is nothing I can do about it now except go on to Shane’s. What got me was that they were not at the marina waiting for me as I came off of my morning trip because I had told them that I would pick them up down the lake. I was trying to be nice but it cost me because I forgot. This would have never happened if I would have had them come to my marina like normal.

I get to Shane’s and try the number again but the fax sound comes back again. I guess that I’ll just have to wait for them to call my house and leave me a message as to where in the hell I was and why I wasn’t there to take them fishing.

On Tuesday night I call my house to check the messages on my answering machine. They had called and left me a polite message wondering why I didn’t show up and also left their phone number.

I called them right then. My customer answered the phone and I tell him who I am and he awaited my explanation. I told him that I completely forgot and that I had tried to call the marina but they had already left and that I tried to call his house but only got a fax. He said that they had accidentally left the fax on instead of the answering machine and he seemed as though he might forgive me. I told him that I would take him out fishing for free trip in order to make up for my mistake. This is where the story begins.

A few weeks later when I take them out on their free trip they tell me of their horrible weekend that goes like this.

He and his friend had come to the lake with their own boat on Friday, got settled into their room and decided that they were going to go out on the town that night. They called a limousine service and arranged for a nine O’clock pick up at their motel. About ten thirty they were still there waiting, they called and waited some more but no limo. About eleven they said the heck with it and went to sleep.

They got up the next morning and went fishing. They caught a few fish and had a good morning and decided to come in and rest up for the afternoon. They went out that afternoon and caught a nice bass, about a seven pounder and wanted to take a picture of it but the camera was in the truck. They got back, pulled the boat in their wet stall and left the livewells running to keep the fish alive. They decided they wanted to take the picture the next morning in the daylight.

The next morning they get into the boat and push off, they start rigging their rods and gear, meanwhile the wind pushes them out into the lake. They get ready to start the motor but the battery is dead from the livewells running all night. They drop the trolling motor in but it doesn’t work. They try paddling but the wind is too strong. They finally wave down another boat who comes and gives them a jump. They put the boat on pad and run back to the marina to charge the battery and check on the trolling motor.

They go to get tools out of the truck but remember the keys are in a jacket on the boat. They look for the jacket but it must have blown out of the boat while running back to the marina. The keys are gone. It’s Sunday morning about eight am, not the best time to be trying to get a locksmith. Anyway they finally get a locksmith and for eighty five bucks he opens the truck and makes him an ignition key. They start charging the battery and work on the trolling motor until they get it working. They figured that they would just right off the morning and wait for me to show up to take them out at 12:30. About 12:15 they go out on the dock to wait where I said I would pick them up. They waited and waited, but I never showed. They ask the marina operator but she didn’t know where I was.

Finally, agreeing that I was pretty much a you know what, they went fishing in their own boat. They ran way up the lake to fish some rip rap. They put the trolling motor down to start fishing, one of them on the trolling motor and the other was digging in the tackle box for the right lure. The trolling motor was not running properly and they were about to be blown into the rocks. So the one on the trolling motor jumped behind the wheel and cranked the big motor and goosed it to avoid hitting the rocks. The other guy fell into the tackle box and got a treble hook buried in his hand pass the barb on two of the three hooks. They went to a marina nearby and tried to get someone to help. One guy tried the string trick to get them out but they were too deep. They left the boat tied up and got a ride to the Medical Center in Conroe. For three hundred and seventy five dollars the emergency room removed the hooks and sent them on their way. They got a ride back to April Plaza to where their truck and trailer was, packed up their stuff and went all the way around to the north end of the lake to get the boat. They successfully got it on the trailer and made it back to Houston all right by midnight on that Sunday night.

We have had some laughs together over this and this has got to top any of the mishaps that I have experienced. Someone really took a lot of things into consideration when they said, “Once a fisherman always a fisherman.”

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide
– Lake Mohave

It is approaching that time of the year that I absolutely love. Early springtime is when BIG ol’ hog bass in the 10-pound range will be prowling the shallows going through their annual spawning ritual. Many different lures will be chunked at these big bass during the upcoming months, but I assure you that few will be as effective as the spinnerbait.

Spinnerbait’s come in all shapes and sizes and more than a few pro’s believe the spinnerbait to be the best all-around lure that you can have tied on your line. As with all baits there are a few on the market that have a reputation for being “real killers”. Strike King produces the Pro Model and Spin-Dance spinnerbaits with the always attractive Mirage silicone skirts. Stanley Baits has a full line of baits that are proven winners, and the Houston-based Texan Lures has an assortment of baits that are flashy and get the attention of lunker bass. Just recently the Texan 1/2-oz spinnerbait (chartreuse body with chartreuse willow leaf blades) accounted for some real heavyweight fish on Lake Conroe and Lake Sam Rayburn. You never know for sure what these Texas bass will want, but I would sure have a few of these chartreuse on chartreuse baits in my tacklebox before I head to the lake. And as most of you know, during the springtime there is not a hotter color than red for our East Texas lakes. This is basically because the red is an easy color to see in murky water and at this time of the year there are an abundance of red and red/orange color crawfish in area lakes. My son and I stuck some real heavyweight bass on Lake Fork last year using this red on red combination.

One of the deadliest techniques for fishing a spinnerbait is what we commonly refer to as “slow-rolling”. Best results come when using a spinnerbait weighing between 1/2-ounce and a full ounce. The heavier spinnerbait will allow you to cast further and keep the bait deeper than when throwing the lighter varieties. The heavier weight will also allow you to feel the bait better when that north wind makes fishing other lures difficult. Best depths to fish tend to be between 5- to 15-feet. If you think you are fishing too fast… slow down even more. The key is to allow the bait to work slowly and stay in contact with stumps, grass, weeds, or anything near the bottom. You should be able to feel the blade as the bait “thumps” it ways along, and any interruption in the blades rhythm is a signal to set the hook hard because a big ol’ lunker bass is probably on the other end of your line. A longer rod is helpful when slow-rolling because it allows you to not only make longer casts, but it also provides the backbone to set the hook with authority. Keep a tight grip on your rod when slow-rolling a spinnerbait or a big bass might take it away from you.

Here is a general guideline for selecting that early springtime spinnerbait:

Blades – Murky water use larger blades. The red and chartreuse colors work well, but remember that vibration is really the key. Use a blade that will give off maximum vibration so that bass can easily pick up the sound through their lateral line. Some anglers sware by the Colorado blade because of it’s vibration, while others say there is no better blade than the willow-leaf, especially when fishing near submerged grass.

Color – White and chartreuse are proven colors, but be sure to toss in a couple of black, yellow, or a combination of the two. If I had to select one color pattern it would probably be the white/chartreuse combination. It is an all-around dynamite color and has been for a number of years.

Trailer – There is nothing that makes a spinnerbait come alive more than a plastic worm or pork chunk placed on the hook as a trailer. The trailer will slither and undulate through the water and make the bait look like something that a big bass just has to clobber. I recommend the Strike King Pigtail Trailer because of it’s diamond dust finish and lifelike leg movement.

Spinnerbaits and early springtime weather go together like cowboys and rodeos or red beans and rice. If your not chunkin’ a spinnerbait during the next few months you will definitely be missing out on some great fishing action. – Lake Mohave

Get Ready!!! The Texas Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU) Houston Gala and Conservation FishFest ’96 in Dallas are on their way. TBBU, it’s fine members, and platinum sponsors, will join together to promote a project involving the revitalization of aging Texas fisheries. The Houston Gala and Conservation FishFest ’96 fundraising will champion the cause for re-establishing native habitat in Texas waters. TBBU has targeted Lake Lewisville in north Texas and Lake Livingston east of Houston to be the two test lakes in the habitat restoration program. And to make things even better, the Army Corps of Engineers and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will match TBBU fundraising donations specific for aquatic habitat restoration. Along with funding for this very worthwhile purpose, TBBU will continue it’s commitment to youth programs and support of the Texas Freshwater Fishing Center and Fish Hatchery in Athens, Texas.

The Houston Gala will take place May 4th, 1996, and host site will be the fabulous Sam Houston Race Track. Rumor has it that this will be one of the most spectacular conservation fundraising events South Texas has ever seen. May 4th is also Kentucky Derby Day, so the TBBU event should be a real show-stopper. Entertainment for the Houston Gala will feature one of country music’s very best as fellow bass fisherman Mark Chestnut takes the stage. This is one of the hottest acts in the nation and will be a guaranteed winner. In addition to the fine crooning of Mr. Chestnut, there will be a silent auction and raffle that offers the opportunity to bid on guided fishing and hunting trips, guns, art, boats, and much more. If you want to rub elbows and have your picture taken with fishing celebrities and other dignitaries… this is the place to be. Mark May 4th on your calendar and plan to attend the Houston Gala for some super fun.

And don’t think that Dallas is going to take all of this Houston celebrating lying down. The 1996 edition of Conservation FishFest will once again be held at the world famous Southfork Ranch, home of the famous Ewing family of DALLAS TV fame. A silent auction and raffle will also take place at this event, and the prizes will be fabulous boats, outdoor merchandise, guided fishing and hunting trips, and much more. Entertainment for Conservation FishFest will be provided by country music legend Waylon Jennings. A *****tail reception will also allow you to meet all of the celebrities and dignitaries as you leisurely tour through the Ewing Mansion. And oh by the way…. did I mention that a host of the top touring professional bass fishermen will be on hand to give you tips and techniques to improve that upcoming fishing trip? What A Night!!

Rumor has it that the Houston event will outshine the Dallas event, however, when I talked to the Dallas folks they were saying that their event would be the biggest and best ever. Only time will tell which group comes out on top, but I assure you that each of the events will be first class and something you don’t want to miss. – Lake Mohave

If you are not currently a member of Texas Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU) you sure need to be. TBBU is an organization that works for fisherman and is operated by fishermen. It’s a hard working group of folks that certainly look out for your best interests when it comes to issues involving the outdoors. And in the past year TBBU’s hard work allowed the organization to donate $100,000 toward the completion of the Texas Freshwater Fishing Center in Athens, Texas.

During 1996 TBBU will continue an aggressive campaign involving habitat improvement in lakes across our state. You and future Texas anglers will be the big winners of this fine program by having the opportunity to catch more and bigger bass.

And don’t think that the younger anglers are not a major concern of TBBU. Youngsters across the state are being introduced to TBBU youth programs that teach the fun of outdoors, fishing, and the importance of conservation. The anti-hunting and fishing movement continues to target the sports that we love so dearly. Pro-sporting organizations such as TBBU are essential in assuring that our future generations hear the real message.

TBBU is an organization that will keep you informed and one that you will be proud to associated with. I encourage each of you to take an active part in assuring that your kids, (and their kids), have an opportunity to enjoy the sport tomorrow that you enjoy so much today. Join TBBU and make a difference. – Lake Mohave

The Carolina Rig is a method of plastic worm fishing that is very effective for structure fishing for black bass. There is a wide variety of structures in the lakes of East Texas.

On Lake Conroe there are pond dams, old road beds, old railroad trestles, creek channels, ridges, and submerged timber. Most of these structures are below the surface, some of these as deep as fifty feet.

The Carolina Rig is designed for deep water fishing with a plastic worm. This method of fishing separates the weight from the worm so that very heavy worm weights may be used without taking action away from the worm. The heavy weight of the Carolina Rig makes fishing deep water structure much easier. Even in water twenty feet deep or more the Carolina Rig with a one ounce worm weight will get down to the bottom quickly and allow you to stay in contact with the bottom. Constant contact with the bottom structure will keep the bait in the strike zone longer. When fishing deep water, long casts are necessary so that more water is covered on each cast.

The Carolina Rig is rigged in a very unique way. To rig a worm Carolina style you need: three quarter to one ounce brass worm weight, glass bead, barrel swivel, and number two hook. Before rigging cut a piece of line about three feet long for your leader and put it aside. Take the line coming from your rod and run it through the brass worm weight. Next run the line through the glass bead. Slide the weight and bead up the line and tie the line to one end of the barrel swivel. Tie the three foot leader to the other end of the swivel. On the loose end of the swivel tie on the number two hook. Then rig the worm onto the hook as if it were a Texas Rig.

The purpose of the brass weight and glass bead are to make noise and attract bass. Each time the Carolina Rig is pulled across the bottom the brass weight and glass bead engage they create a clicking sound. The clicking sound resembles the sound that a crawfish makes when it pops its tail for locomotion. Black bass feed on crawfish and are naturally attracted to the imitation of the brass and glass. Using brass worm weights instead of lead weights is better for the environment. Each time a rig is hung up and lost the weight falls to the bottom and contaminates the water. One weight is not harmful but figure every time someone goes fishing they lose five to ten weights. Over the years these lakes build up a high content of lead and become contaminated. Brass weights do not emit hazardous elements and are environmentally safe. In the future lead fishing weights will be outlawed and brass weights will take their place. Using a seven foot heavy action rod will make the Carolina Rig much easier to handle and cast. The two to three foot long leader is very awkward to cast when using shorter rods. Long casts are necessary and the long rod handles them with ease. The rod must have plenty of length so that when a strike occurs on a long cast a powerful hookset can be attained. On a long cast there may be ninety feet of line out and a long rod will allow you to generate the power to overcome the stretch of the line.

Fishing the Carolina Rig is one of the simplest methods of worm fishing there is. Once you are in an area that you want to fish simply cast the Carolina Rig towards the structure you intend to fish. Let the rig settle to the bottom. Often, this is when a strike occurs because the weight falls to the bottom quickly and the worm is left suspending and slowly falling to the bottom. This fluttering action that the worm has when falling to
the bottom is one of the most important features of the Carolina Rig. After letting the rig settle on the bottom for about twenty to thirty seconds begin retrieving the bait. Hold your rod parallel to the water and in a direction forty five degrees away from the bait. Slowly turn the handle on the reel so that you make a full revolution of the handle about every ten seconds. If you reel your rig across some bottom structure, like a tree or a log, let it settle to the bottom. You should be in constant contact with the bottom, but when you come into the strike zone you want to let the bait flutter to the bottom in the strike zone. Strikes on the Carolina Rig are not always very obvious. Sometimes several taps on the line are all that will be felt. Other times a pulsating pressure will be felt. Also, fish will actually inhale the bait and nearly jerk the rod out of your hands. Most of the time the bites are subtle and a great deal of concentration is necessary to detect these strikes.

Once a strike is detected a sweeping hookset will increase your chances of landing the fish. Because most bites will occur with a lot of line out if you sweep the rod to set the hook a more direct line to the hook is attained. If the rod is jerked straight up, the weight must be lifted before a direct line to the hook is achieved. When the sweeping hookset is used the weight must still be lifted to create a direct line to the bait but more power is generated in the hookset.

Fishing line is also an important aspect of the Carolina Rig. Fishing the deep waters of the lake requires a line that is strong enough to handle the torture of being exposed to rocks, trees, and other rough bottom features. A new type of line was introduce to the world of bass fishing in 1993. A line composed of braided Kevlar and polyethylene was introduce. This line is very small in diameter yet extremely strong. Monofilament, a plastic based product, is our conventional line. To compare the two and their qualities almost seem unfair. A piece of monofilament with a pound test rating of ten is equal to the diameter of the Kevlar braided line with a pound test rating of thirty. The Kevlar braided line is much more sensitive and does not have a high stretch factor. Because the line stretches very little, there is hardly any loss of sensitivity due to the line absorbing sensitivity.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Still attempting to get my act together on the BassMaster Invitational Circuit I headed to the Arkansas River last month to fish the first Invitational of the Central Division. The section of river we were able to fish was about 100 miles long. Like last year I chose to fish the southern portion of tournament waters. It was my intentions to fish backwaters and creeks being that it was Fall and that the shad would be back in the creeks spawning again with the bass along with them.

This never fail Fall pattern proved to hold up again as I found a good load of fish back in a main creek. The creek was textbook: deep, with timber, with milfoil, with coontail, with lilly pads, and with small tributaries draining into it. I fished these fish for two days during heavy rain trying to figure out the best way to catch them. Normally I would have just figured that out during the tournament but in this case time was a major factor. These fish took two hours to reach one way so fishing time totaled about three and a half hours. Even late into the second day with all of the rain the water remained clear and it seemed that the runoff was not going to change the water clarity. There was so much aquatic vegetation that I figured any major runoff would be filtered by the matted thick grass that choked the creek.

With my “ace in the hole” fish located I went north for the third day and practiced near the harbor. The tournament would run out of the harbor and it is always good to have a few fish located there just in case.

At the pairings meeting on Wednesday night I drew a guy from Kentucky for the first day. We agreed to head South to my fish the next day. So far so good.

The next morning we leave out in Flight 2C right on time and we are headed out the harbor when we hit a wall of fog just before we reach the Arkansas River. The fog was so thick that we could barely see the front of the boat. Fortunately we were near the bank so we at least had a landmark. My partner said he had a creek nearby that he had caught fish in during practice, so we idled to it. We did not have many other choices being that it was too dangerous to travel in the fog with 152 other tournament boats on the water not to mention the spectator boats, barges, and rock dikes lining the river and harbor.

We stayed in the harbor all day and I caught a limit of fish. I felt confident about the day but knew I could have done better down south on my backwater fish. Anyway I was off to a good start and was in the top 50. My partner for the second day agreed to go South and fish my fish.

We left out Friday morning in Flight 1B and headed down river on our two hour journey. Travel time is only one hour but to go that far South you have to lock down twice which take about a half hour each.

After the second lock it was about thirty five minutes to my fish. I shaved the corners of the river, ran on the insides of the channel buoys, and screamed by the ends of rock dikes trying to cut the distance down a bit in order to get there faster. We turned off of the river and headed into the creek running wide open all the way, I could not wait to get there. During that time I totally forgot about the tournament and all I wanted to do was to get there and enjoy the awesome fishing that was in store for us. As I neared the back of the creek and began to slow an ice cold chill hit me as I realized the water was the muddier than Trinity Bay on a North wind. I quickly looked around and knew this place was impossible in the time that we had to fish. I picked up a spinnerbait made several casts trying to figure out what to do. My partner a very knowledgeable bass fisherman from Oregon agreed that it was hopeless in the time that we had.

Between the second day of practice and the second day of the tournament two days had passed and enough run-off had drained into the creek and ruined the entire backwater. Sure the fish were still there but muddy water initially sickens the fish and makes them lull and not bite. You can still get reaction bites if you get your bait close to them. Well actually the fish in this situation were new to me because I had never fished for bass in water that was this muddy. It was not off color or stained it was rolling mud. Anytime I had ever encountered water that was this muddy I would just go someplace else and fish. This was my key area that was ruined but I did have two lesser backup areas. We fished them and scrambled up a couple of fish each for the day but my expectations were no where near fulfilled.

The third day treated me worse than the second and I fell out of the hunt but I also relearned an old lesson. The lesson being don’t count your chickens before they hatch. I thought that I had a for sure honey hole down in that backwater and my plan backfired with me not ever even considering a back up plan. So in a sense I was not mentally prepared because I had not thought out alternatives for all of the possible situations. Looking back it is as simple as pie, you have to roll with the punches and roll with the weather that Mother Nature deals out. You have to get “into the flow” of Mother Nature. I was obviously no where near the “flow” in this tournament.

In tournament bass fishing there are always variables that can help you be a hero or cause you to be a zero. At any rate my learning continues and I’ll start the whole tournament process over in Georgia late this month at Lake Hartwell.

Also, a special congratulations to my friend and traveling partner Brian Utecht for finishing up in 12th place in Arkansas Tournament. Brian’s fish held up through all of the rain and he mastered three baits during the tournament to coax his fish into biting in a twenty yard stretch of shoreline. Good job Bro.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Living on Lake Livingston for the past six years has lead me to several understandings about bass fishing and this lake itself….change. Because of the “change” that I am referring to this lake sometimes gets a bad rap from bass fishermen who visit it occasionally. Being that the massive Trinity River feeds this lake and that there are a number of substantial feeder creeks, change is common. Rainfall is the most dominating factor of change for Lake Livingston. Heavy rains north of the lake along the Trinity River, including as far north as the Dallas area can almost demolish efforts to catch black bass on the north end of the lake. Heavy local rains can dirty up the creek backs and within a few days a whole creek can be unfishable. The bad rap from fishermen comes from when they visit the lake and catch fish, some given time they come back under the same conditions but rains have moved their fish up or down the creek in search of clear water. Their prior information is almost worthless and locating fish starts over.

Learning to deal with this lake is really very simple however you have to consider the whole lake to understand it. The easiest black bass to catch are in the major feeder creeks, smaller tributaries, and ditches that feed both. In these areas the fish that are in the clearest emerald green water are the ones that I target. My information is somewhat biased because I live on the north end of the lake where rainfall affects the lake most. The creeks on the north end are long and some of them can be traveled for miles. This allows for bodies of clear water even during periods of heavy rainfall.

Rule 1. Local rainfall dirties up the backs of the creeks first and then water moves toward the mainlake at a speed relevant to the amount of rainfall. If there is a heavy rainfall then the main channel of the creek may be wiped out, however up and down the creek there are small ditches and draws holding pockets of clearwater. These ditches and draws hold clear water even though the creek they feed is dirty because they receive very little run off and/or there is a silted in sandbar at their mouth that acts as a buffer to the dirty water.

Rule 2. Heavy rains upriver will bring muddy water down and cause the river, the jungle, and much of the main lake above the 190 bridge to be off color. If the major creeks were in good shape to start with they will remain that way unless the river just keeps pumping in some astronomical amount of muddy water. Sure the river and main lake will be dirty and the off colored water will trying to push into the creeks but most of the creeks are lengthy. The off colored water usually does not push very far into the bigger creeks unless the lake is on severe rise and even if it is it takes time and is not something that happens to a big creek overnight.

Rule 3. If the lake has been in good shape and suddenly there are heavy local rains and there is dirty water on the way down the river from heavy rains up north there will be some fishable water. Somewhere between the mainlake and the backs of the creeks there will be bodies of clear water in the creek channels along with pockets of clear water in the ditches and feeder creeks. This clear water may be temporary but is usually loaded with bass seeking clean water.

There are hundred of scenarios we could draw up and have rules for. These three rules are very general, however they are very true and given to you through my own experience living here on the lake.

Last November when the BassMaster Tournament Trail came to this lake it was just after the major flood that we had in October. The lake had been flooded and had not recovered from the heavy rains. Rick Clunn summed up the lake evaluation during the tournament by saying, “What the rains have done is made a very large lake very, very small.” Meaning that all of the BassMasters were concentrated in the clear water pockets that were scattered up and down the lake.

During periods and rainfall, clear water with a dark emerald green color is the ticket. This lake is an excellent lake to fish during the Fall. Most of the tournament trails are complete except for the classic in a few trails and this would be a good time to make a trip to Lake Livingston and practice flipping, cranking, spinnerbaiting, and topwater.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

With the hottest portion of the summer well under way bass anglers are still trying new and old techniques to draw strikes. The climax of summer marks a difficult time to be on the water after largemouths. The wind has laid, the sun beats down, and the sticky humidity makes fishing a little less comfortable than an easy chair under the air condition. However, there are many of us diehards that are always out there trying to fool one more bass.

Many techniques have come and gone and repeated themselves earlier this year. Crankbaiting, Carolina Rigging, Topwater, Spinnerbaits, and various others. All of these techniques shine at one time or other and many work almost all the time. This time of year bass prefer a slow moving bait due to the high water temperatures. Lake Conroe’s structure fishing for bass is dominated by the Carolina Rig.

There have been several new products come about to enhance this fish catching method. in the past I have picked up on a few tricks to Carolina Rigging. Using twenty to twenty five pound test line reduced break offs when hung up. The heavy line also held up much better than lighter line during the aggressive hooksets that Carolina Rigging requires. Obviously, bigger fish are not as serious a threat when using heavy line. Using a slightly less pound test line as the leader would decrease the loss of the complete rig when the hook was hung up. The leader line would break before the mainline sparing the weight, bead, and barrel swivel. A seven foot, heavy action rod made casting long leaders a cinch and hooksets on long casts bit easier.

There are many other tricks to enhancing the Carolina Rig and gear to fish them. The heavy monofilament was satisfactory to me until I tried some of these new braided lines. I say “new” braided lines meaning a new type of braided line. Braided lines have been around for years, yet not made from materials like Kevlar, Dacron, or polyethylene.

In the articles that I have read the lines have been complimented on the impact they have had on jig fishing and flipping heavy cover.

I have been using Fenwick’s Tron Thread which is thirty pound test with a diameter of ten pound test monofilament. The multi-filament fishing line has some unique characteristics that seem to cater to Carolina Rigging. Iron Thread has a “stretch factor,, of 7.6%. Monofilament has an average “stretch factor” of 25%. So basically, the line will stretch 1/5 less on a hookset when using braided line. This means that the hook will penetrate within the first couple of feet of the hookset using braided line rather than at the end of the hookset when using monofilament. An adequate hookset can be obtained with a shorter arc of the rod and with less power.

Being that Iron Thread has a low “stretch factor” there is more feel to the line. In other words the line does not stretch to absorb light strikes and bottom features like monofilament. Sensitivity is one of the keys to Carolina Rigging and the multi-filament magnifies bottom features and light strikes.

Another enhancement is various noise making devises within the rig. Don Iovino’s Brass and Glass which is brass weights and glass beads designed to make a clicking sound when the brass weight engages with the glass bead.

The latest Carolina Rigging accessory designed after a proven fish attracting principal is a product from Big Cat. Big Cat introduced rattling weights which are available in popular Carolina Rigging sizes. The weights have an appoxy capsule portion with 8-10 lead beads that rattle inside the chamber to create a real racket. The weights produce excessive amounts of noise when fished through brush and rocks. Each time the weight drops off of a branch or rock it falls to bottom or another structure causing the rattles to make noise and attract fish. The weights have become popular with guides and tournament angler’s who are always looking for ways to catch more fish than competitors.

These new products are interesting and extremely advantageous to use. Soon we will all be using these products just to keep up with new standards and competition on the water. About the time we all get used to these new products and start to take them for granted someone will discover a new improvement that caters to Carolina Rigging.

Until then, good luck fishing and remember to apply a powerful sunscreen and carry plenty of water when fishing through the “Dog Days”.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

By now most of us have had experience with the new versions of braided line. Opinions of the line vary from each fisherman of its uses and applications. Many fishermen use the line for a few special techniques and use monofilament for the rest of their fishing. After being on the market for a couple of years the craze for braided line has subsided somewhat. At first it seemed as though the braided line would end every fishermans worst nightmare of breaking a fish off. For some fishermen this may be the case but for myself and many other fisherman that I have talked to, it was not as “bullet proof” as we percieved it to be. Now I am certainly not advocating that braided line is weak I am just referring to some of the realities of fishing braided line through experiences of many fishermen. And through this type of communication you may be able to pick up tips as I have to give you more success with braided line and monofilament.

Like the rest of the middle-aged and younger fishermen I grew up fishing monofilament. Developing confidence in the monofilament took years. Not just having confidence in the line itself but confidence in my selection of the right pound test for each method of fishing. Also learning to push the limits of the line when leaning on fish or trying to overpower one around timber was not something that could be learned overnight. I think for these very reasons I hear so many various comments, positive and negative about braided line. It has only been a few years since braided line has been on the market and fishermen have used the line long enough to comment on the line through experience.

Of course we know that braided line has very little stretch ,is extremely strong,and thin in diameter. Automatically flipping and pitching a jig or Texas Rig comes to my mind because of the powerful hooksets that come with this territory. My problem when I first started using braided line for these techniques is that when I got bit I would resort to my old monofilament eye crossing hookset. The first few times I broke the hook of my Texas Rig right at the kink shank of my worm hook. On another hookset I broke the reel seat and sent the reel slamming through the first two eyes of my rod. Finally learning that I could get the same result by using a milder hookeset with braided line I began to have successful hookups without tearing up tackle. However at times I would catch myself setting the hook too hard with braided line and something would give, whether it be the hook, my rod, or the line itself. One way to solve this problem is to have the drag set so that even if you set the hook extremely hard it will let out some line to compensate for the power.

Using braided line on the Carolina Rig has been my favorite use of the line yet. Being that the line has very little stretch the bottom features are not absorbed in the line and you can feel every detail and feature of the bottom. The line is so sensitive that it seems as though you can hear the features through your hands. Using a fifteen to twenty pound test monofilament leader when Carolina Rigging has been common among fishermen using braided line. The monofilament leader takes some of the shock out of the hookset and gives you just a little more of a threshold when you are detecting a strike. Also if you hang the rig up on the bottom the monofilament will break first if the hook is hung and all you have to do is add a leader and hook rather than start all over.

Many fishermen use the thin diameter of the braided line for getting crankbaits to dive to deeper depths. Using braided line in these situations is like changing to a new kind of rod or reel, cranking with braided line is so much different than with monofilament. Relying on the stretch of monofilament and the shock absorbing recovery of a fiberglass rod is a confidence in me that would be hard to replace with the tricks of braided line.

Braided line can fit into your arsenal somewhere no matter what type of fisherman you are. I tend to drift back and forth from monofilament and braided line in a few situations but have confidence in both. Definitely some of the new generation of young fishermen who are raised on braided line will use it exclusively and probably uncover some new techniques by doing so.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Current Water Conditions: As of January 20 the lake is in great shape in comparison to this time last year. The water is up around normal pool which is what we desperately needed for the spawns this spring. Upper lake is a little off color due to the rainfall that we have had but as always there are clear pockets to be found holding fish. Water temp is varying around 60 degrees and if this continues or perhaps the water gets even warmer this month could be incredible.

Black Bass: 1/4 to 3/8 oz Stanley Rattling Jigs in black with a black no. 11 pork frog is going to be hard to beat this month. A Texas rigged black/chartreuse tail lizard is another top choice. Fish timber and rocks in five feet of water or less and try to find water that has a greenish tint.

White Bass: The conditions are currently perfect for the white bass run. If conditions stay the same as far as rainfall goes this could be the best run in about four years. Two years ago we had too much rain and last year we did not have enough. White bass like a little flow over the shoals before they will spawn in full force, lets hope the conditions are good this year. Livingston is a premiere white bass fishery and this could be a colossal year for the lake with the current conditions. Roadrunner jigs in white and chartreuse are the ticket this month up the creeks. Carolina, Bethy, Harmon, Nelson, and Bedias are all hot spots this month.

Catfish: Shad, nightcrawlers, dough bait, and chicken liver are working will for catfish. Fish the banks after the rains and the river and creek channels other times.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Current Water Conditions: Overall the lake is in good shape with the majority of the north end being very fishable right now. White Rock and Caney have some fishable water as well as parts of Carolina and Harmon. Running the creeks and looking for clear water is the ticket on the north end and looking for the warmest water possible will also help in your black bass pursuit.

Black Bass: A 1/4 oz Stanley jig with a number 11 pork frog is the number one bait for bass this month. They will be holding tight to structure and not in a real aggressive mode for the most part. Slowing down your bait to match their sluggish attitude will definitely help you land a few largemouth’s. If you are a tournament fisherman this is a good time of the year to work on the jig bite. Slow rolling a spinnerbait is also a productive tactic.

White Bass: It is almost time to start busting them up the creeks. Late this month and all next month the whites will be making their annual run. All of the feeder creeks and tributaries way up the river will be loaded with whites. Stripers also are caught during this run so have your drag set to handle one of the big fish if you are lucky enough to hook one.

Crappie: Most of the marinas are reporting good catches of crappie in 15-20 feet of water on minnows and jigs. Brush piles and standing timber producing most of the sac-o-lait.

Catfish: Shad, nightcrawlers, dough bait, and chicken liver are working well for catfishing. A little rise in the water level will get the catfish feeding in the shallow water flats and along the main river channel in the jungle.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Current Water Conditions: Overall the lake is in good shape with the majority of the north end being very fishable right now. White Rock and Caney have some fishable water as well as parts of Carolina and Harmon. Running the creeks and looking for clear water is the ticket on the north end and looking for the warmest water possible will also help in your black bass pursuit.

Black Bass: A 1/4 oz Stanley jig with a number 11 pork frog is the number one bait for bass this month. They will be holding tight to structure and not in a real aggressive mode for the most part. Slowing down your bait to match their sluggish attitude will definitely help you land a few largemouth’s. If you are a tournament fisherman this is a good time of the year to work on the jig bite. Slow rolling a spinnerbait is also a productive tactic.

White Bass: It is almost time to start busting them up the creeks. Late this month and all next month the whites will be making their annual run. All of the feeder creeks and tributaries way up the river will be loaded with whites. Stripers also are caught during this run so have your drag set to handle one of the big fish if you are lucky enough to hook one.

Crappie: Most of the marinas are reporting good catches of crappie in 15-20 feet of water on minnows and jigs. Brush piles and standing timber producing most of the sac-o-lait.

Catfish: Shad, nightcrawlers, dough bait, and chicken liver are working well for catfishing. A little rise in the water level will get the catfish feeding in the shallow water flats and along the main river channel in the jungle.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

Largemouth bass are spawning all over the lake. The trick is finding water clear enough to sight fish them. The backs of Bethy, Harmon, Carolina, Caney, and White Rock all have some pockets way in the back where you can find and see bass on the bed.

Stanley new Tuba Tube has been my number one producer for the sight fishing that I have been doing.

The buzzbait bite is strong early on the lake right now and should continue all spring. The best bite on the buzzbait is naturally early and late, but the bite can go all day in over cast conditions.

Stanleys ¼ oz buzzbait in white or chartreuse is the best one to throw.

Berkley Power Worms in red shad are always a good choice here for bass holding on visible cover.
Target fishing the shoreline cover like rocks, laydowns, stumps, boat docks, and reeds is a strong pattern with a 5/16 oz Stanley Jig. Black/blue, black/chartreuse, and white are the three jig colors that I mainly throw here at Livingston.

White bass fishing has been excellent on Bedias, Nelson, and Harmon creeks. Rat-L-Traps in chrome blue back are a top choice as well as any topwater bait when they are schooling.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

There are a number of different patterns for black bass on Lake Conroe right now. A number of fish are spawning throughout the lake. Caney, Little Lake, Atkins, Lewis, and Live Branch are some of the creeks that I have been hitting and finding bass on the bed in the backs of all of these creeks.

The new Stanley Tuba Tube has been my top choice for the spawning bass.

The shallow bite from 0 to 5 feet of water in the backs of these same creeks has been good on the Stanley Platinum Wedge ¼ oz spinnerbait. The best colors in this bait are golden bream and chartreuse white combination. The double willow gold bladed spinnerbait has been a productive bait for me and my customers all spring.

Points have Carolina rig and crankbait fish on them. Most of these fish are post spawn. The bait of choice on the Carolina rig is the Bass Assassin chartreuse pumpkin fry assassin, and the grasshopper fry assassin.

Medium diving crankbaits like the Bandit 200 and 300 series baits chartreuse/blue back, and also the Norman Middle N’s in chartreuse and pearl/green back.

The topwater bite has been good early around shallow docks and rip rap on Rico’s and white buzzbaits.

Wacky worms in junebug, green pumpkin, chartreuse pumpkin, and grasshopper have been effective on the shallow fish. Mustads weedless Finacky hook is the best hook for the wacky worm with its built in 1/32 oz weight attached to the hook shank.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave

This has always been one of my favorite times of year to fish Lake Livingston. The weather has somewhat stabilized and the bass are going to be very predictable and in easy patterns for the rest of the summer. Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, worms, and jigs are all going to be top producer for the next few months.

The water is really getting clean and the river is already getting that emerald green color which is a sign that fishing is good all over the lake. Up north there is not a stretch of bank that I can think of where there is ample cover that you cannot get a bite. When conditions are good like they are right now this lake shows its true colors.

I live up on Bethy Creek which is about five miles up the river from Carolina Creek , just up the river from Bethy is Harmon Creek. These three are the major creeks for about a ten mile stretch of river above the jungle. All three are excellent for bass and in between the creeks are dozens of small tributaries and small pockets off of the river which all hold good fish. Down in the jungle Caney and White Rock feed in and they are two of the best creeks on the lake.

Don’t be intimidated by Livingston’s size and timber. The river is marked with poles on either side of the river and most of the poles have a red or green sign on them. Remember when traveling upriver keep the red signs on your right and traveling down river to keep the red signs on your left. Red Right Up(RRU) and Red Left Down(RLD). That’s a simple way to keep yourself in the boat lane. The upper end can’t get too rough because there is not that much openwater for the wind to get a hold of. The jungle is an exception however.

As you may know about Livingston the bass remain shallow all year around. During the dog days of summer you can catch bass in two feet of water and less, so think shallow when you fish Livingston.

Fishing the shoreline cover is the best way to catch bass on Lake Livingston. Logs, stumps, reeds, boatdocks, and rocks are some of the best cover to fish. The early late bite is awesome on Livingston but they can be caught all day by concentrating on shallow cover that provides shade for the bass.

The entire lake is full of bass, I am kind of partial to the north end because I live up here. It is going to be a good summer of fishing of Livingston so come out and enjoy it.

Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide – Lake Mohave